I haven’t owned a TV in six years. I remember the exact moment the appeal of television; shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Katie Couric was interviewing a woman who lost her husband. After relating what this woman had gone through, Katie followed up with the question “How are you feeling?” I was floored at the obviousness and insensitivity. This woman lost her husband in a horrible tragedy and her entire world is in chaos. HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK SHE FEELS???? That was when I stopped watching The Today Show. I gradually withdrew from TV land after that, using my TV mostly just to watch movies I already owned. A few years after that, I had the experience of living in a roommate situation. The roommate was employed as a cable installer which gave the perk of having both cable and satellite channels available. Being presented with such a huge number of options often left me overwhelmed, and I often just looked for a familiar movie to watch, if anything at all.
Are you wondering how I’m managing not to die of boredom without a TV? Trust me, it’s not nearly as bad as you imagine. Not including non-screen activities, the internet has come a long way and provides a lot of viewing activities.
The last time I paid for cable, it was a basic plan that cost $12 a month. A quick scan of my local providers show nothing under $64 a month. Granted one gets 220 channels for that, but channels are like clothes; the most popular 20% is used 80% of the time. The point being most of what you’re paying for is going unused. Ditch the cable and save some dough. There is a better way.
Unlike me, I’m assuming you own a TV. I’ll detail this method first.
The basic idea is that you will be taking your TV and turning into a home theatre PC (HTPC). There are tons of different ways to go about doing thing, but I’m going to keep it simple, stupid.
Boxee – A popular media sever program. You download the program, then connect the program from your PC to your TV via connector cables, wireless, or a special conversion box. The software then pulls TV shows and movies already available on the web into an easily viewable format.
Other methods that don’t involve a TV.
Many of the major networks and cable channels offer recent shows for viewing online. Specialty sites like Hulu or Surf the Channel pull movies and channels together for you. Amazon offers streaming video on demand, not just for shows, but you can even rent a movie without leaving the house. If you’re looking for something a little more niche, IMDB has a small selection of unique titles. Documentaries your thing? Try Free Documentaries. In my experience, there has only been one show I haven’t been able to find online.
When all else fails.
It’s called a book. Read it.