Drawing on focus group data, this article explores the ways in which British and Norwegian viewers constructed the role of media technology in their engagement with TV comedy. Arguing that TV comedy on pre-recorded DVDs tended to have far greater significance for British participants than Norwegian participants, the article maintains that this technology had different sets of cultural meanings in the two national contexts. The discussion examines factors that might contribute to this national difference, and considers how DVD usage may affect audience engagement. While DVDs have been seen to address viewers as fan consumers or collectors, most of these users primarily associated this technology with the convenience of timeshifting. Along with VHS and video files, DVDs were seen to offer viewers greater control over when and how they wanted to engage with TV comedy.
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