Navigating Modern Television

Joe Smith

Joe Smith

Member
Location
Makalu
Is everyone happy with new age television with the large monthly payments, the entering and re-entering codes and sign-ons, live sports blackouts
and still being overwhelmed with commercial interjections?
When they were presenting the idea of Pay TV 50 or so years ago it was stated the main idea was it was going to rid the constant
nagging advertising and truth be told it appears that there is more than ever now than then.
 

Don't have to worry about that anymore. I cut cable a couple of years ago and have never regretted it. I stream 99% of what I watch commercial free. Streaming is way cheaper than paying for cable to get comparable programming...it also saves a lot of time. Streaming a 60 minute show actually takes only 41 minutes without commercials; a half hour show is 21 minutes. I can watch what I want, when I want and am not confined by the times shows air. Only "downside" (not really) is that there's so much programming available that my watch lists keep growing and i'll never have time to watch all the shows.
 

Joe Smith said:
Is everyone happy with new age television with the large monthly payments, the entering and re-entering codes and sign-ons, live sports blackouts
and still being overwhelmed with commercial interjections?
When they were presenting the idea of Pay TV 50 or so years ago it was stated the main idea was it was going to rid the constant
nagging advertising and truth be told it appears that there is more than ever now than then.
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Same here. When commercial TV was being PR'd in the early 80s we protested about having American-style advert intrusions. The PR people assured us that "no" we would have it like in Germany where commercials were shown STRICKLY between programmes, not during them. They lied! We now have approximately 20 minutes of adverts for every one-hour programme.

Modern television is like prostitution: You lay down your cash but what you get in return is cheap lies & silly-cone and once it's over you regret the experience and swear you'll never do it again.
 
I cancelled cable when the Roku came out, and they had Netflix. Tired of spending big bucks just to watch unending commercials, and tired of wanting to watch tv, but finding nothing worth my time on 183 channels. Who needs 183 channels? People who don't get to choose which channels they pay for. Cable is a ripoff, IMO.

At this point, I am a little bit cynical. I think where there are Really Big Bucks to be made, lies to consumers abound.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I love my modern TV programs. Where else can I hear J J Walker, or Joe Nemeth ramble on about medical insurance plans only a mere 123 times an hour. I'd love to tell Walker what he could do with his "dynomite". And it's all for just a mere $200 a
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The one way to avoid a Joe Namath medicare commerical is to center you vision on his ears.
They have grown, there hugh, hugh I tell you!
 
I use free AirTV and mainly watch the old television programs that I missed during my working years.

I don’t have anything against pay television.

I would subscribe if I didn’t have a good no cost option.
 
WheatenLover said:
I cancelled cable when the Roku came out, and they had Netflix. Tired of spending big bucks just to watch unending commercials, and tired of wanting to watch tv, but finding nothing worth my time on 183 channels. Who needs 183 channels? People who don't get to choose which channels they pay for. Cable is a ripoff, IMO.

At this point, I am a little bit cynical. I think where there are Really Big Bucks to be made, lies to consumers abound.
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That's a fact. I must have been really naïve but I always assumed that "pay" TV was advert-free. Why else should I pay for it? It's like a waitress being forced to give 75% per cent of her tips to the restaurant owner.
 
Devi said:
So, Diva, if I could ask, do you do this streaming through Prime, or Roku, or what?
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Devi, my streaming device is Roku. I've had Roku for over a decade, have owned three boxes so far including the updated version i just got (Express)...good thing because some streaming services won't be available on the Roku 2 anymore. With that device I'm streaming Amazon Prime and Paramount Plus via Prime, Hulu+, Netflix, Discovery+ as well as some of the free channels Roku offers, including their own channel.
I don't usually watch those however because free means there will be commercials. The only free Channel I will be watching a couple of times a week is The CW because I'm watching new seasons of a two of their shows (that Netflix is not going to air) and the new offering...a reboot of The 4400, that just aired it's pilot.

With all of the streaming channels and countless shows and movies available to me, I'm only paying $42 a month. It's probable that I won't keep Paramount+ ($9.99) for an entire year but keep it long enough to watch new seasons of my favorite shows. Prime is paid for by Metro PCS, a perk for an upgrade I did. @MarciKS Yes, with Hulu+ (Hulu Plus) there are no commercials.
 
MarciKS said:
I myself use Hulu and I think they have like a Premium acct. so you don't see commercials.
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Yes more than one of the streaming services have premium packages that provide same programs, but ad free: Hulu, Paramount plus. Since often the ads are for other shows on the channels i don't really mind--and do as i used to when younger---use the longer spans to hit the bathroom or grab a snack. The advantage now is that often they tell you how many ads will be showing and sometimes even how long each one is so you can gauge if you have time to put on water for tea or take ice cream out to get a little a softer for easier scooping.
 
