TV Habits, Old and New
An Option I Didn't Know We Had a Couple of Months Ago
Unlike a lot of other Minimalists, we still have a tv, and watch it regularly. And yes, it’s a fairly good-sized flat screen Sony Bravia, cost a lot of money at the time, and I’ve never been in any hurry to throw it out the window, even when the programming has been less than stellar. We like to watch movies via Netflix DVDs on a screen that is easy on the eyes. We like getting the news, a few laughs, and watching good movies, and getting a feel for what is going on in American culture and politics–all of which can be had, at least up to a point, by watching television.
But only up to a point. The increasingly annoying commercials and insipid shows have been wearing thin for a long time. The only reason we even had Basic cable was because I need closed-captioning, and captions via antenna reception have always been unstable in this area. Once local channels went from analog to digital, however, the captioning actually got worse! Even PBS stations failed to broadcast many programs that were listed as closed-captioned. And captions on programs have an annoying delay of 5-10 seconds, then all go by in a blur as they catch up to the dialogue. This may be a problem unique to Comcast cable, but I don’t know–hard to compare when there’s a local monopoly. The only way around this is streaming, and since our DVD player was about to bite the dust, it was time to either replace it or to attempt all streamed content–but not both.
Streamed video, however, is notorious for its lack of captioning, whether on a computer, through Netflix or other services, or via YouTube and other online options. In fact, Netflix has been doing such a slow job providing captioned content that they were sued in mid-2011 for not meeting the terms of the ADA, either in the spirit or the letter of the law. They have since stepped up the process in recent months. Hulu, a streaming service that specializes in TV programming, has a pretty good selection of captioned shows, but it’s still only a fraction of their total offerings. Heck, it’s even been hard to get captioned videos of TED talks. And if any of you have put videos on your blogs or courses, chances are I’ve opted out of that part of things.
Nonetheless, we decided to give it a try. Streaming to a TV set requires a “box” such as one from Netflix, a Wii, Playstation or similar gaming device, or dedicated devices such as the Roku, which is what we decided on, as it was the least expensive option. The Roku is a tiny thing, about the size of a small can of tuna. Once it was hooked up, we got online to change our Netflix subscription to Unlimited Streaming, which is $8 per month. The selection of streamed captioned films isn’t bad at all, and seems to be increasing by around thirty titles per day. Hulu Plus is a $8 per month, as well, and is the version that works with the Roku.
We are currently enjoying the series Lost from beginning to end, with minimal commercials, and can finally watch all the episodes of Arrested Development and Dr. Who that we missed when we downgraded the cable service years ago. The Roku also comes with its own Channel Store, with a pretty decent selection of both free and low-price channels, which includes Amazon, many international and foreign-language channels, sports channels, and all sorts of movie and specialized channels. The Roku model we have also came with Angry Birds, and a remote similar to the Wii’s. There are several games available, and the company plans to specialize in $5 games. We are not likely to spend much time on gaming, but it does make a nice occasional change of pace.
Going without network/broadcast TV for the first time in 56 years, however, makes me feel a bit like I’m on another planet–it’s interesting, not all bad, but definitely unfamiliar. It’s certainly a change in my habitual expectations, if not actual habits. Watching what you want when you want it is a very different thing than being familiar with the “TV Lineup,” the TV Guide listings, or the local listings in the newspapers. It’s different than having your viewing patterns shaped by “The New Fall Season” of shows, interrupted by endless reruns of “holiday” programming, sports programming, and Sweeps Week. It’s different than TiVo, too, which still requires an awareness of all of the above.
In fact, this whole change in viewing style has convinced me more than ever that the great machine of consumerism is the problem with TV, not only in the excessive commercials, but in the entire structure of the world of programming: the timing of the shows, the test-marketing, the pandering to focus groups and corporations alike. Anticipation surrounding new shows is built up like Christmas, with advertising and well-placed news articles months in advance, creating a seasonal calendar of “events” that people talk about on Facebook or over the water cooler. When your friends and colleagues are abuzz with talk about Glee, it’s natural to see for yourself what the fuss is all about. And then you’re caught up in it.
