Data were collected for this study of the relationship between television watching and family life via a recording device (C-Box) consisting of a television set and a video camera. Designed for the study, this device was installed in 20 homes for one week to record the viewing area in front of the television set together with information on programs being watched. Adult viewers were also asked to complete a viewing diary to estimate their presence in the room during television programs and the amount of time they spent looking at television, and to rate each program for enjoyment and impact. Analysis of the data from approximately 350 hours of videotape suggested that presence in the room and looking at television were not strongly correlated. However, when the observed values for presence and looking were correlated with reported values for enjoyment and impact, all of the variables were positive and significant. Comparisons of the diaries with the data from the videotapes showed that the former were prone to errors and the perpetuation of myths about the effects of television, while the recording techniques had the advantage in discovering how people relate to television in the privacy of their own homes. It was concluded that, only by gaining access to people's homes via the video and recording the routines and rituals associated with television watching, can researchers come to understand the role television plays in peoples' lives and its effects on them. (7 references) (CGD)