Why TV Lost

Paul Graham’s essay Why TV Lost explains how computers defeated TV through replacement rather than convergence.

Four Key Forces

1. Open Platform Architecture: “Anyone can build whatever they want on it, and the market picks the winners.”

2. Moore’s Law & Bandwidth: Exponential increases in internet capacity made streaming viable.

3. Piracy & User Convenience: Users embraced unauthorized distribution because the experience surpassed legitimate alternatives.

4. Social Applications (Most Powerful): Desire to connect with peers drove universal computer adoption.

The Critical Insight

“Facebook killed TV.” Interpersonal connection fundamentally redirected audience attention away from broadcast media toward networked computing.

Structural Weaknesses Exploited

The internet dissolves two broadcast pillars: synchronicity (scheduled programming) and locality (regional distribution). Viewers now demand on-demand, interest-based content.

My Takeaway

Open platforms with rapid innovation cycles will defeat closed systems. Social connection is more compelling than entertainment quality alone.

What’s replaced TV in your life? I’d love to hear at persdre@gmail.com.