Clockwise Episode 640: "Physical Media Girlie"

Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Dan Moren [A], Micah Sargent [B]
Guests: Paris Martineau [C] (Consumer Reports), Zach Hall [D] (9to5Mac)
Podcast Theme: A brisk 30-minute panel where four tech-savvy individuals each bring a discussion topic, exploring trends from live-streamed TV to physical media and the fate of the metaverse.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the new wave of interactive, live-streamed TV (with Netflix’s revival of voting-based shows), the rise and fall of Meta’s Metaverse division, the joys and justifications for pricier/occasionally used tech devices, and the creative afterlife of old gadgets. The enthusiastic, joking rapport among hosts and guests keeps things lively, and several stories and preferences highlight just how cyclical and tactile tech culture can be.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Interactive TV & Netflix Live Voting (00:35–06:54)

Prompted Discussion: Is Netflix’s real-time live-voting programming (reminiscent of “American Idol”) history repeating itself, or is it something new?
Paris: Notes how “Love Island USA” leverages live app-based voting to sustain daily engagement, inspiring other platforms to recreate that excitement.
“I wonder if this is kind of trying to coast off of that excitement.” (02:05)
Dan:
“[This] doesn't surprise me at all… Nothing’s new under the sun. All these ideas constantly get recycled… every 20 years or so, we recycle our ideas for the newest era.” (02:54)
He’s skeptical about real innovation in these formats.
Zach:
“I like the idea of incentivizing viewers to watch something live and together. And I think that's the component of this that I think is neat.” (04:17)
Shared experiences in a fragmented streaming world are rare and valuable.
- Critiques Netflix’s complicated interactive attempts and references Apple TV integration woes, lamenting missed features and accidental rollbacks.
Memorable Exchange:
Dan and Zach commiserate about a beloved Apple TV feature Netflix “accidentally” rolled out, only to remove it.
“Netflix confirms it didn't mean to support that Apple TV feature everyone has wanted for years… and it's been rolled back.” —Zach (05:45)
“Still mad about this…” —Dan (05:40)
Micah: Finds live voting compelling after learning about “Love Island” mechanics; appreciates the return to communal TV moments.

2. The Rise & Fall of the Metaverse (07:02–13:52)

Prompted Discussion: With Meta slashing its Reality Labs division and shuttering metaverse initiatives, why did the Metaverse ever seem like a good idea, and did anyone ever really use or value it?
Paris:
“Why did META choose to rebrand itself to this in 2021 and then seemingly immediately abandon it once they correctly realized that no one really wanted to hang out in a VR chat room?” (07:20)
Dan:
“Facebook is a company with really no center, no identity, and probably no moral core… they thought Metaverse was the hot new thing, and they jumped on, wasn’t. Now they jumped on AI.” (08:09)
Critiques Meta as opportunistically chasing tech trends without true vision; shares personal story about a laid-off Oculus employee signaling the coming collapse.
Zach:
“The impact of the Metaverse… is that it spawned the name Meta for the company… I think that Metaverse is… like gatekeeping how people already use the Internet, but making it a VR feature.” (10:04)
Compares metaverse ambitions to existing online communities (AOL, Roblox, Fortnite), only in clunky VR form.
Micah:
“I did use the Meta... just because I was curious... it sort of is what people do on Fortnite though, and Fortnite is far more of a success even outside of the VR space.” (11:41)
- VR for long periods is unappealing; “the technology just doesn't leave me wanting more and in fact wanting less of that.”
Paris:
“Second Life has already kind of done this and everyone widely panned Second Life as a concept... I'm excited and happy that it is finally fading away.” (13:16)

