The New York Times’ Bill Carter looks at the effect digital video recorders are having on the television season’s first week of ratings, pointing out that many new shows are looking better once post-broadcast viewing is added in.

For example, NBC’s new drama "The Event," on which the network has a lot riding, had an initial strong rating, a 3.6, among viewers 18 to 49 years old, and that grew to a 4.3 rating when viewing for three days was added in, the story says.

CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” is looking like the biggest new hit of the season, the story says, and that perception was only enhanced when DVR viewing was added in. The show jumped from an already strong 3.9 rating in the 18-49 demo to an even better 4.7.

Returning shows also got a benefit: Fox’s "House" initially had a slightly disappointing rating with a 4.2, although that jumped to a 5.1 once time-shifting was included.

Time-shifting didn’t help Fox’s "Lone Star" much, the article points out: That show’s 18-to-49 audience grew from a 1.3 rating to a still tiny 1.5 rating after time-shifting.