No TV – anyone else?

So we ditched the licence after a year of waiting for me to reconnect the satellite. In that time I’ve gone from wanting it reconnected for “important stuff” to just not caring. My missus never wanted it reconnected anyway as we have a 2 year old and are enjoying the fact she doesn’t sit glued to shouty screamy nonsense all day.

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.

Anyone else in the same boat?

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?

pretty sure you can have it all connected ready to watch tv, but if you never actually switch it on to watch shows ‘as theyre happening’ you dont need one.
im close to it myself, just not quite there yet.

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?

Some of my furniture points at the TV so I don’t bugger up my neck trying to watch it, other stuff doesn’t.

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.

This I don’t get, you just need to turn it off. It’s what the red button is for.

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.

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.

*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!