[Closed] No TV - anyone else?

Watch films/cycling on the computer.No tv for 5-6 years now.

We still have a Netflix sub that gets well used so we're not "that family" by any means but we realised that 99% of what's on TV is utter guff and the remaining 1% just isn't worth the money or inevitable time you then waste watching the aforementioned guff in between

So you still have a TV? And you watch TV programmes on it. The method of consumption is changing from broadcast to on demand.

I wish.

Its hardly ever on in our house. Mostly radio and the odd film.... I could live off netflix and apple tv for that tbh....

I always refuse to do the tv license but the mrs always relents "just in case"

don't you need a licence for just having a tv capable of receiving normal broadcast tv?
I may be being thick, but we could also live quite happily with on demand content, but need to retain the big tv to watch it on, and hence need a licence anyway. (I think).

I love tv me. I watch loads quite happy to admit it.

I reckon I could happily live without but I'm only one of three in the household. I am finding the current crop of programming dire though - like it's been going downhill for years. I think I've started to realise just how false an image TV portrays, especially all the aspirational stuff like the various housey programmes, sheds, grand designs etc. I suppose it really is a soporific for the masses.

I would also imagine that the beeb have some code ready for the day that the rules change and you need to login to iplayer and access is only for license holders. Which would only be fair.

don't you need a licence for just having a tv capable of receiving normal broadcast tv?

don't you need a licence for just having a tv capable of receiving normal broadcast tv?
I may be being thick, but we could also live quite happily with on demand content, but need to retain the big tv to watch it on, and hence need a licence anyway. (I think).

Capability is defined as being plugged into the appropriate recieving equipment, not the installed functionality (it's actually a bit more wooly than that insofar as you can have it all plugged in as long as you don't use it but why bother?). So if you only use it for watching anything other than live TV then you don't need a licence. Being polite to inspectors and letting them have a quick look if they pop round doesn't hurt either, it gets them off your back without causing unnecessary aggro, worked when I did the same thing as a student.

So you still have a TV? And you watch TV programmes on it. The method of consumption is changing from broadcast to on demand.

Yes. But on the flipside we don't watch complete toss 'because it's on'.

I think I've started to realise just how false an image TV portrays, especially all the aspirational stuff like the various housey programmes, sheds, grand designs etc. I suppose it really is a soporific for the masses.

My missus came to the same conclusion. In the past year she says she feels better about herself because she's not having the usual "must have this" junk rammed down her throat constantly be that moisturisers or an "affordable" Georgian townhouse in Bath courtesy of Phil and Krusty.

Try watching american tv dave.....

Holy jebus.

Trying to keep with the tour de france at breakfast. Must have been 50/50 ads and content - and of the content - it was 50/50 astroturfing and cycling.

I don't have a TV. I either do something useful in the evening or go to bed early then wake up early with time to do stuff before work.

Nominally have a TV but it's analogue and not been switched on in over 5 years (keep meaning to rig it back up to watch VHS and DVDs .... 😳 ).

I watch the odd thing (after the transmission only) as that's still legal (think the bbc want this to be changed (which seems fair enough)) on the iPad. But can go weeks without watching anything. If/when this facility goes I'll probably stop even that.

I do do box sets though (on the laptop). On a rural exchange with sloooooooow speed so Netflix a no-no 🙁

I think waiting to watch a TV programme live is even more old fashioned than having to be home for someone to call you....

scotroutes - Member
I think I've started to realise just how false an image TV portrays, especially all the aspirational stuff like the various housey programmes, sheds, grand designs

Restoration Man and GD IMO are about design and architecture.

There's still the odd gem on tv (Humans pretty good just now, docus on BBC4 too) but yes a ton of guff.

Happy to pay my licence for Radio 4 though.

However I must say whenever I'm out somewhere and there's a TV on I find myself inexorably drawn to the flickering box.... 😈

So much so I usually position myself so it's out with my peripheral vision.

