Life Without Television -

I haven't had television for about six years now, but I do watch a lot of programming via the Internet. I have about 5-7 shows I watch regularly, selected for quality and relevance. I do miss local news TV while cooking dinner sometimes though.

I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't need to watch television. Likewise I use my very old set to watch a DVD or play cd's. I would really miss listening to the Radio though, through my pc.

I don't have cable, either. But I am sort of annoyed when people act all self-righteous about not having cable. I find that most younger people who don't have it, including myself, spend hours and hours on the Internet every day... it's really no different. I don't have cable TV because the Internet is better and it's not worth it for me to pay for both.

I do, however, have an antenna.. and can pick up a few channels. I never watch it though... why would I when I can watch Hulu and see the same programming whenever I want?

My own take on it is that TV is over hyped; it is their presumptuousness alone which suggests it is more important than it is to people's lives. Like Sally, I far prefer the PC as it is interactive. I can choose from a much wider diversity of topics, amusements, and self-educational opportunities. Whoever I care to choose to chat to I can; try doing that with a television.

The PC is truly encyclopaedic in its choice. TV watchers have their amusment or interest decided by others - and the viewer can't respond. If there was a debate on the subject the PC user would win hands down.

I read somewere that only 4% of British viewers watch BBC television. Who is counting the millions like us who have a set largely for other purposes; DVD and CD playing for instance?

I agree Mike, with the pc you can watch exactly what you want and when you want, pause and resereach things, comment and do so much more than just watching television. You are using your brain rather than letting things wash over you in a semiconsious state of mind. This is only my opinion of course, maybe it is just me but when I am unavoidably in front of a television I tend to go into a zombie state and have to snap myself out of it. Television brain washes people. I was never into watching when living back in UK. Then I didn't have a PC. Then I read more hardcopy, now it's internet all the way for me.

When I tell people I don't watch television and I don't have big black flat screen they put it down to cost and prceed to tell me where I can get these cheaply !

I do admit to spending a lot of time on the internet but I am interacting and learning all the time.

Spot on. People are fast losing the ability to 'connect' with the world around them. They walk along like zombies with their headphones super-glued to their ears; heedless of what is going on around them. They seem to have vacant expressions on their faces.

It occurred to me that radio is far superior to television; especially now we can connect via our PCs. At least with the radio you can listen and enjoy while you are doing things using your own brain; model making, reading; playing games, inter-acting with family and friends. The television demands your complete attention; visual and audible.

Actually, more people listen to the radio than watch television but again there is the presumption that we are all gagging for TV. Look at your local newspapers: Entire supplements given over to what's on tee-vee. God give me patience. A waste of printer's ink and rain forests. Get real, world.

Has anyone else noticed just how much thiswhole forum has been inundated with spammers lately....?

Whatever do you mean Foxbat....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODshB09FQ8w


...but to topic, I only bother with the television to watch the news occasionally (British and Spanish), to watch football or if there' a good film on.

Otherwise, working, reading, exploring or using the PC.

Heath Hi!

Strangely enough the two spam posts to which I referred seem to have have been deleted...

Nice one moderators! Keep up the good work!

Back on thread...Our TV is used principally as a computer monitor.

Spanish TV especially TDT has too many shopping channels and nice to see though that TVE's channels have gone 'sin publicidad'

We have a second TV in the bedroom which is fed from a TDT box and a sat box, but given that the Sat box is connected to a 80cm dish, reception of UK TV programmes from Astra 2D is very limited and non existent at night.

fb

> Heath Hi!

Strangely enough the two spam posts to which I referred seem to have have been deleted...

Nice one moderators! Keep up the good work!



We do try :D

Don't forget to use the "Report" button to the right of any spam post to send us a note directly instead of waiting for us to come around.

Will do and thanks for the reminder!
fb

TV is only good if there is nothing else interesting in your day, we watch Spanish TV now and again for helping with our Spanish, The PC has a lot to offer and we do watch downloaded tv programs that we like /have liked.. sin all the annoying adverts for things you just don't need..

Another observation :concern's Mobile phones and the people that walk/travel around constantly looking at those tiny screens , weird or?

times are for sure a changing..

> Has anyone else noticed just how much thiswhole forum has been inundated with spammers lately....?


Hi FB

Yes we have noticed on our Gardening Forum that we are having alot of spammers, especially from Russia and USA. They are finding their way in and we dont know how to prevent them. Any ideas?

Fruity

What about the Nigerian ones? I get about fifty a day. If the one village idiot in a million wouldn't allow himself to be suckered by these wasters they would move on. I trawled Pravda for news items and received a lot of Russian spam; it has dwindled now though.

