Television

I love to watch television shows. I'm an obsessed fan by most definitions, of course I love to watch T.V shows. I can sit here and list a dozen different shows (British for the most part) with their actors (sometimes) and then argue with you over which has more depth or which is cooler. I'm a fan and I'm proud of it.

What I don't like to do, is watch television.

That is not a paradox. I hate sitting down in front of a television and watching my favourite shows. Unless they air on channel ABC, they are always full of ads. One show I watch (Sherlock) went from an hour and a half DVD run time, to two and a half hour air time on T.V. Why would I bother watching it on T.V when I can get the DVDs and watch it without constant reminders to buy this or that?

Or these shows air at times I just can't watch them in. We do have the ability to record shows but I rarely bother because, one I have a delete happy father but also because simply setting it to record is no guarantee of recording the full program as most channels tend to view the starting times as more guides than anything they need to follow.

There's also four people in my house and only one T.V with Austar. Which isn't an issue when it comes to watching normal T.V but of the two remaining digital T.Vs, one is in my brother's room and the other is used by Mum. So really, there's one T.V and Dad gets priority.

So really, it's easier for me to watch things online.

If only it was that simple. Yes, the ABC gives me online access to shows less than 12 hours after it airs in other countries but that's about it. The other channels are nowhere near as good at fast tracking- it took a full month for Nine to air Sherlock. And those are no help if the show I want to watch aired over a week ago. I can go hire them if they're in my video st-oh wait, no I can't. It closed down. And the one left has no where near as good a selection of T.V shows. And if I feel like watching a show at 2am? Well, too bad, you can't...

What am I saying? I want something like Netflix in Australia. I know it's not a perfect system but it might reduce piracy if access to T.V shows was that much easier. Pay a fee each month and you can watch all the movies and shows you want. It might take a month or so for new shows to get onto it but hey, if a year after it airs I want to watch it guess where I'll find it?.

And maybe I want companies to recognise the fact piracy happens because it's easier, easier than waiting for months and having to pay large amounts of money for hiring or buying shows ($75 a season for Doctor Who? FORGET IT). Piracy is hard work, you make doing it legally easy and people will do it legally.

Well, most people will do it legally.