In 1990 I had a VCR that when you asked it to program a scheduled recording would go to the relevant TV listings page on ceefax/Oracle/4-tel and let you select

In 1990 I had a VCR that when you asked it to program a scheduled recording would go to the relevant TV listings page on ceefax/Oracle/4-tel and let you select the program from the listing using up and down arrows. Then, when the schedule started, it would even adjust if there were delays. THAT was my 'the future is now' moment. VCR+/Video+ was a step backwards from that luxury, having to look up numbers didn't really make things faster. It really felt like devolution until 'guide' systems started appearing.