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Life without TV
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Message 1.Â
Posted by Hampshire-hog (U14425802) on Monday, 6th September 2010
Mrs Hog and I have lived without TV for nearly 3 1/2 years now ever since we moved into our current house where there was no TV aerial. The previous owners had Sky and cable but we weren't interested in either so decided to do without TV altogether.
At first there were a few things we missed, and we'd occasionally watch something on Ö÷²¥´óÐã iPlayer but then we just stopped bothering even with that. I must say it's one of the most liberating things we've ever done. We have far more room in our sitting room, we read loads of books, listen to lots of radio and talk to each other! In fact it's hard now to think how we found the time to watch anything on TV.
Has anyone else done the same thing and feel similarly liberated? -
Message 2
Posted by Morganish (U9108847) on Monday, 6th September 2010
Yes. We built a new house and didn't get round to installing an aerial or a dish. For a while we were able to pick up TV using an indoor aerial, but that vanished when everything went digital, so we cancelled the TV licence - which of course leads to its own problems because the TV licensing people can't seem to accept that anyone can live without a TV. We occasionally use the computer to catch up with a programme, but less and less frequently. I find that when we're having a quiet evening in and want to watch something on the computer, it's increasingly difficult to find anything worth watching - though we did watch Channel 4's A Dance to the Music of Time back-to-back a couple of weeks ago because it was so good.
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Message 3
Posted by Dame_Celia_ Molestrangler (U14257909) on Monday, 6th September 2010
I have never owned a TV although a friend did lend me a small portable one here in Germany in the early 90s. It lived in the wardrobe and came out on Friday evenings and maybe at the weekend, too. I didn't miss it when my friend asked for it back as I listened to BFBS radio (UK army radio) and Radio 4 non-stop then.
About 6 years ago, an English man here told me how to download UK TV programmes and at first I enjoyed it but then was a bit annoyed at how much time it took up. However, I have never just been able to sit and watch something. I do a lot of crochet and needlework at the same time.
About a year ago, a German man showed me how to get live German TV through the Internet and I tried that out but it is sooo soooo boring. Germans can make the most interesting subject mind-numbingly boring.
Recently, I've been downloading UK TV programmes but not bothering to watch them. I find it a strain. And there isn't much of interest. The thing that interests me most are the archaeology programmes.
But I do appreciate books on CD and the radio and I do love the Listen Again facility because if my mind wanders, I can go back a little.
I am also a member of four libraries and I find myself waiting for about 9 o'clock so I can go to bed and read for an hour or two. Much more pleasurable than watching TV because I can read at my speed. -
Message 4
Posted by Doodlysquat (U13738858) on Monday, 6th September 2010
Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:29 GMT, in reply to That Old Janx Spirit
We have not had TV for over twenty years and have never missed it. OH barely watched it at all and I found it used to make me feel stressed and depressed...all that noise and colour and teeth...my god! the teeth.
Why do TV celebs have such huge teeth?....and they constantly show them off, grinning and gurning fit to bust.
The only thing I miss is David Attenborough.
I quite fancy David Attenborough.
suze -
Message 5
Posted by Dame_Celia_ Molestrangler (U14257909) on Monday, 6th September 2010
You could always get the DVDs of his programmes and play them on your computer.
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Message 6
Posted by Nomadnomore - XNo - Quiz Queen (U3180380) on Monday, 6th September 2010
Many years ago (about 25) DS climbed on a shelf taht I'd told him not to and he brought the full shelving system down including the rented TV that was then broken. Like you I discovered reading, talking to friends on the phone, all sorts of things.
We lived without a TV for around 6 months. I can't remember details but suppose I discovered it was covered by some kind of insurance we were able to get a new one. When it arrived I carefully told the small child that DSS was at that time that we would be select about what we watched. I then sent him to bed early and I was glued to it the rest of the evening.
Yes, you can live without it very happily and right now I probably watch too much carp. Can you live without ML? -
Message 7
Posted by Doodlysquat (U13738858) on Monday, 6th September 2010
Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:54 GMT, in reply to That Old Janx Spirit in message 5
Janx...you *clever* girl, you.
As I read your post I remembered the box set of D A which has lain under the port bunk for the last three years. They were a present from No2 son when I got my computer. I had forgotten all about them. Thankyou.
suze
PS. All I have to do now is spend half a day dismantling the bunk and scrabbling about in the huge locker to find them. -
Message 8
Posted by GuzziNut (U6364582) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
Well I left home for college without one
when you didnt seem to leave with everything brand new and supplied by your parents, but took what was available in the loft, including the kettle that was a wedding pressie to the folks in the early 1960s, begged from family pals, a reasonable radio cassette saved up for with birthday money and Saturday jobs and bought the rest in charity shops...
20 mumble years later and somehow I never got around to buying one and I now wonder where I would find time to watch one if I did have one
We have a cunning set up that allows us to watch DVDs if we want to
the radio is plugged into the TV ariel and yes, the letters arrive from the licencing men once a year or so but they have yet to visit -
Message 9
Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
I have just got rid of my television, not having watched it for over a year, except to find out if an interruption in my broadband is the cable down or a computer/router problem.
I have been irritated by the changes to iplayer, but then wondered how much difference it made since I don't watch an awful lot. I watch Casualty, but I don't think I'd actually miss it if I didn't. I think that what I would miss is the occasional good detective series such as Wallander and Foyle's War, but that's about it.
I listen to some radio programmes on iplayer, just as I listen to the radio live, but that's another story from television.
I do, however, watch programmes on YouTube and occasionally watch programmes on itvplayer.
I can see why the Ö÷²¥´óÐã is worried about the threat to its licence fee with more and more young people moving away from watching programmes when they are on and towards watching when they want. I don't know where I found it, but over the last couple of days, I've read that 40% of students use their computer as their main means of watching television. Will they leave the internet and move into conventional viewing when they graduate? -
Message 10
Posted by Dame_Celia_ Molestrangler (U14257909) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
They might do if they want a large screen.
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Message 11
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
They might do if they want a large screen.Â
Why? I can run my PC through my large TV screen, and occasionally do for watching downloaded things. -
Message 12
Posted by GuzziNut (U6364582) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
thats what I was thinking Bearhug, yes, you can do that and also get large screen for computer use. I would think that we could use the set up we have for DVD watching to use Iplayer too.
the thing is not the have the gizmo that takes TV signal from ariel to screen. The screen we have has a hole for this, but it is very empty. -
Message 13
Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:07 GMT, in reply to That Old Janx Spirit in message 3
Recently, I've been downloading UK TV programmesÂ
How do you do that? I'd love to be able to for some of them.
Peggy -
Message 14
Posted by Dame_Celia_ Molestrangler (U14257909) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
You have to download free software called BitTorrent and then find a good site to download from.
Like uknova.tv. -
Message 15
Posted by Herb Robert (U14072548) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:30 GMT, in reply to Morganish in message 2
We built a new houseÂ
I often do that and find that the reception in the new place is rubbish. Stick to knitting is my advice. -
Message 16
Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Tuesday, 7th September 2010
Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:45 GMT, in reply to That Old Janx Spirit in message 14
You have to download free software called BitTorrent and then find a good site to download from.
Like uknova.tv.Â
Thank you, I'll try it.
Peggy
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