TV Trash

[Quahog]

We are continually questioning why we spend so much money for cable when every time we get a chance to watch TV, it's garbage. We have about 3 shows that we watch regularly....seems there has to be a cheaper way.

T.

One of the best things I've done this year is fire up a $9 Netflix subscription and connected an Apple MiniMac to my HDTV. With that setup, I can watch movies, old TV shows/series, etc. "on demand" and there are no commercials.

To be honest, I prefer recording shows then watching them later so I can fast-forward the commercials.

[TLynnHughes]

We are continually questioning why we spend so much money for cable when every time we get a chance to watch TV, it's garbage. We have about 3 shows that we watch regularly....seems there has to be a cheaper way.

T.

One of the best things I've done this year is fire up a $9 Netflix subscription and connected an Apple MiniMac to my HDTV. With that setup, I can watch movies, old TV shows/series, etc. "on demand" and there are no commercials.

To be honest, I prefer recording shows then watching them later so I can fast-forward the commercials.

There was a recent article on the Internet about how many people are moving away from cable and/or television in favor of downloaded shows or services like Netflix. I like your minimac idea. We sure could save a boatload of cash, I think.

T.

[chabouk]

We have DirecTV, but watch almost no major network programming. (I personally watch almost zero TV, except for the occasional ball game.)

When our TV is on, it tends to be History or Discovery or BBC America, or cartoons. We have a Netflix subscription and a Roku player. My 27" iMac is in the living room too, and I watch some shows on Hulu, Netflix, or others. I'm going to check out that retro TV site; I'm sure my wife will love it.

[RPB]

I get RTV from Kerrville ,,, you can watch live on computer too though
http://www.justin.tv/kvhc#r=WwqCLAo~" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PSLOwner]

F/X has some good original programming (e.g. Justified, The Shield, etc.) and I am STILL a sucker for the various Law and Order show.

I HAVE to keep DirecTV to get the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Netflix is nearly perfect, and when you can stream movies and TV shows to your TV for FREE, well, you have a fan for life.

Oh, back to the Trailer Parks in the original post...... the Canadian show "Trailer Park Boys" is a riot.

[Quahog]

We are continually questioning why we spend so much money for cable when every time we get a chance to watch TV, it's garbage. We have about 3 shows that we watch regularly....seems there has to be a cheaper way.

T.

One of the best things I've done this year is fire up a $9 Netflix subscription and connected an Apple MiniMac to my HDTV. With that setup, I can watch movies, old TV shows/series, etc. "on demand" and there are no commercials.

To be honest, I prefer recording shows then watching them later so I can fast-forward the commercials.

There was a recent article on the Internet about how many people are moving away from cable and/or television in favor of downloaded shows or services like Netflix. I like your minimac idea. We sure could save a boatload of cash, I think.

T.

T.

I should have also mentioned that you don't need a Mac to do this. In fact, I know Netflix now supports at least the PS3 and Wii too. So no need to buy expensive hardware.

[Quahog]

F/X has some good original programming (e.g. Justified, The Shield, etc.) and I am STILL a sucker for the various Law and Order show.

I HAVE to keep DirecTV to get the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Netflix is nearly perfect, and when you can stream movies and TV shows to your TV for FREE, well, you have a fan for life.

Oh, back to the Trailer Parks in the original post...... the Canadian show "Trailer Park Boys" is a riot.

Missing Justified is one of the reasons I still keep U-verse. Hulu provides a number of shows you can subscribe to and you can often go to the various network websites for "next day" reruns but it's not perfect. Eventually, I will totally rid myself of that high monthly bill that I keep for the sake of a few shows.

[SwimFan85]

I should have also mentioned that you don't need a Mac to do this. In fact, I know Netflix now supports at least the PS3 and Wii too. So no need to buy expensive hardware.

Those are pretty expensive hardware if you're buying them to watch streaming video. If you already have one for games, well, that's like already having a computer laying around. No additional hardware is needed.

If the Roku also played Hulu content (or had a stripped down browser with a streaming video plugin) it would be a real winner.

[Quahog]

I should have also mentioned that you don't need a Mac to do this. In fact, I know Netflix now supports at least the PS3 and Wii too. So no need to buy expensive hardware.

Those are pretty expensive hardware if you're buying them to watch streaming video. If you already have one for games, well, that's like already having a computer laying around. No additional hardware is needed.

If the Roku also played Hulu content (or had a stripped down browser with a streaming video plugin) it would be a real winner.

Yeah, I meant to say "if you already have...." but I failed to. Your point is well made.

[SQLGeek]

The Xbox 360 can also play streaming Netflix however you need to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

[chabouk]

I'm going to check out that retro TV site; I'm sure my wife will love it.

