I seriously think that my ventures into the online world of watching television are affecting my wife.
We have not had a DVR in our house since about this time in 2009. We lived on that thing. Time shifting all of our favorite programming to our hearts content. I remember managing most of what I watched with that thing, or watching Deadwood over the on demand service. Either way, we plowed through television we wanted when we wanted to.
Then I cut the cord and introduced her to Hulu.
Time shifting has become the norm for most these days. I’m sure there are plenty that still do, but more of the world is not making appointment television anymore. Not for The Office. Not for How I Met Your Mother. I drop in to watch WWE RAW only.
I remember growing up with my three choices of channels, and just accepting what was on. Whether it was being stuck with Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight or Designing Women, of all things. This is why I still have an unhealthy fondness of Candice Bergen.
It’s sort of funny when you watch ads on the stations anymore. USA or TNT are prime examples. You see a marathon advertisement, or an ad for Pirates of the Caribean (pick one) being played several times all weekend. Often billed as “several chances to watch”. Several opportunities to watch a two and a half hour movie over three and a half hours with commercials. Thanks pal. Oh, and don’t forget about things flying across my screen advertising some other marathon, original series premiere, or WWE monday night. (wait a sec…) I pay for this? The amount of movies I can watch on my 9.99 Netflix plan, whether DVD or streaming, pales the offerings on my “200” television stations. What the hell am I paying for again? Is it just because I’m conditioned to pay to have the same choices everyone else does?
I guess what I’m looking at is a liberation. Most of us love our TVs. And unhealthily so. But that chance to continue to be mobile, enjoy that content that inspires us, and not have to worry about keeping that night off (except for Mondays, wrestling fans!).