A life without television
I am moving in a few weeks, and I have decided it’s time to get rid of my GigantoVision television. It has served me well for many years, and it still probably has another 5-10 years of life left in it, but I’m simply tired of moving it, and more importantly, dealing with it lording over any room it’s in. The question then becomes, what to replace it with; or is that the question?
For the past few years, I’ve been traveling a lot, and even when I’m home, I don’t think my television is on more than a few hours a week. Mostly, I use it to watch a few specific shows, or movies that I have. This lead me to begin thinking about a post-television existence, and what such a thing might be like. Do I really need to buy a nice pretty flat-screen television for $1500? Do I need to cough up $100/mo for cable, especially when I only watch 5 channels on it?
To that end, I have decided that I’m going to rid myself of the big projector, and not replace it with anything for the near term. I can travel with my DVDs and watch them in hotels, or my notebook. I can watch TV-shows via iTunes and my iPod—I spend 4-6 hours a week in planes and airports. It will be interesting, but also, I think, quite freeing.
Not to mention cheaper.
This entry was posted at 8:44 pm on 23 June 2007 and is filed under Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the post-specific RSS 2.0 feed.
Hmm. YS and I went without the TV for a while. We DID miss it. If we could get DIY, BBC America, Spike (I’m weak…sue me), and an all Law-and-order/CSI (the original, fuck Miami) in one package, that’s all the cable we would have.
Here’s a wacky idea: Spend 1/3 of what you would on a TV on a home-theater projector. Easy to move, watch your movies at a size that’s easy on the eyes, and ditch the sheet of glass taking up a wall in your apartment.
[...] Pensieri di un lunatico minore” has asked the same question, and he’s come up with a resounding YES as the answer. As he starts to embark on 18 months of commuting across states between home and work, he’s whittling down on the expenses and personal possessions. The TV is about to go, as is the cable subscription. Instead he’s going to make do with watching TV shows on his iPod via the iTunes store, and DVD’s on his MacBook. [...]
[...] More on living without TV Filed under: Fun Stuff — pwrighta @ 7:44 pm I wrote a note yesterday (but only posted it today) on Petrilli’s decision to live without TV. [...]
ooh! you can always come over here to watch BSG if you like. we won’t ask for much in return… except maybe some of that cooking you mentioned up there…
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I haven’t had a TV in about 10 years. I don’t miss it, and I expect you won’t either. Enjoy your extra free time and money :)