Tv - Page 2

Rocky Fields · #21 03/12/07, 04:22 PM

Hey.

Plenty of entertainment,news,etc. on the web.

Go to your local library and check out music cd's and dvd's.

And of course, there's the radio.

Have a pint and watch sports at your local pub.

RF

Jim S. · #22 03/12/07, 04:24 PM

I downsized my cable. I want The Weather Channel, and it is nice to relax in front of a mindless boob tube once in a great while. So I downsized it to Basic ONLY. Gets me 12 channels. $16 a month. You might check that out if you don't want to go cold turkey. Many cable systems don't push it cuz it is cheap. But they MUST offer some kind of basic service.

We don't watch much TV, but it is nice to relax with sometimes after a hard day of work.

Wildwood Flower · #23 03/12/07, 04:34 PM

I raised my kids without TV and glad I did.

My DH (second husband) is a TV addict. I think we'd have a better marriage if he'd get rid of it.

canfossi · #24 03/12/07, 04:45 PM

I cut off the cable about 4 yrs ago, I got 2 channels after. Now since I've moved I am higher in elevation, I get seven channels with rabbit ears, that's enough for me. I do have the internet though. Chris

strider3700 · #25 03/12/07, 04:57 PM

We recently cut back to just the basic cable. The few shows I missed I can easily find online and dowload. Really any of the shows I specificially sit down to watch I can get online. I find that I miss the general ability to sit and veg infront of some shows. There are zero home improvement shows on my basic channels and I do miss some of them. Of course I've got a lot more done since then.

Giving up my highspeed internet is an impossibility though. I pretty much go through withdrawl

morrowsmowers · #26 03/12/07, 05:05 PM

We lived for the past 6 years since moving to NJ without great TV reception -- we tried Dish Network and they were horrible. At the end of the one year contract we got them out as fast as possible.

Then we put up an antenna with the rotor on a 25' mast -- got local stations but not great reception.

We finally gave in to cable needing high speed internet and wanting to cut our phone bill -- Verizon was charging us about $90 a month for DSL and an unlimited calling package. With cable, our internet is much faster and with that and unlimited calling (VOIP) we pay $66. We have 5 computers, an Xbox 360 and a Wii sharing the internet, so we needed that fast connection.

DW complains about watching too much TV but she plops herself down and watches certain channels such as GSN, Hallmark, and a few others that are her favorites. I'll admit that I like to watch certain shows but I will also walk away for a few minutes and do other things just leaving it on in the background -- I usually watch how-to type shows.

We figured that it costs us about $20 more per month for the package of cable, VOIP, and internet but we will be dropping netflix ($18.18) per month so the costs will just about be equal.

Ken in Glassboro, NJ Tv - Homesteading Questions

Jennifer L. · #27 03/12/07, 05:30 PM

I didn't watch TV for about ten years, only getting it out to watch the winter olympics. Then 9/11 hit and I started to watch the news more again instead of just listening to the radio (NPR). I only have rabbit ears and would probably not ever splurge on direct tv, but I do watch CBS now quite often. No way would I do without the internet, though.

Jennifer

veme · #28 03/12/07, 05:46 PM

Kill your box

http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/

You'll be glad you did.

veme

Ford8N · #29 03/12/07, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonnie in indiana

I'm thinking about having my TV cable turned off. No cable means no TV at all--even the local stuff don't come through. $45.00 a month just seems tooo much. I think I would rather get the computer on line and it woudl be a little cheeper.
I would miss the TV, but maybe I would loose a few pounds.

Are there people out there without TV?

The key is balance. I just did the opposite and got the big package on Dish Network and will have to resist the urge to watch too much. I had Direct TV about 4-5 years ago and missed the History Channel (we call it Hitler Channel) and not much else. Now I just discovered RFD-TV and watched tractor pulls in bed last night. Sweet!! I am sure that I will watch too much at first then moderate myself after the novelty wears off. I guess if it keeps me out of bars then it is not so bad. Tractor pulls are probably not what the wife wants in bed though.

Triffin · #30 03/12/07, 06:40 PM

For those that want TV but not the cable bill ..

Buy a low end HDTV flat panel TV for $350 - $650
Just make sure it has an internal tuner ATSC/NTSC/QAM
Then for about another $60.00 hook up a UHF antenna ..
The set will acquire any 'over the air' signals in your area
including anything broadcast in HD ..
Hi-Def and no bills

Triff ..

Joey Wahoo · #31 03/12/07, 06:47 PM

Do it! I kicked TV cold turkey about a year ago, and haven't watched it since.

My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

donsgal · #32 03/12/07, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonnie in indiana

I'm thinking about having my TV cable turned off. No cable means no TV at all--even the local stuff don't come through. $45.00 a month just seems tooo much. I think I would rather get the computer on line and it woudl be a little cheeper.
I would miss the TV, but maybe I would loose a few pounds.