Stepping back from the advertising and the viewing calendar makes me feel a little bit like the Clint Eastwood character, The Man With No Name, going off my own way, taking what I want and not taking what I don’t want, and being perfectly aware of the contradictions in my actions without getting overly hung up about it. I mean, I kinda did the same with Christmas–stepped back from the shopping and presents thing and minimalized the time-sucking decorating and forced gaiety. And it was worth it–we had a great holiday season, a mix of relaxed socializing, a family meal, puttering, eating fun food, and watching loads of Lost–all of it on our own terms. Streaming–TV on your own terms–takes the mindlessness out of watching TV without leaving behind the fun, as well.
And I wanna have fun, as much fun as possible 
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I can understand what you mean about excess tv commercials. I finally got a DVR and record what I want and then whiz through the commercials to the program.
I really love this way as I set it to not miss programs when I am not home. I do enjoy a lot of the programs but only watch what I want and when I want. Even though I have Netflix I get the dvd but I do record movies from the tv as I can scan what will be on in the future and program those.
So that is what works for me.
Hi Jean–I have to admit that I never did figure out how to record with the DVD/DVR, which is right up there with the other tech stuff I have sadly failed to keep up with in the past ten years. Like a lot of people, I say to myself, “that’s why I have a husband and a son.” They do this stuff in their sleep, whereas I would have to read the manual very very carefully, then work up the nerve over the course of a week, read the manual carefully again, search the internet for more opinions and further instructions, and then–maybe–tackle it myself. And if I’m successful, will then dine out on the story for about a year, my sense of accomplishment would be right up there with scaling Mt. Everest. Maybe that’s why my husband so quickly steps in with this stuff–just to keep me from boring our friend silly with my stories!
Seriously, though, well done!
Streaming is a completely different experience! I started streaming years ago when we couldn’t afford a cable subscription, supplementing with DVDs both rented and borrowed.
When my kid goes to her Dad’s she goes nuts now because she is so accustomed to watching what she wants WHEN she wants to (and he just has cable).
I look at current programming when I visit friends and I am amazed when I watch them yukking along like the lame stuff is actually funny.
I really enjoy being able to pick and choose, watch and pass up whatever I choose. For instance, I watched every single episode of Dexter and loved it until they jumped the shark for me this season. Now I’m in search of another series to capture my interest but I don’t ever have to look at another episode of Dexter if I don’t deliberately choose to.
I do hope they get the captioning issue resolved, on some shows I would like it myself, especially late at night when I keep the sound down because Katie is asleep.
Enjoy your Roku!
Annie at Annienygma.com
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Hi Annie–I’ve noticed that loads of parents use captioning for the same reason–wanting to watch programs late at night, or to watch things with violent language they don’t want wee ones to imitate. Also, aging Baby Boomers find it handy, too, and I have noticed that sports bars use it, esp. when there’s several TVs, each with a different game on and the volume not too high on any particular game.
Dexter is another series we’re planning to watch in due course
I am glad I discovered you. I have enjoyed reading your blog. I want you to know I like your writing style. It’s very clear and easy to read. I find everything you write to be so wonderful because of your gift with words. I’ve thought about TV options for awhile, so it’s nice to hear a first-hand experience.
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Thanks, Victoria–getting a comment like that helps to keep me writing
Much appreciated, and thanks so much for reading!
We got a Roku a year ago, and we have yet to return to “regular” TV. I even donated the converter box & rabbit ears. It truly is freeing to get rid of the schedule and commercials. However, I do feel out of the loop. I never know what the latest & greatest gadget is or what movies are at the theater or who’s divorcing whom. But I like it that way. My drive to consume has drastically reduced. The only downside to streaming is that it’s easy to waste hours. When there’s a complete series and no commercials, it’s easy to watch episode after episode after episode. A day goes by in the blink of an eye. I guess it’s akin to reading a novel start to finish in a day. In the end, streaming is so, so much better with a bit of self-control.