Oops, I should have read more carefully. I thought the retro site was for online viewing. We're at the fringe for OTA broadcast, even before digital. I doubt we can get any stations by antenna now.

For those with a Wii, the Netflix disc has already shipped. We received ours at least a couple of weeks ago, but we haven't tried it yet, because the Wii and Roku are hooked to the same TV. We might move the Roku to the bedroom, but even if we do that, I imagine we'll replace the living room DVD player with one of the new sub-$200 Blu-ray players with built-in WiFi and Netflix. We only have standard-def TVs, but I'm sure someday we will upgrade; might as well have compatible components. In the meantime, anyone not watching TV has three computers to choose from.

[RPB]

I'm going to check out that retro TV site; I'm sure my wife will love it.

Oops, I should have read more carefully. I thought the retro site was for online viewing. We're at the fringe for OTA broadcast, even before digital. I doubt we can get any stations by antenna now.

For those with a Wii, the Netflix disc has already shipped. We received ours at least a couple of weeks ago, but we haven't tried it yet, because the Wii and Roku are hooked to the same TV. We might move the Roku to the bedroom, but even if we do that, I imagine we'll replace the living room DVD player with one of the new sub-$200 Blu-ray players with built-in WiFi and Netflix. We only have standard-def TVs, but I'm sure someday we will upgrade; might as well have compatible components. In the meantime, anyone not watching TV has three computers to choose from.

you can watch either by antenna or online ... I get RETRO RTV from Kerrville ,,, you can watch live on computer too though
http://www.justin.tv/kvhc#r=WwqCLAo~" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or any RTV affiliate which also simulcasts online

Prior to digital I got 1 UHF Austin station snowy on a set-top antenna, now I get roughly 150 with a 15' tall (toof peak is 15', then two 10' masts overlapping (with two TB-105 support bearings) for another 15' above the roof = 30' off the ground) rooftop antenna (Highest gain) and the highest gain amp Winegard AP-8275, I used 50' of good RG-11 "LOW LOSS" cable instead of that skinny cheap RG-8 cable (or even worse RG58) most people use for antennas or cable tv.

I'm 225 miles from Houston, watching KPRC Channel 2 Houston on TV as I type this, I usually can watch it early mornings. Depending on weather I can watch Beaumont or Shreveport/Arklatex or Abilene or Riudoso, Mexico from where I am roughly 60 miles north of Austin, but not typically.

most stations within 150 miles are easy ... watched SA Spurs/DAL game last night a while broadcast from San Antonio (Austin which is nearer to me didn't broadcast it, I didn't bother turning the antenna to see if Dallas did)

But many TV stations have streaming video so you can watch tv live on the computer anyway, at least for one of their 3-to-5 digital channels

[TLynnHughes]

I should have also mentioned that you don't need a Mac to do this. In fact, I know Netflix now supports at least the PS3 and Wii too. So no need to buy expensive hardware.

Those are pretty expensive hardware if you're buying them to watch streaming video. If you already have one for games, well, that's like already having a computer laying around. No additional hardware is needed.

If the Roku also played Hulu content (or had a stripped down browser with a streaming video plugin) it would be a real winner.

Yeah, I meant to say "if you already have...." but I failed to. Your point is well made.

Yeah, we're mid-level computer geeks so we have lots of stuff around the house like a Wii we hardly use and various laptops. A PS3 is on our "To Buy" list because grown son moved out and took his. We need to replace it because it was our downstairs Blu-Ray player.

T.

[Abraham]

I understand your disgust.

To answer your question: TV management types appreciate that a certain segment of viewers have zero taste, thus programs like Dog The Bounty Hunter, pig-like humans who gorge themselves as entertainment, repo-man type shows and other repellent venues exist.

Advertisement will be generated to appeal to this audience.

Fortunately, there also exists some very high quality television.

That low quality programming exists is really quite understandable.

There's low quality music, low quality food...low quality exists in all categories and so it's part of television too.

Let's face it - there are low quality humans who find low quality quite appealing and will seek it out.

[Venus Pax]

I'll pay for DSL but never saw any reason to pay for TV.

The lady that took my cancellation order at Dish laughed uncontrolably when she asked why I cancelled and I told her because their commercial said "why pay more to get less"
And I was paying to get 120 channels, but my rooftop antenna gets over 150 channels, so I was just following their instructions. Additionally because my antenna gets lots of programming unavailable on dish, so i was really never using dish. ( I had cable prior to that, cancelled it too for lack of usage )

We don't have cable/satellite at all, and we hardly even watch the free stuff we pick up with our antennae.