Are there people out there without TV?

I own a tv but we do not watch it. I have it for "emergencies" (whatever that means). I have not watched a television program at home since 1990 (the last show I saw was "Sanford and Son" - might have been a re-run). We did turn the television on to watch news reports about princess Diana, which I think was in 1996.

Dh and I travel frequently with our job and I often watch tv in motel rooms. With the odd exception, I find it exceedingly boring and inane. Usually, the tv is shut off again in just a very few minutes unless we *happen* to find something worth watching.

When we are in motels I do like "The X Files". It is about the only show (and a few episodes of Cheers) I have watched all the way through during the past 15 years or so.

I find that when you don't watch tv you find other things to enjoy and keep you busy. For news, etc., we always have the internet. I recommend pulling the plug. After awhile you won't miss it, believe me.

donsgal

ET1 SS · #33 03/12/07, 07:12 PM

We get ABC and PBS. We try it now and again, but it is stupid.

In-laws send us tapes of Law and Order, otherwise it is DVDs.

donsgal · #34 03/12/07, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

Well, I'll be the dissenting voice. I have satellite and I can't imagine life without it. I rarely watch broadcast TV channels, sitcoms, or sports/cooking shows (if ever). I do watch a lot of history channel, A and E, discovery, science, and news. At least with the TV on, and I can be moving about and still enjoy the programming, with the computer, I'm pretty much chained in position. I'd hate to be without the news, and I'd hate to be forced to sit and read it online. TV isn't quite the great satan people make it out to be, with more choices in programming, it can be an excellent addition to a family's entertainment package. I'd rather pay $2-4 for a pay-per-view movie than have to either wait (months) for a movie from netflix or drive 45 miles to the nearest video store. I like having the satellite radio channels (no commercials), and after a hard day of working outside, I sometimes like to just sit and veg on the couch and watch some mind numbing entertainment on the big screen.

My kids (4 homeschooled, all in college now) never had any limitations on "screen time" and none of them became TV addicts. The addition of all the educational programming to our homeschool was great. A and E, History Channel, and all the discovery channels provide educators programming guides to anyone who asks for it, along with supplemental lesson resources, dvd's, and tons of print materials. I'd rather keep paying my $70 a month for satellite than be isolated. And I would be, without it. No newspaper delivery out here. Internet news? Sure, if I want to sit and read it all day. I can keep CNN headline news on low in the background of my day. It works for me.

I wish I could cite you sources to the research, but there has been extensive study on the quality and quantity of "learning" that goes on during educational television shows. It seems that retention is practically zero unless there is some highly stimulating content, and even then it is the emotion of the stimulating content that is retained and NOT the actual information. Because of the way our brain process images, it goes to an entirely different part of the cerebral cortex than text and is not retained in the same way. I other words you aren't really learning anything from television.

donsgal

MikesMate · #35 03/12/07, 07:36 PM

We have been cable free since 1998. Don't have an antenna to pick up even local channels. We do watch dvd's, mostly in winter. We do have internet and use it quite a bit.

donsgal · #36 03/12/07, 07:40 PM

It seems like a lot of people who don't watch television do watch movies on DVD. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie. IMHO they aren't any better than television shows. I have a DVD player on my computer and the last DVD I watched on it was about the first 15 minutes of Monsters, Inc. which I promptly turned off. I just couldn't stand it any longer.

donsgal

fitwind · #37 03/12/07, 07:56 PM

We went with out TV for 8 months. We relly didn't miss it that much. We got a TV finally for DD's birthday we still don't watch a whole lot and we don't get cable, so the 3 channels we do get don't come in real well.

Jim-mi · #38 03/12/07, 08:35 PM

I watch the *news* . . .only.
During the news I can't help but be exposed to the many many promos for all the other insane junk they call tv "entertainment" . . . . . .entertainment for who . .?? . . .the sheeples . . .?? . . . .no thank you . . .The mute button gets a good work out

You may call the network news tainted, but it gives me a bunch of info of whats going on.
Plus a vary good weather team on one of the channels that I get. Better than just a map on the puter, because of projections etc. etc. . . .Here in big snow country input from the tv weather team is necessary (to me)

big rockpile · #39 03/12/07, 09:30 PM

I watch TV.

big rockpile

sammyd · #40 03/12/07, 10:47 PM

We are lucky enough to get 4 networks on the antenae. I would like to hook up to sattelite again for some channels (A&E History Animal and a few others) but I seem to find less and less time to even watch the news or the farm report.
Although when we had the weather channel I found myself glued to the set in the mornings in spring comparing todays temps to yesterdays and wishing they'd get warmer quicker so I could get out in the garden.

I think TV is what you make it and shouldn't be viewed as being so evil. If you have a routine for the kids and stick to it, TV can be an OK part of that.