*Minimalism bonus–being able to stream a large quantity of items at any moment allows one to own less movies/series.
Hi Megyn–oh yes, the episode after episode trap! It didn’t take us long to get through two seasons of Lost, I’ll admit it ;D It is indeed very similar to downing a novel in a day, getting totally caught up in the story, the characters, and the whole what-happens-next feeling. And you’re also right about not needing to own the DVDs. That was never a problem for us to begin with, but I know tons of people with huge collections of them.
We don’t have a choice about the cable we have since it’s part of our HOA. What I like is that we can (and do) use the DVR and then we watch what we want on our own time. Even if we wish to watch a program the evening it’s broadcast, we’ll start it a little late to avoid having to sit through the commercials. I realize that TV is ‘free’ because of the commercials but that doesn’t mean I have to watch/listen to them. My time, my way.
Happy New Year to you and Steve!
Hi Willow, and Happy New Year to you and yours
My limited understanding of the available technology is that TiVo would work well for getting rid of commercials altogether in recorded content. But not sure. We were too cheap to find out, I think ;D
We’ve never had cable and for 9 years of our married life we only watched what was on our 3 (!!) local PBS stations (tri-state blessings) because I couldn’t stand the commercials on the one or two decent shows on the other channels. We’ve had Roku and netflix for a year and I love it – there are hundreds of National Geographic videos I can force my 9 year old to watch for school and lots of foreign films and no commercials. We’ve even found many interesting university courses filmed on the Vimeo channel of Roku, but we’re nerds so that’s probably only interesting to us
I don’t want to get rid of the television and just stream through the PC since I think that shortens or damages its lifespan – I also don’t need the minimalist cred you apparently get when you say you don’t have a television (but you’re watching on your computer anyway!).
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Hi Terra–the streaming into the TV via computer is something we tried, and it was not long after trying it just once that the laptop gave up the ghost. Of course it was a six year old laptop, but still! I really like the large screen of the TV to give my eyes a break (eyestrain is the reason for also acquiring a Kindle), and to comfortably watch something with my husband. We’ve also noted the vastly improved quality of both the sound and the visuals in the streamed content, as opposed to broadcast via cable, making us more irritated than ever with Comcast.
And of course the “minimalist cred” you mention is one I’ve laughed about, too. If you don’t have a TV in the first place, or if you move a lot, not getting one makes sense. But if you already have a nice one (we bought ours when our previous dinosaur TV–it had been my grandmother’s–gave up the ghost), and you plan on staying put, there is no sense in tossing it if there’s some enjoyment to be had. Movies, in particular, were filmed to be viewed on large screens with great sound systems.
We got rid of our television in 2010, but kept our Netflix for the longest time, until a few months ago when we realized neither of us was using it. But I agree completely about the closed captioning on streaming, on YouTube, and on most blogs! It’s one of my biggest pet peeves.
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Hi Christine–we had the one-at-a-time unlimited DVDs from Netflix for ages, plus basic cable channels. Around Thanksgiving, I studied the programming lineups online, and realized we were in for a really dismal December-mid January, full of reruns and holiday programs. So just for one month I changed our Netflix to 4 DVDs at a time plus unlimited streaming, as a holiday treat for ourselves. The DVDs were to take the place of the horrid programming for a few weeks, and the streaming was an experiment to see if Netflix had improved the number of captioned selections. We knew we were either going to have to replace the DVD player soon, or to invest in something that would enable streaming directly into the TV. It only took a couple of weeks to realize that streaming alone would be sufficient, and the rest was history. No, the captioning isn’t great, but it wasn’t great on cable, either, and I don’t feel any net loss in terms of the amount of captioned programs. The net gain of independence and money saved, however, was definitely worth it.
Happy New Year, Meg! I love this post!
When we moved last summer, we didn’t sign up for cable. Like you, we’re doing Netflix mostly, through the kids’ Playstation and Wii. We do get the 3 networks through antenna, but rarely watch them (usually just for news). We did at Thanksgiving (for the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving), and I was amazed at how relentless and overwhelming the commercials were. I don’t think you realize it when you see it all the time.