I think the Brits are pretty smart. They had TV where you paid a yearly fee but then enjoyed a whole year of viewing without those silly, demeaning and making fun of your brain advertising. Now, apparently have TV4 which is based on the American platform of noise and commercials. Me, lucky me, cut the cable 21 years ago. I have Roku but seldom view it due to commercials. However, I used to subscribe to "Britbox" and to "Acorn TV" which are very afforable.

I am moving to a new apparent next month and I need a internet and land phone hookup. I have noticed how those companies try to sneak in TV for me. I don't even want it free for 1 month. Years ago, I did enjoy Ted Turner's movie channel with those great old films but haven't seen it for years.

If you ask my opinion many modern TV shows are produced with the idea that the viewers are totally stupid. I prefer my news on the internet so I can choose what to read. Can't stand TV news. Always resented TV being forced on me while I'm eating my breakfast at one of those motels with "Free Breakfast." Maybe that is why I prefer to stay at Air B&B.
 
One thing I have noticed ... for a while now . Most programing on most channels has to do with murder. I think our society has an 'attraction' to it/is enamored by it ?

Wether it is a 'hollywood' made TV show, or a reality 'who-dunnit' type show ...... every damn thing seems to do with murder.

It is almost scary when ya see what goes on in some families, [usually having to do with money] , leading to murder. Or those that just cannot consider divorce . And frankly it lowers my opinion of people in general.

Sad damn state of affairs .............
 
Post 20, rgp same here, what is our attraction to murder. I don't normally kill folks-what are the programs for, to teach you
the mistakes of the killers.
Commercials: what everybody has already said
 
I used to have satellite tv (Dish), and I agree with all the above, it became so expensive and had only a few really good channels and all the rest were junk and/or selling stuff.
I've been pretty happy since I got a Roku tv and use Amazon Prime as my only streaming. I like imdb that has a few good movies each month for people willing to watch commercials. I enjoy some of the commercials, tho I saw one yesterday that made me want to buy something (Ninja Creami) so I might have to stick to just Amazon content.
I do miss some movies that use to play each holiday season on the cable channels, but I am too cheap to subscribe to any. My daughter does the modern method where she subscribes to one service, her boyfriend to another, his family to a third, and then they all can use each others subscriptions.
 
There is a Twilight Zone episode where a old west cowboy is transported in to 1960's big city and it drives him mad. I feel like that when I buy a new vehicle and there is no owner manual so I have to go online to figure out how to operate the radio for example. Directv just upgraded me to high def. and now I have to learn how to operate my TV. Stop and think when you were kids how many things in your home could you operate better than your parents? .....................................That's what I thought!!
 
rgp said:
One thing I have noticed ... for a while now . Most programing on most channels has to do with murder. I think our society has an 'attraction' to it/is enamored by it ?

Wether it is a 'hollywood' made TV show, or a reality 'who-dunnit' type show ...... every damn thing seems to do with murder.

It is almost scary when ya see what goes on in some families, [usually having to do with money] , leading to murder. Or those that just cannot consider divorce . And frankly it lowers my opinion of people in general.

Sad damn state of affairs .............
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I have noticed the same thing. Maybe it's cheap to make a murder story. Years ago when they did TV shows like Rawhide you needed a cast of over a dozen actors that appeared each week. You needed wranglers to take care of all those horses. Dressing up dozens of actors to shout like wild Indians didn't come cheap. Now, it's cheap. A dark night; someone sleeping, someone sneaking into the house with a gun, a gun shot and the bad guy runs away. Then the rest of the show is finding out who did it. I don't mind a mystery myself but not all the time. There used to be a joke that went something like this: "

If you watch TV all the time you will quickly come to the conclusion that the most important job in the world is solving murder mysteries."
 
Packerjohn said:
I have noticed the same thing. Maybe it's cheap to make a murder story. Years ago when they did TV shows like Rawhide you needed a cast of over a dozen actors that appeared each week. You needed wranglers to take care of all those horses. Dressing up dozens of actors to shout like wild Indians didn't come cheap. Now, it's cheap. A dark night; someone sleeping, someone sneaking into the house with a gun, a gun shot and the bad guy runs away. Then the rest of the show is finding out who did it. I don't mind a mystery myself but not all the time. There used to be a joke that went something like this: "

If you watch TV all the time you will quickly come to the conclusion that the most important job in the world is solving murder mysteries."
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I actually LIKE murder mysteries!
 

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