No TV anyone?

That's exactly how it works in our house, and we like that very much. we go through spells, where we'll watch a dvd every night for a week or two... then we go through spells where it's not on for weeks at a time. I remember watching an X-Files episode on DVD once in May and once in June. And we watched the whole LOTR special edition over the course of a week or so in May. That's all I can remember. Since I have tomorrow off, we might watch something on TV tonight or tomorrow, but I'm not counting on it.

Our TV only gets the "Snow Channel."

We have VCR and DVD machines. It usually takes almost a year for us to watch a season of "Northern Exposure" on DVD. Between school, work and the home property, we just don't have time.

What have we missed? We didn't get to see "Survivor", "American Idol", "Dancing with the Stars", etc. first-hand. But, we heard about all we needed to know ad nauseum from folks who did watch.

When we hear that quality programming has returned to TV, we'll see about hooking up again.

Each to his own. Everyone has different viewpoints, likes and dislikes.

Frankly without TV, I think I'd go crazy. I am home alone the majority of the time and rarely get interraction with friends, family or neighbors. Almost everyone I know is a long distance call with the exception of a couple neighbors.

Until the last 4 years, I've worked a FT job and managed rental properties. We never go out to movies, rarely go out to eat and never go out drinking, so we justify our movie and sports channels, and our internet for entertainment. (Course, I'm not asking for permission.) When I retired early, it was because the company we worked at for 25 years closed, and we decided it was just getting too hard on me physically (due to my health) to continue to work FT outside the home and commute as much as we have to. It was a huge relief and has allowed me a life with a lot less stress. But it also cut off my daily interraction with others, which I miss terribly. Without my internet friends I'm sure I'd be crazy by now only having the dogs, cats and chickens to talk to. So yeah, I have a tv on a lot of the time in the background while I am doing other things. And yes, we sit down to watch a movie, show or whatever we want. That's ok. We deserve it if that's what we would like to spend some of our time doing.

For those of you who choose not to watch tv, more power to ya! That's great. And you're right, there's always plenty to do. Always will be.

I agree, although we do own two televisions. But, we do not have cable so there is little to watch (which is a good thing.)

For the first 10 years of marriage, we only had one TV which was kept in a cabinet. Most days we didn't even turn it on. Even now with two TVs and four kids we don't watch much. I watch the local news some nights, that's about it for me. The kids don't watch much because I don't believe in using it as a one-eyed babysitter.

I guess I'm like a reformed smoker... I used to watch a lot of TV (as a child and young man), but now I can't stand it. I would much rather sit outside or read a book (or both.)

It drives me nuts to visit my parents; they have the TV on every waking minute. It's almost impossible to have a conversation.

I've been idiot box free for going on 6 years! I had a tv for a couple years before this, but before that was without one while in college. I never missed it, not once. We decided to get rid of it after the thing sat there for months collecting dust, not being turned on once! so...


I do admit to spending too much time on the net though...

__________________
It's not that I don't like mankind, I just like nature a whole lot more.

I agree with RosewoodFarm that TV is the great time thief. And it is a very sneaky time thief. You sit down to watch one show that is 30 minutes long, and then (you didn't mean to) you're watching the NEXT 30-minute show, and then another show, etc. etc.

I own a TV. When I first came across this thread I said to myself "Oh yeah, the TV, I should turn it on". I bet I haven't tuned it on in a month. I only get one channel out here so it's no big deal. I find myself wishing for more hours in the day as it is, 'cause I like my computer time.

__________________
I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.

I have found, after 2 years w/ no tv...my kids read a lot more books. My dh,,,,he has his tv in his 'man shack' and watches the news and sometimes 'frontline'.

It is amazing to me how much of people's conversation is about those shows. "Did you watch Survivor last night?" and I am like...no, I canned 32 pints of greenbeans and listened to Bob Wills on my kitchen stereo.

Its true that people think you must MISS it. Well-meaning relatives have even GIVEN us tv's. They are pretty sure the kids are neglected somehow.

I like NOT knowing the commercial jingles, I can still remember the ones from my childhood. And tv in the bedroom? Dont get me started.

Go to the LIBRARY, that is my opinion.

__________________
Cows may not be smarter than People, but some cows are smarter than some people.

I know one family that chose not to have a TV, or to use it as a baby sitter for their kids. Thier kids are athletic, healthy, well read and did well in school but several adults at the school learned that they lived without TV and thought because of that they were being mistreated and they were reported to child protective services!

gone-a-milking, you are right about everybody talking about shows! Here at work, my co-workers are always talking about some show or another of some commercial they found funny. They ask over and over if I have seen it and I always tell them no i don't have a tv and every time they look at me like i've sprouted a 3rd head!