I think minimalism is never about a particular thing (no TV), but about being mindful and selective in whatever you are choosing to include in your life. I rarely watch TV, but I love watching a few series with each of my kids (Heroes and Burn Notice with my son and Glee with my daughter). We watch them on our time, without the onslaught of advertising and all that it brings. Screens are something we’ve been very intentional about with our kids–if interested, you can read what we do here: http://www.thissortaoldlife.com/2011/10/18/screen-time-manifesto/
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Hi Rita, and Happy New Year to you, too! The relentlessness of the commercials was my husband’s greatest cultural shock, I think, when he moved here from England ten years ago. He has never become reconciled to it, and has been happy as a clam with our new viewing setup. It does seem a lot more peaceful and gracious without all the commercials blaring at us!
Without cable here in the SF Bay Area we have NO channels, so it’s cable or nothing. I’ve done the nothing before, a year or two at a time. Got TIVO a few years back with the midrange cable and enjoyed that but when the renewal came up I decided it wasn’t worth it. My daughter clued me in to the Roku, which I just got. Will be cancelling cable (all of it) and doing HuluPlus and Netflix streaming for a while. I think that will satisfy our needs. May eliminate either HuluPlus or Netflix a some point in the future.
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Hi Ellen–sounds like you’re doing the same thing we are. We could very well cancel either HuluPlus or Netflix in favor of one or the other, and I like the fact that we have the option to do so without spending a fortune on either. I love the way the younger people can keep us clued in, too!
Gosh, I’ve just realised I’ve been living on a different planet for years – called England, Childlessness and Tightwad. Not having children, I’m not obligated to provide screen entertainment. Our area doesn’t have cable and I hate the look of those disk things. Bill is extremely selective about what movies he’ll sit still for, so I’ve just stuck with renting or buying the odd film. We also watch BBC’s iPlayer occasionally. Net-streaming sounds quite interesting but I’m wary of anything that attracts me to sit in front of the TV for hours. I do love movies and some of the series, eg West Wing, but on the whole I’d rather read a book, go for a walk or sew something. Actually, my screen time is mainly spent in blogland. We might join the modern world one day, though!
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Hi Shelley–we have spent WAY too much time in front of the TV in the past week or so, but that is mostly because of the novelty of watching shows we weren’t able to get before. It’s also partly because we live in an area with crappy weather and literally not much else to do without spending tons of money or pretending to feel enthusiasm, like hang out at sports bars or go to church, the two main forms of entertainment in this area, and neither of which are my cup of tea. So reading, walking around the same few blocks, and TV are it, unless I want to get back on the ‘puter and work some more. The movies and shows at least are something my husband and I can share and enjoy under the circumstances. Best of luck to you!
Try living in Canada. We have no Hulu. Netflix yes. I just watch shows that I like via various station websites. Globaltv.com for example. I refuse to throw money away buy subscribing to cable.
Great post.
Mark
http://www.minimalistlifestyle.wordpress.com
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Hi Mark–just might live in Canada some day, ya never know ;D Will check out Globaltv.com tonight!
I’m typing this after just watching an hour long (the last of 3 parts on BBC that have run concurrently each night) drama. Thoroughly enjoyed it. So I too still have a TV and watch it regularly! For me it’s not the TV, I totally agree that the advertising is an issue – totally – we don’t have any equipment that means we can skip the adverts, rather we watch very little on certain commercial channels and make cups of tea in ad breaks. I also believe that TV is just an innate object which we exercise control over hence I posted How TV Ruined Your Life
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Hi Jo–we’re gonna finish up Season 3 of Lost tonight, I think. Immersing in a series is like having a really long movie to watch, and it’s a lot of fun! But it is so much more within our control, and that sense of control is really enjoyable. We also do the tea or water run during the few ads that pop up on hulu ;D
There is absolutly nothing wrong with selective indulgene – pleasea youself every day! You are also allow to change your mind about things, nice post!
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