Getting rid of our television service except for DVD's

Mike · **on:** May 12, 2009, 10:13:43 PM

My wife and I have decided to get rid of our DirecTV service. Since we barely get the free stuff via antenna, we won't have that either. All we will do is rent movies when we feel like it. So, how many of you are without television and how do you like it?

Mike

cliosguy · **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2009, 10:19:51 PM

im thinking about it, but for now, ME NEED TV (insert zombie smile)

Nikos · **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2009, 10:20:01 PM

No television here and been like this for the past 3-4 months. I end up spending more time (among others

) online. When I have free time I might download a movie or documentary or watch some live feed (cf Miro). However, being at work or working from home like 14-16 hours a day won't let me do that all that often.

Swiss Man · **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2009, 10:30:13 PM

I remember once on a whim we decided to put the tv away for a month (three months later) we got it out so we could watch a movie.

Every since then its been sucking the life right out of us.

You know for those three months we read, played games took walks and enjoyed each others company. What were we thinking.

If it wasn't for the simple fact that my wife ordered and pays for the cable I wouldn't even have it in the house I use to get insulted by the free tv no sense in paying for it.

We tried those "converters" you are better off going without.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2009, 10:31:42 PM

I hardly watch TV except to watch the odd documentory and bike racing, so it wouldn't be too much of a wrench for me to lose the telly

I prefere books anyway

nuphoria · **Reply #5 on:** May 12, 2009, 10:37:37 PM

I confess I'd miss the idiot box, but it rarely gets my full attention (I'm watching it right now for instance!) $:-\$

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #6 on:** May 12, 2009, 10:39:49 PM

Quote from: nuphoria on May 12, 2009, 10:37:37 PM

I confess I'd miss the idiot box, but it rarely gets my full attention (I'm watching it right now for instance!) $:-\$

Stop showing off you multi tasking skills

Bloody girls

appletree_man · **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2009, 12:05:49 AM

I have Sky. Although I tend to be on the PC more i'd still miss my telly.

Craig · **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2009, 12:20:24 AM

I'd miss the comedy shows - I find them uplifting.

Neil · **Reply #9 on:** May 13, 2009, 12:21:53 AM

I watch a few hours a week. Only programmes I watch at the moment are the new seasons of CSI, CSI NY and NCIS. These I like but could live without. Though I'd be a bit miffed to miss NCIS

Our TV is getting on a bit, not sure I'll bother replacing it when it conks.

Neil

american lockpicker · **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2009, 12:29:09 AM

I have television service but only because it came with the internet and telephone bundle. The only channel I used to watch was the Science channel for How Its Made.

Leatherman123 · **Reply #11 on:** May 13, 2009, 12:35:12 AM

I have Comcast internet, tv, and phone and I couldn't be happier. I watch a lot of stuff on the Discovery and History channel and other things like the Ultimate Fighter US vs. UK, Walker Texas Ranger, and a few others. I could manage without a TV because you can watch it on the internet, but I'd prefer to have it!

ducktapehero · **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2009, 01:52:20 AM

I could do without 90% of it but I love the History and Discovery type channels. And I need football during football season.

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #13 on:** May 13, 2009, 02:17:11 AM

We have the whole DirecTV package. It is on in the evenings whilst we talk and unwind. Intarweb surfing and talking over shows is highly encouraged.

I guess it's more like background sound and source of conversation.

It is nice for recording MotoGP, WSB and watching some sporting events (like right now the Washington Capitals are in the Stanley Cup playoffs).

jzmtl · **Reply #14 on:** May 13, 2009, 02:20:03 AM

Haven't watched TV for a long time now. There are only two or three shows I like so I just d/l them later, no ads too.

Flash · **Reply #15 on:** May 13, 2009, 05:22:36 PM

It helps keep the kids/missus entertained.

I find I only watch movies and documentaries (you know Ray Mears and William Shatner stuff

)

Could live without it.....imagine that, people would have to talk to each other

gafftapegreenia · **Reply #16 on:** May 14, 2009, 09:23:07 AM

I rarely watch TV, but I cannot survive without the Internet.