__________________
It's not that I don't like mankind, I just like nature a whole lot more.

I can do without TV, but I appreciate getting the local news.

Now if someone came and tried to take my 'puter away it would get ugly around here..

Are the folks going without tv, have a problem with the technology of tv's, or the medium (programming) that is on the tv, or just the time?

I can understand the dislike of tv's programming. I've never had any use for any of the reality type programs.

If you don't like tv, does that mean that you dislike movies, also? On tv and the theatres?

If you don't partake of tv or radio, do you read, or do like one of our neighbors (when I was young)... they went to bed as soon as it got dark, and rose with the chickens.

I have lived without any kind of tv or radio at all, for up to four months at a time, going to bed with the sun, and up at the crack of dawn... I much prefer having the tv and radio around.

__________________
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

I have to have my radio....gets me going on grouchy mornings LOL! I need my 70's rock and roll Besides, dancing is good excersies doncha know! I can't be the only one who dances with thier dog and cat!? We have a weather radio for tornado warnings and such...kinda essential when living in a trailor.

__________________
It's not that I don't like mankind, I just like nature a whole lot more.

That's funny, I feel the same way cause I'm always lost when everybody is talking about new tv shows. We have a tv but I rarely watch it. I usually work all day, come home, cook and eat supper then tend to the bees and animals till about dark.
Then I come in, sit right here at the computer for a little while and realize that I'm really tired and ready for bed. I could handle getting rid of the tv but my wife would never allow that to happen.

__________________
"When all is said and done, there is usually more said than done."

I wonder how many people watch less t.v. ,but have increased time on the internet?

__________________
The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.

My mom and dad are like the TV people everyone else talked about! We only turn ours on for 1 maybe 2 hours during the day to baby sit..shame on us! We read books or the internet after the kids go to bed. My mom and dad have AT least one tv on all of the time, dad is hard of hearing so they keep the tv in the living room up real loud! This was a big pain in the ear when we had to live with them while we got our new house together and living with them! My mom likes to have the kids over now to 'visit' but alot of the time all she wants to do is turn on sponge bob or the computer and walk away. I know our kids are 'safe' over there, but we always have them reading, playing outside or doing something instead of TV. Before we hooked up the tv all of our famillies worried about the kids being deprived and asked 'WHY NOT'? We both told them there is more to life than TV, go out and find it!
Go catch a bug, lets look it up in a book and read about it..... the kids are doing better than the others around them and better behaved.........we are also too busy with 4-H, T ball and softball... plus the chickens, horses, dogs ect!
Guilty here right now,DW is watching a child raising program on TV right now!

__________________
Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15.
Ronald Reagan
We are never defeated unless we give up on God.
Ronald Reagan

I watch very little TV except news. Most of it is not worth watching.

I like my $1 DVD's better. Today I found some new ones: Howdy Doody, Lassie, and Mr. Ed

__________________

When we first moved to the country, there was no TV unless we got satellite, and we just couldn't afford it. So for a year and a half we went without TV, although we did get movies from the library.
But when 9/11 happened, it was so very hard to be "out of the loop", we so much wanted just to watch the news to see what was happening...
Shortly after that, we did get satellite--but no movie channels or anything, basically we just get the local network channels and then a few more and that's all. I'm not a big TV watcher at all. But I am a news junkie. DH could live without TV completely as long as there are/were movies he hadn't seen yet.

__________________
And how am I to face the odds
Of man's bedevilment and God's?
I, a stranger and afraid
In a world I never made.
--A. E. Housman

We unplugged from dish-net January 1 and haven't looked back!

We get net flix, which limits us to 3-4 movies per week. Through them we get the DVDs for documentaries, TV series we like (like "The Unit", "24", "Gray's Anatomy", Nova and National Geographic series). And it's all commercial-free!

The kidlet has her movies on DVD and VHS, and we limit her to about 2 per week.

Best decision we've ever made! Now we have more family time, reading, and time for just sitting quietly enjoying or exploring the wonderful natural world we live in.

I haven't turned on the TV in years ...
When the ex moved out, he left the TV but took the co-ax cable to the antenna and the extension cord plugging it into the wall. I never bothered to replace either ...
I do spend quite a bit of time online, though!

DBF has cable and frequently complains that there's nothing good on, despite 100 or so channels.
In the evenings, I like to read while he watches TV.
Saturday night is movie night ... he makes popcorn and we watch a movie together. I like that!

It's hard for me to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time, though.
My ex said I had the worst case of ADD he'd ever seen. LOL

__________________
"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.

With all this talk about TV's I wondered how long it would be before someone started a post about how they can do without TV's, and watch others jump on the bandwagon...I haven't been here as long as some/most of you, but this is one thing I've come to expect as a certainty...Some just have to brag about their lack of dependency on modern conveniences.