> I never watch it though... why would I when I can watch Hulu and see the same programming whenever I want?


Sally - Are you located in the States re:Hulu ?
I would love to know your work-around if your not State Side *please*

DSB.

> Has anyone else noticed just how much thiswhole forum has been inundated with spammers lately....?


Foxbat - Long time no repertoires !!!
I know what you mean, It's like reading a Script from "Crossroads Motel"
OMG - TV !?!

DSB.

> I trawled Pravda for news items and received a lot of Russian spam; it has dwindled now though.


Note to self - Don't trawl "Pravda" (?)
DSB.

As far as my personal experience with tv is concerned, I have gotten along without one for the last 4 years and didn't really miss it. Just for watching the news or anything of the kind it would have been quite useful. Now, I purchased one and have been noticing that I barely even use it since I have gotten used to not having one. I don't even really need it and do not watch it conciently, just while doing something else and to feel accompanied. But I am of the opinion that being surrounded by real people is so much better.

Bealer... if you're looking for television shows, then www.cucirca.com and www.letmewatchthis.com aren't bad places to look. Don't know if I'm allowed to post those links or not though ;)

> Bealer... if you're looking for television shows, then www.cucirca.com and www.letmewatchthis.com aren't bad places to look. Don't know if I'm allowed to post those links or not though ;)


Thanks Heath.
DSB.

will you can posts the links but frist time posters cant post links that spam ... there be removed , just fill in on few this sites , where fine in court and told two closed down and then the comuster are now bwwn followed aswell for braking the law aswell . See what going to happen . get a dish its your and it for life

Jurdy

the only thing I watch on tv is the hockey games during our LONG winters here in Canada...and those I can stream online so I doubt a tv would be needed at all....would much rather be sitting outside having a cold one and talking up the locals! I ain't moving somewhere just to sit inside and watch tv!! LOL

> Now a days there are so many areas for entertainment but Television is the best thing for entertainment. Without TV anybody can not move in the world. In teenage, the main effects of TV are knowledge, news, TV shows and many more. Life without TV becomes boring.


Disagree totally.

What is TV ?
TV is a device to watch Television Programmes, and that used to be the only choice.
Nowadays "TV" broadcast, aside from the BBC etc, are taken up by 1-2/3rds of ADVERTS.

TV is nothing more than a loss leader.

Internet TV however, alows you to watch what you want when you want without adverts.
( Aside from torrents of course )
Aside from that there is actual "finger interaction" with the Childrens learning Sites, fantastic.
In closing, why do you think "TV" now have box's for Google / Ytube and or firmware within for "surfing" ?

Because they are seeing the migration from "TV" to internet on-line demand.
In essence, TV Station online services have almost been their worst enemy by effecting their "TV" subscribers.

Love TV, hate adverts, Need Internet.
( P.S: Computers had higher Definition before "TV" )
DSB.

bealer Hi...

Henrys post deleted as SPAM.

fb

> bealer Hi...

Henrys post deleted as SPAM.

fb


Sigh..............
DSB.
( thanks for the update though )

> I am not being judgemental; each to their own but I haven't had a television for years. Yet my life is full and I couldn't be more contented. I don't miss it at all. As a matter of fact it would cause me a dilemma if I 'pulled' as I would not only then be sharing my life with a lady; I would be sharing it with a television. I am not so sure about the latter.

Does anyone else have views for or against? Perhaps thinking of pulling the plug out permanently? I do use the set I have to watch DVDs and play CDs but it just isn't hooked up to receive television. I cannot imagine myself ever owning a television again.


I have a television on my house since last 20 years and now I see the many programs regularly there also I have a internet connection with whom I updated with the latest news.

I feel like tv is useless too, but I absolutely love HBO/Showtime shows. They are like movies or amazing Novellas. They have expensive productions and well-thought out plots, amazing set designs, just as you see in an expensive movie. I have always preferred movies to tv and most of my friends are the same as me....no tv but the occasional "novella"/HBO show.

When my European friends moved to the US they were hooked.

:) Brenna in California

These days I'm simply finding that if there's anything worth watching, I can usually watch it "on demand" via the internet.

Being a bit of a science fiction fan, I watched both series of the V remake online, only to discover the other day, that there won't be a third series as it's been cancelled by ABC.

Obviously it wasn't hitting their required audience figures (and thus, advertising revenue), but what does surprise me in this day and age, is why many of these networks don't show some of these programmes online and try to generate an additional audience there. Surely they realise that the viewing potential and advertising revenue benefits are far greater?

