Simply Digital

Episode 6: The Changing Face Of Television

With the advent of digital video recorders and being able to download your favorite sitcom, the face of what we know as television is changing. In this episode, the Simply Digital guys look at all the different ways that you can watch TV.

In Episode 6, Michael Ashby and Analog Dave explain the basics of all the ways that the medium of television is expanding. From the VCR to the DVR, there are a lot of new technologies that make watching television easier and more accessible than ever before.

Show Notes

• Television has changed quite a bit since the Golden Age of Television, when there were only three TV broadcasters in the US.
• Today you can watch TV just about anywhere. In fact, sometimes NOT watching television can be a challenge.
• Analog Dave considers himself a reformed “TV Junkie”. Until he had kids, Dave never wore a watch because, based on what was on television, he would know the approximate time. His first TV show that sticks out in his head was the Howdy Doody Show
• Michael’s first memory of television is the Storyland - The Buckskin Bill Show and growing up was influenced by Looney Tunes
• Whereas Analog Dave is a reformed TV Junkie, Michael is still hooked.
• With the advent series television being created by paid cable networks, such as HBO and Cinemax, the landscape of television content drastically changed. Specifically, series such as “The Sopranos“, “Sex and the City” and “Six Feet Under“, are prime examples.
• These new series raised the bar in terms of quality, as well as the level of storytelling
• Michael feels that the series finale of “Six Feet Under” was the best series finale of all time.
• The reason for this topic, is the fact that technology has evolved to a point where HOW we watch television is/has changing/changed.
• What Are The Different Ways You Can Watch TV?
  1. Broadcasting
     • A network airs a show at a given time and you have to be present to watch it.
     • It’s a shared event with your community because we all experience it at the same time.
     • If you’re unable to be present when the show is aired, you must pre-set a recorder, such as a VCR, to record the show for you.
  2. Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
     • The evolution of the VCR is the digital video recorder
     • The most known brand is the TIVO
     • What makes a DVR different from a VCR is that they record to a hard drive instead of a tape and they have more advanced recording features
     • Most DVRs support subscriptions that download all the content programming for all the networks in your area. Think of it as having the TV Guide built into the DVR.
     • Since the DVR has so much more storage space, it can record a LOT of television based on your personal habits.
     • Instead of having to remember to record your favorite show each week, put in a tape, etc, a DVR can be set to record your favorite show all the time, regardless of the network, or show time. how can it do this? Well, it has a “TV Guide” built-in.
     • A favorite feature of a DVR, is being able to fast-forward through commercials
     • Most owners of DVRs claim that it’ll change the way you look at television, because every time you sit down to watch television, your favorite shows are on because they’ve already been recorded.
     • A DVR can be a real boon for people who want to watch TV during the daytime, because Michael’s opinion of daytime TV is that “It stinks!”
     • Many parents have been known to take their DVR with them when they go on vacation so that they have all of their children’s favorite shows when they’re away from home.
  3. Video On Demand
     • Video On Demand (VOD) is a service offered by cable television providers.
     • It’s similar to a DVR in that content is available when you want to watch it (versus the broadcaster’s schedule), but it’s different in that the content is downloaded from the cable provider.
     • You typically have to pay for the content
     • Every program on your cable network is available, only select programs
     • Movies are a popular form of VOD
  4. Digital Video Disk (DVD)
     • DVDs have recently become a huge source of revenue for television broadcasters
     • It used to be that syndication was the only additional source of income other than the initial broadcast. DVDs have changed all that because it’s a very big market now.
     • For people who don’t have HBO, DVDs are a great alternative. You can rent or buy the season and watch that way.
     • DVDs are also great for shows that didn’t reach a mass appeal and were cancelled early.
     • Most DVD’s offer additional content, such as “behind the scenes” or sometimes even prequels to the next season, which is great for avid fans.
     • The downside of watching television via DVD is that you often have to wait a year before the DVDs are released. If a series is returning for another season, then that is the time that the previous season is released.
     • Michael and his wife watched the entire series of “Sex and the City” on DVD via the NetFlix service.
  5. Via Direct Download
     • Through Apple’s iTunes, or Google Video, you can download television shows directly to your computer.
     • Some content is free, but most of it has to be purchased. Prices range from $.99 to $1.99
     • The attraction of downloading television because it’s instant and advertising free.
