TV

[undercover]

Obviously subscribing to a cable service and spending 3 hours a day in front of a TV is ridiculous but how do people feel in general about simply owning a TV and using it to watch movies and select TV shows?

I do put a good movie in the same category as a good book at times so I think maybe it's worth it but I also feel bad about it because I'm a minimalist and like just doing everything from one device - usually a laptop.

But I'm pretty tempted to buy an OLED panel and some good speakers and rewatch some amazing movies.

What are your thoughts?

[ketchup]

You don't need an OLED panel and some good speakers to rewatch some amazing movies.

4K HDR doesn't make Adam Sandler any funnier, or Avatar's story any more original.  After our last move we only have access to garbage internet and can only stream at 720p.  It's honestly fine, and I say that as a tech junkie turbogeek.

Stick with the laptop, or maybe get a ~42" TV.  They're only like $200 now, 1080p or 4K if it's on sale.  More than that hits diminishing returns pretty quickly.

Cable? Yes, ridiculous even if it's free.  3 hours a day in front of a television? Also ridiculous.  But I'm no purist.  Enjoy some TV and movies.  But do it deliberately.  If you don't do it as often, you can only afford to watch content if it is excellent.  There's a lot of great compelling content out there, but way more garbage.

[Bloop Bloop]

I watch my TV maybe 2-3 hours a month. Only for live sports which is more fun on the big screen.

I stream everything else on my computer, if I want to watch it at all. The great thing about streaming (and also web browsing) is that, with appropriate ad blockers and other measures, I never get anything except the content I want. And most of the content is free or nearly free.

TV is bloated, poor quality content with a high content:advertisement ratio. It's inflexible. Not really for me.

[Ann]

Are people separating “tv” from watching streaming on a laptop?  If you watch a rerun of Parks and Recreation on tv or watch it on your phone through streaming, does one “not count” the latter as “watching tv”?  I get confused about the nomenclature on this subject.

[jim555]

I do OTA with antenna and a tuner with a built in DVR.  Library is the source for movies.  YoutubeTV got dumped when they put the price to $50 from $35.

[RWD]

My TV is connected to my computer and game consoles. I have never paid for TV service (unless you count Netflix). So my TV gets used for computer stuff, YouTube, Netflix, movies, video gaming, etc.

[undercover]

Are people separating “tv” from watching streaming on a laptop?  If you watch a rerun of Parks and Recreation on tv or watch it on your phone through streaming, does one “not count” the latter as “watching tv”?  I get confused about the nomenclature on this subject.

Yeah I would definitely count even YouTube videos on a phone as "TV".

I don't currently own a "proper" TV so I was just curious if people here thought it was worth it or if they just all get by on their phones and laptops nowadays.

I do think the immersion factor with a bigger screen is definitely a thing and even if you spent $3k it would be worth it I think since TV's should last 5-10 years at least nowadays and the speakers even longer.

[habanero]

I do think the immersion factor with a bigger screen is definitely a thing and even if you spent $3k it would be worth it I think since TV's should last 5-10 years at least nowadays and the speakers even longer.

I totlly agree. As long as one avoids upgrading just because something greater comes out a good, large-screen TV is quite cheap when ammortized over the expected lifetime. I bought mine on a very steep discount when new models came out and I expect it to last me 5-10 years. The corresponding sourround system (of course bought 2nd hand) should last a very long time. The speakers probably a couple of decades, the amp/prcessor might eventually die on me, but a replacement can easily be found 2nd hand for now much cash.

[Khaetra]

But I'm pretty tempted to buy an OLED panel and some good speakers and rewatch some amazing movies.

What are your thoughts?

I tend to be an enabler (and an avid TV watcher) ;).  I bought a 4K 55" Sony on Prime Day last year and I love it.  4K is amazing (especially things like nature shows) and being able to watch from the couch on the big screen beats watching on the phone/tablet any day.

You don't have to buy an expensive set, there are some good ones for under $500.  In fact Best Buy has a number of them (including name-brand) for under $400.

I say go for it.

[effigy98]

I think TV is the single worst, most toxic, bad for you device in the house. It is like having a huge bowl of cigarettes available for everyone to smoke. Unless the TV is front of a treadmill or bike that you HAVE to ride when watching, it is negative for your health.

[badger1988]

Our TV broke last October and we decided to just not replace it. So far we haven't missed it at all. Not sure how long we'll remain a TV-free household, but for now it's working well and surprisingly our kids don't mind at all either (ages 4, 4, and 1.5).

[habanero]

I think TV is the single worst, most toxic, bad for you device in the house. It is like having a huge bowl of cigarettes available for everyone to smoke. Unless the TV is front of a treadmill or bike that you HAVE to ride when watching, it is negative for your health.

See your point, but despite owning two TV sets I get plenty of excercise. I disagree with MMMs general bashing of TV. It can be a curse as you indicate or it can be a source of very low-cost entertainment for years and years depending on how one plays it and uses it and what the alternatives would be.

[kanga1622]

We like tv in moderation. My kids get a limited amount on non-school days. They use free PBS Kids, Disney Now, or Nick Jr apps. DH likes to watch sports and news. I binge watch shows or seasons when I’m in a mood for background noise. Unsolved Mysteries is my current noise of choice while working on other things and the kids are in bed.

[h82goslw]

I think TV is the single worst, most toxic, bad for you device in the house. It is like having a huge bowl of cigarettes available for everyone to smoke. Unless the TV is front of a treadmill or bike that you HAVE to ride when watching, it is negative for your health.