> I am not being judgemental; each to their own but I haven't had a television for years. Yet my life is full and I couldn't be more contented. I don't miss it at all. As a matter of fact it would cause me a dilemma if I 'pulled' as I would not only then be sharing my life with a lady; I would be sharing it with a television. I am not so sure about the latter.

Does anyone else have views for or against? Perhaps thinking of pulling the plug out permanently? I do use the set I have to watch DVDs and play CDs but it just isn't hooked up to receive television. I cannot imagine myself ever owning a television again.


It will be dead.

I had this conversation recently and I feel quite strongly about it. My argument was people love the notion of a life without television, thinking they will be more culturally stimulated, fulfilled, even more intelligent or a better human being. This in my honest opinion is utter nonsense; the only bad thing about television is watching too much of it and having to pay for it by watching advertising. Particularly in Spain where the quantity of advertising is incredible I simply can not abide commercial television. Channels like La Sexta, where not only do we have to wait 10 minutes to watch the last 5 minutes of a movie, we also need to watch random comedians or musical interludes during major sporting events.

The quality of some television and cinema as entertainment or education is very high, particularly movie and drama coming from the United States or documentaries from the BBC for example. I do not believe it can be discounted as a cultural medium as valid as any other. I download tv from the internet and stare at a glaring screen, sometimes for hours, without interacting much with the people next to me but I also do that while reading and posting on the internet or reading books.

Life without television has to be redefined in the modern age where we can watch television shows without the need for a cable connection subscription and TV box. So, what's the definition for this thread on life without TV? We obviously all have computers, so we're able to get access to some shows - even someone who says they don't have a TV can't say they don't watch some motion video made by a television studio on occasion. It's impossible to avoid (unless your comp is 8 years old!).

My first computer was 10 years ago (1.2 ghz Athlon!) and quite capable of playing streamed video; in fact my sister still has it. :)

Doubt it can handle a new browser and the latest javascript/Flash heavy streaming technologies... but I digress, it's not the point.

I have not had a tv in more than a decade and live fine without one. There's nothing worth watching that you can't get on the web. Also, TV in Spain is REALLY bad.
The only way to keep yourself intellectually stimulated in Spain is by reading and surfing the web. Nothing else is worthwhile.

ligi and ? what to explan your self

> I am not being judgemental; each to their own but I haven't had a television for years. Yet my life is full and I couldn't be more contented. I don't miss it at all. As a matter of fact it would cause me a dilemma if I 'pulled' as I would not only then be sharing my life with a lady; I would be sharing it with a television. I am not so sure about the latter.

Does anyone else have views for or against? Perhaps thinking of pulling the plug out permanently? I do use the set I have to watch DVDs and play CDs but it just isn't hooked up to receive television. I cannot imagine myself ever owning a television again.


i have to say i can take it or leave it, but now the summer's over i'd rather take it. i'm not really one for propping up a bar everynight, and the rover's return is usually as far as i get ;)

I have just moved house and currently don't have a Sky dish or satellite box and I must say I find other things to occupy my time, however, if I do want to watch TV (such as the F1) then I have a laptop I plug into my TV using an RGB cable, I think downloaded Foxy proxy for Mozilla which means I can run BBC iPlayer - very cool and it works quite well.

I also run LoveFilm this way too :)

Simone

(English) TV (via sat dish) has become a shared hobby/interest of my partner & I. We do not have less conversations/discussions, although I would agree a large majority (whilst watching the Sq box) are about the trashy programmes we chose to have on. It is a form of entertainment and relaxation for us. A lot of the time we will record and watch later when there is 'nothing on' - and we have control over what we watch and when.
My OH is not a deep conversationalist (unless you are talking about their garden of course ;) and we use the TV to relax and unwind together.
Our lives are full and busy and it is a way to tune in and tune out to make sure we recharge the batteries.

I am the one who will watch more documentaries, and I often find myself doing some 'extra research' later on the internet if it is something that has taken my fancy.

Everyone seems to use PC's/have access to the vast WWW these days, so I see very little difference between watching movies/dramas on internet and on our own TV set.

If Blind Date is good enough for Germaine Greer, then it is OK for me too ;)

(As I prefer to have snippets of UK news - just to keep up with things so I can chat to the family back there about 'The state of things', I choose to do this via BBC TV news than any other source. I don't need to know the nitty gritty, just feel that I am 'keeping in touch' with their world.)

We all have a choice whether we want to watch or not... (As Barbara Castle said?)


;)

I haven't watched TV in about 2 years, I'm just not in the habit here. It's strange though because back home it's the first thing I did, put on the TV.

I don't miss it though, when I was learning Spanish the more I understood the less I enjoyed it! I do feel I'm missing out on some cultural references by not watching it though.