[Crazy_Dad]

I was wondering how 'different' I and my family are. We have not had a T.V. for 2 or so years.

I think we are better off for it. My head is not cluttered with advertising. Instead of passively watching whatever is on(The number of channels didn't help when I had cable) I do stuff. Read, blog, whatever.

If I want to watch something, I find it and watch it.

What do you do?

[Pops]

I like TV, we only get 3 or 4 channels on the rabbit ears though.

I watch Funniest videos, newshour, this old house and Norm, that show where the kid whispers into his shirt (I laugh every time I'm in Lowes and the digital PA voice says : "Assistance needed in lumber.... Lumber") and Red Green.

Not much trouble with advertising getting stuck in my head, though I did wake up the other morning with the song "To Sir With Love" stuck in my head.

[vtsnowedin]

I still have mine. I like to flip between Fox and MSMBC to see both sides of the MSMs view of the world. I don't watch much of any commercials now as I can DVR whatever I want and skip past them. 500 channels and there's nothing on.

[lulubel]

TV? We'll still have a TV even when there aren't any channels left to watch or electricity to run it.

When I lived on my own, I bought a 14in portable so I could put it on when I went out to keep the cats company. I never watched it myself (well, you can't see the picture on a 14in portable!)

Now, we have a 32in LCD flatscreen (I refused to get anything bigger or pay for plasma), several hundred satellite channels through a box with a harddrive, a DVD player and 5.1 surround sound system. Plus a similar but smaller setup in my partner's work room.

A lot of my posts on this forum are made while sat in front of the TV in the evening. It's mostly background noise to me, although there are some interesting documentaries from time to time. I enjoy listening to the radio through it, though. We can get UK radio stations via satellite that we wouldn't be able to get otherwise living in Spain, and it's interesting keeping up with what idiot things the UK government is doing.

[Newfie]

We are pretty much like Crazy Dad. Sent the TV to college with our daughter.

Good riddance.

[vision-master]

TV? How about a Home Threatre System - the new release of Metallica rules!

Everybody needs a threatre room.

Do I watch over the airwaves, maybe a little PBS, that's it!

[dinopello]

TV? How about a Home Threatre System - the new release of Metallica rules!

Everybody needs a threatre room.

Hey VM, we have similar stuff. I've built my Theatre room over a decade. 96" front projection (only 720p though) and 7 channel surround but with 3 independent low frequency subsystems including one homemade 15" and one tactile sound transducer (a Buttkicker that I only turn on for movies). Mostly NHT speakers but some Boston dipole surrounds that might be the next thing I replace. A few thousand watts just to the subs! I listen and watch a lot of jazz DVDs (Drummer's Collectivehas a lot of good stuff), and I like my White Stripes, Metallica, Led Zep, etc. Always on the lookout for high quality live DVD's from almost any genre.

My main watching TV is a new LG 42" LED flat panel. It's network enabled so I can get netflix on demand . But, I don't think I actually watch a lot of TV

[Sixstrings]

I was wondering how 'different' I and my family are. We have not had a T.V. for 2 or so years.

...

What do you do?

I have a forty something inch HD 1040p; I'm not a TV hardware geek so don't know what all the specs mean -- I know mine isn't "the best," but it's good enough for me and I got a good deal on it from a store that was going out of business.

I have cable but I mostly watch Netflix stuff. I have a bluray that connects to my wireless router, so some things I can watch instantly (can't usually find something on instant I like though). Otherwise I do the bluray discs through the mail. I'm pretty darn happy with Netflix; no more screwing around with places like Blockbuster, and their high rental fees and stupid late fees.

As for what I watch.. I never got into AMC's "Mad Men" on TV, but started watching it through Netflix and got hooked. Really good show, watched 3 seasons of that. Now I'm into Star Trek: Enterprise, something else that never grabbed me when it was on TV.

HBO has put out some of my favorite shows over the years; Sopranos, Carnival, Rome, Deadwood.. John Adams was OK, weak in parts. My only criticism of the HBO type shows is that they're unnecessarily violent and sexually gratuitous "just because they can."

When I watch regular TV it's MSNBC, Natgeo, Deadliest Catch, Pawn Stars, Travel Channel stuff like Anthony Bourdain, etc. .