3. Expensive Devices You Rarely Use, But Love (14:36–20:45)

Prompted by Dan: What technology device is only used occasionally, is a bit expensive, but always proves its worth when needed?
Zach:
“My iTunes movie and TV show library… sometimes I’ve hunted down movies only to realize I had it in this iTunes collection that I never really look at intentionally… now I have to remember that I have it. But it does become useful whenever I rediscover my purchased movies and TV shows.” (15:12)
Micah:
“From a brings me joy and is legitimately useful perspective: my 3D printer… I love being able to A, design something and then B, print it out… It's just fun, whimsical, and silly.” (16:34)
Shares the delight of printing tiny snails to give to friends.
Paris:
“I guess I'm gonna also become a physical media girly. And I got a Panasonic UB424K ultra high def Blu Ray player. And it’s been so fun to own my own media... It's been wonderful to rediscover the pleasure of DVD extras… a delightful form that I think we don't see that often because why would we… doesn't really exist in the streaming era." (18:09, 19:07)
Dan:
“My wife talks fondly of the Orlando Bloom commentary on Lord of the Rings… he’s like, I shot an arrow there. I am shooting another. ARR.” (19:42)
Own device: a ScanSnap document scanner (“pricy, but worth every penny”):
“...every time I use it, this is worth every penny, is so much more effective than those old flatbed scanners. It's great.” (20:02)

4. Old Tech, Repurposed or “Off-Label” Use (21:41–27:54)

Prompted by Zach: Have you repurposed or restored any old tech that you actually find useful today?
Micah:
Keeps old webcams and smart home tech for tinkering:
“Repurposing the tech within the tech is something that's fun in a sort of tinker maker space way.” (22:04)
Paris:
Uses a “kind of archaic” voice recorder for interviews, citing its discrete functionality and ability to avoid intimidating sources.
“Most colleagues… say it’s ridiculous, but I love it... I can only hear my muffled voice when transcribing it… it will actually noise cancel [typing noise] on the other side.” (23:21)
Dan:
Old Laserdisc player for archival/nostalgia—unused in practice. Real repurpose:
Built a “wireless E Ink on air sign” for his office using an ESP32 chip and Velcro.
“I wrote all the software… that is kind of the closest thing I have to like repurpose.” (24:58)
Zach:
Turned an iPod Hi-Fi speaker (bought from someone needing money for bike parts) into a guitar amp with a 2009 effects pedal:
“It's a fantastic guitar amp when used with this pedal... I have this thing, and I'm really liking it for this sort of, like, charming use of it.” (26:01)

Bonus Segment: Favorite Means of Travel (27:54–29:14)

Paris: Biking if the weather’s good; otherwise, public transit (“above ground, below ground–any which way, it's wonderful.”) (28:06)
Dan: Streetcars and trolleys for nostalgia and charm: “That’s the train of my youth.” (28:23)
Zach: Electric motorcycles for fun; new Amtrak Mardi Gras line from Biloxi to New Orleans for comfort. (28:35)
Micah: Driving (“not the right answer, but I do like to drive… been a little driving-pilled lately as well”). (28:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Interactive TV Cycles:
“There’s nothing new under the sun, right? All these ideas get constantly recycled.” —Dan (02:54)
On Meta’s Aimlessness:
“Facebook is a company with really no center, no identity, and probably no moral core.” —Dan (08:09)
Physical Media Love:
“…become a physical media girly. And I got a Panasonic… 4K ultra high def Blu Ray player. And it’s been so fun to own my own media…” —Paris (18:09)
Unexpected Guitar Amp:
“It's a fantastic guitar amp when used with this pedal... I have this thing, and I'm really liking it for this sort of, like, charming use” —Zach (26:01)
DVD Extras Nostalgia:
“It’s been wonderful to rediscover the pleasure of DVD extras ... which is just a delightful form that I think we don’t see that often.” —Paris (19:07)
3D Printing Joy:
“...I printed out a bunch of very, very, very small snails... we just leave little snails in different places. That's just fun, whimsical and silly.” —Micah (16:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

Live Interactive TV (Netflix): 00:35–06:54
The Fate of the Metaverse: 07:02–13:52
Practical, Pricier Tech You Seldom Use: 14:36–20:45
Repurposing Old Tech: 21:41–27:54
Favorite Modes of Transit (Bonus Round): 27:54–29:14

Tone & Language

Conversational, witty, and self-aware—panelists employ humor (e.g., “No legs in the Metaverse!”) and reminiscence.
Mixes playful ribbing with insightful, honest opinions and the occasional nostalgia trip.

Summary Takeaway

This episode of Clockwise captures how tech evolves (or simply recycles), the personal meaning and peculiar persistence of physical media, and how some gadgets continue to surprise well after their heyday—whether they're scanning tax forms, supplying lost DVD commentary tracks, or morphing into guitar amps. The panel’s warmth, curiosity, and gentle skepticism make for a fun, relatable survey of tech’s present and past.