I was very surprised to learn that 95% of the uk still subscribe (according to the TVlicensing agency) when they harassed me recently to declare my status..

We get on demand cartoons and whatnot for the kids but that's the only real use we have for it..

(except for trailer park boys on Netflix obvs)

When The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy spoke on the subject in '92, we took notice

What do you point your furniture at?

Still the TV. In fairness it's a very rectangular room so can't point it in many other directions.

TR - yup, been there and done that. I'd have ditched it long ago if that was what i had to put up with!

Grand Designs is as much about architecture as Top Gear is about automotive engineering. All style and no substance (though nontheless entertaining if that's your thing).

What do you point your furniture at?

[smugface]the wonderful ever changing view outside (in the summer) or (this being stw) the wood burner [/smugface]

Yes, got a TV, but not hooked up to the aerial. Watching box sets at the moment and intend on subscribing to Netflix shortly. Watched the TDF on ITV player through the playstation, but the programmes weren't always there which was a bit of a pain. The Alpe d'huez stage didn't appear until sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, although we were able to watch it on the laptop. Can't understand how that could be.

We just notified TV licensing that we didn't need a licence as we watched dvd's. My boyfriend noticed someone hanging around outside that didn't look like a burglar, so we assumed it was them trying to see if we were watching broadcasted programmes as they said they would send someone round to check.

What do you point your furniture at?

Not had a licence for about 6 or 7 years. With young (or not so young now) kids we assumed that they would miss it and we would resubscribe at some point. They don't miss it at all, and are quite happy to not have TV, although it does mean that some topics of conversation (like X factor winners) etc at school they are out of touch with.

We do watch DVDs etc, but as someone else said, it means you don't watch the filler crap just because it is on.

EDIT 1 - the reference to X Factor might show how out of touch I am - not sure if that is even still on!

EDIT 2 - Forgot to say that the constant hassle from the TV Licensing people (even though we have informed them that we don't need a licence) is infuriating, and could be quite intimidating for some.

but as someone else said, it means you don't watch the filler crap just because it is on.

The only thing that will be on all day if I'm in at home is rolling news (or a test match) Evenings it's netflix etc. for something specific.

Of course but it's the amount of shit you watch for no other reason than it being of partial interest. You have no interest really but you feel compelled to watch it. Rolling news is a heap of shit as well, cutting that off was a huge improvement to my day.

I have a TV but have watched 3 series since the start of the year and a few days of the tour on itv4. I currently still have a TV licence.

I watched the remainder of Gotham and the remainder of agents of shield over two evenings because I'd started watching them and had them on series record so thought why not finish it off. And I watched series 1-3 of Parks and Recreation because I saw a few clips on youtube and thought it looked pretty funny.

Other than that the TV hasn't been turned on and that seems to be the key to not getting dragged in to all the filler crap or being pulled in by trailers into watching stuff that may be quite entertaining but is also a drain on free time.

The amount that people chat about TV shows does become a lot more apparent once you have no idea what they are talking about. A fella last night spent a good 15 minutes describing a new comedy show to me in intricate detail, I had nothing to add to the conversation other than nodding occasionally to let him know I was still listening.

My family have told me that they find my lack of TV watching strange and i assume they have had me put on some sort of mental health watch list.

Coming up on 15 years without a TV. I still watch films and (lots of) documentaries, and have watched the occasional show or series online.

A few years ago I came across an extract from an essay written in 1935 by Rudolph Arnheim, the theorist and psychologist. His observations and foresight are remarkably accurate:

Television is a new, hard test of our wisdom. If we succeed in mastering the new medium it will enrich us. But it can also put our mind to sleep. We must not forget that in the past the inability to transport immediate experience and to convey it to others made the use of language necessary and thus compelled the human mind to develop concepts. For in order to describe things one must draw the general from the specific; one must select, compare, think. When communication can be achieved by pointing with the finger, however, the mouth grows silent, the writing hand stops, and the mind shrinks.

