Poll

Do you own a television?

Yes
89 (78.1%)
No
25 (21.9%)

Total Members Voted: 108

Author Topic: Do you own a television redux  (Read 16205 times)

Rural

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Do you own a television redux
« on: December 30, 2013, 08:56:48 AM »
We had this poll a little over a year and a half ago, but I'm wondering how the results may have changed with changing technology and attitudes.

Here's the old poll: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/do-you-own-a-television/msg5463/#msg5463

I'm also interested in how many of us have "tv substitutes" in place now, but I think that's too complicated for a poll, so feel free to explain in the comments.

We don't own a tv and haven't for nine years. We did decide to try out Netflix for the first time this month on a free trial, but we've watched exactly one movie in three weeks, so I'm leaing toward cancelling before the first charge hits.

Tyler

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2013, 09:09:54 AM »
Television -- yes.  Cable/satellite bill -- no.

OTA + DVR + Netflix covers everything I need.  I don't watch TV a ton, but like having one around on the cheap.

Zikoris

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2013, 09:10:35 AM »
We have a TV so my boyfriend can play video games and I can do exercise videos. We don't watch TV though, in any form(cable, netflix, hulu, whatever else exists). I get too irritated at commercials.

BlueMR2

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2013, 10:00:23 AM »
My wife loves watching TV.  I like having one around for occasional viewing myself.  I'm an amateur radio operator, so I have an antenna tower.  Since I have it anyways, I can use it for a TV antenna too and get lots of channels over the air.  Not a fan of Netflix/Hulu/online viewing, but we do that on rare occasions too.  The antenna 35 feet up satisfies 99% of our TV desire.  :-)

geekette

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2013, 10:20:32 AM »
Basic cable plus a pair of over 10 year old ReplayTVs (analog SD DVRs).  We can't do OTA with an antenna since the Replays are analog, plus I can't stand commercials (Replays have auto skip for commercials). 

FIence!

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2013, 11:06:56 AM »
No TV, we got netflix for a month when Arrested Development came back, watched all the episodes, and cancelled after the month just because we really didn't end up watching anything else on there.

sleepyguy

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2013, 11:17:12 AM »
Yes.

2 plasma units.  No cable, just netflix and when I want to use watch TV (usually for Basketball/Tennis events that aren't on OTA), I just connect my buddies Slingbox :)

Russ

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2013, 11:23:14 AM »
No TV, no internet subscriptions. I do occasionally borrow movies from the library and watch them on my laptop if I feel like vegging for an evening.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2013, 11:31:37 AM by Russ »

smalllife

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2013, 11:23:45 AM »
I have a television, but no "TV".   We do have Netflix and occasionally use the free version of Hulu, but the TV is essentially a big screen we hook up a DVD player or computer to.

oldtoyota

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2013, 11:55:10 AM »
We get cable via Comcast internet, so I have no choice in the matter. If I get rid of cable, I am getting rid of my internet connection.

When we had a choice, we did not have cable. =-)

We have old enormous TVs. One was inherited. I think I last paid for a TV in 1999 or so.

No Netflix. Cancelled it. We get movies from the library now.

I had never heard of Arrested Development until I saw some cast members on TV imitating their characters. Imagine how confusing that was! I am still not sure what it is or what it is about, yet I have survived without this knowledge. =-)


NinetyFour

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2013, 12:11:26 PM »
Technically, I do own a TV, but it has been sitting on my porch (unplugged) for over a year.  It's an old huge thing, and no thrift store here will take it.  I may sit it out in my alley with a "FREE" sign on it.

I have a (free) Hulu account but haven't used it in a year or so.  Can't stand any commercials.  Mostly I watch movies/TV shows on DVDs from libraries.  Also, I watch great PBS stuff for free on the web.

I used to have Netflix, but cancelled it to save $$.

ichangedmyname

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2013, 12:29:28 PM »
We have 2 TV's in the house. Both with Comcast cable. We also have Comcast internet and phone service.

Jamesqf

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2013, 12:33:02 PM »
No TV, and no TV substitutes, either.  Basically, I just do not like watching most video.  Especially these days, when - judging from the bits I see in passing - it's either poorly lit, filled with quick cuts of such high-speed action that I'm surprised it doesn't bring on epileptic attacks, or has most of the plot line depending on actors doing a poor job of emoting.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2013, 04:35:31 PM »
One TV. No cable, only "service" is Amazon Prime. I think my wife and I watched something a few months ago? It's mostly for the kids to get an hour or two of peace each day, especially when cooking.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2013, 04:40:57 PM »
One television in the living room. No cable ever but we do have netflix.


