You watch TV?

John Baker

John Baker

Final Approach
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John Baker
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I saw a thing in the paper about how cable television providers have seen their membership decline by 20 or 29 %, I can't remember which it was. They claim it is the economy that is causing the drop in subscriptions.

I claim it is the quality of what is available to watch. I haven't watched regular TV programing in over ten years, other than the evening news on Channel 10. I find that many people over fifty agree with me, it's all nonsense, why pay for it?

What do you guys think?

John
 
John Baker said:
I saw a thing in the paper about how cable television providers have seen their membership decline by 20 or 29 %, I can't remember which it was. They claim it is the economy that is causing the drop in subscriptions.

I claim it is the quality of what is available to watch. I haven't watched regular TV programing in over ten years, other than the evening news on Channel 10. I find that many people over fifty agree with me, it's all nonsense, why pay for it?

What do you guys think?

John
Click to expand...

all the other options like direct TV surfing on Ipod type equipment is all taking their toll.
 
Almost never. I used to (as a kid) watch it most waking hours. Ever since I left college (even while I worked in TV) I couldn't care less. The shows I do maintain interest in, I usually just watch online. It has been a long time since I've watched anything in prime time at the time it first airs.

With the advent of shows being streamed online the day after they air and Netflix View-it-now being available on everything, it seems like cable is quickly going the way of the laser disk.

I have several friends who have ditched cable entirely, and it has nothing to do with the economy. I wonder if that's just what people say when they call to cancel instead of telling them outright that their service sucks and there's NOTHING worth watching anymore. Except Breaking Bad and Top Gear UK. But I watch those both online.
 
Well, there's a lot of crap on TV... The good shows, they never market, so they don't get viewers, so they get cancelled - Firefly, Better Off Ted, etc.

Then, there's the fact that they try to get you to watch things on their schedule. Sorry, I'm not going to rearrange my life to accommodate a box.

There's the availability of the few good shows online, on-demand... So I can still watch what little I want to watch, but when it's convenient for me.

Finally, they charge an arm and a leg. I could buy everything I ever watch on iTunes for WAY less than a cable subscription... But in the end, most of it's free anyway. I bought Firefly and Flying Wild Alaska on iTunes, but pretty much anything else I'd care to watch I don't care to keep so I watch it online. Family Guy, South Park, Daily Show, Colbert Report... I watched Better Off Ted on my iPad in the ABC Player app (which is an EXCELLENT app, BTW - Quality is great - Too bad there's not much worthwhile content coming from ABC!)
 
Nope, havent had tv in 8 hrs. We do rent movies now and then and I read a lot
 
I sometimes wonder if my subscription to Dish Network is worth it but without it I would have no TV at all and I do watch it sometimes. Some months it probably cost me $5-10/hour though.
 
Mari, did you take that picture of your avatar? Where is it?

( sorry thread run)
 
I have DISH so that I have NASA TV. And BBCAmerica for Doctor Who.
 
I had Dish for over ten years. When I called a couple of years ago and asked if a ten-year customer could get the install/upgrade deals they advertise for new customers, they said no. I said, "Let me talk to cancellations then."

Have a cable-modem but no cable TV. 15Mb/s down, 2Mb/s up, five static IPs through Comcast Business. It's a write off in my line of work. And they recently offered me the thing for roughly $45/mo including the static IP block charges when I threatened to shop it at the end of the original two-year contract.

Have a set of rabbit ears on the two HD sets for my wife's TV habit. I'd probably rarely turn the thing on if I were single. It's just advertising and noise. Annoying noise with bad writing, usually.

And an AppleTV to stream stuff...

I see these "bundle" deals for phone, TV, and Net that start at $99 and go WAY up after a while. Who does that!? Crazy.

Home phone is now on the Verizon HomeConnect box that uses the cell network. $19 unlimited for those hideous three-hour outage conference calls. Can also do it as an add-on "line" that steals cell minutes, but too many lengthy calls here, otherwise I would go that route.

Used to be Vonage. Got tired of listening to packet loss drop-outs.

