PVR, Savior of TVKind

In the life of a grad student, there is little to no time for things like sleep or a social life. When I do get a moment or two to attempt relaxation, I turn to my faithful friend tv for a little escape from reality. A very demanding work load, limited time, and the fact that I am a total tv junkie have the potential to create another source of anxiety in my life, which is one I just couldn't handle: missing my favourite shows. Enter the PVR, which may have edged the ipod out of the top spot of technology that has made the biggest difference in my life. Especially now, when my life is pretty isolated and demanding, I actually can't imagine what I would do without it. Particularly on Monday nights, where the tv networks are clearly trying to drive viewers insane by putting Chuck, Gossip Girl, House, Heroes, 24, Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother on AT THE SAME TIME! How can they possibly expect avid tv fans to cope?! To make me choose between Chuck and House or Jack and Sylar? Seriously? As if school wasn't enough to drive me mad, this would surely be the reason if it weren't for my PVR knight in shining armor. Not only does it make it possible to watch everything you want (conflicting schedules be damned!), you can watch it at whatever time works for you, rather than the time chosen by a network. Best of all, you will never have to watch a single commercial ever again.

I find technologies like the PVR particularly notable, because they impact the lives of regular people doing regular people things, and make SUCH a difference in the average everyday busy life. The PVR has revolutionized the way people watch tv, and has effected the traditional structure of the television industry. Commercials can't force themselves on people the way they used to, and networks can't dictate when people sit down to tune in. It's made for a Nielson nightmare, as they struggle to determine ratings and the resulting fate of new shows, but aren't able to factor in the many viewers who watch faithfully via their PVRs. The industry has already taken a huge hit from the internet, which allows people the same convenience of watching at their leisure, commercial-free, and without paying a pesky cable bill. The rising popularity of HD tvs has certainly brought people back to cable, but the PVR has allowed for it to be on their terms, not those of the network. While we still have to pay our monthly dues to the cable company, PVRs do allows the public to assume power over how they watch and when they watch it. Technologies like this have led to an interesting trend in entertainment, where the consumer is in control, and the industry must acquiesce to "on demand" or risk losing their business.

I have to sign off and do some readings, but when I'm done, Fringe and the Mentalist will be waiting....