Bill Murray (parody) on Twitter

“I don’t watch TV” proudly says a person who spends 8 hours a day on the internet.

Coming up on 15 years without a TV. I still watch films and (lots of) documentaries, and have watched the occasional show or series online.

*sigh*

Would you like me to get a mod to edit the topic title to something a little more literal?

Yes, it's about a change in the delivery method.

Moving on...

Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy spoke on the subject in '92, we took notice

Good call!

So other than the delivery and consumption method you still watch TV... Just you are one of those that are not tied to the screen.

It must be shit being you.

I haven't watched TV on a regular basis for nearly 15 years...

TV broke in 2004 and never replaced it, however probably spend just as much if not more time time looking at Internet related stuff instead!! There is no escape!! 🙂

My TV watching has declined steadily then taken another hit recently when I worked out You Tube and got a few channels I like. Haven't found a good way of watching the Giro/TDF etc online though?

Have a TV license and intend to keep it that way.

How do you think the programs you watch on iPlayer get paid for in the first place? Or the (mostly) very good BBC web site?

If you can afford a great big flat screen TV you can afford ~£3 per week for the license.

Would you like me to get a mod to edit the topic title to something a little more literal?

"Who can't control the amount of TV their kids watch?"

Would that do?

TV user and license payer here, still find TV the easiest way to catch up on News with the various 24 hr channels and enjoy watching most nature/science/archeology documentary style programs and much of the sports coverage.

I would have ditched the licence years ago but mrsH panicked and wanted to keep it. Im more than happy to miss good series then buy them later on word of mouth (I did this with Psychoville etc).

Tv now is mind numbingly repeated dross for 10% that is rare quality.

Once mrsH sees the light its bye bye.

I've got 4

keeps the mrs and kids entertained because we don't spend every moment of our lives outdoors, or being creative, or whatever people say they are doing all day

plus, i like watching benefit porn

No TV here for about 15 years. We do have an iMac in my office/studio, so can watch iPlayer and Netflix (or a DVD) on it if there is something specific we want to watch.
The main thing is no adverts - lovely!
I did watch the Tour on 4oD last year, but the bloody adverts put me off doing that again. I've got so used to not having to sit through 5 minutes of BS every 15-20 minutes that I honestly think I could never go back to normal TV usage.

Our nearly 2 year old has had zero exposure to adverts, and has zero interest in screens. Which is good! We even try to make sure that if the TV is on at the in-laws they leave it on BBC if possible. Sounds daft, but I really think that exposure to advertising at an impressionable age is one of the really nasty things we subject our kids to in the West. 1st world problem I know!

No TV for about 25 years, I don't miss it and don't have to be part of boring conversations about crappy programmes. I prefer R4 news, the papers, books.

Have a TV license and intend to keep it that way.

How do you think the programs you watch on iPlayer get paid for in the first place? Or the (mostly) very good BBC web site?

If you can afford a great big flat screen TV you can afford ~£3 per week for the license.

You assume we still watch iPlayer. Wrongly. Also, that £150odd a year can be better spent IMO, still pays for a Netflix sub with half left over. You also assume we have some all singing and dancing TV. Wrongly. A lot of assumptions there.

I'm all for going to the German model where public channels are paid for through general taxation but retaining independence from governemnet influence. Means we don't need to have this debate.

"Who can't control the amount of TV their kids watch?"

Would that do?

Nope, the problem wasn't with the child child, the problem was with the adult children. And we could control, just still ended up being convinced we had to watch some nonsense because it was "interesting".

keeps the mrs and kids entertained because we don't spend every moment of our lives outdoors, or being creative, or whatever people say they are doing all day

Not sure who has said anything to suggest that. Like I said, we're not [i]that[/i] family.

Ironic billmc

"Who can't control the amount of TV [s]their kids[/s] they watch?"

Of course but it's the amount of shit you watch for no other reason than it being of partial interest. You have no interest really but you feel compelled to watch it.