Janie

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #15 on: December 30, 2013, 04:48:01 PM »
No TV for the past several years; never had cable. We have Netflix and Amazon Prime for streaming

Self-employed-swami

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2013, 04:51:06 PM »
We have 2 TVs, only 1 we use, mainly for Netflix.  We do have basic cable (20 channels) because it was the same cost to keep basic cable, than cancel it, and not have internet bundled.

Jack

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #17 on: December 30, 2013, 05:07:42 PM »
We have 2 TVs, only 1 we use, mainly for Netflix.  We do have basic cable (20 channels) because it was the same cost to keep basic cable, than cancel it, and not have internet bundled.

Same here, except I have one TV and internet + basic cable was $5 less than internet by itself. (If they had been the same price I would have skipped the TV just so Comcast wouldn't have the satisfaction of inflating their subscriber numbers.)

Self-employed-swami

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #18 on: December 30, 2013, 05:10:55 PM »
I like HGTV on occasion. ;)

Insanity

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2013, 08:04:22 PM »
We have 3 TVs.  We watch way too much TV.  But we love sports so having cable is almost a must.  We also use it to relax when the kids go to sleep.  My wife used to read more. We also use it to entertain our daughter some. 

I'm working on changing that, but it will be a VERY, VERY, VERY, slow transition and the odds are it will work better once the kids are slightly older.

pachnik

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #20 on: December 30, 2013, 08:17:07 PM »
We have one old tv that we got for free.  We have basic cable at $45/month.  My husband likes to watch sports and I watch a bit of news most days and that is about it. 

girly mustache

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #21 on: December 30, 2013, 08:19:44 PM »
One TV +Amazon Prime. I plan to move the TV from the living room to the room that leads to the backyard. It has old linoleum and not much furniture - so we'll really have to want to watch TV to use it :)

HappierAtHome

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #22 on: December 30, 2013, 08:31:28 PM »
Yep, I own a TV. I love it and I'm not giving it up anytime soon :-) I love stories. Most of my stories are in book form, a lot are communicated in verbal form by friends and family when we talk, and quite a few are enjoyed in televisual format whether film or TV series. I hate paying for movie tickets, so movie night at home with freshly-made popcorn and a free library DVD of a recent release makes me very happy. Oh, I also enjoy narratives contained with non-book written form, such as blogs and newspapers, and occasionally in live dramatic form. I don't make value judgements about any form of narrative being 'better' than others - to me, it's about what you enjoy. I like books best so that's what I spend the majority of my leisure time enjoying.

I personally don't think TV is evil, but I also accept that it is entirely possible to live happily without it, and if giving it up makes others happy then I'm happy for them. I do think that it's very important to assess whether you are in fact enjoying something and getting value out of it - which is why I avoid having the TV on just for the sake of having it on, in a mindless way, instead of actively engaging with my life. There's a world of difference between having a TV on all day in the background, and turning it on to watch a fantastic show.

ketchup

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #23 on: December 31, 2013, 06:13:52 AM »
One TV in our house.  A nice-ish new 40" LCD one of my roommates bought on Black Friday this year.  Before that we had a $0.99 36" Goodwill CRT, which I was perfectly fine with.  All we ever really use it for is video games and Netflix.

Pay TV service? Of course not.  I've never lived in a house with cable TV my entire life, and I'm grateful for it.  And $8/mo (that I'm not even paying because the account belongs to one of my roommates) is reasonable, especially how there are no ads at all (something that cannot be said for $80+/month cable).

rubybeth

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #24 on: December 31, 2013, 07:14:18 AM »
We have two televisions, both of which were free (an old tube from my parents with the custom built entertainment center my dad made to fit it and a flat screen we got when we bought our used car during a Presidents' Day sale at a local dealer). We stream Hulu+ and Netflix via our 4+ year old XBox, which we pay about $40/year to keep us in XBox Gold's good graces. We both play video games, too, but we don't get "over the air" television or cable, which is nice, because there's little temptation to turn on the television just for background noise, and we skip most of the ads (Hulu+ has a few ads but they are quick). It is a little weird when either DH's parents or mine ask us if we've seen something "on television" and we remind them for the thousandth time that we "don't have television" but, other than that, we don't miss it.

