Ann Patchett and cutting the cord even more

[xxlt]

Some of the happiest years in my life I lived in dorm rooms without a television. There were televisions in the common rooms, but I rarely watched them. And, I rarely missed TV.

It has been an off and on love affair for me. As a kid with only 3, then 4 channels, I watched a ton of TV. Then as a teen, I spent far more time out and about alone or with friends. Didn't miss TV much when out, but would reflexively turn it on when home.

I remember going to hotels as a young adult and being excited to see what cable had to watch, since I felt like the only person in America without cable. It was thrilling for awhile, but eventually I was like, why the **** would anyone pay for this shit? Like most communities, ours had a cable monopoly and a shitty service rep. I held fast.

I always loved the Simpsons, and Seinfeld. For 20+ years I watched little more than those 2 shows, and sports at home on TV.

A friend finally sold me on Direct TV. For a few years I loved it. Then a woman I lived with insisted we get a DVR. I loved it even more. Eventually I came back around to the Boss' attitude: 57 channels and nothin' on. I dropped Direct TV for awhile. I was living alone and kind of depressed, and everyone told me TV was a necessity and maybe it would help. I got DirectTV again and it helped until it didn't. Finally I decided once and for all that paying for TV made sense if you owned a bar or hotel, but not for a home owner unless maybe he/she was a shut it. Even then, not sure. So, I cut the cord, as the saying was at the time. I did get a Netflix account and an outside antenna.

A few weeks ago I quit paying for Netflix. I haven't really missed it. I go to a bar to watch the Bengals games. I bought the biggest TV I have ever owned about 10 years ago. I still have it. It is a Vizio plasma. It still gets a great picture with the aerial antenna. I just don't turn it on much. Colbert a few times last week when I was up at night. But, I could watch those online a day or so later, right?

Ann Patchett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Patchett) is this writer I got turned on to in graduate school. She was on Fresh Air the other day, and she talked about how not only does she not own a TV, she never watches one. Ever. And she doesn't have a cell phone, doesn't do social media, and doesn't even go to movies.

It really made me think about "screens" as she described being "screen free" and whether I want a TV.

I have been thinking about giving my TV away for a long time. I guess I could sell it but don't think a ten year old plasma that weighs a metric ton would fetch much. Ann has me really thinking about it. I like my music, a smidge of NPR news, I scan the NY Times headlines (used to subscribe but don't any more) and just don't watch much TV. I think two of my sisters do not own televisions, but not sure. Anyway, bitches be crazy, especially my sisters (kidding sisters, if you are reading this). I know how they feel about TV. I want some outside perspectives.

Anyway, anybody here that does not own a TV? Tell me about it. Anybody with a compelling reason I should keep my TV? Or get rid of it? Tell me about it.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Dill]

(09-16-2016, 05:54 PM)xxlt Wrote: Anyway, anybody here that does not own a TV? Tell me about it. Anybody with a compelling reason I should keep my TV? Or get rid of it? Tell me about it.

Thanks for your feedback.

I own a tv but exercise some discipline. I use it basically for three things--news, sports (steeler games and college wrestling) and HBO series.
You have a literary education, right? I think that some HBO offerings, like the Sopranos, Rome, Deadwood, and the Wire, are well worth the time spent watching them--like the best 19th century novels in terms of scope and depth.

TVs are bad, though, when they become a means of marking time between work hours. I understand why some people don't have tvs. We have friends who don't. But I think they miss a lot of global knowledge about what is happening in the world.  

[xxlt]

(09-16-2016, 09:56 PM)Dill Wrote: I own a tv but exercise some discipline. I use it basically for three things--news, sports (steeler games and college wrestling) and HBO series.
You have a literary education, right? I think that some HBO offerings, like the Sopranos, Rome, Deadwood, and the Wire, are well worth the time spent watching them--like the best 19th century novels in terms of scope and depth.