I don't.

I get that some people have no self control and sit watching all manner of crap.

Personally I don't. So I'm happy to have a TV and it doesn't entirely ruin my life or mean I can't go outside or read a book or whatever else it is that "no TV" people seem to think TV owners never manage to do 🙂

TV? What's that??

I haven't had a TV for about 2000 years!

Aye, I slipped the clutches of the goggle box around 5 years ago. Get more done around the house as well as more reading and cycling, yadda.

Had I received the gift of fatherhood, I'm not sure what call I'd make on the matter of having TV in house. Judging on what I hear about TV, recently, I'm convinced I'm not missing much.

Orses fur coorses

I do enjoy these posts. "Look at me, I don't watch TV", except for BBC iplayer, netflix, 4 on demand, catch up TV and youtube.

But other than those, I prefer to be outdoors and doing something interesting - posted on an internet forum 😉

I get that some people have no self control and sit watching all manner of crap.

Thanks for the sanctimony. Must be great to be you. Since we're on the subject of self control did you stop to consider that you might come across as a self rightious twunt when posting that?

I do enjoy these posts. "[b]Look at me, I don't watch TV[/b]", except for BBC iplayer, netflix, 4 on demand, catch up TV and youtube.

Who said that?

FFS this is just classic STW, you say one thing and then everyone is claiming you said another. Whatever. Another win for the Single Track Warriors.

[quote=squirrelking]Thanks for the sanctimony. Must be great to be you. Since we're on the subject of self control did you stop to consider that you might come across as a self rightious twunt when posting that?

Hang on. You posted this.....

[quote=squirrelking]Of course but it's the amount of shit you watch for no other reason than it being of partial interest. You have no interest really but you feel compelled to watch it

Which suggests you think that people sit and watch "shit" they have no interest just because it happens to be on.

I then agree with you, that some people do exactly that....

[quote=nealglover]I get that some people have no self control and sit watching all manner of crap.

And somehow I'm a "sanctimonious self righteous twunt" 😕

Because I agreed with a point. [b]A point that you made in the first place[/b] 🙄

[quote=squirrelking]FFS this is just classic STW, you say one thing and then everyone is claiming you said another. Whatever. Another win for the Single Track Warriors.

I do hope you have the Ironing board out.

Runs over the to the lunch thread, grabs popcorn, runs back here...

If anyone's still counting, and it's not drifting into bickering hereabouts, add me.

I'd watch programmes about the things I'm interested in and be sadly disappointed: facile, misleading, downright incorrect came to mind. Add to that the frequent jumps and flashes between scenes would hit me somewhere behind the eyes.

Three and a half years without, there will be a set in the next holiday rental, I'll soon become bored with it.

I'll chalk that up to a lack of tone. I obviously took that the wrong way, you can call the bunkers and have them stand down 😛

I wouldn't say it's so much a lack of self control as opposed to something people get into a gradual habit of doing. If something else was needing doing of course it would get done; my point was more that, on reflection, a lot of the stuff we [i]thought[/i] was interesting was in fact utter guff. Grand Designs being a good example. The only thing I learned from that is that people are by and large not good at doing things they were unqualified to do in the first place (and the wife always seems to get pregnant halfway through a build).

I'll chalk that up to a lack of tone.

Somehow I feel like I'm being told off for not agreeing with you "properly"

I was sort of expecting an apology for the unwarranted name calling, but never mind, there is probably some repeat on Dave +1 that should take my mind off it

Hang on. You posted this.....

squirrelking » Of course but it's the amount of shit you watch for no other reason than it being of partial interest. You have no interest really but you feel compelled to watch it

FWIW I understood sqk to say "you" in the sense of "one", i.e. "me". In other words self-deprecating, not inviting others to pile in criticising him.

But this is STW.

Apart from the news and Peppa Pig there is very little "live" tv watched in this house. If the wife and I sit down to watch something it's usually box sets or something. Might discuss cancelling the virgin tv and license with herself tonight.