Really?  There’s a lot of learning and family discussion that can happen while watching tv.....think 60 Minutes and discussing world events/politics, PBS nature shows/documentaries which lead to sparking an interest and doing things outside of the house that you would not have otherwise been exposed to, like seeing a show on Yosemite Park and then making plans to go (AMAZING TRIP!). Jeopardy?  Sparks a lot of competition and we’ve even made a home game out of it.  Obviously everything in moderation...but to equate tv to cigarettes? The brain needs exercise along with the body.

[lookingforadelorean]

I think TV is the single worst, most toxic, bad for you device in the house. It is like having a huge bowl of cigarettes available for everyone to smoke. Unless the TV is front of a treadmill or bike that you HAVE to ride when watching, it is negative for your health.

Really?  There’s a lot of learning and family discussion that can happen while watching tv.....think 60 Minutes and discussing world events/politics, PBS nature shows/documentaries which lead to sparking an interest and doing things outside of the house that you would not have otherwise been exposed to, like seeing a show on Yosemite Park and then making plans to go (AMAZING TRIP!). Jeopardy?  Sparks a lot of competition and we’ve even made a home game out of it.  Obviously everything in moderation...but to equate tv to cigarettes? The brain needs exercise along with the body.

I’m in this camp with our family. We enjoy many shows together that are not only entertaining but we all learn a lot from. That said, I do think we can tend toward getting stuck in a rut of watching a show instead of doing something else after dinner. That something we try to remain mindful of.

@h82goslw Have you tried playing Jeopardy through the Amazon Echo? Such a fun (hard!) version. We play most weeknights!

[Khaetra]

I think TV is the single worst, most toxic, bad for you device in the house. It is like having a huge bowl of cigarettes available for everyone to smoke. Unless the TV is front of a treadmill or bike that you HAVE to ride when watching, it is negative for your health.

Really?  There’s a lot of learning and family discussion that can happen while watching tv.....think 60 Minutes and discussing world events/politics, PBS nature shows/documentaries which lead to sparking an interest and doing things outside of the house that you would not have otherwise been exposed to, like seeing a show on Yosemite Park and then making plans to go (AMAZING TRIP!). Jeopardy?  Sparks a lot of competition and we’ve even made a home game out of it.  Obviously everything in moderation...but to equate tv to cigarettes? The brain needs exercise along with the body.

Agree 100%.  Like a poster above, I disagree with MMM big time on his stance on TV.  Know what starts this week?  Shark Week on Discovery.  Know what this gal is watching all week?  Shark Week.  Why?  Because I find them fascinating and I can learn more about them.  We watch Jeopardy and we yell out answers.  We watch the news and discuss.  TV is not all bad!

[use2betrix]

I think TV is the single worst, most toxic, bad for you device in the house. It is like having a huge bowl of cigarettes available for everyone to smoke. Unless the TV is front of a treadmill or bike that you HAVE to ride when watching, it is negative for your health.

Hmm..

If you like the Amazon fire TV sticks, I HIGHLY suggest you pick up an HDTV antenna and recast during prime day. It will probably be $130ish and it is a great DVR for the over the air free HDTV and very easy to setup and use. We use it for football games mostly.

FYI - I ran 5 hard miles yesterday (3 miles of intervals) and 4 miles today. I am probably a better combination of muscular/cardio shape than 99% of people. My diet is near that same level.

I have 100% intention of plopping my ass on the couch and watching a couple shows and surfing the net for the next few hrs before bed.

[waltworks]

We just don't have a TV. Passive entertainment is basically lame, so why bother?

-W

[CheapScholar]

I’ll fess up.  I watch a shit ton of tv.  I guess I have it lucky in that (1) I’m an academic and read all day as part of work and (2) I go to the university gym over lunch most days and get in a good work out.  I still walk the dog every night, usually do some yard work in the warm months, and maybe run another mile or two.  But, I can easily watch 3 hours of tv in an evening (This includes the news, Jeopardy, documentaries, and other nerd shit.  But I’m also not above watching 5 consecutive episodes of Frasier or The Office).

[Noodle]

I am not sure why it would be OK to pay money (a lot of money) to go to the live theater, or a movie, to watch great actors at work, and not to do it at home for very cheap or free. Aside from movies, television is pretty varied these days. There is, as always, plenty of dreck, but also some spectacular work being done.

Personally, I do like having a television...I don't really enjoy watching videos on smaller screens. Plus if you want to watch with someone, a laptop isn't optimal. Mine isn't large or expensive, and I don't have a fancy sound system. But if you wanted to keep a smaller footprint, I think a laptop or tablet would be fine. I used to have two televisions--one was a hand-me-down--but when it died I didn't bother to replace it. If I'm having a sick day and want to watch something in bed, my tablet works perfectly well.

[waltworks]

I am not sure why it would be OK to pay money (a lot of money) to go to the live theater, or a movie, to watch great actors at work, and not to do it at home for very cheap or free. Aside from movies, television is pretty varied these days. There is, as always, plenty of dreck, but also some spectacular work being done.

Live music or theater is expensive... and that's good. It means you will be really picky about what you watch and the time/effort you'll put in. Sure, there's some great stuff on TV... but are you really only ever going to watch great stuff? Or are you going to get in the habit of sitting there and putting up with mediocrity while you rot away?

You don't want passive entertainment to be cheap or free. That's like having an endless supply of free booze or candy.

-W

[Photograph 51]

I haven't had a TV in my home since I moved out on my own as a young adult.  I've never missed it.  Other people can do what they want in their homes, but I like the quiet and calm of having a slower paced home without TV, computers, radio, and such.  To each their own.