The discourse surrounding new media suggests that they offer experiences and pleasures which older media do not. This paper critically explores this proposition both theoretically and empirically in a small number of households in Ireland and in relation to digital games, DVDs and digital television. It argues that we can only understand the pleasures of new media texts through an examination of user experiences and by investigating the constraints and barriers which surround new media consumption in particular social and cultural contexts. It also suggests that insights from political economy of the media might be usefully employed within cultural studies.