If I ever get bored enough I'll put up a real outdoor antenna for the HD sets. Two of our stations here stayed on their high-VHF allocations instead of moving to UHF and they don't work nearly as well as the stations that moved up. UHF penetrates brick better and gets more bang for the buck in antenna gain at the transmitter site in a similar sized antenna package.
 
Since moving to Texas, we have subscribed to the HD channels on cable. (We don't get much over the air on the island.) Since we are essentially trapped here until the renovation project is complete (another two years), I felt it was worth it to subscribe to cable.

In fact, I'm watching "How It's Made" on SCIHD right now. My "favorites" are all along these lines, plus the Military Channel and TCM. All I really need for entertainment is TCM, but I rarely get to watch it.

We also Netflix on-line, just for fun.
 
USA has become my favorite channel but in general I agree that the quality of the writing has declined. I do like
In Plain Sight ( mary is priceless )
Royal Pains ( I grew up on Long Island )
Burn Notice
Justified ( now on summer break )
Franklin and Bash ( just plain goofy )

I DVR all the shows I want to watch. I can't remember the last time I watched something in real time.
 
When I bought my house in 1989, I paid New England Telephone $14/month for the phone line and had a rooftop antenna that could receive CBS,NBC and ABC. PBS was fuzzy.

When the Patriots went to the Superbowl in 1997, I climbed up on the roof and connected the UHF antenna so I could watch it on FOX-25.

Now I pay $130/month for the TV/Internet/Phone bundle, and pay another $180/month for five cell phones.

OUCH!
 
:yeahthat:

Almost an exact financial situation for the same stuff. Getting off my butt these past few days to go the denverpilot route. Will set up an isolated torrent computer to get the Kardashian-like crap my teens seem to gravitate to. Most everything else in my viewing world is OTA HD (two markets within range), Netflix, and free Blu-rays from the library.
 
Just got AT&T Uverse. I LOVE Robot Chicken. I've been watching all the science fiction shows I seem to miss. Got to see Star Wars Clone Wars (very cheesy, but it is Star Wars). I've seen Monster, Marie Antoinette, the Flying Leathernecks, and a bunch of aviation movies I perennially miss. I actually watch more TV than I ever did before.
 
Jeanie said:
Mari, did you take that picture of your avatar? Where is it?

( sorry thread run)
Click to expand...
I wish I had taken the picture of my avatar but sadly, no. I think was actually taken somewhere in Norway.
 
steingar said:
Just got AT&T Uverse. I LOVE Robot Chicken. I've been watching all the science fiction shows I seem to miss. Got to see Star Wars Clone Wars (very cheesy, but it is Star Wars). I've seen Monster, Marie Antoinette, the Flying Leathernecks, and a bunch of aviation movies I perennially miss. I actually watch more TV than I ever did before.
Click to expand...

Funny I wouldn't think of you as a robot chicken fan! I like the show but I feel like its made for the college stoner crowd

I have directv because its less expensive than cable, and the online stuff (ipad, ipod, pc) support is very good. I have one HD DVR box and I can watch anything on it, or on TV in any room in my house on a PC or ipad, over my wireless network. Which means I can watch it in any room in the house without paying for another damn box! take that cable.

I've thought about getting rid of directv altogether and just going with internet based tv. But not sure if I would be able to get HD sports (NFL and NHL) etc

Also have netflix online which is worth it to me.
 
John Baker said:
I saw a thing in the paper about how cable television providers have seen their membership decline by 20 or 29 %, I can't remember which it was. They claim it is the economy that is causing the drop in subscriptions.

I claim it is the quality of what is available to watch. I haven't watched regular TV programing in over ten years, other than the evening news on Channel 10. I find that many people over fifty agree with me, it's all nonsense, why pay for it?

What do you guys think?

John
Click to expand...


I'm just over fifty. There are a few shows I enjoy watching. Besides watching the Stanley Cup champion Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots, and the Celtics, I enjoy watching Modern Marvels, Mythbusters, and the like.

I pretty much don't watch anything live anymore. It's so much nicer to skip the ads and half-time shows, etc etc.
 
I have DirecTV and love it. There are a LOT of good programs which leads me to watch a lot more TV than I really should.