Abstraction · **Reply #17 on:** May 14, 2009, 09:52:11 AM

I barely watch TV live as i prefer to download everything in better quality, in my own time and with a pause function, but im still more than happy to pay the TV license fee over here, as despite its shortcomings the BBC is responsible for some fantastic downloads over the past few years and is producing what little we have which can compete with the big American companies (iplayer is utter genius as well). If i didnt have the ability to pick and choose the shows i could watch using the internet i would be completely dissillusioned though; I don't understand why we have radio bandwidth clogged up with ridiculously braindead quiz shows, endless, gormless reality TV and 'drama' which has been recycled a million times, all surrounded by advert after advert when there is pure gold tv sitting there in television studio vaults.

It's high time the tv stations got made over and changed their tact, as when services like iplayer become common place then i will start watching tv legally, but right now i don't fancy waiting a week for the latest episode of something i want to watch, which is then stuck in the middle of the morning and makes me sit through reruns of the jeremy kyle show first before 25% of the show is filled with adverts.

Whoey · **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2009, 10:01:57 AM

When we first moved to Spain we got the fully loaded cable package, as it allowed us to watch certain channels such as fox and movies etc in Original version. A few years ago we started finding that we can download most of the programs we want to watch, much earlier than they broadcast here, so we killed the subscription. Since then setup a PC that is on our network, and plugged directly to our TV.

Lately it's all about TDT (digital terrestrial TV) which is free as long as you have a decoder (one time purchase). Some channels that broadcast American shows have the capability to switch in original version. We also get a bunch more channels than we did before with analog.

As for Spanish TV, I mostly try to avoid it apart from the news & some game shows (great for learning the language).

I would not now pay for cable TV (in the end, you end up buying a package that really doesn't suit you). I would however support a broadcaster that offered the shows for download WITH advertising.

Besides, what is the internet besides the easiest VCR to program in the universe?

eodtech · **Reply #19 on:** February 03, 2010, 04:44:15 PM

I recently learned of DirecTV " On Demand Service " which allows you to d/l ALL the programs on their system via your computer to the recorder on your DirecTV HDR. All I did was plug my MacBook laptop into the DirecTV DRV via an Ethernet cable and d/l the shows I wanted to record. There is NO CHARGE for this service from DirecTV.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/on_demand?footernavtype=-1

sardauker · **Reply #20 on:** February 03, 2010, 07:37:17 PM

Quote from: Abstraction on May 14, 2009, 09:52:11 AM

I barely watch TV live as i prefer to download everything in better quality, in my own time and with a pause function, but im still more than happy to pay the TV license fee over here, as despite its shortcomings the BBC is responsible for some fantastic downloads over the past few years and is producing what little we have which can compete with the big American companies (iplayer is utter genius as well). If i didnt have the ability to pick and choose the shows i could watch using the internet i would be completely dissillusioned though; I don't understand why we have radio bandwidth clogged up with ridiculously braindead quiz shows, endless, gormless reality TV and 'drama' which has been recycled a million times, all surrounded by advert after advert when there is pure gold tv sitting there in television studio vaults.

It's high time the tv stations got made over and changed their tact, as when services like iplayer become common place then i will start watching tv legally, but right now i don't fancy waiting a week for the latest episode of something i want to watch, which is then stuck in the middle of the morning and makes me sit through reruns of the jeremy kyle show first before 25% of the show is filled with adverts.

You have THE doctor.
You have Survivors, misfits, being human.

Yep, you had Triffids too, (insert a smiley rolling its eyes here), but at the present day we have only fictions about saints, police, sort of princesses and detective priest.

I'd agree with the braindead shows if, like you, I'd also get something decent.

