BBC IPlayer and the like
Aren’t these services really amazing … allowing you to browse through a
week or so’s archives of TV and radio programmes, and watch them when
you like?
During the week, we caught up on TV series like “Lewis” and “Luther”,
and even managed to watch the latest episode of “Damages” on our Sony
laptop, with BBC IPlayer. Yesterday we listened to the radio comedy
“Count Arthur Strong”, which is one of our favourites, together with
“The News Quiz”.
So we’re using our video machine less and less … just using it to record
one or two programmes we can’t get on catch-up, such as “Flashforward”,
and the occasional late-night film. For example, last night I recorded
Michael Moore’s documentary: “Capitalism, a Love Story”, which was billed
to finish at 1.00am. As it happened I was up until then this morning,
doing stuff on my PC upstairs, but I would have slept through most of the
film, if I’d sat in front of the telly.
When we were on holiday in Sheringham in Norfolk, we stayed in a very roomy
terraced house, just a short walk from the sea. However the furnishings
were really dated, as if we we'd stepped back in time to the early 70s.
There was no radio, and the TVs (two of them) were really ancient … only
receiving 4 channels (no Channel 5). There was no DVD or video machine.
Some of the neighbouring houses had Sky satellite dishes, showing that
some people were watching digital TV, but I was quite shocked to realise
how used I was to having the luxury of digital TV and radio choice.
Oh, you poor thing, I can hear you say. :)
week or so’s archives of TV and radio programmes, and watch them when
you like?
During the week, we caught up on TV series like “Lewis” and “Luther”,
and even managed to watch the latest episode of “Damages” on our Sony
laptop, with BBC IPlayer. Yesterday we listened to the radio comedy
“Count Arthur Strong”, which is one of our favourites, together with
“The News Quiz”.
So we’re using our video machine less and less … just using it to record
one or two programmes we can’t get on catch-up, such as “Flashforward”,
and the occasional late-night film. For example, last night I recorded
Michael Moore’s documentary: “Capitalism, a Love Story”, which was billed
to finish at 1.00am. As it happened I was up until then this morning,
doing stuff on my PC upstairs, but I would have slept through most of the
film, if I’d sat in front of the telly.
When we were on holiday in Sheringham in Norfolk, we stayed in a very roomy
terraced house, just a short walk from the sea. However the furnishings
were really dated, as if we we'd stepped back in time to the early 70s.
There was no radio, and the TVs (two of them) were really ancient … only
receiving 4 channels (no Channel 5). There was no DVD or video machine.
Some of the neighbouring houses had Sky satellite dishes, showing that
some people were watching digital TV, but I was quite shocked to realise
how used I was to having the luxury of digital TV and radio choice.
Oh, you poor thing, I can hear you say. :)
posted by justin at 7:25 am
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2 Comments:
It's hard watching a programme on a laptop though isn't it?
I agree it is a fantastic facility to be able to dig around in the digital TV jungle but can't help feeling that quality has suffered a bit at the hands of quantity.
I love the News Quiz and have it automatically delivered to my iPhone weekly. Sadly I can't agree with you about Count Arthur Strong - I'm sure there's one too many letters in his programme title.
I agree with you, Rog, that watching TV broadcasts on a laptop, is not ideal. However, for my 60th birthday (which was not long ago), the family clubbed together and bought me a top of the range 17" Sony laptop, which is very good.
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