# The Future of TV, a Vision From the Past



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

I saw an interview on a local TV news segment many, many moons ago, sometime in the late 80s or early 90s when lots of us had computers and internet at work, but very few had either at home. Anyone who had internet access at home almost certainly had slow dial up service.

The interviewer was a local anchor named Bill Bonds on WXYZ-TV in Detroit who had a long running problem with the bottle which may have had an impact on his comprehension. He was talking to a tech wizard of the time and trying to get a handle on what this guy thought TV would be like in years to come. I'm not sure how well Bonds understood computers, but he seemed to have a problem understanding URLs.

The tech was trying to explain the concept of streaming TV and how you would be able to go to a web address and watch TV on your computer screen. Bear in mind that there really wasn't much in the way of big screen TV as we know it today. To most of us a big screen was a 25" console and there were just as many 13" and 15" TVs as anything else, so a 14" computer monitor wasn't much of a difference in viewing area.

Bonds kept asking the guy how many channels there would be and the guy was about to pull his hair out.

Tech: There won't be channels as you know them, there will be addresses you type in to view a program.

Bonds: OK, but how many?

Tech: Who know, hundreds, maybe thousands.

Bonds: Thousands? How many?

Tech: Maybe a thousand, maybe five thousand, maybe more

Bonds: Five thousand channels?

Tech: Not really channels, addresses.

This went on and one for a few minutes and I'm not sure Bonds ever really did get it.

It only took us 20 years to get to the point where this guy's vision is becoming reality for more and more of us. I don't think Bonds lived to see it.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

To be fair... he could have just said that IP addresses were similar to channels and left it at that rather than arguing about it. For the purposes of the analogy, it is close enough to not be worth arguing about in terms of the end-user's TV viewing experience.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Sounds a lot like the _'channels' vs 'choices'_ argument that certain recent Comcast claims engendered. BTW, I agreed with Comcast's assertions then, and I still do now. When one channel can deliver any one of multiple (2-1,000) programs simultaneously, then the concept of 'channels' becomes anachronistic.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Bill Bonds, yes he liked to have the occasional drink. I actually had the opportunity in the early 90's to share some drinks with him from time to time.

Every time I watch Anchorman, I think of Bill Bonds, John Kelly and Marilyn Turner.


PS. I'm pretty sure Bill's still with us.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

I tried to find it on youtube, but had no luck.
If you search for "Bill Bonds Goes Nuts" you'll get a treat. :lol:


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

spartanstew said:


> Bill Bonds, yes he liked to have the occasional drink.


That's like saying a whale enjoys an occasional swim.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Marlin Guy said:


> I tried to find it on youtube, but had no luck.
> If you search for "Bill Bonds Goes Nuts" you'll get a treat. :lol:


:lol: That was awesome!


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## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

Marlin Guy said:


> I tried to find it on youtube, but had no luck.
> If you search for "Bill Bonds Goes Nuts" you'll get a treat. :lol:


:lol: Brings back old memories of the good ol' days growing up near Detroit.

It may be another 20 years for IP TV to really happen if the ISPs have their way and keep our internet throttled unless we want to pay big bucks for a bigger pipe.


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