I'm a huge History Channel fan. That's the channel that makes being educated fun. They should take the same concept to public education.

I've caught re-runs of old shows I watched as a kid. Dukes of Hazzard, Happy Days, etc. and can't imagine what I found amusing about those shows. The only thing I can figure is that the only shows on at the time were even worse. But people have different tastes and I think the quality of shows available now is vastly superior to any time in the past. I've never seen a reality tv show so I can't trash-talk it. I just don't think it would interest me. But I do enjoy House, Royal Pains, Justified, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Hawaii-50, The Glades, Pawn Stars to name a few.

You'll never find me channel-surfing, as I almost never watch live tv. I record everything via the DVR so that I can skip the commercials and pause/rewind when my wife starts talking over the dialogue. The only exception to never watching live TV is if I happen to find Band of Brothers, The Pacific or Pvt. Ryan on - even if it's mid-show, even though I have the DVDs I never pass up an opportunity to watch them again.

The beauty of the DVR is that you can scan the schedule for up to 2 weeks in advance, push one button to record a show (or even an entire series) - they've made it incredibly easy.
 
In 2005, I built a mediacenter PC then upgraded it to BeyondTV. CHANGED MY LIFE.
Back then I only watched 1 show and I also had to have SpeedTV for MotoGP, WSBK, WSS and the AMA Roadrace series.

I never watched commercials.

Now, I watch a little TV (whatever I DVR) but that's about all. And I figure if I keep nagging my wife about it, I can help her break the habit of the morning 'who got killed, who has a scandal, what part of the world America is going to war with, why the econonmy sucks' shows. They call that "news" but it happens day after day...but I digress.....
 
What's a TV?

I heaved a glass front box I use to have in the dumpster 5 years ago and never missed it and haven't stared stupidly at once since.
It was amazing how many extra hours there suddenly was in a day.
 
Okay, everyone will label me as an "old fuddy duddy," but here goes:

Yes, I have DirecTV because I'm in the boonies where it's that or no TV at all. I watch things like History Channel, Discovery Channel, Learning Channel, National Geographic, Smithsonian TV etc, along with a national news channel. I'm so buisy I have to DVR it if I want to actually have a chance to watch it.

That said, here's where I will be labeled a fuddy duddy. We as a country would be MUCH better off, if everyone just unplugged the stupid things.

My $0.02,
Doc
 
I disagree that we would all be better off with no TV. I've learned so many things that I would never had any exposure to without TV. I just watched a show on building a very large container ship and learned things about it that I would not had any reason or method to learn of. Now if you changed that statement to turn it off but rather put a little more thought in to what your watching then I would agree. Why is Jerry Springer even on the tube? There is a great deal of junk on TV but there is also a great deal of very good programing on it as well.
 
I have the Verizon Fios bundle. Land line, internet, TV with HD. It is pricey and I've been considering the Netflix/streaming route very hard.

I think Netflix is really taking its toll on Comcast (hate them) and Verizon, etc. It allows you to watch and pay for what you want to watch and forget the rest of the crap that's on TV.
 
I don't even own a television.

Anything that I really need to watch can be downloaded and watched on my computer.

I rely on NPR.com or the Internet in general for my daily news.
 
Jeanie said:
Nope, havent had tv in 8 hrs.
Click to expand...


Cool. How are you liking it now that you've slept on the decision for a night? :rofl:

I gave up tv in 2007. I only miss it during football season. Turn it on in the room when traveling and am always quickly reminded why I don't have it.

Do watch movies though. Commercial free :)
 
jtheune said:
So you randomly look at wikepedia to try to find something interesting?
Click to expand...

Well, when you think about it it does make more sense than having it scheduled and spoon fed to you (so to speak.) Not to flame you here, but I think that is one of the main differences between entertainment on the TV versus the Interwebs.

And call me a nerd but I do randomly check Wikipedia for interesting things, every once in a while. Probably going to be more successful than randomly surfing TV channels, these days.
 
I have a TV but no cable. When I want to watch something I'll just hook my laptop to the TV and watch it online.
 
jtheune said:
So you randomly look at wikepedia to try to find something interesting?
Click to expand...