In the past three weeks I've watched the news, cycling and F1. Oh and a documentary on BBC4. I could give up the TV tomorrow without issue (except from the rest of the famille TiRed, of course). Now radio, however, that is a totally different matter!

Somehow I feel like I'm being told off for not agreeing with you "properly"

I was sort of expecting an apology for the unwarranted name calling, but never mind, there is probably some repeat on Dave +1 that should take my mind off it

I thought the smiley face might have conveyed the tone. I guess not.

Unwarranted perhaps but I already explained myself, your post did come across as rather sanctimonious. I apologise for the name calling nontheless.

FWIW I understood sqk to say "you" in the sense of "one", i.e. "me". In other words self-deprecating, not inviting others to pile in criticising him.

Exactly.

@squirrelking - I wasn't saying that [i]you[/i] necessarily watched iPlayer etc - just having a pop at those who do and don't contribute to the making of the programs. I should have said 'if one can afford' etc not if 'you can afford' to depersonalise my comments, sorry. It was about 5:00 this morning!

Someone in my family does exactly this and it pisses me off.

I appreciate that it is perfectly legal to watch catchup TV, listen to the BBC radio channels and use the BBC website without a license - that is what needs addressing.

What about Game of Thrones, life without it is unimaginable.

What about Game of Thrones, life without it is unimaginable.

Easy. I started watching it and couldn't keep up due to work, not missed out on much.

Yeah sorry again, I assumed you meant me. I do get your point though.

Drac, how do you know you haven't missed out on much if you haven't seen it all?

Drac, how do you know you haven't missed out on much if you haven't seen it?

Well it's a TV show so I can really live without it.

Do you want to give me the answer to the other question you found hard too?

Oooh you found it far too hard so edited your post.

@squirrelking - no worries 🙂

Well it's a TV show so I can really live without it.

You one of these numpties who says they dont like a certain food but have never tried it.

I'm all for going to the German model where public channels are paid for through general taxation but retaining independence from governemnet influence. Means we don't need to have this debate.

Missed this - didn't know about it and liking it already. Sounds like a very good idea - increasing taxation in this country isn't something that most people would go for though!

All I do is watch TV. Without TV I'd waste more time than I currently do, posting even more balls on here.

I was about add, with a dash of sanctimony, that I don't watch anything I don't have to watch before realising that Britian Sees Red: Caught On Camera is on in the background. It's kinda like this thread, without the cameras. 😀

You one of these numpties who says they dont like a certain food but have never tried it.

No you couldn't be further from the truth. I'll try any food as I like food a lot.

Just like I tried Game of Thrones but I didn't have time to follow it so stopped, I managed to carry on without watching I'm not sure how much clearer I can make it. Any more insults you want to try?

"What about Game of Thrones, life without it is unimaginable."

really ? sounds exciting.

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I'm all for going to the German model where public channels are paid for through general taxation but retaining independence from governemnet influence. Means we don't need to have this debate.

Missed this - didn't know about it and liking it already. Sounds like a very good idea - increasing taxation in this country isn't something that most people would go for though!

not really general taxation, and hence, not really a tax increase either. instead of being obliged to pay for use of a tv, with almost everyone having a tv, they just changed it to being obliged to pay and if you don't want to watch TV, or use the online sites, or streaming, or whatever, then that's your problem.

so it's essentially a household surcharge rather than general taxation.

probably the easiest way to do that in UK is to scrap licence fee, and add tenner or whatever per month surcharge on the council tax bill (which already collects surcharges for all sorts of other things, depending on where you live).

I have a TV. Apart from Top Gear, F1, and Cycling and IoM TT on ITV4, there's bog all on the gogglebox.

I have a tv, don't have a tv license, and I've no intention of getting one. I also have an interweb connection, so I don't pay for any tv, but still watch what I like when i like. 🙂

I expect some of you loonballs will expect me to feel shame for this, but I don't!