TVs are bad, though, when they become a means of marking time between work hours. I understand why some people don't have tvs. We have friends who don't. But I think they miss a lot of global knowledge about what is happening in the world.  

I use NPR and my phone or computer for news. I hate TV News, although if I had BBC I would watch it for news. You are correct about my lit background and there is definitely some quality content out there. In addition to the HBO shows you mentioned there is PBS, and I am as likely to watch Charlie Rose or Nova or Frontline as anything, but can probably watch all those on the PBS site. I suspect HBO will soon have a subscription not requiring you to have a cable provider - they may have that already, and if/when  they do phone or laptop would likely suffice. Sports is the only other thing, and my interest in it is waning. Other than March Madness I go to a bar if I want to see a game.

Thanks very much for your perspective. Knowing why you think those without TV are missing out is helpful, and I respect your assessment. But, since I tend to look at online newspapers like the NYT or listen to NPR for news, it is actually making mean a little more toward ditching the TV. You probably have multiple news channels like BBC, Al Jazeera, and the US 24 hour channels to choose from, right? All I get is the big three networks (not good) and PBS (good, but NPR as good or better).

Thanks again for helping me process this decision. Brain is still mulling it over...

[Beaker]

(09-16-2016, 05:54 PM)xxlt Wrote: I remember going to hotels as a young adult and being excited to see what cable had to watch

Ah yes, the nostalgia of remembering the days of watching porn with your dad.

[jfkbengals]

(09-17-2016, 12:03 AM)xxlt Wrote: I use NPR and my phone or computer for news. I hate TV News, although if I had BBC I would watch it for news. You are correct about my lit background and there is definitely some quality content out there. In addition to the HBO shows you mentioned there is PBS, and I am as likely to watch Charlie Rose or Nova or Frontline as anything, but can probably watch all those on the PBS site. I suspect HBO will soon have a subscription not requiring you to have a cable provider - they may have that already, and if/when  they do phone or laptop would likely suffice. Sports is the only other thing, and my interest in it is waning. Other than March Madness I go to a bar if I want to see a game.

Thanks very much for your perspective. Knowing why you think those without TV are missing out is helpful, and I respect your assessment. But, since I tend to look at online newspapers like the NYT or listen to NPR for news, it is actually making mean a little more toward ditching the TV. You probably have multiple news channels like BBC, Al Jazeera, and the US 24 hour channels to choose from, right? All I get is the big three networks (not good) and PBS (good, but NPR as good or better).

Thanks again for helping me process this decision. Brain is still mulling it over...

It's called HBO Go

[xxlt]

(09-17-2016, 10:53 AM)Beaker Wrote: Ah yes, the nostalgia of remembering the days of watching porn with your dad.

Different strokes...

[xxlt]

(09-17-2016, 11:24 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: It's called HBO Go

Yeah, I thought they launched it. There was a time when I was interested in it and there was speculation but not much was happening and the cable companies threatened to sue or drop HBO or whatever. I cut the cord before "Go" ever materialized and missed HBO and all the rest so little I never bothered to investigate when I heard "HBO Go" was a thing. Although, I thought initially all it was was only letting you watch it on line "if" you had a cable subscription. Thanks for the update.

[Rotobeast]

(09-17-2016, 07:54 PM)xxlt Wrote: Different strokes...

[*rfaulk34*]

(09-17-2016, 11:24 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: It's called HBO Go

As far as i know, you have to have HBO in order to watch HBO Go. 

Has that changed?

[Devils Advocate]

I could go days without turning the TV on. I don't even turn it on for background noise, unless I'm home alone at night -- even as a 42 year old man, I still get a little spooked when it's dark.

I do like some television shows, but not many and the ones I like are in syndication, except for Better Call Saul; however I don't even know if I've seen the latest episode of that show or which season it's in.

I enjoy watching the Bengals at a bar but also enjoy watching them at home where I can focus.

