In our high tech world, there are plenty of gadgets to cleave to, lots of toys to love. I was talking with my good friend, Tim, yesterday and he mentioned that he's recovering from knee surgery. I commented that it was a good time to be trapped on the couch--lots of Olympics to watch.
He said this, "When it first came out, I said the DVR was the biggest waste of money ever foisted on the gullible American consumer, now I can't imagine watching TV without one." Since I don't have a DVR or TiVO, I had to ask, "what do you mean?" He told me that he's recording all the Olympics, and then watching it from his DVR listing and fast forwarding through all the commercials and commentary that doesn't interest him. Since a lot of the 'get to know the athletes' is being repeated, this actually sounds pretty good to me. I admitted that I had not been able to fork over the $11 a month for a DVR when offered by Cox. He laughed at me. He told me that he could watch roughly 5 hours of Olympics in an hour fast forwarding through the chaff to get to the wheat.
Then he made the comment that there have been several devices that he believed were stupid when they were first introduced that he now cannot imagine living without: cordless phones, GPS, cell phones, texting. You get the picture. When at first each one of these technological advancements were introduced, he was skeptical of its usefulness in his life. Now, he cannot imagine life without these devices. DVR just goes on that list as the most recent one.
It got me started thinking. I can remember when only brain surgeons had beepers. Then five years later, every middle school kid had one. I can remember when only traveling salesmen had cell phones, now everyone has one.
DVR has jumped onto that list of Things We Can't Live Without. Its ability to save us time and allow us to jump through shows quickly--plus to liberate us from having to be home on a certain night/time to catch a TV show--is routine now.
I guess I'm going to have to break down and get me one. With the hours I've spent watching the Olympics, shaving it down to one fifth the time is very attractive. Maybe I need to call Cox.
--Sandee Wagner
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4 comments:
As not a huge fan of organized sports of any kind shaving 4 hours off of Olympics viewing holds no value for me. Buying seasons of TV on DVD is my way of avoiding the insulting and ridiculous commercials.
Having given up most TV many years ago, I find it makes me socially inept. You’d be surprised how often a lunch conversation starts out with did you watch “_________” last night. My answer is always, “no”. And I miss many of the commercial references too. You have to go back many years for me to “get” one…. Plop, plop, fizz, fizz… builds strong bodies in 12 ways… where's the beef?
Don’t miss it at all.
xoxo
I love to buy seasons of TV on DVD, then you can watch them over and over. There are plenty I want to see, too. No commercials is the best part and no annoying fast forwarding. spw
Call, call, CALL!!!! Seriously, DVR is the ONLY way to watch TV! Well, not the only way, but it will certainly change the way you watch it!
Zack, Kimmee and Co., That's what everyone is saying. We need to just break down and do it. spw
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