Rural

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #25 on: December 31, 2013, 07:19:06 AM »
It is a little weird when either DH's parents or mine ask us if we've seen something "on television" and we remind them for the thousandth time that we "don't have television" but, other than that, we don't miss it.

Give family a little more time, and they will remember and quit asking things like that. Took my brother-in-law nearly five years, but he finally got it. Now, I really don't get that sort of question from anyone except new people I've met who are trying to make small talk (I just say no, let them tell me about it, and change the topic to the weather as soon as I can).

ender

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #26 on: December 31, 2013, 07:26:26 AM »
We have a projector we setup when we watch movies. But otherwise we don't have a TV.

rubybeth

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #27 on: December 31, 2013, 07:43:00 AM »
It is a little weird when either DH's parents or mine ask us if we've seen something "on television" and we remind them for the thousandth time that we "don't have television" but, other than that, we don't miss it.

Give family a little more time, and they will remember and quit asking things like that. Took my brother-in-law nearly five years, but he finally got it. Now, I really don't get that sort of question from anyone except new people I've met who are trying to make small talk (I just say no, let them tell me about it, and change the topic to the weather as soon as I can).

It's already been over 5 years... I doubt they will ever stop asking, but it's cool, just kind of funny when we remind them and they go, "Oh, that's right..." and then do the same thing the next time we see them. :)

hybrid

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #28 on: December 31, 2013, 09:07:54 AM »
TV plus OTA plus Hulu Plus plus Netflix.  No cable.  We have been enjoying going back and watching all those great PBS shows we didn't watch in the past, currently watching Kenneth Branagh in Wallander.

One thing I have found amusing and somewhat contradictory is that MMM loves watching movies but is not a big fan of TV, to put it mildly.  I wonder if it is because of the content or the number of hours typically spent in front of the tube (ahhhh, the tube, there's an anachronism!) or both.  I find it ironic because I find most movies to be rather poor, it is the rare day I go to Redbox and plunk down $1.30 to watch a current flick.  Not because I don't enjoy a good movie, it just seems there are so many poor ones not worth the time.  What is this man watching?  Is he renting through Netflix?

When we dropped cable the missus was worried about not having good TV options.  Dropping cable hasn't affected our viewing habits all that much in the grand scheme.  I watch less sports and she watches less HGTV, but do we really miss it all that much?  Nah.  Plenty of other entertainment options available and Hulu Plus and Netflix provide a nearly inexhaustible source of quality viewing.   

BPA

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #29 on: December 31, 2013, 09:16:46 AM »
Television -- yes.  Cable/satellite bill -- no.

OTA + DVR + Netflix covers everything I need.  I don't watch TV a ton, but like having one around on the cheap.

Ditto.

Caoineag

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #30 on: December 31, 2013, 05:17:45 PM »
Of course I own a television. How else would I view this forum? My television is hooked to my computer (and my video game consoles, but I digress) and its been that way for not quite a decade. I use a number of television substitutes including buying DVDs and Blu-ray discs on sale but the only online vendor I currently pay for is Netflix because its the only one with a large enough selection to justify the fee (I have prime but I had that long before streaming became a part of it).

That said, films and shows get watched on an infrequent basis, usually in marathon sessions with more in the winter of course.

Khan

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #31 on: December 31, 2013, 07:19:27 PM »
I have a smart 60" TV(well, I guess all TV's are smart nowadays) in my living room, connected to game consoles and a Roku(the Roku works better then the TV's own programs). I pay for Netflix and Hulu, and also use Crunchyroll(anime), though I don't pay for Crunchyroll for the time being(paying eliminates commercials). I usually PPV new movies via Google/Amazon.

The only other thing I do is I check MSNBC.com to see if Rachel Maddow or Chris Hayes have any segments worth watching. It's great doing this via the computer, instead of watching ~45 minutes of content, and the commercials, you can watch however much of the content you want and only 30 seconds of commercials.

I watch the majority of shows or such on a second monitor while doing things on my computer on the main monitor though. The 60" was, believe it or not, a necessary upgrade due to the increasing size of living room designs >_>, I couldn't play games from the couch in my living room with a 42" >_>.

