Which is better-TV with 3 channels, or 300?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
We grew up with TV having only 3 channels/networks, NBC, CBCS, ABC. Now there are multiple channels and networks, but which provided better entrainment? When there was only 3, most of the PM shows were scripted dramas, the classic TV shows, today it's "sing with the stars" shows. We have more selections, but are those 'selections' great entertainment. Remember the Kardashians ? Which is better entertainment today with 300 channels, or yesterday with 3?
 

The former 4 channels we had when I was young.. had better quality TV programming ... now it's factory conveyor belt .. out as fast as it can possibly be made..

My husband is the boss on a very well known British Show, and he works 12 hour days.. every day of the week.. except weekends, but sometimes even then.. to get the show out several nights a week... it's a punishing schedule..
 
I have 1000 channels that includes non English speaking Channels, and British and Asian radio channels.. but doesn't include Netflix which I also have... but it's the cheapest package deal which includes my landline phone, and my Mobile ..

I probably watch a dozen of those channels on a regular basis.. ( excepting Netflix)
 
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Because of my mental health condition, I don't watch television.

The only show I can watch is The Fireplace Channel. I was watching it one night and the log fell to the left...again., So I yelled out, "Aw, man! This is a repeat!" My wife couldn't stop laughing.

burning-fireplace-fire.gif
 
More than 3 in order to offer choice. We don't watch major channels like NBC ABC CBS FOX except for weather & news stories. Most watched are streaming options due to the variety of choice to watch anytime day or night. And even there news is available.
 
When living at our mountain cabin, all we had was DVDs
Seemed plenty

Now, in town here, we get many (I've never counted) free

Initially, I tried going thru them all
My thumb began to get its own version of carpal tunnel

Handed the remote to my wife

She cruises thru some, of an evening
It's my nap time

We center on YouTube for movies and documentaries (handy little skip commercial feature)
She sometimes goes to Tubi
...I try not to snore
 
I think I got 13 channels in the early 80's. Probably a few more. The cable bill was 6 dollars.

Now I have a low tier with more channels but there is nothing on and they keep blocking channels. And the bill is ridiculous. Also they are not putting all shows up 'on demand' which is really getting on my nerves.
 
I like having a choice of more than 3 channels. As far as "great entertainment" goes, that's subjective. What I consider great might not be your cuppa. I'd rather shoot myself in the head than watch the Kardashians.:rolleyes:🔫
 
Yesterday with 3 for me. We cut the cord on the cable 300 back pre-Covid. Broadcast High-Def works for us-sometimes. Reception isn't all that good-even with an active indoor antenna attached to the TV. Programming is less than impressive anyway.

Cable company keeps pestering us with mailers to cut over to fibre-optic. We're still on copper feed for the internet. Pixelates badly trying to watch streaming-at least it was back some years ago when it was 'free.'

My understanding that AT&T has outsourced its copper feed to an independent contractor. Don't know who that is or how to contact them if there is an issue. Only a matter of time now until the copper feed either completely fails or becomes so obsolete it is unusable.

Really confusing on which service to choose from what company. As a result, all the mailers go in the circular file. We do nothing regarding any "upgrade." Mostly we watch DVD's and You-Tube.
 
Don M. said:
We get about 250 channels, and probably only watch about 10 or 12. The vast majority of the TV programs are a waste of electricity, IMO.
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Sounds like the situation my wife and I have. There are about 5 channels we're really interested in and they are popular, so Dish strategically includes them all in their top-priced plan and scatters them in their cheaper plans. They know what they're doing.
 
Will NOT pay big 💰💰with any cable companies..."principle of the thing..
and all that"
Getc 50 channels with Antenna...
That's all that's needed..all major channels and PBS=must have!
Have other(s) on cell phone!
 
Jace said:
Will NOT pay big 💰💰with any cable companies..."principle of the thing..
and all that"
Getc 50 channels with Antenna...
That's all that's needed..all major channels and PBS=must have!
Click to expand...
If only everyone would abandon their DirecTV and Dish plans the satellites would crash and burn, and antenna TV could come back! Currently the problem is that the programming on Antenna TV is crap for the most part. The broadcasters want you on Dish and DirecTV where they make more money.
 
Senter said:
If only everyone would abandon their DirecTV and Dish plans the satellites would crash and burn, and antenna TV could come back! Currently the problem is that the programming on Antenna TV is crap for the most part. The broadcasters want you on Dish and DirecTV where they make more money.
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Antenna TV didn't go away. I have an antenna for my TV. And it's a Roku TV, so I don't need cable but I get cable channels and a bunch of streaming channels and international channels.

If I was limited to 3 channels, I wouldn't even want a TV. My PC is already enough, actually.
 
Murrmurr said:
Antenna TV didn't go away. I have an antenna for my TV. And it's a Roku TV, so I don't need cable but I get cable channels and a bunch of streaming channels and international channels.

If I was limited to 3 channels, I wouldn't even want a TV. My PC is already enough, actually.
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I know it didn't go away. I have one TV on an HD antenna. I actually meant antenna popularity and demand would come back.
 
If we could get 3 good channels that would be sufficient. We pay for 150+ channels, 99% of the programming is garbage. IMO 100% of the new[er] TV programs are...well, they make me shake my head and utter "wtf?"

In our location(70 miles NE of Los Angeles) the TV signals are blocked by the San Gabriel mountains, so TV antennas of any kind are out of the game. In the past(before satellite dish service) I had a UHF antenna that could pick up the re-broadcast VHF from a large antenna in Victorville. But, the reception was 'snowy', only got the 3 major networks from Bakersfield and San Diego, plus a couple L.A. local channels.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
We grew up with TV having only 3 channels/networks, NBC, CBCS, ABC. Now there are multiple channels and networks, but which provided better entrainment? When there was only 3, most of the PM shows were scripted dramas, the classic TV shows, today it's "sing with the stars" shows. We have more selections, but are those 'selections' great entertainment. Remember the Kardashians ? Which is better entertainment today with 300 channels, or yesterday with 3?
Click to expand...
I am a Comcast subscriber. More channels than I could ever hope to watch, but some benefits 3 channels could never offer. A variety of perspectives on the news, local, national, international, right, left, and between, every variety of sports, foreign channels such as the BBC, other channels offering repeats of all those classic shows that we both like and an endless variety of current shows and movies from ancient to modern. Thankfully a recording option allows storage of copies of all the shows and movies you could ever want to watch, new, or ancient. So yes, better than three.
 

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