21st Century 101, Second Period, Tuesday

[screwyoumarvel]

Today's class was meeting in a classroom with a TV set at the front. "The television may have been one of the more remarkable things you found in your common room upon your arrival here," Steve said. Or they might have wondered why there weren't holograms. He didn't know. He explained briefly how TV actually worked, keeping his explanation as

Comments

Re: Discussion TIme

[upmysleeve]

Ace shrugged. What little TV she'd caught since she got here was still... pretty much TV, just with different fashions and looser censors. Plus yes, after seeing how much the phones had changed, she'd been kind of hoping they'd progressed to holograms by now.

"The picture's clearer, the screen's bigger, you Yanks don't have to pay a license fee, and there's a lot more naked bits?"

Re: Discussion TIme

[hoorayimrich]

"License fee?"

Re: Discussion TIme

[upmysleeve]

Ace turned round to look at the boy who'd spoken. "BBC's government-run, so there's a license tax on TVs to pay for the programmes," she explained. "They roll the streets in detector vans looking to haul in the hardened criminals who dodge it," came with bonus eyeroll, free of charge.

Re: Discussion TIme

[hoorayimrich]

"Wait, seriously?" HE WAS BORN IN THE NINETIES, OKAY?

Re: Discussion TIme

[upmysleeve]

"Seriously." Hey, Ace was born in 1970 and she wasn't all that impressed with it herself. "And then they charge you double that in fines, if they catch you. Some racket, innit."

Re: Discussion TIme

[hoorayimrich]

"This is why I download my shows." That and he was never aware when they were on. Details, details.

Re: Discussion TIme

[upmysleeve]

"Well, they don't have it in the States, anyway." Ace frowned, trying to parse his wording. "What's download? You mean you videotape 'em to watch later?"

Re: Discussion TIme

[hoorayimrich]

"...something like that." Tony glanced around to make sure he wasn't going to disappoint America. "Only you can do it without having access to the channel. It's... slightly less than legal."

Re: Discussion TIme

[upmysleeve]

"Oh, no. I'm shocked and appalled. Say it ain't so!" Ace gasped and clutched at her heart, then snickered. "Or just tell me how to do it, since you already shattered my youthful innocence beyond repair."