Making the break from TV.

Posted by: Timbo on 08 April 2013

Inspired by a small comment in the "Does sir require a newspaper" thread about abhorring TV and reading the newspaper whilst listening to music. My wife and I are considering cancelling our subscription to the TV service, or at the very least radically pruning the channels we get.

 

However, this is a bit of a minefield. Currently we get a bundled service of almost all the available TV channels, internet and digital phone supplied by Shaw of Edmonton. Switching to another provider i.e. Bell or Telus does not provide anything different in speed, number of channels or phone. Picking a TV bundle is difficult, if we pick the movie channels we get a load of other crap and a bundle of channels is only available if one has a qualifying subscription level, etc.

 

Both of us are really getting irritated by the number of commercials, I know they are a fact of life, but when the TV stations add their own commercials of what you are currently watching, what is coming up next, what's on next week, etc., etc. Then we have some very long breaks and me for one tends to forget what I was watching and where we were in the plot.

 

Add to that when the program recommences we still have on the lower third of the screen, you are currently watching and next and then don't forget to watch all with annoying graphics that have the Ken Burns effect and then maybe an advert. Most of these plus adverts are extremely repetitive. So the actual uninterrupted amount of programming is vanishing.

 

Currently I only really watch is the live English Premier League games on a Saturday morning (sometimes we get 3) and formula 1, but that is littered with adverts.

 

My question is: How to make the psychological break from the TV? OK we'll save a bit of money but I analysed the time we spend actually watching crap on the TV. For example we are both so tired in the evening, we make dinner, put the TV on and tune out for an hour. Sometimes it's just on in the background. It's not that we don't have stuff to do, but it is easy to stay in this time of year -20 this morning and snow still everywhere. If I were in England a lot of gardening would be happening.

 

Anyone else notice this degradation in TV quality or is it me getting old?

 

Tim

Posted on: 14 April 2013 by JRHardee

We put a digital TV antenna with an FM module on the roof a few years ago, and we haven't looked back. We watch over-the-air digital TV occasionally--just about always "Masterpiece Theater" on PBS. Over-the-air HD resolution is better than the HD on cable, since it isn't compressed. Aside from that, we mostly rely on Netflix. 

 

One can use ripping software to get the Netflix content onto the hard drive and the original disc back into the mail as quickly as possible. That's what I hear, anyway....

 

I occasionally have to detach the antenna cable from the wall when I'm listening to an LP. Otherwise, Radio Havana or some high-powered holy roller station leaks thru the speakers.

Posted on: 15 April 2013 by winkyincanada
Originally Posted by Richard Dane:

.........ages though to convince the TV licensing authority that I didn't need a license - their view was that everyone has a TV so everyone needs a license unless you could personally prove otherwise.

I hear that! I didn't have a TV at all when in the UK and they were constantly threatening me with a random audit to catch me (because EVERYBODY has a TV, don't they?). 

 

If they ever dropped by, I was out at the time. I never saw them.

 

I'm not so smug now, as we do have a TV. I usually "watch" with no sound and music playing, which drives my wife nuts.

Posted on: 20 April 2013 by Paper Plane

"When cable tv first appeared in the States, we were "promised" commercial-free TV.  Fat chance."

 

On holiday in the USofA last year, we had the TV on for things like the weather (The Weather Channel, amazing place) and an attempt at news. what I found astounding and exceedingly irritating, was the sheer amount of ads. There seemed to be as much air time for ads as there were 'real' programmes. Half of them seemed to be for some sort of medicines too. The amusing/amazing thing about these was the list of drawbacks and side-effects one would get for taking them! You might as well stick with the medical problem you already had; that way at least you knew where you were.

 

steve

 

Posted on: 23 April 2013 by Kevin-W

Last week, I watched Ep3 of the latest series of my favourite TV drama (ever!), Mad Men at a friend's house. Normally I have to watch it by, er, other means - the first four series were broadcast on BBC4, then Sky snapped it up for their Atlantic channel (where it gets a tenth of the viewers it got on the Beeb ).I don't have Sky, and have no intention of buying it, even for my favourite show.

 

Ironically for a series set in and around an advertising agency, Sky's incessant ad breaks absolutely ruin the narrative flow of this carefully constructed show. It is so much better ad-free, either on DVD or Blu-ray; or on the BBC. Or even torrented in hi-def, loaded onto a USB drive and stuck in the back of the telly. Not that I would ever condone the latter approach.

Posted on: 23 April 2013 by Paper Plane

What is all this fuss about "Mad Men"? From what I've read it seems to be just an upmarket soap opera, like ER and I can't abide them. There's pages of stuff droning on in the press, even The Guardian. Why? It's only a TV programme, it's not important.

 

steve

Posted on: 23 April 2013 by Kevin-W
Originally Posted by Paper Plane:

What is all this fuss about "Mad Men"? From what I've read it seems to be just an upmarket soap opera, like ER and I can't abide them. There's pages of stuff droning on in the press, even The Guardian. Why? It's only a TV programme, it's not important.

 

steve

Try watching it.

 

Otherwise you can't really comment, can you?