I'd like to decrease my viewing habits, but that's a longer term project.

ichangedmyname

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2013, 10:27:57 PM »
TV plus OTA plus Hulu Plus plus Netflix.  No cable.  We have been enjoying going back and watching all those great PBS shows we didn't watch in the past, currently watching Kenneth Branagh in Wallander.

One thing I have found amusing and somewhat contradictory is that MMM loves watching movies but is not a big fan of TV, to put it mildly.  I wonder if it is because of the content or the number of hours typically spent in front of the tube (ahhhh, the tube, there's an anachronism!) or both.  I find it ironic because I find most movies to be rather poor, it is the rare day I go to Redbox and plunk down $1.30 to watch a current flick.  Not because I don't enjoy a good movie, it just seems there are so many poor ones not worth the time.  What is this man watching?  Is he renting through Netflix?

When we dropped cable the missus was worried about not having good TV options.  Dropping cable hasn't affected our viewing habits all that much in the grand scheme.  I watch less sports and she watches less HGTV, but do we really miss it all that much?  Nah.  Plenty of other entertainment options available and Hulu Plus and Netflix provide a nearly inexhaustible source of quality viewing.   

I *think* he doesn't like the commercials, doesn't want his kid to watch/see them too and I believe he borrows movies (DVDs) from the library. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, please.

I have Comcast and I get access to Hulu when I stream things from the site because Hulu is owned by Comcast.

MissMimi

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #33 on: January 01, 2014, 08:29:12 AM »
Add me to the "I have a TV but I don't have TV" list.  I canceled my cable five or six years ago and don't miss it a bit.  I have Comcast for internet only and I did splurge a year ago on a new HDTV and blu-ray player with internet streaming.  I have Amazon Prime, and my one monthly subscription indulgence is the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall which streams to my blu-ray player.  It's well worth the price to me, and best of all I'm not paying Comcast for 100's of channels I never watch!

As an aside, my parents just finished building a new house and over Christmas my dad mentioned that he had gotten out of the habit of watching TV during the building process.  Of course now they have their cable hooked up, but their TV was on a lot less than before.  Baby steps!

The Taminator

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #34 on: January 01, 2014, 08:52:39 AM »
We have two tvs. Prior to my GF moving in I only owned one. We also splashed out and upgraded our cable to the tune of $20 per month. We also have a Netflix subscription. So our total TV bill is $27.99 a month. Not bad since it's our primary form of entertainment. We are pretty much TV addicts. We both love watching sports and it's well worth the $20 a month to us to be able to get more options and even get some in HD. We also host viewing parties for our friends which saves us all a ton of money over gathering in a bar to watch together.

GuitarStv

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #35 on: January 01, 2014, 09:04:43 AM »
We have a TV, but no cable/satellite.  Actually,, our TV is hooked up to a media computer that we stream stuff from.  We also watch movies on weekends.

Oldsmobile

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #36 on: January 01, 2014, 08:07:44 PM »
Sure.   32" flatscreen in the living room, hooked up to an antenna for OTA, and a dvd player, and a motorized free-to-air satellite dish.  That's something I don't see listed a lot as an alternative to cable, but it's good for people who like to tinker. 

see satelliteguys.com, http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/13276-What-you-need-to-get-legal-FTA-MPEG2-channels

TV is an option.  I frequently entertain myself in other ways, and try to be productive, but sometimes TV fits the bill, dammit. 

Sohcrates

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #37 on: January 26, 2014, 03:27:53 PM »
No tv or internet here. I do have internet on phone, but giving that up for a dumb phone by months end

Rural

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #38 on: January 26, 2014, 05:10:14 PM »
Well, the upshot is that a slightly higher percentage of us reports owning a TV than back in 2012, with a similar number of votes in the poll. Not exactly the results I thought we might get. Of course, it looks like many of us are doing "alternative" things with the TV.

BPA

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #39 on: January 27, 2014, 02:12:49 AM »
Well, the upshot is that a slightly higher percentage of us reports owning a TV than back in 2012, with a similar number of votes in the poll. Not exactly the results I thought we might get. Of course, it looks like many of us are doing "alternative" things with the TV.

