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01:38:03 am on March 6, 2008 | # |
Have you ever bookmarked something you were interested in, to remind yourself to check it out later, only to completely forget about it? That’s what happened to me when I starred an RSS item in Google Reader… more than two years ago. Back in December of 2005, I had starred an item that simply read Revision3. I probably visited the site briefly just to see what it was, then starred it so I would look at it later.
A couple of years later, while burning through my RSS feeds, I read a blog post about a guy who decided he would forgo regular TV programming (in light of the writer’s strike) and would try watching only Revision3 programming for an entire month. This reminded me of my starred item of yesteryear and renewed my interest in the web TV network. The blog author had mentioned a few of the shows he favored over the others, so I used that as my starting point. I’m happy to say that I’ve found two new shows that I now watch regularly.
The Totally Rad Show
When I was explaining the premise of TRS to my brother, he interrupted me to ask, “Is this show something we would do if we could pull it off?” A huge if, but a definite yes. The show’s premise is fairly simple: three guys talk about movies, video games, TV shows and comic books. Each episode, they review an item from at least three of the four topics, and they’ll talk about current events in each as well. In addition, they will have special segments related to either the four topics above, or anything they consider “rad”. For example, one special segment was dedicated to their Oscar predictions/wager. The person who has the most correct answers will get a hearty breakfast served by the two losers. In another episode, the special segment was about trying out something called a Ripstik. Never a dull moment on TRS.One reviewer said it best. When watching the show, it feels like you’re with a group of your friends, talking about stuff you enjoy. Like Mikey said, if there was a way for us to pull off something like this, both he and I would enjoy doing it. Luckily, there’s the Totally Rad Show.
Tekzilla
Simply, the show is about digital technology. Along with product reviews, the show spends a lot of time answering viewer questions about various technology items. One viewer wondered about the best way to rip vinyls into digital music. Another viewer needed advice on purchasing the right UPS. A viewer on a budget asked about the best pair of headphones he can get for under $20.Between each weekly episode, they also have mini episodes called Tekzilla Daily, which highlights a useful computer tip or a piece of software worth checking out. From the episodes I’ve watched so far, I have found that the show is fairly unassuming. My expectation was that this show would discuss topics at a somewhat technical level and would talk about things that are not considered “common knowledge” in the technology world. As it turns out, that’s not the case. For example, the Tekzilla Daily mini episodes usually contain information I’ve already been exposed to. So, the show definitely tries to attract a much broader audience than I expected, which isn’t a bad thing.
While the episodes have contained mostly FYI content to me (i.e. good to know, but not particularly useful or relevant to me), the latest episode about getting the best sound out of your portable music player has been pretty useful. They cover a wide range of technology topics, so there’s likely going to be something for everyone. Catching the information that matters to me is why I continue to watch it.
Conclusion
I haven’t given any of the other shows much of a try. I watched part of one episode of Diggnation, but it wasn’t really my thing. So far, TRS and Tekzilla have been pretty good, and I’ve added those shows to my list of podcasts I keep up with. If you’re fed up with waiting for new episodes of your favorite sitcom or drama, I recommend paying a visit to Revision3 and trying out TRS or Tekzilla.