If you’re anything like me, then you love to watch video content. All my life, I’ve enjoyed kicking back and watching some form of video entertainment. Whether it’s live TV or a recording of something I enjoy, I’ve always liked sitting back and seeing what happens on a TV show. Sure, staring at a screen too long is bad for your eyes, we all learn that the hard way. But that never stops us from enjoying the viewing experience. One thing I’ve enjoyed during my life as a video viewer is seeing all the different ways video content has advanced over the years. It’s true, video technology has come a super long way in the course of my lifetime.
My Early Video Experience
I was born in the late 80s, so I’ve seen my fair share of different viewing options. I’ve always watched live TV, but having full control of what you’re watching has always been much more enjoyable for me. My earliest memories of recorded video were, of course, on old-fashioned VHS cassettes. I always enjoyed working with the tapes and figured out how to use an old-fashioned VCR at an early age.
As a kid, one of my favorite things to do on the weekends was going out to rent games and movies. Blockbuster Video was at the height of its glory during my youth. Aside from VHS tapes, I think we may have also had a Beta tape player at one time. I don’t remember for sure, but I do remember us having something that used smaller tapes.
I also remember we had a laserdisc player when I was still in my single digits. We had all sorts of classic cartoons and movies for that player back then. I never figured out how it worked, though, because I was too small to reach it back then. By the time I finally could, years had passed since anyone gave it a thought.
Yeah, I grew up with a lot of classic video options, but VHS was always the one I knew best. By the time I was in my teens, an entire shelf in my closet was packed full of VHS tapes.
Learning to Record Video
In the early to mid 90s, I found out it was possible to actually record what was on TV. After a few weeks of someone occasionally taping something for me, I learned how to do it myself. It was easy, just put the tape in and hit record. The only problem with recording something yourself was that you actually needed to be there to press the button. My family never had one of those timer VCRs. Ours were usually the kind built right into the TV.
As the years went by and many different TV shows aired, I developed a hobby. In my late teens, I liked to watch shows that followed certain patterns or story arcs, and I enjoyed taping every episode that followed them. I pretty much made a habit out of taping several episodes of a show in order and placing them all on one tape. I liked to refer to those recordings as my projects. For a while, one of the main things I liked to buy when going to the store was a three-pack of blank VHS tapes.
Seeing Media Evolve
For many years, VHS tapes were the main source of video I knew about. Eventually, in my late teens to early twenties, new sources of video began to make themselves known. It’s hard to remember when they first came out exactly, but the digital era had arrived in the form of DVD. I wasn’t very interested in DVDs when they first came out, but soon they became the dominant format of the age.
I got a DVD player as a gift at some point, and I have to admit, it was pretty darn good. Unlike tapes that constantly needed rewinding, discs were much simpler to navigate. Plus, many of them came with various options and special features that VHS just didn’t have. Pretty soon, I moved up from tapes to discs when it came to home entertainment. Of course, viewing possibilities have continued to become even more advanced to this day.
Rise of DVR
While I’d always enjoyed videos, there was always new stuff airing on TV, and I could only record so much. I don’t remember the exact year, but when I was in my mid to late school years, I learned about DVR. The first DVR I’d ever heard of was the classic Tivo, which today is likely an antique among DVRs. After seeing a Tivo commercial for the first time, I knew I had to have one. I received my Tivo for my birthday after telling my family.
These days, being able to pause and rewind live TV is pretty basic for most services. But back when the concept was still new, it was an entirely new viewing experience for the whole family. The ability to record just about anything at any time was incredible. Sadly, the classic Tivo was limited and could only record one thing at a time, unlike what we have today.
Eventually, the Tivo ran its course after a few years and glitched out on us. We didn’t feel too bad, since we soon had a suitable replacement that wasn’t just a DVR, but a state-of-the-art digital cable system throughout the house. Over the years, we’ve gone through several cable systems with similar setups.
Discovering Video Streaming
Being able to control and record live TV has always been enjoyable for us, but at some point, I found what to this day may be the height of viewing possibilities; streaming videos. As the internet grew over the years, so did its capabilities. One day, while surfing the web, I accidentally discovered YouTube. I didn’t know if it was a new website at the time or if it somehow went over my head until I found it, but I was amazed. There was a website exclusively for watching videos online! YouTube soon became my go-to web page.
Before long, I discovered YouTube wasn’t the only kind of streaming website. Over the years, I’ve found dozens of websites that are dedicated to watching movies and TV series of all genres. It’s pretty much become a daily habit of mine to check on the streaming sites I visit most to see if there’s anything new.
Television Streaming
As viewing possibilities continue to become more advanced, they’ve reached the point we know today, streaming services through television. Like moving on from VHS, I wasn’t too sure about having to pay to watch TV. Pretty soon, I learned it was just something that came with a cable package at the time, and soon got the hang of on-demand features. Being able to simply pick out a show or movie to watch directly from the TV itself was something I’d never have considered back in the day. It’s a modern-day marvel in the world of media.
As if being able to get stuff on demand from the TV wasn’t enough, pretty soon it became possible to have an entire viewing service through a gaming console. Today, you can watch live TV and stream content right from an Xbox if you want.
The Future of Video
It’s true, watching TV and video content has come a long way, and I’m proud to have been able to see it progress. Today, my family uses a Roku device to access all types of streaming services available. I’ve been building up a library on Netflix over the past several months and have big plans for it and a few other services in the near future. Things have really progressed a long way since the standard VHS tape.
Who knows what the media industry will come up with next. For all we know, they may find a way to stream content directly to your brain. The possibilities are really something to look forward to. Take a hint from me and enjoy the journey as video technology continues to progress in the future.