At the present day, I'm only relying on UK and USA fictions -no cable, no dish, understand me-. And subs, given my english is not as good to be able to understand "on the fly" :/

John · **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2010, 07:56:41 PM

I like the TV how else would I know how much we should eat and drink and the constant reminders to pay your TV licence fee,car tax and income tax bills,pay up or we'll crush you and your car WARNINGS!!

not to mention the constant please donate what you can to this charity and that charity,oh and the bloody reminders to retune my set at 3 AM

dam fools I've dozed off by then through boredom.

LOL it's a great service

thanks to all that made this possible

Whoey · **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2010, 08:16:44 PM

When we first moved to Spain we got the full Digital Cable package (Canal+) for the tv series and movies that could be changed to Original Version rather than the Spanish dubbed version. After a few years of paying through the teeth, we discovered the great internet VCR. We gradually used the digital cable less and less, and add to the fact that most things are 8-12 months behind the US airing... we eventually told them to stuff the digital cable (for 60eur a month, we didn't feel like we got our money's worth). We're still watching what we want, and promptly, since it's on demand, and without any commercial breaks... which by the way, the breaks here are 15(!!!!)minutes long!!! a 2h movie starts at 10PM, and finishes around 1:30AM! As of January, all analog tv has ceased in our area, and all the local channels are now TDT (digital terrestrial) only. On the upside, these channels offer us some programs with original version, at no cost. Even the Disney channel is free on TDT, with most of the programming available in English.

In general we watch little actual TV, aside from the news and weather. The rest of the programs we watch as is convenient to us... which is how TV really should be these days! We are Series-a-holics though, we tend to get an entire season of something and watch 2-3 episodes back to back each day until we've seen the whole series... it's almost the best way to see some things. We enjoy it more than we would with only a weekly dose.

Mike · **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2010, 09:06:00 PM

Well, I can say my wife and I are (still) quite content not having any pay-for television. Since we don't get any reception either all is still good as we still rent dvd's. And no, we don't use Netflix or anything either, we rent from our local video shop. Same place we have been using for about 20 years.

All is is well in no-television land.
Mike

nuphoria · **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2010, 09:35:06 PM

Quote from: Mike on February 03, 2010, 09:06:00 PM

Well, I can say my wife and I are (still) quite content not having any pay-for television. Since we don't get any reception either all is still good as we still rent dvd's. And no, we don't use Netflix or anything either, we rent from our local video shop. Same place we have been using for about 20 years.

All is is well in no-television land.
Mike

Good to hear it's working out Mike - you have a great crap filter in place

Neil · **Reply #25 on:** February 03, 2010, 09:47:27 PM

I've warned the rest of the family that when our set packs up (its at least twelve years old), that's it. I don't think they take me seriously.

Me, the only real time TV I watch is NCIS (starting in around quarter of an hour)

There's a few bits I watch via the BBC iPlayer but otherwise I find TV to be far too passive an activity.

BIG-TARGET · **Reply #26 on:** February 03, 2010, 11:28:36 PM

Well, since everything went HD. I used to use the TV just for my DVDs. Then the DVDplayer crapped out. So I just play my DVDs on my laptop. And I get my news from the internet and/or talk radio

Sazabi · **Reply #27 on:** February 04, 2010, 03:04:45 AM

Quote from: Neil on May 13, 2009, 12:21:53 AM

I watch a few hours a week. Only programmes I watch at the moment are the new seasons of CSI, CSI NY and NCIS. These I like but could live without. Though I'd be a bit miffed to miss NCIS

Our TV is getting on a bit, not sure I'll bother replacing it when it conks.

Neil

You can watch all of those shows on cbs.com, Neil, though I don't know if you'll need to use a proxy or not.

Also, they're free. For the other shows you want to catch up on, there's hulu.com and tvshack. >.>

flapjackboy · **Reply #28 on:** February 04, 2010, 06:36:48 PM

Nope, TV just used for DVDs here.

Used to have Virgin cable, then decided that Freeview would suffice and then decided that whilst TV Licensing kept on behaving like a legal protection racket, I would no longer watch broadcast television.

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Getting rid of our television service except for DVD's

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