Who knew? Throw away all your ideas of what makes relationships work--according to a new study [PDF], a digital video recorder (DVR) helps keep that flame alive just as well as anything else. The study, commissioned by NDS, a manufacturer of (surprise, surprise) DVRs, among other things, took a poll of 1,000 DVR owners, and most (79 percent in the US) claimed that their relationships have improved in the time that they've owned the devices.

It's easy to see how that could be possible, though. For example, DVRs let you record your favorite shows to view later, so you're not glued to your screen when you should be doing, well, other stuff. Most DVR sets also let you watch a different program while recording another, so if both your shows are at the same time, you won't be bickering. And we all know that an absence of bickering promotes cordial relations.

The study also mentioned that 80 percent of the respondents agreed that their DVRs were the most important bit of technology after their cell phones. Really, now.

Firstly, this "worldwide" study covers only four countries. Second, a thousand people in four countries is a tiny, tiny number--the number of DVR subscribers worldwide is expected to cross 250 million by 2011. Thirdly, the study was conducted by a DVR manufacturer. Enough said.

So if you're having problems at home--and we do hope you aren't--do the normal thing, and talk to each other.

Source: CRN