We should all know about the analog to digital switchover that the TV companies instigated last month. Well, I was not one of the people who got the digital converter box so that I could continue to get my four channels. I barely even miss it.
That's because I get most of my entertainment through the Internet. News, reviews, series and plenty of other things I get through my computer. Streaming video has gotten much better with YouTube and Blip.tv. One of the sites I frequent the most, ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com, is almost entirely in video and has such a range of talent and content that just about anyone can find something they like. As long as you have a decent Internet connection, and mine is at the low end of broadband, then the site loads quickly with few hiccups.
Another thing that Internet has over conventional entertainment, such as television, is that there are fewer restrictions on what is acceptable to be shown. There is far more freedom to be creative and not have to worry about a network or studio stopping things because of fear of viewer backlash or negative media coverage. That does mean, however, that there is an increase in crud language and adult humor but I'm an adult myself so I can tell what my acceptable limits are. Just like with TV, if I don't like what I see or hear then I click away to find something else. With how advanced search engines have become, it doesn”t take me long to find that something else.
Lately, I've gotten into the habit of playing several media at once. I usually have a video playing on my computer while I work on building up my Pokemon. That way I'm entertained while I'm doing tedious work (for anyone that breeds Pokemon, they'll know how long a process that can be). Plus, if I need to check something, I have the Internet right there for me to look stuff up. It's a system that works well for me and makes the night go by so much faster.
I'm not saying that television will be phased out completely. It just doesn't have enough for me. The only shows I watched were on the Discovery or Science channels. I can't stand Reality TV. So I don't miss it all that much and if I wanted to watch those shows, I could probably find them streaming somewhere. As long as I keep my broadband connection, I'm satisfied. TV, for me, has become obsolete.
Anyone out there agree?