Is watching free TV shows good or bad?
Would watching free TV shows a waste of time?
Is television all sensationalism and violence?
For the last 75 years or so when television grew into a huge industry that it is today, critics and pundits and just about everybody else took potshots at it. Many of the denunciations are valid, of course, but many more are simply angry rants that only add up to confuse the issues.
Self-styled critics proclaimed that all of television – the free TV shows, the advertisements, the images, and the ‘street philosophy’ – represents something akin to a mind-bending drug. This virtual drug was declared to lead viewers to isolation and depression, and that its programs kill creativity.
TV today, they added, has shows (the fiction series) that are obnoxious most of the time. Moreover, the news programs (the reality part) present frequent violent images and are downright sensationalistic. Experts agree that the problems are real and that some of the accusations are true.
On the other side of the tracks, the ready answer to all these accusations would be – turn your TV set off. This otherwise simplistic solution is also full of holes. The many aspects of modern TV (including the problems) are complex, and are closely connected with modern society’s own difficulties.
Waste of time?
Watching free TV shows instead of doing other productive work is wasting time. However, when utilized in the right way, viewing could be a time-saver.
For instance, a whole life story can be viewed in one hour. In an imaginary story, the unnecessary details are left out, the important events highlighted in compelling dramatic scenes, and the significant story parts are sewn into one beautiful and meaningful audio-visual quilt. A book would take days or weeks to read.
On the other hand, a TV soap opera with its never-ending conflicts and no resolutions, can consume the viewer’s precious time without any productive outcome. The main aim of these kinds of programs is to lock the viewer into a regular viewing habit.
Most of today’s television programs have evolved into what is now generally classified as entertainment. Entertainment, per se, is considered a form of recreation which provides a respite from the usual everyday chores. This rest period is necessary for one’s renewal of energy and strength.
Sensational and violent?
When news footages of the Vietnam War reached the living rooms of the average American family, TV had been accused of being sensational and that what were seen were mostly violent scenes.
The critics continue that “…[picture-rich] stories, especially emotional ones…get bigger play over stories that are hard to illustrate… [which is why TV news] are filled with bloody crime, fires and accidents, teary-eyed victims, cute kids and animals…”
Yes and no would be the answer.
TV practitioners countered that today’s television news (and later configured by action-drama series) adopted the fast camera movements simply to provide exciting visuals to accompany breaking stories.
It had also been the hit style in those times, perfected no less with the success of MTV in the 80s. The rationale was to simply capture the viewers’ attention, including the use of rapid cuts and movements.
Other complaints
There are other charges leveled on television today – too saturated with commercials, low-brow distasteful programs, too many bad programs for children, and many more.
The solutions to these problems should come from both the producers and the viewers themselves. Both parties have to work hand in hand to effect the positive changes everybody wants.
TV producers will have to review, rearrange and revise their perspectives and priorities in the business. They will have to produce the right entertainment fares that are not just commercially viable but also classy, elegant, and tasteful.
Viewers will have to use their good judgment and taste in supporting these free TV shows. Of course, there will be misses and hits, but that’s where the challenges are.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Finding And Watching Free TV Shows Online
Today, communications had never been faster or easier than with the Internet. Mails are sent and received instantly, real-time face-to-face chats are ordinary, and the news is updated hourly. Add another good news for entertainment lovers: free TV shows are now online.
Whereas before you are stuck with your few free TV channels on your old set watching your free TV shows, now you have a choice of literally thousands of channels world-wide.
The following are some of the general advantages in watching your free TV shows online:
1) There are now over 3000 channels all over the world to choose from.
2) The selection of shows from these channels certainly covers all of entertainment’s show genres.
3) You can watch your preferred show in the privacy of your computer. You can watch movies and free TV shows, and all is perfectly legal.
4) You can watch your chosen show anytime and anywhere you are in the world. The software works anywhere and you can choose channels from over 75 countries all over the world. You now can watch your home TV shows even if you are in another country.
5) You can work on your computer and at the same time get yourself updated on the news, sports events and business trends – without moving to and fro between your computer and your TV set.
6) You can access your new and old favorite free TV shows. For those episodes you have missed, you can see them again and again. Or, you can watch those favorite ones you wanted to see all over again. All these catching up viewing are for free.
7) You have a choice of downloading the show or watch it via video streaming. If you are on broadband, the streaming is in real time and there is no need to download.
8) You can watch all kinds of sporting events around the world, and you won’t have to pay extra for these international sporting events.
9) You can search for any show on most online TV websites. You are not stuck with the same old few channels as before.