My girlfriend's parents recently subscribed to basic cable after years of only broadcast TV. They generally watch the same local station as they did before cable. My girlfriend is the same, 90% of the time she is tuned into the local CBS affiliate; just like her parents. My girlfriend pays a premium for all those channels plus HBO whereas her parents only pay for basic. I've tried to talk them into cutting the cord and subscribing to Netflix and Amazon, but they won't budge.

As for me, I too have a cable subscription with HBO, but only because Boxing is a close second to Bengals football for me. Yes, I pay for HBO just for Boxing and I'm considering Showtime for the same reason. HBO can be had without cable, I'm not sure about Showtime. Maybe I'll look into that. The only other reason I have cable is to watch the Bengals, but I'm pretty sure they air locally since the blackout rule was lifted. If so, then I will be removing cable from my household soon.

I've never seen an episode of The Walking Dead or any other popular show and only about 3 years ago did I see shows like The Big Bang Theory on broadcast TV. I'm just not interested in them. But I don't think I could wholly get rid of my TV because I do like Boxing and Bengals. Boxing has been aired on some cable stations, so I'd have to consider that before cutting the cord.

[xxlt]

(09-17-2016, 10:04 PM)Rotobeast Wrote:

You will have to ask Beaker. They are his memories. I was just trying to provide him a soundtrack to play while reliving them.

[xxlt]

(09-17-2016, 10:49 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: As far as i know, you have to have HBO in order to watch HBO Go. 

Has that changed?

Really don't know. The post I replied to seemed to suggest as much. If you have to pay for a cable package to be eligible to purchase HBO that is not something I am interested. But, I thought HBO was going to go to a model where they would just let anyone buy HBO access, with or without cable. The cable companies, of course, saw that as another line of writing on their death warrant. So, a bit of a pissing match ensued. I really don't know where it stands now.

[xxlt]

(09-18-2016, 09:09 AM)Devils Advocate Wrote: I could go days without turning the TV on. I don't even turn it on for background noise, unless I'm home alone at night -- even as a 42 year old man, I still get a little spooked when it's dark.

I do like some television shows, but not many and the ones I like are in syndication, except for Better Call Saul; however I don't even know if I've seen the latest episode of that show or which season it's in.

I enjoy watching the Bengals at a bar but also enjoy watching them at home where I can focus.

My girlfriend's parents recently subscribed to basic cable after years of only broadcast TV. They generally watch the same local station as they did before cable. My girlfriend is the same, 90% of the time she is tuned into the local CBS affiliate; just like her parents. My girlfriend pays a premium for all those channels plus HBO whereas her parents only pay for basic. I've tried to talk them into cutting the cord and subscribing to Netflix and Amazon, but they won't budge.

As for me, I too have a cable subscription with HBO, but only because Boxing is a close second to Bengals football for me. Yes, I pay for HBO just for Boxing and I'm considering Showtime for the same reason. HBO can be had without cable, I'm not sure about Showtime. Maybe I'll look into that. The only other reason I have cable is to watch the Bengals, but I'm pretty sure they air locally since the blackout rule was lifted. If so, then I will be removing cable from my household soon.

I've never seen an episode of The Walking Dead or any other popular show and only about 3 years ago did I see shows like The Big Bang Theory on broadcast TV. I'm just not interested in them. But I don't think I could wholly get rid of my TV because I do like Boxing and Bengals. Boxing has been aired on some cable stations, so I'd have to consider that before cutting the cord.

That is a very good point. When the Bengals have a national televised game or, lately, are in a playoff game, I prefer the home experience. But, I am not sure it is enough to make me keep the TV. I have thought about downsizing too. A 48" plasma screen sucks up a lot of real estate sitting in a room when it plays so rarely. I think it was a 20" or 32" sitting there for occasional "emergency" use I wouldn't feel such a desire to get rid of it. But, maybe I would still wonder why I even bother to have it.

[fredtoast]

I lived without a TV for one yera in college.  It sucked.  I didn't watch much TV at all back then, but I really missed it when there was a game I wanted to see.