     • This is a great way to catch an episode of a television show that missed, or forgot to record.
     • Michael has watched the entire series of Battlestar Galactica by downloading it through iTunes and watching it on his computer.
     • If you don’t have a computer-centric lifestyle, you can use a video iPod and connect it your television quickly and easily.
     • Mobile devices, such as the PSP, or a Palm, can play television and movies too.
     • Michael used his Tapwave Zodaic to share the shows “Hustle” and “The IT Crowd” with his nephew. Great UK shows that he might never have seen otherwise.
     • Other than the video iPod, most mobile video devices require a few extra steps in order to get it on your device.
     • Some mobile telephone carriers are now promoting television for your mobile phone.
     • Apple has pre-announced the iTV, which is a Mac mini style computer that has been specifically designed to hook up to your television. This will bridge the Internet to TV gap that currently exists.
     • iTunes does currently offer streaming, so if you have an additional computer hooked up to your TV, you could stream video from your main computer. The actual performance can be questionable though, so a wired connection is recommended.
     • Although not specifically television per say, “viral video clips” have become quite popular through sites such as YouTube and Google Video, so video on your computer is more-and-more commonplace.
     • When you purchase video on the Internet, you are downloading a file to your computer.
     • The videos that Michael referenced on YouTube have already been removed.
     • The bottom line is that television is changing and becoming more fluid. Especially when the major networks are earning more per episode with an iTunes download than they are with the original broadcast.
     • The new distribution model appears to be
       • Broadcast an episode
       • Sell the episode the next day via iTunes
       • Run re-runs of the episode throughout the year
       • Sell the DVD of the previous season just before the start of the next
       • Syndicate the series after reaching a certain number of episodes
  6. If you’re really into television, then you should really check out TV.com. It’s run by C|net, but all of the content is generated by users.
  7. Michael is the editor for “Hustle” and “The IT Crowd“, as well as several actors.
  8. You can see “Hustle” on AMC in the US.
  9. The Slingbox
     • The Slingbox is a device that you hook to your television. It allows you to “sling” your TV to computer(s) in your house.
     • You can also “sling” your TV to remote computers over the Internet.
     • It even allows you to watch TV on your SmartPhone.
     • It’s the opposite of what Apple’s iTV is supposed to do. Instead of bringing the Internet to your TV, you’re bringing your TV content to the Internet.
  10. Analog Dave Trivia:
      • When color TV first came out, people would watch the test pattern because it was in color and so few TV shows were.
      • Then on Sunday night, Bonanza came on in color, which had to be amazing in its day due to the opening titles alone.
  11. Remembering TV From “Back In The Day”
      • Michael thinks that shows like “That 70’s Show” are educational for kids who didn’t grow up during that time.
      • There was a time when there were no TV remotes for example.
      • When the first TV remotes came out, the buttons were actually switches that clicked when you pressed a button. Hence, remotes today are still sometimes referred to as “clickers.”
      • Dave doesn’t think that “That 70’s Show” is all that accurate though (and he should know)
      • Michael remembers the first “fancy” TV that he saw. His neighbors had a large TV (small by today’s standards) that had a telephone built into it. You could answer your phone with the remote and talk to the person on the other line like a speaker phone. There wasn’t caller ID, so you didn’t know who was calling though.
      • Michael wonders why TV’s no longer have a telephone feature. He thinks it would be cool. Especially if it came with caller ID.
      • If you can send a text message to a kids tv show, you should be able to answer your phone through the TV.
      • AOL is now offering older TV programs for free online. This is a trend for older programs.
      • The TV show that Analog Dave and Michael couldn’t remember was Harsh Realm.
  12. It drives Michael crazy that shows like “”Veronica Mars“” can’t be scheduled better when competing against hit shows such as “Lost“. Also that more hit series don’t schedule themselves like “24“, with all episodes aired in order without interruption.

A Final Note:
iTunes and Google Video are great ways to play with downloadable video. Often times you can find free content, so you can try out these new services without spending any money. For DVR and OnDemand, be sure to check your cable or satellite service provider because they are always running specials to get you to upgrade and add these features.

One thing to remember is that in spite of all this new technology, TV broadcasting will continue. New media just expands the market, it doesn’t limit it. So if anything, in years to come, we’re simply going to have MORE content and viewing options. Isn’t being entertained great?

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