Sojo's Mojo #1

Take 'Home and Away' for example. We live a short three hour flight away, some 2000 kms, yet why is it that we are a good three/ four months behind? We live in a digital world where news stories nationally and internationally are sent to the Auckland studios for national broadcast, yet why not apply the same principle (time wise) to international TV shows?
 
For me, this all came to light after catching up on past episodes of 'Lost' (which was on the 'to do' list, naturally). Before I knew the pulling power that season three had,  I was hooked, completing the whole season in a matter of a few short, albeit intense, days. Being too impatient and intolerant of the delay and ads that TV brings, Badman and I are now up to episode 6, season 4, courtesy of the internet and the dedicated geeks (who we love) that upload these gems.

Having figured out this momentous feat of bypassing TV stations and networks, I applied this to 'Home and Away' (yes, HUGE fan). After it being rudely cut from NZ screens before the Rugby World Cup, no mention of the return date by the way, I was livid. Then to be cut for the year, without even a real cliff hanger, my boycotting streak for TV arose like an angry demon.
 
Searching the internet for sources to download (frowned upon, even illegal, but now becoming a common and well accustomed exercise), we found all the backlogged to current episodes of 'H & A' on YouTube. So naturally what ensued was days of soap opera goodness (yes, my reality did become considerably wrapped) but more importantly I thought about 'the bigger picture'. With this common practice of downloading, what does the future hold for television? How long will it take before the TV screens, and therefore networks and stations, are completely bypassed for computer screens?

It's a wickedly huge medium to try to control and we are the technological age where upgrades are happening every other week. Look at the writers' strike for example- they wanted more dosh (and control and credit) for internet royalties, but how the heck do you pin that down? And where does that leave me, studying TV? How much will this medium change in our lifetime? In any case, I'm not giving up my new found addiction, but watch this space. F.Y.I, Lost finally dabbles in time travel and Cassie (H&A) falls pregnant and gets HIV from Hank. Dan dies too. Oops, my bad.