Hmmm maybe I confused the issue.
There are the "STUPID Ratings" used by the OLD GUARD Media, then there are the NEW FACTUAL Ratings like TIVO.
Tivo is actual recordings and viewings by actual subscribers. No guestimates. No voodoo crap. Real solid numbers! So TIVO and DVR ratings are starting to make waves in the TV world.
Nielson is just crap, and vastly suspect in their procedures. Tivo and DVR are going to supplant their strangle hold on ratings numbers.
But Nielsen does a better job at finding those shows where people watch the commercials. 10 Million could watch Firefly on TiVo, but if only 20,000 see commercials, I suspect it wouldn't last too long.
What good is a rating if it doesn't tell you anything about what you can charge for advertising? Ideally, TiVo will figure out how to give you a brief commercial during the fast-forward.
Tivo/DVR is going to completely revolutionize the entire industry, I agree.
Every so often I watch a show at someone else's house, someone who doesn't have TIVO, and I catch myself reaching for a remote during commercials! Not to mention, you have to fit your bio-breaks into the commercial breaks!