Remember the good ol' days when there was only three channels on the television?

Yeah, I don't remember it either...



But we've all heard the stories from grandparents who lament the loss of The Shadow one moment, and then turn around and wonder why Jack Benny isn't on TV anymore.

We've lived in a utopia of televised entertainment. It is no long important to worry about when, where, or what you will watch, because you can catch it on another channel an hour later. And if you can't make it at all, then Tivo it and watch it whenever you want! Without commercials!

And yet amidst this wonderland of choices, there is arising a certain "same song, different verse." Even while there has never been so many television choices, a new technology is making itself at home: HDTV.

The HDTVs have been popular for a couple of years now; more people than ever have bought sets for their home use. Sports bars have been forced to buy multiple sets to ensure people come to watch their sporting events in crystal clear definition. Football has enjoyed a renaissance of popularity; not necessarily because of the sport, but because everyone is mezmorized by being able to see the individual beads of sweat on a player's face.

Yet aside from the sports channels, the majority of television programming is still in standard definition, which means that on a widescreen HD television, it looks crummy. This leaves you with two choices: watching your fancy expensive new HD DVD movies, or only watching the HD channels.

In this fancy hotel with its fancy HDTV, I have fallen prey to the desire to only watch HD programming. This does mean that I have spent hours watching television programming that I've never even heard of, let alone care about. Smallville, Enterprise, Arrested Development - the small offering of daytime programming offered in high definition.

It's like crouching in front of the Philco waiting for the Burma Shave hour to begin so you can enjoy the 30 minutes of George & Gracie all over again...

T.