Clockwise Episode 640: "Physical Media Girlie"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Interactive TV & Netflix Live Voting (00:35–06:54)

Prompted Discussion: Is Netflix’s real-time live-voting programming (reminiscent of “American Idol”) history repeating itself, or is it something new?
Paris: Notes how “Love Island USA” leverages live app-based voting to sustain daily engagement, inspiring other platforms to recreate that excitement.
“I wonder if this is kind of trying to coast off of that excitement.” (02:05)
Dan:
“[This] doesn't surprise me at all… Nothing’s new under the sun. All these ideas constantly get recycled… every 20 years or so, we recycle our ideas for the newest era.” (02:54)
He’s skeptical about real innovation in these formats.
Zach:
“I like the idea of incentivizing viewers to watch something live and together. And I think that's the component of this that I think is neat.” (04:17)
Shared experiences in a fragmented streaming world are rare and valuable.
- Critiques Netflix’s complicated interactive attempts and references Apple TV integration woes, lamenting missed features and accidental rollbacks.
Memorable Exchange:
Dan and Zach commiserate about a beloved Apple TV feature Netflix “accidentally” rolled out, only to remove it.
“Netflix confirms it didn't mean to support that Apple TV feature everyone has wanted for years… and it's been rolled back.” —Zach (05:45)
“Still mad about this…” —Dan (05:40)
Micah: Finds live voting compelling after learning about “Love Island” mechanics; appreciates the return to communal TV moments.

2. The Rise & Fall of the Metaverse (07:02–13:52)

Prompted Discussion: With Meta slashing its Reality Labs division and shuttering metaverse initiatives, why did the Metaverse ever seem like a good idea, and did anyone ever really use or value it?
Paris:
“Why did META choose to rebrand itself to this in 2021 and then seemingly immediately abandon it once they correctly realized that no one really wanted to hang out in a VR chat room?” (07:20)
Dan:
“Facebook is a company with really no center, no identity, and probably no moral core… they thought Metaverse was the hot new thing, and they jumped on, wasn’t. Now they jumped on AI.” (08:09)
Critiques Meta as opportunistically chasing tech trends without true vision; shares personal story about a laid-off Oculus employee signaling the coming collapse.
Zach:
“The impact of the Metaverse… is that it spawned the name Meta for the company… I think that Metaverse is… like gatekeeping how people already use the Internet, but making it a VR feature.” (10:04)
Compares metaverse ambitions to existing online communities (AOL, Roblox, Fortnite), only in clunky VR form.
Micah:
“I did use the Meta... just because I was curious... it sort of is what people do on Fortnite though, and Fortnite is far more of a success even outside of the VR space.” (11:41)
- VR for long periods is unappealing; “the technology just doesn't leave me wanting more and in fact wanting less of that.”
Paris:
“Second Life has already kind of done this and everyone widely panned Second Life as a concept... I'm excited and happy that it is finally fading away.” (13:16)

3. Expensive Devices You Rarely Use, But Love (14:36–20:45)

Prompted by Dan: What technology device is only used occasionally, is a bit expensive, but always proves its worth when needed?
Zach:
“My iTunes movie and TV show library… sometimes I’ve hunted down movies only to realize I had it in this iTunes collection that I never really look at intentionally… now I have to remember that I have it. But it does become useful whenever I rediscover my purchased movies and TV shows.” (15:12)
Micah:
“From a brings me joy and is legitimately useful perspective: my 3D printer… I love being able to A, design something and then B, print it out… It's just fun, whimsical, and silly.” (16:34)
Shares the delight of printing tiny snails to give to friends.
Paris:
“I guess I'm gonna also become a physical media girly. And I got a Panasonic UB424K ultra high def Blu Ray player. And it’s been so fun to own my own media... It's been wonderful to rediscover the pleasure of DVD extras… a delightful form that I think we don't see that often because why would we… doesn't really exist in the streaming era." (18:09, 19:07)
Dan:
“My wife talks fondly of the Orlando Bloom commentary on Lord of the Rings… he’s like, I shot an arrow there. I am shooting another. ARR.” (19:42)
Own device: a ScanSnap document scanner (“pricy, but worth every penny”):
“...every time I use it, this is worth every penny, is so much more effective than those old flatbed scanners. It's great.” (20:02)

