Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The TV Diet


We are about to do the unthinkable - live without a TV.

We currently don't have cable, and only get one channel (two on a clear day). It still comes in to us through the airwaves, through rabbit ears which we adjust carefully each night based on the weather. One day one of my daughter's friends was over and she asked, "Why does the picture on your TV look like that?" My daughter and I both glanced over at the TV, not realizing that anything was out of the ordinary, and noticed that to the uninitiated, the picture looked a bit wobbly. "Oh" I said, "it's raining out." "Seriously?" the friend asked. "You should see what it looks like when our neighbor revs his truck!" I told her. She just stared in disbelief. I guess we're just used to it.

The pending national switch to digital TV has forced us to make a decision between signing up for cable or skipping TV altogether. After watching reality shows for the past few nights, no TV has won out.

I spent most of my youth without a TV, but was mesmerized by it during the few years we had it and watched it any chance I got at friend's houses. As an adult, TV has always been on in the background at home, although we've never had cable. I'm afraid that if we had cable, I'd never be able to walk away from the TV and would get nothing productive done and the household would gradually disintegrate around us! It's just so hypnotic...even when I know the show I'm watching isn't really that great, I still watch.

So, since we have to make a decision, we're deciding NO MORE TV! We'll keep it to use with our DVD player to watch Netflix (which, of course, we could never go without!). I'll let you know how it goes...
.

10 comments:

Alaskan Dave Down Under said...

We use our telly for watching dvd movies too. Hardly ever gets turned on for anything else. Well unless, of course, The All Blacks are playing.

We've also decided to forgo cable; just what I would need, more brain damage!

Allmycke said...

Congratulations!
Mine gets about two hours playtime a day - but if I had to pay for cable it would be residing in storage.

Blair said...

I haven't had cable for almost a year now, and I usually don't miss it! (The trick is that I still get to watch my favorite shows online, and we view A LOT of DVDs from Netflix.) I'm like you, though. If a TV is on, then I'm mesmerized, and I have to watch it, even if the show or movie is crap. Then after a few hours, I start to feel kind of nauseous and disgusting, like I've just eaten a ton of junk food. Yuck.

LoveANewIdea said...

Dave-
Sounds like we're on the same channel with this issue. I'm actually looking forward using my time differently. This will also give me more time to keep up with fellow bloggers!

Allmycke-
Thanks for visiting and commenting! Much appreciated. And, yup, like you I have no interest in adding another bill to my budget, especially when most people complain about how little there is to watch on all of their 50 channels!

Skebba said...

Sounds like a fantastic idea! Good for you. We used to have Austar (similar to your cable) and the amount of hours I wasted on that is unforgivable! Now I hardly watch free-to-air tv at all. I only really watch my favourite comedians Hamish & Andy when they do a segment on Rove. I don't watch my favourite tv show Lost on it either, preferring to source it online. Also been watching a bit of Life on Mars that way. It means I get the latest shows, and I can pause, rewind, and rewatch at my leisure!

Alaskan Dave Down Under said...

Sounds like we're on the same channel with this issue.

*snicker* ...same channel...

LoveANewIdea said...

Kelly-
I used to be such an intense Lost fan, but it kind of waned during the past year...not sure why. And I LOVE Life on Mars; I will really miss that. Oh well, decision, decisions.

Dave-
You got my clever little play on words! I'm sorry I don't pick up on more of your interesting tidbits...I'm going to try harder - the parrot counting, the Guthrie references, trivia questions, etc...

LoveANewIdea said...

Blair-
How could I miss responding to your comment!! (I sure wish blogger would let us respond from the Moderate Comments page...otherwise I sometimes miss responding once I've published a comment.)

Yup - know that feeling you're talking about; kind of like when you eat an entire container of Ben & Jerry's at one sitting - probably not the best thing to do, but it tasted good. All I can say is thank heavens for Netflix, which I think was the best idea / invention(?) ever!

Alaska Steve said...

Good for you! We have to have cable to have decent internet, but we don't watch TV. Living without Netflix would be unthinkable though! Now you can just decide what to do with the time you save! The living room remodel looks great, much cleaner look. I love your blog and I'm sorry i don't get over here more often - is it okay if i link to you on my sidebar to help me remember? Steve

LoveANewIdea said...

Alaska Steve-
Of NPR Story Corps fame!. Thanks for stopping by and commenting...much appreciated.

Thank you for your feedback on the remodel. It's our official Movie Room now, and we'll soon have fave movie posters on the walls. You're right - thank heaven for Netflix.

And, yes, would be happy to have you add me to your sidebar...I added you to mine, and didn't even ask! (Poor netiquette on my part?) I find so many of the Alaska blogs positively fascinating, and LOVE yours!

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