Poem 112: Technology

I remember I had one that was only five inches and it was a black and white

Some thought it wasn’t all that big, but I thought it was alright

Then I got one that was thirteen inches and that did the job for me

Playing it in my bedroom was the place for it to be

Then there were ones that went to twenty four and twenty six inches I recall

Back then they were definitely the biggest of them all

Everyone who had them used them every day

Most often found in your living room in full display

In Canada, nineteen fifty two, CBC was the first network on the air

Nineteen fifty eight, it went coast to coast for all the nation to share

That was the only network we could all see

Until the year of nineteen sixty with the launch of CTV

Now through all these years, technology has advanced in leaps and bounds

The televisions graduated to colour and now had stereo sound

Then came cable companies which offered even more

Now there were more channels to view and it was no longer either, or

To some families this was a blessing, others it was a curse

Some loved the fact there was variety, while others thought it worse

Now you had several channels and the whole family had to agree

On what program they all wanted to watch because they only had one TV

This was the norm for most houses and the only thing they could do

There were others more fortunate and in their homes possessed two

So every night it was a ritual, you knew the plan by heart

You knew the chosen channel and the time for it to start

The viewing season would start in autumn and by summer it would be done

If by chance you missed a performance you’d have to catch a rerun

Then came the eighties and the VCR made the scene

To avid television watchers it was the greatest gadget ever seen

They could watch a show while recording another station

It became a “must have” item and it caused a great sensation

Now they weren’t required to have to sit in front of the set to watch the show

They could watch it later and have their freedom to come and go

They could now insert a tape and program it to record

Prices for this item dropped and soon most families could afford

This became the norm for most everyone back then

They kept their videos on tape in order to watch them over again

Major film companies releasing their latest movies was a now a major event

People could run to “Blockbuster” to get their favourite movie to rent

These VHS tapes were phased out, the DVD took their place

They performed the same function, but took up less shelf space

Fast forward to present time and the wonders never cease

You can now stream movies online seconds after their release

So many all over the world available, how many? I have no clue

Internet is the technology that the majority use to view

Televisions come in any size from huge to small

They now have the technology to beam them on a wall

Pull a screen down to cast it on and then put on the show

You will feel you are at a theatre sitting in the front row

The picture is crystal clear and it’s shown in 8K

You can view them anytime whether night or day

There are so many options where video now can be shown

Communication is so innovative you can watch it on your phone

You can now store your films on a storage device no bigger than your thumb

It makes one have to wonder what other inventions are there to come?

Whether the smallest tablets or the tvs with the biggest mounts

It’s not the size of your unit, it’s the performance that counts