4. Old Tech, Repurposed or “Off-Label” Use (21:41–27:54)

Prompted by Zach: Have you repurposed or restored any old tech that you actually find useful today?
Micah:
Keeps old webcams and smart home tech for tinkering:
“Repurposing the tech within the tech is something that's fun in a sort of tinker maker space way.” (22:04)
Paris:
Uses a “kind of archaic” voice recorder for interviews, citing its discrete functionality and ability to avoid intimidating sources.
“Most colleagues… say it’s ridiculous, but I love it... I can only hear my muffled voice when transcribing it… it will actually noise cancel [typing noise] on the other side.” (23:21)
Dan:
Old Laserdisc player for archival/nostalgia—unused in practice. Real repurpose:
Built a “wireless E Ink on air sign” for his office using an ESP32 chip and Velcro.
“I wrote all the software… that is kind of the closest thing I have to like repurpose.” (24:58)
Zach:
Turned an iPod Hi-Fi speaker (bought from someone needing money for bike parts) into a guitar amp with a 2009 effects pedal:
“It's a fantastic guitar amp when used with this pedal... I have this thing, and I'm really liking it for this sort of, like, charming use of it.” (26:01)

Bonus Segment: Favorite Means of Travel (27:54–29:14)

Paris: Biking if the weather’s good; otherwise, public transit (“above ground, below ground–any which way, it's wonderful.”) (28:06)
Dan: Streetcars and trolleys for nostalgia and charm: “That’s the train of my youth.” (28:23)
Zach: Electric motorcycles for fun; new Amtrak Mardi Gras line from Biloxi to New Orleans for comfort. (28:35)
Micah: Driving (“not the right answer, but I do like to drive… been a little driving-pilled lately as well”). (28:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Interactive TV Cycles:
“There’s nothing new under the sun, right? All these ideas get constantly recycled.” —Dan (02:54)
On Meta’s Aimlessness:
“Facebook is a company with really no center, no identity, and probably no moral core.” —Dan (08:09)
Physical Media Love:
“…become a physical media girly. And I got a Panasonic… 4K ultra high def Blu Ray player. And it’s been so fun to own my own media…” —Paris (18:09)
Unexpected Guitar Amp:
“It's a fantastic guitar amp when used with this pedal... I have this thing, and I'm really liking it for this sort of, like, charming use” —Zach (26:01)
DVD Extras Nostalgia:
“It’s been wonderful to rediscover the pleasure of DVD extras ... which is just a delightful form that I think we don’t see that often.” —Paris (19:07)
3D Printing Joy:
“...I printed out a bunch of very, very, very small snails... we just leave little snails in different places. That's just fun, whimsical and silly.” —Micah (16:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

Live Interactive TV (Netflix): 00:35–06:54
The Fate of the Metaverse: 07:02–13:52
Practical, Pricier Tech You Seldom Use: 14:36–20:45
Repurposing Old Tech: 21:41–27:54
Favorite Modes of Transit (Bonus Round): 27:54–29:14

Tone & Language

Conversational, witty, and self-aware—panelists employ humor (e.g., “No legs in the Metaverse!”) and reminiscence.
Mixes playful ribbing with insightful, honest opinions and the occasional nostalgia trip.

wavePod

640: Physical Media Girlie

Summary

Clockwise Episode 640: "Physical Media Girlie"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Interactive TV & Netflix Live Voting (00:35–06:54)

2. The Rise & Fall of the Metaverse (07:02–13:52)

3. Expensive Devices You Rarely Use, But Love (14:36–20:45)

4. Old Tech, Repurposed or “Off-Label” Use (21:41–27:54)

Bonus Segment: Favorite Means of Travel (27:54–29:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Tone & Language

Summary Takeaway

Summary

Clockwise Episode 640: "Physical Media Girlie"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Interactive TV & Netflix Live Voting (00:35–06:54)

2. The Rise & Fall of the Metaverse (07:02–13:52)

3. Expensive Devices You Rarely Use, But Love (14:36–20:45)

4. Old Tech, Repurposed or “Off-Label” Use (21:41–27:54)

Bonus Segment: Favorite Means of Travel (27:54–29:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Tone & Language

Summary Takeaway