bye bye television!

[sarah smith]

when I was a child, we didn't have a TV for about 3 years because our old set broke and we never replaced it.

But if you don't have a TV because you're trying to live an antique life, keep in mind that people back then did have a TV, only they called it Radio.

 

[Brooksie]

YAY! I am a big advocate for getting rid of and/or killing the tv! I have not had one for a few years now.

Brooksie

 

[AmateisGal]

The Great Experiment

Since I just moved, I made the conscious decision not to bring my television with me. I've always wanted a place in my house where I could go to sit and listen to music, read, whatever, without the noise of the television blaring in the background.

Now that it's just my daughter and I in our apartment, we only have one small t.v. - and it's in her room for her to be able to play her GameCube. No cable.

I find that I've created an incredibly calming and relaxing environment. I'm listening to my new Crosley 4-in-1 radio and am going to try and find some old time radio shows on CD to play, too.

One thing I've realized is that even though there are days when I long to just come home from work and sit in front of the t.v., I can't - and it forces me to be more productive in other areas: reading, writing, playing games with my daughter, etc.

My mother was just here over the weekend and on Saturday night, we stayed in and played charades! Wouldn't have done that with the t.v.!

I do, however, have my laptop for playing DVD's - but I haven't even done that in quite awhile.

 

[DerMann]

The only time I watch TV is when I'm home for holidays. My room mate has a tiny 13" TV and plays it loudly most of the day when he's not sleeping.

The internet is such a magnificent tool, and even if you do everything "legally" I find you no longer need a TV.

Network news? Most top stories are streamed on local news websites. Movies? While not technically illegal, sites like Surf The Channel allow you to watch sitcoms, cartoons, and even full length movies. When I want to watch a new episode of the Office, I just wait a few hours after the release and go to NBC's website.

Checking the weather on the Weather Channel is time consuming compared even to a newspaper. Weather.com provides up to date weather at the click of a mouse.

Congratulations on removing the unsightly box from your residence, though.

 

[AmateisGal]

Congratulations on removing the unsightly box from your residence, though.

After getting my living room all settled, I really don't even have room for a television - and it wouldn't fit in with my decor, either.lol

 

[arthur]

We've been unknowingly weaning ourselves off tv for anything other than DVDs, the occasional antiques roadshow and my wife still likes a few shows on hgtv.But really for 50$ a month it seems like such a waste.I have so many channels blocked theres really probably less than 10 we actually even see,and did I mention, I think I did,50 freakin dollars a month.I mean really what garbage and I don't even get TMC.

 

[DutchIndo]

I stayed with my cousins in Amsterdam for a couple of weeks and I can tell you Dutch TV is alot different than American TV. IMHO you Dutch got all our trashy pathetic shows like Jenny Jones. I tried to convince my cousins that we're not that pathetic ( we're getting there though !). Your TV is totally non-violent which is nice. The worse I saw was "Buffy the Vampire slayer" ! We have alot of "Shoot 'em up shows" compared to you Dutch. From what I remember your shows were Family oriented with alot of singing. The Dutch are nice passive people except when it comes to Soccer ! (The Ajaxs !) The thing I miss is how laid back you Dutch are and your TV reflects that.

 

[Foofoogal]

I recently moved and was not happy to find out with my dish I can only get HGTV if I upgrade to 3rd. highest pkg. What a ripoff.
I watch news sometimes, HGTV, ExtremeMakeover Home, Antiques Roadshow and some Hallmark channel movies. Insane what goes for entertainment now.
Honey has to watch CSI, The Unit (not too bad), NCIS and some Westerns if they are on.
I watch them since I love him. I watch the CSI Miami with him to see the worst actor guy in history "Horatio." So funny. (is he for real? ) We take turns trying to imitate him.
Sometimes we watch Mayberry reruns.

I am happy though as I have a perfect window seat now with drawers underneath. I put my vintage repro stereo with turntable on seat. The drawers have my albums, DVD's, tapes and magazines. I am all set for the me time. Watch out the window for deer and quail in my yard. Simple pleasures of life is my now pastime, passion, goal and enjoyment.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

my tv is used for watching BBCAmerica, VHSs, and DVDs...and the occasional videogame...take away the first and last and i'll still be fine...i enjoy watching movies...whenever somebody asks, "oh have you seen such-and-such episode?" i reply with, "i don't watch tv"...should see the look on peoples faces...

 

[Slim Portly]

If one downloads television programs from bit torrent, or watches episodes on a website, or waits for a season to end so that one may rent the DVDs... one is still watching television.

If one cannot find something worthwhile to watch on nine thousand satellite channels, one may not be trying hard enough.

