Life without television: how do people do it?

I have decided to give up watching television

in that case I spent 3 years of uni without a TV (because i watched Quincy with my computer's TV tuner instead)

I am happy not to have a TV, because I don't have to watch adverts, but I don't think I'm smug.

i'll get edgy around wimbledon time without a tv though.

i don't download tv shows either because a) i don't know how to and b) we don't have the internet at home. i still have that dvd stevem made me of various lost episodes, and still haven't figured out how to play it yet.

crosspost

xpost

How much does it cost?
The blind concession is 50% off the full TV Licence fee, so you'll pay £63.25 for a colour licence and £21.00 for a black and white TV Licence.

you have to actually pay more for a colour licence even though you're blind.

Media: A Davina McCall chatshow and new dramas from Stephen Poliakoff, Tony Marchant...the highlights of the BBC1 winter/spring line-up

its easier than u think believe me. haven't had regular bbc/ itv / c4 etc tv since may 2004. it's been ace.

I haven't downloaded for UKNova for a bit, but I'm still uploading. Are they gonna throw me out?

> british tv would be improved if they had some comedy based on men wearing dresses

heh heh heh!

> The problem comes with the TV thing - even if you don't have an aerial and only use the telly to play Xbox, you still need a license, which sucks.

this isn't true. but getting the bbc to believe you is usually harder than paying the licence fee anyway - see above.

Also, you can pause a DVD to go have a cig/make more cocoa/pee/answer the phone/etc.

The Wireless Telegraphy (Television Licence Fees) Regulations 1991 gives the following definition:

* The following class or description of television receiving apparatus is hereby specified for the purposes of the definition of "television receiver" in the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949[5], namely such apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving television programme services, as defined by section 2(4) of the Broadcasting Act 1990, whether or not the apparatus is installed or used for other purposes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_license#Notes

which sounds awful ambiguous to me.

so... 'use' not 'have'.

[chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)

T.V., it
satellite links
our United States of Unconsciousness
Apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive
The methadone metronome pumping out
150 channels 24 hours a day
you can flip through all of them
and still there's nothing worth watching
T.V. is the reason why less than 10 per cent of our
Nation reads books daily
Why most people think Central Amerika
means Kansas
Socialism means unamerican
and Apartheid is a new headache remedy
absorbed in it's world it's so hard to find us
It shapes our mind the most
maybe the mother of our Nation
should remind us
that we're sitting too close to...

[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)

T.V. is
the stomping ground for political candidates
Where bears in the woods
are chased by Grecian Formula'd
bald eagles
T.V. is mechanized politic's
remote control over the masses
co-sponsored by environmentally safe gases
watch for the PBS special
It's the perpetuation of the two party system
where image takes precedence over wisdom
Where sound bite politics are served to
the fastfood culture
Where straight teeth in your mouth
are more important than the words
that come out of it
Race baiting is the way to get selected
Willie Horton or
Will he not get elected on...

[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)

T.V., is it the reflector or the director?
Does it imitate us
or do we imitate it
because a child watches 1500 murders before he's
twelve years old and we wonder why we've created
a Jason generation that learns to laugh
rather than to abhor the horror
T.V. is the place where
armchair generals and quarterbacks can
experience first hand
the excitement of warfare
as the theme song is sung in the background
Sugar sweet sitcoms
that leave us with a bad actor taste while
pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars
You saw the video
You heard the soundtrack
Well now go buy the soft drink
Well, the onla cola that I support
would be a union C.O.L.A.(Cost Of Living Allowance)
On television

[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(2x)

Back again, "New and improved"
We return to our irregularly programmed schedule
hidden cleverly between heavy breasted
beer and car commercials
CNNESPNABCTNT but mostly B.S.
Where oxymoronic language like
"virtually spotless", "fresh frozen"
"light yet filling" and "military intelligence"
have become standard
T.V. is the place where phrases are redefined
like "recession" to "necessary downturn"
"Crude oil" on a beach to "mousse"
"Civilian death" to "collateral damages"
and being killed by your own Army
is now called "friendly fire"
T.V. is the place where the pursuit
of happiness has become the pursuit of
trivia
Where toothpaste and cars have become
sex objects
Where imagination is sucked out of children
by a cathode ray nipple
T.V. is the only wet nurse
that would create a cripple

[Chorus:]
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation
(4x)

although that doesn't cater for pausing etc. there are now also video on demand services here that you can choose programs to watch when you want and also pause and stuff.

Problems caused by not watching TV:

1. Dealing with the assumption that such an aberrant lifestyle choice means that I must be a terrific snob. I don't exactly go around booming "HEY I DON'T WATCH TV!" at new acquaintances, coworkers, etc., and in fact try to avoid the subject as much as possible, but

2. about 70% of the references in most jocular workplace conversation must be patiently explained to me if I am to understand what is being discussed at all.

* I have seen every episode of Strangers With Candy on VHS and DVD, courtesy of a friend who is a big fan of it, and for this I am grateful. Randomly-caught episodes of Simpsons, South Park, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force have also been fun.

You'd think this would lead to me getting more done around the house, but you'd be wrong.

Having a TV for DVD purposes is very much not the same thing.

the required shortness of attention span drives me crazy

So true!

When I'm at other people's places and the TV is on, I can't take my eyes off of it

It exerts a powerful fascination, doesn't it? Commercials I find especially bizarre and entrancing and horrifying.

Another effect of basically not having watched TV since like 1982: when I do see some I'm continually startled by the IN YOUR FUCKING FACE language, violence, and sex now common on network TV. ("Startled" != "offended," necessarily.) And cable, forget it -- seeing one episode of a dating show on MTV while in a hotel last fall left me weirded out and mildly depressed about it for days.

nary a half-hour goes by without something that seems designed to make the viewer feel bad about themselves in some way

OTM, but I think I'd change "a half-hour" to "five minutes."

This is OTFM. My previous flat was too small for a TV so we just watched DVDs/mpgs on the PC instead. Had people come round threatening search warrants and all sorts. We let them in, and they actually said it wouldn't make any difference that they'd been round and seen we had no TV, because the licensing org wouldn't believe it anyway. Basically they continued to send the letters until we moved out. We have a TV now so are licensed and don't have to deal with them any more, but what a bunch of cunts.

I think I was more concerned about having to deal with people turning up with search warrants while I was having a spliff or something.

It's just a bit ridiculous that they won't consider the possibility that you don't in fact own a television!

1. "I don't think you're ready for this Telly"

Uh, that makes it bad? You just forgot TV language. It's like learning a new language: you just have to adapt to it. I'm sorry, I just don't agree with your stance.

Bosko Balaban Stats For Season
Name Bosko Balaban
Team Aston Villa
Total Appearances 0
Starts 0
Substituted 0
Total Minutes Played 0
Avg Minutes Played Per Start 0
Goals 0
Avg Goal Mins When Starting 0.0
Avg Mins Played/Goal Scored 0
Goals Scored As Sub 0
Number of Bookings 0
Total Booking Minutes 0
Avg Bookings Per Start 0
Number of Red Cards 0
Total Red Card Minutes 0
Avg Red Cards Per Start 0
Avg Booking Minutes When Starting 0.0

would be way harder to give up the net than tv. i maybe watch 2 or 3 full programs a week, now. used to watch shitloads as a kid, tho.