South Asian families in the United Kingdom are at the forefront of the techie revolution and are twice as likely as other families to have DVD players, personal computers, game consoles, and Internet connections.

This has been revealed in a survey that paints a unique picture of Asian families across Britain.

Sky TV researchers discovered that three out of four British Asians have access to the Internet, compared to a national average of 50 per cent. Over 31 per cent of Asian families have DVD players, more than double the UK average.

The findings reveal that six out of 10 Asian families have multi-channel TVs and that three-quarters feel underserved by the mainstream terrestrial channels. But many also do not like the 24 Asian satellite TV channels.

Nine out of 10 Indian families are avid cinema-goers, but among Pakistanis the figure falls to less than half. Bollywood movies are the most popular draws.

The Sky survey is said to be the first of its kind on viewing habits in Asian homes. It was commissioned to mark the tenth anniversary of Asian satellite TV broadcasting in the UK.

UK Bollywood expert Irfan Ajeeb welcomed the findings, describing them as a fascinating survey.

Ajeeb, film programmer at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford, told the local media, "The figures highlight an increasing competitive streak among Asian families. When people become successful businessmen or professionals they want to be seen to have the best equipment in their homes. They want to be better than next door. I don't know of a single Asian family now that doesn't have a DVD player."

The survey also highlights the importance placed on home entertainment in Asian families, Ajeeb said. "People watch a lot of TV because they have less to do. It's not the norm to go out to a pub or club. That is why there is such a high take-up of digital channels. You also find three generations very often living in one house, so staying at home is a social event in itself."

But extended families in some households give rise to viewing conflicts, the survey found. Younger viewers are very unlikely to watch Asian TV channels, while nearly half of their elders watch a combination of Asian and non-ethnic channels.

"There is an identity crisis among young Asians. They don't know if they can be English and Pakistani at the same time. Parents make vain attempts to make their kids listen to Asian radio stations because they don't want their children to lose sight of their culture," Ajeeb said.