The Opponent

Hi, I'm Gong Xian. You know me on Twitch as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/theopponent" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Opponent</a>. My current project is&nbsp;<a href="https://otcs.minuspoint.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Old Timey Computer Show</a>, the 24/7 channel of computer and video game documentaries, promotional programs, demonstrations, tutorials, art showcases, and other ephemera from all over the world during the 90s, 80s, and even earlier. Followers tune in around the clock and rediscover the rise of the technology that they take for granted and share their own histories and experiences with computers in a calming, laid-back environment. It launched on Twitch on May 18, 2019 and migrated to a self-hosted service on September 2, 2025.There are many old shows and films about the growing influence of computers from around the world that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are educational, made from a perspective of optimism and wonder that no longer exists today. Unfortunately, they languish in random archives, unwatched and unknown to modern audiences without an impetus to seek it out. I created the Old Timey Computer Show to spread the knowledge in these films to a stream-oriented audience and provide nostalgia to older audiences who lived through the periods these films captured.&nbsp;I aim for a TCM-like approach for this channel: the shows are presented as purely as possible without any interruptions or commentary. Each day, the channel has a balance of computer and video game content, while discrete series are played in order. Programs are shown in blocks of eight hours that play three times a day to ensure that no matter where you are in the world, you will have a chance to see what's on for the day—just like a real television station.While it's a huge boon that these historical pieces are preserved for today's audiences, the quality of the preserved material varies wildly. I review the quality of every video considered for the channel and make edits where necessary, and add the names and production years of every show to the side. Wherever necessary, the audio undergoes compression, amplification, DC bias correction, and in extreme cases, manual leveling and syncing, to a maximum level of -6dB. It is even sometimes necessary to correct aspect ratios and delete corruption from the videos.This curation and polishing of content and all other expenses related to hosting 24 hours a day are covered entirely by me. If I were to simply throw random videos in, the inconsistencies in video quality and audio levels would make for a poor viewing and listening experience, a fate that this content does not deserve. It is not enough to me to simply share these videos—the cultural context for this computer and video game history may be long gone, but I feel a responsibility to present this history the best I can. Reviewing and editing hundreds of videos totaling over a thousand hours of material takes a tremendous amount of time each day. It would not be possible without the support of Viewers Like You. Thank you for watching!For new patrons, pledging $5 USD or <a href="https://www.xe.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">your regional equivalent </a>will make you eligible to be a Sponsor and listed in the station breaks up to six times a day. The station breaks are updated at the start of each month. You will be able to customize the display of your name prior to the station break update and at any time afterward for each calendar month your pledge remains at least $5 USD.

Free

You will be recognized in the OTCS station breaks every four hours, up to six times a day, starting at the beginning of the month after you join. Your name will remain through the end of each month you maintain Sponsor status.

Sponsor

You will have priority recognition in the OTCS station breaks every four hours, in recognition of your greater level of support, starting at the beginning of the month after you join. Gold Sponsors have their names displayed much more prominently compared to the Sponsors in the station breaks. Your name will remain through the end of each month you maintain Gold Sponsor status.

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