I killed my TV!

[Bill McBlueState]

Or more precisely, I took a step toward killing my TV.

My wife and I decided it wasn't worth $50 a month for 100 channels of crap. Especially the right-wing crap you find on at least half of them. And with Netflix and TV-on-DVD, we still have plenty of things to watch.

So we cancelled expanded basic and our digital package. Starting Thursday, we'll just have channels 2-23 and high-speed cable internet.

I think this'll be pretty cool. But I *am* a little nervous about it! I wonder if this is what it feels like to quit smoking...

[Initech]

1. I'm seriously considering doing the same thing.

I dont really watch much TV any more except for a few shows (and only two are on network TV). I avoid cable news like the plague and dont really watch much sports during the baseball off season. I'm starting to think it might be worth it.

[Random_Australian]

2. I have 5 stations. That's more than enough for me...

:popcorn:

[kiraboo]

8. Me too. Well really only four, but the kids try to watch the fuzzy

one to see "The Simpsons". If I had more channels, I might watch them. And that'd take away from my computer time! :P

[politicat]

3. I'm sending the DVR and the Dish thingy back.

Just gotta wait for the weather to clear enough that I can get up on the roof and pull the box off the dish.

I am so tired of TV. I'll miss the Daily Show, but one show is not worth $30 a month.

If the cable company ever comes up with a la carte programming (real a la carte programming, where I pay $2 or $3 per channel) I'll consider getting cable again.

[Alleycat]

4. I don't think A La Carte will ever happen

I work for a cable company although I do the on air advertising side not the cable thing. We had a meeting with the cable side recently and that was one question brought up. The way the networks like ESPN, HIST, HGTV etc. charge each cable company is based on subscribers. The more subscribers the less the distribution cost. So if only 20 people want HIST the cost would be huge. Nothing like the $2.00 or $3.00 you are hoping for. Big networks like ESPN, and YES charge the cable company 10 of thousands to have the privilege of having them as part of the line up. That is why the cost of cable have grown so much. The cable company really is not racking in the bucks with cable TV that's why they are expanding services they have more cost control over like internet, VOD and such.

Also the DISH and Direct TV are currently not making huge bucks either. They have very few local employees. They use sub contractors to install and service but are currently taking a hit so they can ramp up their subscriber base. Once they get to a pre-determined level the prices will begin to rise just like cable.

I'm not trying to defend either-in fact I am currently looking for a different job so don't bite my head off!

:scared:

I just thought I can clear up a few assumptions. I don't know everything but this is an area I do have some first hand experience it.

[politicat]

9. Fair 'nuff...

It's not your fault that the telecom/communications industries are utterly horrible when it comes to how they deal with consumers. (I am very envious of the European model of the communication business.)

Things that are natural monopolies should not be in the hands of individuals or corporations... including broadcasting and data transfer.

Oh, well. I guess Netflix and downloading will have to take the place of TV.

[fujiyama]

11. If you have a decent internet connection

you can find full episodes on torrent sites, otherwise I believe Comedy Central has large clips of their shows online.

And of course, the best clips will also be on Crooks and liars and other cool sites.

[politicat]

15. Torrents require me to learn how to properly use Bittorrent

Torrenters aren't the best documenters, and I haven't taken the time to figure it out.

And also to figure out how to find torrents...

But we do DSL.

[Benfea]

5. Let me tell you one thing.

You'll find this nicely ironic.

Because large numbers of conservatives yelled and bitched and moaned about "values" issues (e.g. cartoon characters), you can call up your cable provider and demand that they block any channel or channels you find personally offensive.

So guess what? You can call them up and demand that they block all the conservative channels (e.g. CNN), and they have to do it.

Personally, I just buy the basic cable because the only things I'm interested in are FoodTV (Iron Chef, Iron Chef America, Alton Brown's Good Eats), Cartoon Network (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), and Sci-Fi Channel (Battlestar Galactica, Dr. Who). Plus, I get a great deal in cable Internet access.

[Catch22Dem]

18. How can you not mention Flay?

You mention all these great Food Network shows, but leave off Boy Meets Grill!!! Blasphemy! ;)

[Ariana Celeste]

6. Be strong!

:7

We quit cable almost 2 years ago, and I was distressed for days. But as days turned to weeks... and weeks turned to months... we started to wonder why we even had cable to begin with!

It does feel like quitting a drug doesn't it? It kind of is a drug when you think about it. :hi:

[Deja Q]

7. Plead insanity. It'll reduce the jail time for vidslaughter.

:rofl:

[marzipanni]

10. If your thumb needs additional excercise...

(This thumb piano has its own talking heads!)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

12. I turned my tv off a year ago and never looked back

If my sister thinks there's something I should see I can always torrent it

[hyphenate]

13. That's great if that's what you watch

I personally couldn't live without Scifi, USA, and Comedy Central. And in the past, my reception has sucked so bad on regular channels that it wasn't feasible for me to not have some help with getting even the main broadcast channels.

But I'm a huge TV fan anyhow, and I live for TV. While one of my friends is totally a movie fan, I still believe in the power of television and its ability to educate the masses.

[Redneck Socialist]

14. Good first step

I've been tv free for 17 years now. I only miss sports, but hey, baseball's better on the radio anyway so that's not much of a sacrifice.

[Katherine Brengle]

16. Excellent decision--

Kudos to you both! I came to this conclusion a couple of years ago, and in the time since have gotten more useful work done than I ever imagined possible.

I always found it ironic that even with hundreds of channels, I was always flipping channels and complaining that there was nothing on...

I now have an antennae and I watch as much tv as I did before (not much really, maybe an hour on average), I just actually enjoy it.

[Kali]

17. Congrats

Haven't had tv in 15 years. About the only thing I wish I could see regularly is the Daily Show. I miss none of the rest of it. Especially the "news".:puke:



Take drugs if you want to be stupid.