I turned in my DVR box today. Dude. I know.
It wasn’t (just) about the money…because it’s not that much but in combination with the extra phone line and the premium services and and and it was a lot of money. But it isn’t ABOUT the money. It’s about the noise.
I’m living more quietly. I realized that I don’t always actually want to be watching tv. At one point over the last year the tv was on, I was texting on my iPhone and doing work on my computer, and talking on the phone with my Mom and I can’t imagine that I was doing ANY of it well. If I want to be watching a tv show I should be actually watching it – and not multi-tasking and rewinding when I think I may have missed something. For the last week I decided to NOT use the DVR and see how it changed my viewing habits. It changed them a lot:
- There were things I watched simply because I could fast forward the commercials…the show was not worth watching if I had to watch commercials….which means the show was not worth watching. Period.
- I read. I realized that I could get lost in a book again…and that hasn’t happened since Lexi was born.
- I missed a show and I watched it online the next day – it was easy and free.
- I sat and watched my favorite shows with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of iced Ginger Ale and I really enjoyed them. I noted the music and grabbed a song I really liked with an iPhone app. I saw a color combination that one of the characters was wearing and I actually replicated WITH MY OWN CLOTHING! As in: I GOT DRESSED.
- I wrote more.
The tv is a fantastic distraction and I really enjoy some shows….but it wasn’t playing too big a role in my night. So I’m glad to be living with a little less. Could you? Would you want to?
If it were up to me, the entire television would be gone. Actually, all FIVE of them in this house would be gone. But it's not up to me. It will never happen and I've figured out how to live around it. GOOD FOR YOU!
I couldn't live without my DVR. We can't always sit down and watch something right when it comes on, like on nights when Meg has hockey, doesn't get home until 8:45 and NCIS starts at 8. I can record a favorite Dora for the kids instead of buying the DVD for them. It works fantastically for us.
Oh no! No backyardagains? What will we do? Good for you, I would sell my TV's if I could.
For the one and only year of my life that I lived alone, I decided not to get cable to save a little money. I was worried about being very bored, but I didn't miss it. I feel like TV shows tie me down. There are enough things to do in life without feeling like there are HOURS of TV to watch every week. So I say good for you for keeping it simple and canning the DVR! Less noise in life is a good thing!
Could I? Yes. But I prefer not to. Having a DVR allows me to watch when I want to and when I have time rather than having to watch (if I want to see something) at the time the network dictates. I love the Amazing Race - I would hate to think I might cut short reading to Sabrina before bed time so that I could watch. We don't TiVo a lot of shows but we enjoy those we do and we like watching them at our leisure. I do sometimes catch something online (old TiVo = only record 1 thing and we have a fav that conflicts) but sitting at my dining table and watching on my laptop isn't as enjoyable. But good for you - anything that simplifies life is fabulous!
I really had to fight to get T to agree that we didn't need a television in the bedroom, I'm pretty sure she'd leave me if I tried to get rid of the TiVo. Most of the year I'm not a big TiVo'er, though during tax season I can only watch TV on Sundays, so I do TiVo the few shows I watch and watch them all then.
My DVR is my friend. I never sit down to watch anything before 9:30 at night or when Morgan's napping during the afternoon. I applaud all the changes you're making and wish I had half the balls to make them myself.
I'd like to get my son to watch less TV too. Then again..if he did I'd have to play Ironman all the time! :-) Just teasing...I am trying to steer him more and more away from it and I like that we just interact more. ALthough I would like to know how to keep him from giving me orders on how to play!
I wish I could do that, but it seems like the only time we can sit down to watch anything is after 9:30 and living in Missouri means shows are on an hour earlier. We seriously considered getting rid of cable a few months ago, but sitting down to watch something off the DVR is sometimes the only time my husband and I get to relax just the two of us.
I will be honest. I couldn't. I live alone & I need the background noise. Sure, there's music, but sometimes I need voices. When I do want to watch a show--*really* watch it--I DVR it & then I make a point to actually watch (although I have this "rule" about doing something during commercials rather than fast-forwarding; it might be jumping-jacks or folding towels or flipping through a magazine, but I always do *something*). If I'm not actively watching, I put on the news or ESPN or some nature or cooking show. I do enjoy silence, but I enjoy it on my terms, and sometimes I need the white noise of chatter from my tv. Also? I need my Red Sox & my tv brings them to me--the feed online is unwatchable, I've tried.