No, usually I'm just curious about some random subject. If you're just bored though, there is a "random article" link on the main page...
 
flyingcheesehead said:
No, usually I'm just curious about some random subject. If you're just bored though, there is a "random article" link on the main page...
Click to expand...


For a while, I had set that special URL (random article) as my home page. Learned something interesting every time I opened my browser, and often forgot why I'd opened it in the first place.

Here's the link; it will give you a random article every time you access it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

Funny, this time it gave me something aviation related!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RWD-17
 
I didn't read the thread but I thought I'd pop in and say I just finished the last stages in permanently removing the toxic influence of TV from my life by uprooting the sat dish in the backyard today! Try it, you will like!
So much happier!
 
"Citizen! You have removed your disinformation device from your domicile! Please stand still and prepare to be inspected." ;)
 
Gerhardt said:
I have DirecTV and love it. There are a LOT of good programs which leads me to watch a lot more TV than I really should.

I'm a huge History Channel fan. That's the channel that makes being educated fun. They should take the same concept to public education.

I've caught re-runs of old shows I watched as a kid. Dukes of Hazzard, Happy Days, etc. and can't imagine what I found amusing about those shows. The only thing I can figure is that the only shows on at the time were even worse. But people have different tastes and I think the quality of shows available now is vastly superior to any time in the past. I've never seen a reality tv show so I can't trash-talk it. I just don't think it would interest me. But I do enjoy House, Royal Pains, Justified, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Hawaii-50, The Glades, Pawn Stars to name a few.

You'll never find me channel-surfing, as I almost never watch live tv. I record everything via the DVR so that I can skip the commercials and pause/rewind when my wife starts talking over the dialogue. The only exception to never watching live TV is if I happen to find Band of Brothers, The Pacific or Pvt. Ryan on - even if it's mid-show, even though I have the DVDs I never pass up an opportunity to watch them again.

The beauty of the DVR is that you can scan the schedule for up to 2 weeks in advance, push one button to record a show (or even an entire series) - they've made it incredibly easy.
Click to expand...

Man...other than a change in some shows, we could be twins! My wife and I DVR over 20+ shows. We watch them when we want, how we want. Sometimes we can go a month or two not watching a single particular show and then catch up on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Just couch-vegging after dinner together is wonderful, and we talk about the shows, even the ones each of us might not like that the other does. Add in Football, History, BBC....heck yeah we watch a lot of TV< though as Gerhardt stated, we rarely if ever watch live TV other than the news or sports.
 
I see lots of posts about getting rid of TV because they are such a time waster but no one seems to be complaining about the net and computers.
 
I'm on the computer far more than I watch TV. Yet I'm paying for Dish (HD) & still saving money w/more flexibility than paying for cable. I've got business internet (with static IPs) - thought about Roku, but decided against it.

I don't watch a lot of TV - some nights not at all. When I do watch, I enjoy some of the travel stuff (Anthony Bordain) and some sports (baseball, basketballl), occasionally other stuff on History Channel & Discovery (even Mythbusters has gotten predictable & boring). And a bit of the evening news for a different perspective than either the Washington Post & WTOP radio.

I really prefer human interaction to the tube, so I try to go to live events when time allows....
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
So much happier!
Click to expand...

If nothing else, just by eliminating the news on tv you are so much happier. The entire news media is made of terminally depressed maniacs that can't see any good in the world and ram it down your throat until you start being depressed and paranoid. The world is nowhere near as bad as they make it out to be.
 
wsuffa said:
I'm on the computer far more than I watch TV. Yet I'm paying for Dish (HD) & still saving money w/more flexibility than paying for cable. I've got business internet (with static IPs) - thought about Roku, but decided against it.

I don't watch a lot of TV - some nights not at all. When I do watch, I enjoy some of the travel stuff (Anthony Bordain) and some sports (baseball, basketballl), occasionally other stuff on History Channel & Discovery (even Mythbusters has gotten predictable & boring). And a bit of the evening news for a different perspective than either the Washington Post & WTOP radio.

I really prefer human interaction to the tube, so I try to go to live events when time allows....
Click to expand...

There is a argument to be made the the spin zone == Jerry Springer :)
 
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