Linear Television is Dead

This post has as its title a particularly technical term which previously describes the difference between today and the 1960 and 1970s when I grew up.

Let me describe Linear Television by mentioning its opposite: NetFlix. Now that you have started using NetFlix will you ever go back to appointment TV? Not likely. Appointment TV is where you schedule time to be in front of your television to watch Downtown Abbey at 9:00PM EST on PBS. NetFlix and the ability to record shows, called RS-DVR. This is known as remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR). It is a network-based digital video recorder (DVR) stored at the provider's (your Cable or Satellite or Verizon) central location rather than at your private home.

Remember that appointment television was Ed Sullivan on Sunday Night. Who needs this when you have the ability to record and watch later. We now even have the ability to record to stop our recordings at any time and watch them later.

This is a sharp contrast to having to be in front of the TV set, without a remote control, and having permission from siblings or parents to turn to the channel you prefer to view.

All I cans say is I am glad to live in the 21st Century without all the minor annoyances regarding TV in my current life.