10) You can download not just regular free TV shows but also any of the specials and all the other programs on regular TV broadcast.
Getting your free TV shows online is way cheaper than buying a TV set, or installing a satellite dish or cable. Think of your monthly fees and the big one-time installation costs of the equipments. (For U.S. residents, the savings run to about $1200 yearly at today’s prices.)
Some recommendations
To get online, you will first have to download software for this specific purpose. These kinds of software are designed to collect and assemble more than 3000 TV channels from around the world, are easy to download and install and is user-friendly.
Today, most TV networks around the world have their own internet services or sites to access their programming.
Consider the quality of your software more important than the number of channels it can deliver. It is better to have a thousand DVD quality channels than have ten thousand undecipherable ones or interruption-plagued sites.
Check out some popular software brands in the market and ask your usual questions on quality and other aspects (download rates, ease of use, etc.) before buying.
Some software has packaged offers of very low lifetime membership fees that give access to free annual updates and other improvements.
Watching one’s favorite free TV shows online is now a cinch. Now, if only they can make those laptop batteries last longer…
Whereas before you are stuck with your few free TV channels on your old set watching your free TV shows, now you have a choice of literally thousands of channels world-wide.
The following are some of the general advantages in watching your free TV shows online:
1) There are now over 3000 channels all over the world to choose from.
2) The selection of shows from these channels certainly covers all of entertainment’s show genres.
3) You can watch your preferred show in the privacy of your computer. You can watch movies and free TV shows, and all is perfectly legal.
4) You can watch your chosen show anytime and anywhere you are in the world. The software works anywhere and you can choose channels from over 75 countries all over the world. You now can watch your home TV shows even if you are in another country.
5) You can work on your computer and at the same time get yourself updated on the news, sports events and business trends – without moving to and fro between your computer and your TV set.
6) You can access your new and old favorite free TV shows. For those episodes you have missed, you can see them again and again. Or, you can watch those favorite ones you wanted to see all over again. All these catching up viewing are for free.
7) You have a choice of downloading the show or watch it via video streaming. If you are on broadband, the streaming is in real time and there is no need to download.
8) You can watch all kinds of sporting events around the world, and you won’t have to pay extra for these international sporting events.
9) You can search for any show on most online TV websites. You are not stuck with the same old few channels as before.
10) You can download not just regular free TV shows but also any of the specials and all the other programs on regular TV broadcast.
Getting your free TV shows online is way cheaper than buying a TV set, or installing a satellite dish or cable. Think of your monthly fees and the big one-time installation costs of the equipments. (For U.S. residents, the savings run to about $1200 yearly at today’s prices.)
Some recommendations
To get online, you will first have to download software for this specific purpose. These kinds of software are designed to collect and assemble more than 3000 TV channels from around the world, are easy to download and install and is user-friendly.
Today, most TV networks around the world have their own internet services or sites to access their programming.
Consider the quality of your software more important than the number of channels it can deliver. It is better to have a thousand DVD quality channels than have ten thousand undecipherable ones or interruption-plagued sites.
Check out some popular software brands in the market and ask your usual questions on quality and other aspects (download rates, ease of use, etc.) before buying.
Some software has packaged offers of very low lifetime membership fees that give access to free annual updates and other improvements.
Watching one’s favorite free TV shows online is now a cinch. Now, if only they can make those laptop batteries last longer…
Sunday, August 22, 2010
A Brief Run-Through Of Free TV Shows
The history of free TV shows is actually the history of television itself in perspective. For the last 75 years or so, television had developed into something not foreseen by its supporters during its formative years before.
For one, the business of making people watch free TV shows had transformed into a multi-billion dollar industry (more than $50 billion as of last count) in the U.S. alone. And consciously or otherwise, television had become a touchstone of popular culture it had helped spawn through entertainment, education, news and current events, politics, sports and many other facets of modern life.
Beginnings
Since the first public demonstration in August 25, 1934 of the all-electronic TV system in Philadelphia by Philo Taylor Farnsworth, it took only a little over a decade or so (the 50s) for television to grasp the extent of its economics. Most of their revenues would come from the advertisers.
By late 1950s, live TV was out and most of the series were filmed. One big advantage of filmed TV shows would be the possibility of a rerun or syndication for re-airing at some future time (which means more income). During this time, too, westerns and detective dramas were in vogue and were top-raters.
In the 60s, newscasts were lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes. Although ratings for newscasts did not equal those of the other free TV shows (notably the entertainment sector), they earned enough viewers to attract advertisers and earn their keep.