I watch a lot of movies.. I think I've seen every mainstream movie worth watching that was ever made within my lifetime, so that limits me to independent stuff now. Used to watch a lot of French films, a bit of German cinema, then got into Chinese films. For all my ranting about China, I really like the movies that come out of there.

As for ads.. most of what I watch doesn't have ads so it's not an issue.

I think I heard Australia doesn't have anything like Netflix.. if they ever get it you might want to try it out; even if you're bored with what TV has to offer, Netflix has so many thousands of selections that you're bound to find something you like. They're also uncannily good at predicting what you'd like to see based on how you rate the stuff you've seen.

[lper100km]

We have a 21in CRT screen and standard cable. We’re not into DVDs etc. **** on network TV is not worth watching at any time of day, still less the effort of time shifting. We are witnessing an epic fail of broadcast TV. Revenues are obviously not supporting the production of anything except reruns,‘reality’ shows and 1930s movies. I see no reason to watch **** on large screen hidef – it’s still ****. There’s too much else to do.

It’s ironic that as the technology grows, the content shrivels.

[vision-master]

TV? How about a Home Threatre System - the new release of Metallica rules!

Everybody needs a threatre room.

Hey VM, we have similar stuff. I've built my Theatre room over a decade. 96" front projection (only 720p though) and 7 channel surround but with 3 independent low frequency subsystems including one homemade 15" and one tactile sound transducer (a Buttkicker that I only turn on for movies). Mostly NHT speakers but some Boston dipole surrounds that might be the next thing I replace. A few thousand watts just to the subs! I listen and watch a lot of jazz DVDs (Drummer's Collectivehas a lot of good stuff), and I like my White Stripes, Metallica, Led Zep, etc. Always on the lookout for high quality live DVD's from almost any genre.

My main watching TV is a new LG 42" LED flat panel. It's network enabled so I can get netflix on demand . But, I don't think I actually watch a lot of TV

Get the new 'The Big 4' on bluray.

1 hr of Anthrax
1 hr of Megadeth
1 hr of Slayer
2 hrs of Metallica

Also check out The 25th year R & R hall of fame (Bluray)

[vision-master]

We have a 21in CRT screen and standard cable. We’re not into DVDs etc. **** on network TV is not worth watching at any time of day, still less the effort of time shifting. We are witnessing an epic fail of broadcast TV. Revenues are obviously not supporting the production of anything except reruns,‘reality’ shows and 1930s movies. I see no reason to watch **** on large screen hidef – it’s still ****. There’s too much else to do.

It’s ironic that as the technology grows, the content shrivels.

Not with music......

[Xenophobe]

What do you do?

Watch one of the 6 in the house. The silly things are like toasters or computers, they are everywhere, even if no one is watching them.

[Maddog78]

Get the new 'The Big 4' on bluray.

1 hr of Anthrax
1 hr of Megadeth
1 hr of Slayer
2 hrs of Metallica

Good call.

A 52" LCD, 46" LCD and a small old one in the bedroom.

Currently watching regularly;

Amazing Race
Sons of Anarchy
Boardwalk Empire
The Walking Dead
Hell's Kitchen
Top Gear
True Blood (when it starts again)
Survivorman (no new ones I don't think)
Mantracker (again, should be new ones soon)
Canada's Worst Driver Season 6

These are the only "regular" shows I watch. Don't bother with sitcoms or similar fare.
Watch Animal Planet, History Channel, Discovery, when I find time to just surf the channels.

....but it's mostly for watching Hockey games, MMA fights and Music dvd's.
I like metal music and have a pretty good collection of metal music dvd's.


Here's a list I made a while ago. I've added a few since.

