I don't usually watch live tv at all exonptices would be for the occasional show on the ABC (eg Australian Story this week), and some sports. We cancelled our Austar subscription earlier this year because we just weren't using it the only thing I used it for was to use the MyStar box to record stuff from the ABC, and I (eventually) realised that was a stupid reason to be paying for the service.I download a lot of TV shows for many of the same reasons as Moneypenny above no ads, I can get stuff that hasn't screened over here yet, I can watch it whenever I want and I can wait until I've got a whole season to start watching. I put everything on hard drives hooked up to a WD TV Live media player, and watch on the tv through that. If it's something I've been waiting anxiously for, I watch it on the laptop sitting at my desk as soon as it's downloaded (although I don't like how I get distracted with the availability of the internet right there). If other people are watching something (generally sport) on tv, I'll go and sit with them and watch something on the laptop with headphones on. For some reason I classify this as being more sociable than watching in another room. Even though I'm wearing headphones. And can't actually hear anything anyone is saying. It's the well, I turned up definition of being sociable.Whether I do anything else while watching tv depends on the show Game of Thrones I sat riveted to (with brain activity probably reduced to negative values), but with True Blood I sometimes set up the laptop in the kitchen so I can watch it while cooking. Yeah, I know, I'm going to regret that one day when I spill something horribly sticky on the keyboard.I don't know that the popularity of downloading tv shows is just a reflection of your audience base. Anecdotal evidence of course, but the majority of people I work with (both young professionals and admin staff) either personally download or borrow downloaded tv shows. My parents and in-laws borrow' downloaded tv shows from me. However, most people I work with also watch more live tv than I do stuff like Masterchef.