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Television


Rick Deckard

Paranormal Maven
I just wondering if anyone here had managed to completely rid themselves of television?

I'm down to less than an hour a day now - I mostly use my TV for my games console or watching films. I might watch some sport every now and again, but I can happily do without the remainder of the drivel that they broadcast 24/7...

...I don't even watch the news anymore. I read the headlines on teletext, but that's as much detail as I want to know, nowadays.
 
Rick Deckard said:
I just wondering if anyone here had managed to completely rid themselves of television?

I'm down to less than an hour a day now - I mostly use my TV for my games console or watching films. I might watch some sport every now and again, but I can happily do without the remainder of the drivel that they broadcast 24/7...

...I don't even watch the news anymore. I read the headlines on teletext, but that's as much detail as I want to know, nowadays.

Almost. I turn it on sometimes when I make something to eat, and I'm no cook, so that means I see about 30 seconds, to 2 minutes a few times a week. Thank you microwave. I watch tv under two hours a week easily. I sometimes watch stuff on my pc. Like that Blade Runner recently. I got it off Ares. I'm a big gamer, but strictly pc games.
 
I didn't have broadcast television for almost 10 years, got it again last summer when I moved into a new place and took the triple play (net, phone cableTV) deal. I'm astounded at the level of programming, it's truly horrific. When the year is up, I'm gonna let it lapse. Nothing to watch, I have DVDs and the net, who the heck needs broadcast?

dB
 
Rick Deckard said:
I suppose the internet is becoming the new television - but obviously you have far more control...

It isn't like giving up smoking. I'm not making myself break some habit. I just can't find things on tv that interest me usually, so that's why I don't watch much of it. Better things to do. Same thing with the radio. I'm a musician and love music, but rarely ever listen to the radio. They mostly play crap.
 
There are a few select programs I watch. It probably averages out to about two hours of tv a day over the course of a week. Swearing off tv would be a bad move IMHO however as it would not only leave you culturally disconnected it would also prevent you from monitoring what's being fed to the masses. Know thine enemy, know thyself and always be victorious.
 
CapnG said:
There are a few select programs I watch. It probably averages out to about two hours of tv a day over the course of a week. Swearing off tv would be a bad move IMHO however as it would not only leave you culturally disconnected it would also prevent you from monitoring what's being fed to the masses. Know thine enemy, know thyself and always be victorious.

That's a good point - I do still watch political debates but find myself shouting at the TV. UK politicians are so 'slippery' nowadays (maybe they always have been) - they constantly avoid answering a direct question about an 'uncomfortable' topic and the interviewers let them off the hook. Some MPs won't even appear on TV now unless the questions are agreed up front...why do we let these people run the country?

I would miss the documentaries though - I'm currently following a three-part documentary about 'game theory' (it's a socio-political idea - nothing to do with computer games). It's fascinating and really does give an insight into what has gone wrong with our society in the last 30 years...the final part and conclusion will be aired tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it...
 
I can't watch TV with ads, which is almost all TV sadly. I just get to a state where I start getting annoyed and angry when every 5 seconds there's an ad break, and I don't watch TV to get annoyed and angry. I don't get cable either (except the basic chans that come with a preexisting cable). I watch Cspan occasionally, and sometimes the odd PBS documentary, and that's it. For everything else, there's the internet or a good, independent video-rental.
 
CapnG said:
There are a few select programs I watch. It probably averages out to about two hours of tv a day over the course of a week. Swearing off tv would be a bad move IMHO however as it would not only leave you culturally disconnected it would also prevent you from monitoring what's being fed to the masses. Know thine enemy, know thyself and always be victorious.

Thankfully, the internet, newspapers, friends and family, and radio are decent substitutes for acquiring the same info.
 
Koji K. said:
I can't watch TV with ads, which is almost all TV sadly. I just get to a state where I start getting annoyed and angry when every 5 seconds there's an ad break, and I don't watch TV to get annoyed and angry. I don't get cable either (except the basic chans that come with a preexisting cable). I watch Cspan occasionally, and sometimes the odd PBS documentary, and that's it. For everything else, there's the internet or a good, independent video-rental.

Yes. I'm surprised when I see anyone sit through commercials. I always change the channel, or use the dvr (tivo) and fast forward through them. I'll record it then watch it later so I can fast forward.
 
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