AC/DC - Stiff Upper Lip
AC/DC - Live At Donington
AC/DC - Family Jewels
Alice Cooper - The Nightmare Returns
Amon Amarth - Wrath Of The Norsemen
Arch Enemy - Live Apocalypse
Behemoth - CRush FUKK CReate
Bloodbath - The Wacken Carnage (I was at this show)
Cannibal Corpse - Live Cannibalism
Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment
Carcass - Wake Up And Smell The ...
Cradle of Filth - Heavy, Left Handed & Candid
Ear Goggles - Cobalt R.I.P. 2009
Death - Live in L.A. (Death & Raw)
Dissection - Rebirth of Dissection
DIO - Evil or Divine
Emperor - Emperial Live Ceremony
Faith No More - You Fat B**tards Live At The Brixton Academy, London
Gorgoroth - Black Mass Krakow 2004
Hypocrisy - Live & Clips
Iron Maiden - Live After Death
Iron Maiden - Flight 666
Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Plays Berkely
Johnny Cash - Remember Me The Man In Black
Judas Priest - Electric Eye
Kataklysm - Live In Deutschland
KISS - Kissology
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same
MayheM - European Legions Live in Marseille 2000
Motorhead - Special Edition
Motorhead - Stage Fright
Osmose Productions Noisy Motions -Absu, Angel Corpse, Blasphemy etc.
Satyricon - Roadkill Extravaganza
Rush - Replay X3
Rush - R30
Slayer - Still Reining
Strapping Young Lad - For Those About To Rock Live At The Commodore (I was at this show, too)
S.O.D. - Kill Yourself The Movie
Venom - Live in London at The Hammersmith Odeon
Vital Remains - Evil Death Live
The Who - Live & Alive

[vision-master]

Velvet Revolver - Live in Houston new DVD is killer.

I have a couple hundred concert DVD's.

Also, check out Testament.

[Maddog78]

I've seen them (Testament) live twice.
Got most of their cd's but no dvd's.
I'll have to fix that.

[steam_cannon]

I haven't owned a tv for seven years. But I got this really cool pair of sunglasses instead.


Anyway I'm too busy for wasting my time with TV. I've been on the news now and then just from being active. But no one ever makes the news by watching the news and something else I've noticed, that no one on TV watches TV.

[vision-master]

So, what's so bad about waisting time? What are you saving it for, heaven on Earth or what?

[steam_cannon]

So, what's so bad about waisting time? What are you saving it for, heaven on Earth or what?

Waste time however you like, that's cool with me man. I don't have to outrun the bear, just you... (I'm joking VM)

But really, I don't see any benefit from staring at a lightbulb. I think staring at a crackling fire would be much more calming then the flood of random violence and anomie that modern television has to offer. If I want violence I'll check into a dojo, we'll break some boards, we'll have a good time, put our gym bags away and go home for a good nights sleep. But TV violence? Do I really need to see that hero's scene where she grinds her hand in a blender? That's far more desensitizing to violence then actually breaking boards! And what does desensitization do to people? If I see someone in trouble, I'm quick to help them out. But what about other people? Bill Nye collapsed on stage and the biggest news about it was that everyone was twittering instead of seeing if he was ok. That's desensitization.

Plus TV isn't filmed the same anymore. Modern tv filming has become more of a slideshow then anything else, just try to count to five before they cut the shot or try counting to two. That's got to have a negative effect on concentration skills.

What do I do instead? Working, learning, writing, friends, sharing, projects, growing...

Staring at a lightbulb? Screw that. But ya know, do whatever you want with your time. I'm not going to tell you not to watch TV, it's just that it doesn't do anything for me.

[Don35]

Sold my TV, turned of cable, sold all the funk that went with it a few months ago. Nothing I wanted to watch and I wanted to cut my expenditures even more! Haven't missed it at all!!

[Crazy_Dad]

I haven't owned a tv for seven years. But I got this really cool pair of sunglasses instead.


Anyway I'm too busy for wasting my time with TV. I've been on the news now and then just from being active. But no one ever makes the news by watching the news and something else I've noticed, that no one on TV watches TV.

Ha! They Live is 'B' but so good
I have to say it was an influence in getting rid of the T.V.

I do watch T.V. but only the shows I DL on the 'net. Looking forward to the next episode of The Walking Dead. Which will probably premier in Australia in two years lol.

I also like Mad Men, True Blood, and a few others. Anything SciFi.

My wife watches the Bold and the Beautiful on the net also. I seriously don't know how those actors don't crack up laughing mid scene. I'd watch the bloopers for that show, but the show itself feelings like it might melt my brain.

On the whole I'm glad I no longer have free to air. Australians are too obsessed with 'footy' and our news is some sort of parody. We get 5 mins out of 30 for important news and then sport and saving old ladies cats stories. Bread and circuses.

So my dual screen setup on my PC is also our stereo hifi, TV, movie theatre and library. I'll sure miss it when the lights go out. Which may be more to do with not paying the power bill than collapse!

Mostly I read. Currently re-reading Stephen King's "The Stand".
I highly recommend the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.

Thanks to all for a window on your TV world.