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I wish to gripe about the ridiculous media obsession with watching TV on the Internet. The Television set is one of the greatest inventions of all time. So when did we decide that it wasn't good enough any more, and we needed the ability to watch TV shows on our computers and/or mobile phones too?
Let's be clear: Watching your favourite shows in the comfort of your living room, with surround sound and a 37 inch high def screen, is a million miles away from huddling at your desktop to watch a postcard-sized jittery playback of something.
Yes, BBC iPlayer, I'm looking at you. What is the point, exactly? What makes BBC iPlayer (or other channels' equivalents) any better than simply using your Sky+, TVR or even VHS to record and play back the shows you "missed" on your "proper" television? What makes it better? Absolutely nothing!
Look, it's simple. If you want to watch a television programme, use your television. It's great. It does not require an Internet connection. It does not give a jittery low res image either. When did you forget that your TV set is capable of showing TV programmes?
The Internet was never built nor designed for delivering television broadcasts. Video gobbles up bandwidth, and it's very unfair to "normal" web users. Why should I struggle to bring up a web page because my teenage neighbours are hogging all the bandwidth by viewing the omnibus edition of Hollyoaks on their laptops? Why couldn't they just watch it on their TV instead, and leave the "real" web users to use the Internet?
And this whole "watch it again" culture that TV stations are trying to promote... No, thanks, I don't want to watch it again, I've already seen it. Stop telling me to watch it again. I don't want to. And as for the BBC "Making the unmissable unmissable"? Well, firstly, that statement is grammatical nonsense. But secondly, can somebody please inform the BBC that we already have video recorders, PVRs, Sky+, etc. and have done for a long time. So, thanks for the offer BBC, but your "invention" is about 30 years too late, and sadly nowhere near as good or as convenient as even the first Beta Max video recorders!
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