How We Watch What We Watch

Yale graphic design critic Jessica Helfand says the phenomenon she calls "short attention span theater" is amplified by the digital gadgets many people now carry.
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The Future Of 'Short Attention Span Theater'

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Digital gadgetry and on-demand media are changing the way we watch TV. Why wait for next week's episode when you can download a whole season from Netflix? Graphic design critic Jessica Helfand wants to harness that impatience and come up with more compelling short-form media.

On Morning EditionPlaylist

In much of America, the availability of online video is often frustrated by slow broadband speeds. In this 2011 photo, Valerie Houde waits for a dial-up Internet connection in East Burke, Vt.

Watching TV Online Often Exposes Slow Bandwidth

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A visitor looks at a bank of TV screens at a consumer electronics show in Berlin. While TV and movies are available on many devices, consumers often struggle to find exactly what they want, television critic Eric Deggans says.

So Many Screens, And So Little Time To Watch

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

A couple talks to a salesman about buying a color TV set. Over the years, televisions have evolved to include color, high-definition and 3-D models.

The TV Screen's Evolution, From 1880 To The Present

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The Afterlife Of A TV Episode: It's Complicated()  

Despite having aired its final episode in May, the medical drama House lives on, in reruns and on digital services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. But not every episode is available in all formats.

October 23, 2012 These days, there are many ways to catch a TV show, even if it's no longer on the air. Often, the trick is finding out which service — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. — has the episodes you want to watch. And if the show is in reruns, it can get complicated.

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For Sports Fans, A Plethora Of Platforms To Watch On()  

Phil Coke and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers celebrate after beating the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Through the power of modern technology, fans could experience the game even if they weren't in front of a television screen.

October 22, 2012 TV is changing, and this week, Morning Edition is looking at the new technologies and new behaviors involved. NPR's David Greene talks to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal about shakeups in the world of sports and the business of cable.

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How We Watch What We Watch: The Future Of TV()  

In 1936, a television drew a crowd at London's Waterloo station. Today, the crowd would have video screens in their pockets.

October 21, 2012 For years, television has been not just a device, but a style of programming. That's all changing now, as viewers make new demands about how we watch TV — and even what we consider to be "TV." A special series looks at where TV is heading, and how it's going to get there.

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