And this was in 1987 before peopleha dcomputers to watch.  Nothingcracks me up more than people who brag about not watching TV, yet watch TV shows on their computers.

Here is my take on it.  People who says "screns are bad" are stupid.  There is nothing wrong with watching TV or the internet.  It is a problem if you do it too much, but that is a problem with "you" not a problem with the source of the information.

And people who don't even go to movies are denying themselves some great experiences.

[jfkbengals]

(09-17-2016, 10:49 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: As far as i know, you have to have HBO in order to watch HBO Go. 

Has that changed?

Oops, you are correct.

HBO Now is the one that doesn't require Pay TV services.  I think it's $15 a month.

[xxlt]

(09-18-2016, 11:19 AM)fredtoast Wrote: I lived without a TV for one yera in college.  It sucked.  I didn't watch much TV at all back then, but I really missed it when there was a game I wanted to see.

And this was in 1987 before peopleha dcomputers to watch.  Nothingcracks me up more than people who brag about not watching TV, yet watch TV shows on their computers.

Here is my take on it.  People who says "screns are bad" are stupid.  There is nothing wrong with watching TV or the internet.  It is a problem if you do it too much, but that is a problem with "you" not a problem with the source of the information.

I didn't hear Patchett saying screens are bad, although she may have. I just heard her say they are not her thing.

Agree w. you on the too much thing. An addiction to anything isn't a problem with the anything, it is a problem with the addict.

If I ditch my TV, I will not brag about it.

Think of it this way. Some people really like a desk top or a lap top to do "computer stuff." A lot of people see them as unnecessary and do all their "computer stuff" on a smart phone. Since I rarely watch TV, I wonder if I couldn't just get by watching the occasional movie or show on a lap top.

[xxlt]

(09-18-2016, 11:25 AM)jfkbengals Wrote: Oops, you are correct.

HBO Now is the one that doesn't require Pay TV services.  I think it's $15 a month.

No wonder nobody knows what is going on. I had heard of HBO Go but not HBO Now. Sounds like they have failed in marketing it - or maybe they agreed to offer it but not market it to appease the cable douchebags.

[jfkbengals]

(09-18-2016, 11:28 AM)xxlt Wrote: No wonder nobody knows what is going on. I had heard of HBO Go but not HBO Now. Sounds like they have failed in marketing it - or maybe they agreed to offer it but not market it to appease the cable douchebags.

I don't like watching on other devices, that is what I have a big TV for.  So I often confuse the names of the different mobile add-ons  that get pushed on me by companies, as I don't have an interest in using them.

But they definitely have a non-Pay TV option for HBO.  It may only be access to the On-Demand items and not actually allow you to watch the channel live, but it is at least a start.

[*wildcats forever*]

(09-18-2016, 11:26 AM)xxlt Wrote: I didn't hear Patchett saying screens are bad, although she may have. I just heard her say they are not her thing.

Agree w. you on the too much thing. An addiction to anything isn't a problem with the anything, it is a problem with the addict.

If I ditch my TV, I will not brag about it.

Think of it this way. Some people really like a desk top or a lap top to do "computer stuff." A lot of people see them as unnecessary and do all their "computer stuff" on a smart phone. Since I rarely watch TV, I wonder if I couldn't just get by watching the occasional movie or show on a lap top.

 Since I dropped cable, I use my laptop for Netflix and YouTube a lot, whether I'm in the garage, kitchen, or bedroom. Bengals games and movies are about the only time I watch my flatscreen. I say keep your TV and consider it a guilty pleasure. You've earned it. Use it when you want without any regard to what anyone else does.

[xxlt]

(09-18-2016, 11:52 AM)wildcats forever Wrote:  Since I dropped cable, I use my laptop for Netflix and YouTube a lot, whether I'm in the garage, kitchen, or bedroom. Bengals games and movies are about the only time I watch my flatscreen. I say keep your TV and consider it a guilty pleasure. You've earned it. Use it when you want without any regard to what anyone else does.

I love you.