You should be thanking the VCR – after you Google it

Eons ago, or at least 40 years ago, there were fewer TV channels than you could count on your fingers and toes and the programming schedule was set by television networks. We all watched TV, but maybe not as much because your favorite shows were only on at a certain time and place each week. The summer was a television wasteland.

Then along came the VCR, a device I spent the weekend considering when I learned that the last VHS manufacturer ceased production last week. 

It was the waning days of the disco when these giant, heavy, near-$1,000 behemoths arrived. Built like cassette tape players with pituitary problems, VCRs were designed to let you watch pre-tapped movies on two-hour tapes and, more importantly, record your favorite TV shows. It was the first time the television public had ever seen or experienced time-shifting and it was a revelation. Read more...