TIVO has long said to have very accurate metrics on the viewing habits of American viewers. With the tight measurements they make (number of pauses, length of pauses, rewinds, etc.) they give a good picture of how people are watching. Now, they are using this info to predict “American Idol”. TMZ has:

Here’s the deal. In a sample of 20,000 users, TiVo monitors traffic — which contestants get replayed (a sign of popularity) and which one’s get fast-forwarded.

You think it’s bogus? Well, the TiVo system has nailed who got booted four weeks in a row.

The key to the predication is in interpreting the data. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.“. Just because you have the data, doesn’t mean you’re interpreting it properly. They are assuming that replayed=popularity. Maybe rewind=so bad it’s funny.

In our house, we’ve turned watching Idol into a sprint. We record it (DVR), then fast forward through just about everything except the performances (even the poor ones). Elimination night is even faster. Fast forward to the guest performer (maybe), then move to the end and see who goes. I could watch the [meaningful part of the] whole season in 2 hours.

Do you watch Idol? If so, how do you watch? If not, did you ever and why did you stop?