Commentary

Online Video: It's Just Not for Me

Maybe I am behind the times (I usually am, so this isn’t surprising), but I just cannot get into online video. I have tried and tried, but for some reason it’s just not for me. I don’t get into YouTube, I have never used HuLu and despite my best efforts I don’t care enough to go to network websites to watch new content. Because part of my role on this blog is to examine why I love (or why I am apathetic to) media, I spent some time trying to figure out why it is that online video just isn’t for me. This is what I realized:

For me, television is a communal technology; I only really watch it when I’m with my girlfriends. I have the news on in the morning, and Food Network on when I’m cooking or just hanging out, but I only really watch TV and DVDs of shows when I am with my friends. The fun of television is reacting to it with a group of people; online video just isn’t conducive to this kind of group viewership. Now, I should say that I haven’t gotten into TV shows like I used to – primarily because there just wasn’t new content because of the writer’s strike. It is possible that when new shows draw me in, I won’t be able to miss episodes and might seek them out online. Who knows.

On a more practical note, my laptop is four years old and doesn’t like streaming video. Watching anything online tends to be a long and frustrating process. I will be getting a new laptop soon, so this will soon be a non-issue.

The computer is a workhorse – it’s what I use to get stuff done. Other than Facebook and blogs, most of what I do online is work or school-related. I just don’t seek out entertainment online.

I should say that all of this has the potential to change drastically in the next few months. I am not sure that I will subscribe to cable, so it’s possible that if I want any television entertainment, I will need to start loving online video. As of now, however, I just can't get into online video.

2 comments about "Online Video: It's Just Not for Me".
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  1. Matthew Maginley, May 5, 2008 at 9:28 a.m.

    For me online video is like eating candy, watching tv is snack food and film, theater and opera are 2, 3 and 4 star meals at restaurants.

    I enjoy candy now and then, but like snack food ,too much is a bad thing.

    I look forward to experiencing professional live performances more than anything else.

  2. Massimo Martinotti from Mia, May 5, 2008 at 9:36 a.m.

    Some new gadgets like Apple TV or Netgear's Digital Entertainer that are capable of transferring video files from the Internet to the TV will help to make the consuption of online video more mainstream.

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