In the times of yore, the TV was a simple gadget. You switched on the TV, and it sprang into action. No complications. When the second channel was introduced, the change was intuitive. You physically shifted the knob to move to the other channel.
Now, fast forward to the present times. You are at your relative’s
home for a short holiday. Your relative is away for the afternoon. All you want
to do is watch some TV. You pick up the TV remote and press the button. Nothing
happens. The TV is as dead as dead can be! You punch a few buttons at random. Something
happens. The TV glows- all grey with a waterfall noise to go with it. You hope
it will morph into some colorful pictures. It stays stubborn and grey. The only
control you have is two-fold: you can either switch the TV on and off. Or reduce
the volume of the waterfall noise.
You vigorously tap the remote. Perhaps, the battery is worn
out. You walk up close to the TV. You flash the remote at different angles. May
be, the rays will bounce off the wall and breathe life into the TV. By now, you
are at your wits end. There is irritation. There is anger. Above all, there is wounded
pride. How can you not get a simple TV to work? After half hour of turning the
TV on and off, you give up.
By now, your relative is back. She asks, “I thought you
wanted to watch the Cricket match on TV?” How do you answer this question? You
pick up the same remote. “It’s not that remote! It is the other one!” You feel
like shouting, “Why did you hide the correct remote and send me on this wild goose
chase?” A few clicks with the other remote and now, the TV is alive and kicking!
It is now the next afternoon. Your relative is again out. The
Cricket match is still on. The only difference is-you now have 2 remotes in your
hand. She did explain- some HDMI-1-2-3, but it was as clear as cow dung! A few
clicks of the first remote and some of the other- you try it all. In your hands,
the TV does one job consistently- it stays grey with the same waterfall
soundtrack. An existential question comes up- why does a TV even need 2 remotes
in the first place? To rub salt into the wounds, a probing question comes your way, "I thought you studied computer!"
One thing is for sure. Today’s TV will never be stolen. The
thief has no hope in hell of getting it to work. Only the TV owner knows the
magic words. At best, the thief can melt the gadget and sell it as scrap metal!
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