It was also at around this time that formats for the news were changed. There came other flashier features – show business news, sports, and spectacular news like fires and crimes – incorporated into the mainstream body of news reports.
By the 80s, cable stations like CNN, ESPN, MTV and many others entered into the mainstream TV industry. Commercial TV boomed. By the 90s, almost 70% of homes had cable. However, viewer preferences were remarkably narrow. Nickelodeon shows and some sports programs led the ratings.
With the entry of cable, the networks changed their strategies in presenting the news, as we have noted. But the bigger change would be in the free shows and other entertainment programs. These shows would re-invent themselves and become more daring and audacious.
The Fox Network, established in 1986 and owned by Australian Rupert Murdoch, was the most enthusiastic of all the networks in welcoming these new loose trends in programming. Some of their comedies, action and drama series, and some reality shows crossed the boundaries of good taste. This was also in time with the relaxation of federal regulations in broadcasting.
The other networks did their own innovations along with the current trends and tastes pervading among the viewers, especially those who patronize the free shows. The old standards are still making headlines and money (series on hospitals, police procedurals, family dramas).
However, the old action and adventure segments have branched out into areas that were not heard of before, or too fantastic to imagine. At the moment, reality shows and other hybrid shows (American Idol, Dancing With The Stars) lord it over the current ratings.
The 21st century
Today, every country in the world has at least one television channel. This had enabled them to share their own culture with the rest of the globe’s citizens, and vice-versa. One example was the huge celebration in every continent in connection with the onset of the new millennium. It fulfilled an old goal of bringing the world together into one global village, in real time.
With the expected convergence of the computer and television in the near future, there may be more changes in the viewing habits of people as well as the changes in the sources of news and information and how they are to be disseminated.
For followers and viewers of free TV shows, what could be more exciting?
For one, the business of making people watch free TV shows had transformed into a multi-billion dollar industry (more than $50 billion as of last count) in the U.S. alone. And consciously or otherwise, television had become a touchstone of popular culture it had helped spawn through entertainment, education, news and current events, politics, sports and many other facets of modern life.
Beginnings
Since the first public demonstration in August 25, 1934 of the all-electronic TV system in Philadelphia by Philo Taylor Farnsworth, it took only a little over a decade or so (the 50s) for television to grasp the extent of its economics. Most of their revenues would come from the advertisers.
By late 1950s, live TV was out and most of the series were filmed. One big advantage of filmed TV shows would be the possibility of a rerun or syndication for re-airing at some future time (which means more income). During this time, too, westerns and detective dramas were in vogue and were top-raters.
In the 60s, newscasts were lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes. Although ratings for newscasts did not equal those of the other free TV shows (notably the entertainment sector), they earned enough viewers to attract advertisers and earn their keep.
It was also at around this time that formats for the news were changed. There came other flashier features – show business news, sports, and spectacular news like fires and crimes – incorporated into the mainstream body of news reports.
By the 80s, cable stations like CNN, ESPN, MTV and many others entered into the mainstream TV industry. Commercial TV boomed. By the 90s, almost 70% of homes had cable. However, viewer preferences were remarkably narrow. Nickelodeon shows and some sports programs led the ratings.
With the entry of cable, the networks changed their strategies in presenting the news, as we have noted. But the bigger change would be in the free shows and other entertainment programs. These shows would re-invent themselves and become more daring and audacious.
The Fox Network, established in 1986 and owned by Australian Rupert Murdoch, was the most enthusiastic of all the networks in welcoming these new loose trends in programming. Some of their comedies, action and drama series, and some reality shows crossed the boundaries of good taste. This was also in time with the relaxation of federal regulations in broadcasting.
The other networks did their own innovations along with the current trends and tastes pervading among the viewers, especially those who patronize the free shows. The old standards are still making headlines and money (series on hospitals, police procedurals, family dramas).
However, the old action and adventure segments have branched out into areas that were not heard of before, or too fantastic to imagine. At the moment, reality shows and other hybrid shows (American Idol, Dancing With The Stars) lord it over the current ratings.
The 21st century
Today, every country in the world has at least one television channel. This had enabled them to share their own culture with the rest of the globe’s citizens, and vice-versa. One example was the huge celebration in every continent in connection with the onset of the new millennium. It fulfilled an old goal of bringing the world together into one global village, in real time.
With the expected convergence of the computer and television in the near future, there may be more changes in the viewing habits of people as well as the changes in the sources of news and information and how they are to be disseminated.
For followers and viewers of free TV shows, what could be more exciting?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)