I wonder if this might be because since the last poll MMM has had more exposure in the mainstream media.  It seems to me that a lot of his earliest readers were of the ERE mindset but it seems clear that there are many more less extreme frugalists now. 


Rural

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #40 on: January 27, 2014, 03:06:01 AM »
Well, the upshot is that a slightly higher percentage of us reports owning a TV than back in 2012, with a similar number of votes in the poll. Not exactly the results I thought we might get. Of course, it looks like many of us are doing "alternative" things with the TV.

I wonder if this might be because since the last poll MMM has had more exposure in the mainstream media.  It seems to me that a lot of his earliest readers were of the ERE mindset but it seems clear that there are many more less extreme frugalists now.

Yes, it definitely could be related to the demographic.

MustachianAccountant

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #41 on: January 27, 2014, 09:06:05 AM »
We have a TV, but no monthly cable bill as most commenters.
We have an antenna.
We have Amazon Prime, but don't use it much for streaming.
What we use the most is our Roku + Playon.tv (and PlayLater) combo.
It basically takes any show that a network posts to its website, and lets you watch it on your TV instead of your computer screen. Super easy to use, and I found it easier to use than setting up our computer with a TV card as a DVR.

the fixer

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #42 on: January 27, 2014, 11:02:33 AM »
My desktop computer that I use for work doubles as a media center with a bunch of hard drives so the wife and I can watch movies or DVDs. No TV. We get DVDs from the library occasionally.

No Internet subscriptions. The only TV show we like to follow right now is South Park, and that can stream for free from their website. AdBlock Plus even block all the ads!

For occasional/seasonal sports games we go to bars and do our best not to run up a giant tab. Usually we just drink water and order a bit of food.

We also have a radio, which has local sports games broadcast on it. I use it mostly to listen to NPR.

ace1224

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #43 on: January 27, 2014, 11:31:00 AM »
3 tv's.  basic cable on 1 of them.  the other 2 are used for netflix dvds and dvds we own.  no internet. 

Insanity

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #44 on: January 27, 2014, 12:15:20 PM »
The thing that sucks with cable - the device costs. 

$40 (plus tax) for 3 boxes is where we are at.   I am so trying to convince my wife to give up cable and we can just by an HD antennae for local broadcasting.  Given the amount of sports that we do watch lately - which is many NFL, we will be better off.. and it is mainly her. 

I do wonder how much of the Olympics will be streamed, though.

VuwylkOnlezzyen

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #45 on: January 27, 2014, 12:19:01 PM »
One television. We use it for DVD's and streaming internet video.  No cable or OTA television though.

Fletch

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #46 on: January 27, 2014, 01:54:32 PM »
I have a small TV in my room that is hooked up to a Wii (both were gifts at some point in high school or college), so I can watch netflix or hook up my computer. In theory, I think TV and bedrooms should not mix, but in practice I can keep the heat much lower if I can bundle up under covers. Roommate has a larger tv hooked up to a smart DVD play (hulu/netflix) and OTA in the living room.

I gave up netflix for a while this summer because I wasn't really watching tv, just had it on for no reason most of the time, but restarted my subscription this winter to watch some classic sci-fi while my energy levels are low (I get miserable seasonal affective disorder). $8.79/month is worth it during hibernation periods.

YK-Phil

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #47 on: January 27, 2014, 02:55:23 PM »
We have a television, but no cable. We never watch television and only use it to check who is buzzing us at the door.

RedMaple

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #48 on: January 27, 2014, 03:02:52 PM »
I have a TV (it was given to me because my parents had too many TVs). I get ~5 local channels from antenna that I rarely use, I primarily watch Netflix and HBO on the TV via Apple TV... but watch is such a loose term, it's mostly background noise. I hate it when it's too quiet.

payitoff

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Re: Do you own a television redux
« Reply #49 on: January 27, 2014, 03:37:57 PM »
we are currently in transition from cable. we now have netflix through PS3, kids now loving netflix over cable which is a victorious moment for us, makes it easier to switch by next month.

for anybody who has Roku, how does that work for you? i heard there's a remote control that comes with it, and has apps already set up like netflix, hulu etc.  does it work like TV? like you just choose and app and press play kind of thing? been deciding whether the $99 is worth the investment, coz i have a 72 year old mom who's not very techy savvy, she's my only reason i cant pull the plug on cable just yet.