Today I watched the 220th episode of Inside the Actor's Studio, Billy Wilder's noir classic Sunset Blvd., an episode of The Outer Limits from the 1960's, and the wonderful Berlin State Opera's 1990 production of Cosi Fan Tutte.

I work four very long days each week, and I usually start my three-day weekend with one very long and satisfying day of television. I have the laptop on the whole time, and my concentration vacillates between the two depending upon which deserves my attention at the moment. The computer has more practical aspects such as communication and commerce, but each also serves to entertain and educate. I would not intentionally choose to live without this wonderful box.

 

[miss_elise]

the only thing i'd like to do is to stop my husband from turning on the t.v at breakfast... very distracting, and morning t.v is the worst...

 

[just_me]

I like TV. I have direct TV and there are lots of things I like to watch, including movies, educational, cooking, HGTV/DYI, as well as network and HBO series.

I totally agree with Slim Portly and I would no more give up my TV than I would my computer.

 

[arthur]

I like TV. I have direct TV and there are lots of things I like to watch, including movies, educational, cooking, HGTV/DYI, as well as network and HBO series.

I totally agree with Slim Portly and I would no more give up my TV than I would my computer.

It's just that I seem to get so much more from my computer than my T.V..The oxymoronic aspect of trying to live a simple church going vintage traditional lifestyle is that you have to have a certain dependence on cutting edge technology to bring the type of entertainment and information you want into your life.For instance if I could turn on my T.V. every night and watch George and Gracie or Jack Benny then buy all means I would have no problem with T.V.But as we know thats impossible so I have to rely on netflix and the computer to be able to give myself the freedom to filter out what I find wholly objectionable.

 

[Forgotten Man]

No TV?

WoW! Ha, that's great! I'm lucky in not having to see my TV, it's in a nice wood cabinet that I keep the doors shut on most of the time. It's hooked up to a DVD player and I mostly play movies on it. I used to watch TV land, and such... but, it's gone to the dogs! So many commercials and reality shows... who needs it! Once in a wile I'll catch "I Love Lucy" or "Leave it to Beaver" and I'm happy.

You may want to build up a collection of radio shows and just play them when you yearn for your ol' tube... I enjoy hearing a classic radio show more then watching TV and you get to do work on things wile you listen! Radio was king!

=R

 

[AmateisGal]

You may want to build up a collection of radio shows and just play them when you yearn for your ol' tube... I enjoy hearing a classic radio show more then watching TV and you get to do work on things wile you listen! Radio was king!

I searched the Radio forum and found a thread that listed tons of links to old radio shows. Can't wait to start downloading them.

For the record, I really have nothing against t.v. - I certainly miss Turner Classic Movies and the History Channel. But since I work full-time, am a mother, and am also a freelance writer and fiction writer, my time is limited. I recognize that for myself, I can completely get sucked into watching t.v. for hours at a time. It's more of a voluntary disciplinary measure with me, I guess. If I want to achieve the goals I've set for myself, I need to set limits for myself. And t.v. is one of my weaknesses.

 

[Tomasso]

Don't blame the messenger.

It's all about editing. Kinda like going to the grocery store, where you strive to choose foods appropriate for a healthy diet and then try not to over-consume those foods.

 

[Lillemor]

I may not have a choice for long. I'm not sure I've understood what's going to happen. Something about everything analogue disappearing, right? Ditto wall phones. I really recent that because I hate mobile/cellphones. Maybe another Danish lounger can explain why I'm going to be forced into the 21st Cent?

This is sort of strange, because while I take a long time to embrace new technology, I am like most; I'll whine for a while, then go mute because I've suddenly forgotten how things used to be. Sad, when I think about it.

 

[Marzipan]

I only watch "I Love Lucy" about once a week. Other than that, my daughter uses it to watch pbs children's programming. I think she'd turn into The Bad Seed if I ever took it away... [huh]

 

[vonwotan]

I may be joining you, again, soon. For nearly six years I had no television and had no desire to buy one. Then the women in my life (girlfriend and mother) ganged up on me for some reason and made me buy a TV and sign up for cable. It has been nearly two years and I am more frustrated each time I turn it on and pay the outrageous bill... I remember when cable was relatively new and the big selling point was that there were/would be fewer commercials... :eusa_doh:

I have done something I thought I would never do... I have thrown away my tv!
I got so annoyed by the rubbish thats on it, how ugly it looked in my old fashioned room and how it turned me into a zombie watching the box for hours while I should be doing something useful!

 

[randooch]

Cable removal

My neighbors' kids were appalled when i moved into my house, 'cause the first thing I did was rip the cable out (it was in 4 rooms!) and bundle it up in a coil by the utility pole. there it stays! what a relief.