8 ms·

A serious, non-trolling question to all. I've not had a TV for decades and for me that's a good thing. I've watched TVs in pubs (I'm in the uk) and round my mat

A serious, non-trolling question to all. I've not had a TV for decades and for me that's a good thing. I've watched TVs in pubs (I'm in the uk) and round my mates' houses so it's not become some strange alien thing, and I'm still happy to be without it (that is, on balance; there are good things about broadcast TV and some bad, and the latter outweighs the former for me). In your opinion, is there actual overall value to still having a TV any more or is it just a habit? The number of ultra cheap space-filler productions (reality TV about police chases being one, but how many cookery programmes are there now?)seem to have diluted everything worth watching to almost zero. (I do watch DVDs on computer BTW)

NikolaNovak 5y ago
I think we need to distinguish a television as a hardware device, and what here we would call "cable channels". If you have a family, tv is not a necessity per se but a convenient norm. It allows more than one person to watch the Disney or Netflix show or movie, or even a DVD if your inclinations are toward vintage antiques ;-) I agree that I have not watched a cable channel in more than a decade.
Brian_K_White 5y ago
I watch youtube and play xbox on my tvs. I want the big screen sit back good surround sound. Laptops and phones are for airplanes and work.
dudul 5y ago
Didn't you just answer your own question? I dont have cable but I have a TV to watch movies, DVD or BR. More comfortable than watching on a computer. There is a difference between the TV set and broadcast television.
Trasmatta 5y ago
Many people use their TVs almost exclusively for video games (including me)
scarface74 5y ago
This is the oldest trope on the Internet. I saw this years ago Slashdot. There has been this thing called “the internet” since the last time you owned a TV and these things called “streaming services”. Why is this the one area where being ignorant of something that has 90% penetration seen as a virtue?
kyruzic 5y ago
Are you single and living alone? Not trying to be insulting but in that case yea a tv doesn't have much value. But if you have roommates or a family yes TVs definitely have value beyond just a habit.
rapind 5y ago
If you're single (watching alone), I'd say there's very little advantage over a laptop / tablet. If you're watching with others (family, significant other, sports with friends, etc.) it's more social to use a shared screen (TV). I personally never turn it on unless I've planned to watch something with the kids.
andybak 5y ago
Without a TV I'd miss the ability to "turn something on without being paralysed by choice". Usually mealtimes or when very tired, I just want to turn on the TV and flick through a handful of channels and just watch whatever there is on. It's mainly a UX thing. There's just more friction with TV apps even if they do have a "watch live" option. Channel hopping is just much harder.
- jolmg 5y ago
  It isn't much different to open YouTube, pick whatever's recommended, and just let autoplay pick the next video to play. You get better tailored content.
  - andybak 5y ago
    It is different. YouTube is deep in my filter bubble whereas channel hopping TV channels is a moderately curated selection. (and YouTube in private browsing is just a firehose of automated recommendations). There's probably about 10 channels worth watching on UK Freeview and the hit rate is fairly high when my standards are low but I want something easy and engaging.
    - wrycoder 5y ago
      > firehose And that common denominator is appalling!
  - maccard 5y ago
    And what are you connecting YouTube to to display that content? For most people that's a TV I would guess.
    - andybak 5y ago
      (scroll back a bit - that's not quite the point being debated)
everdrive 5y ago
Our TV is basically just a movie machine in our case. We could watch movies on a laptop on the couch, but it's not as nice as having a TV. For what it's worth, our TV is actually a big old tube TV. We have a small collection of DVDs and VHS, and also a Raspberry Pi 3 which is very capable of playing movie files, and can even stream from Amazon in a pinch.
- andrepd 5y ago
  What, you have a CRT? And you play VHS movies? Mind if I ask why x)
  - deergomoo 5y ago
    I’m not the OP, but you’d be surprised just how good the image quality on a decent CRT is. They lack the resolution to display the sort of fine detail you get in HD video, but the brightness, contrast, dynamic range, and colour reproduction still holds up (assuming it was a decent unit at the time). Importantly, they’re far more forgiving to lower definition content than modern displays, and while retro games are more of a driving force for still using a CRT today, I could totally see a VHS collection being a good reason to keep one around. The main drawbacks are the size/weight, limited screen size by modern standards, obscene power draw, and the fact that they need maintenance to keep the geometry good.
  - everdrive 5y ago
    It's a fun novelty. You can find VHS for free at yard sales and other places. It often costs less to get a VHS than rent a movie on Amazon or something else. CRTs in general are honestly superior in a number of a ways. They effectively have built-in anti-aliasing, they tend to have better color depth, and usually have better speakers than a flatscreen TV. They're also better for most retro video game systems. Where I am, you can also still get a decent number of CRT TVs for free. I've also never understood the obsession with higher resolutions. Particularly in the case of old movies, films were not shot with the expectation that you could see every detail. Even when we still had a flatscreen we'd rent from Amazon at 480p just to save a dollar or two. Higher resolution doesn't really inherently look better in many cases. But, I'll definitely admit some newer movies will flash some text on screen sometimes that is hard to make out on an old CRT. I guess my primary argument is not really that CRTs are so amazing (although they're better than people remember) -- but only that flatscreens are not really that great either. A great movie is a wonderful experience on either. Once you get into the film, the story, music, and characters really prevent you from fixating on pixels. We're not missing anything, and we haven't spent any money to support this hobby. In the case of VHS and DVD, old movies generally look better on a CRT. In the case of new movies, there is some compromise, but it usually doesn't matter.
ramraj07 5y ago
A really big screen makes a huge difference. If you truly want to appreciate 4K content (be aware that most streaming 4K content is not good at all, surprisingly YouTube’s rentals have the best 4K fidelity of any streaming option I’ve seen) you need like a 70 inch screen at less than 10 feet away. I can assure you that with right content this can transport you into the movie in ways only a theater can match. A great example I use is that in the Dark Knight, the thread the joker ties to the smoke grenade while getting into the school bus unwinds from his coat and is also purple. Like isn’t that insane to notice?
- maxwelldone 5y ago
  Absolutely. I watch a ton of movies & tv shows; all from the comfort of my personal library and I love the experience. Though, mine is only 55", my next upgrade would be much bigger.
yardstick 5y ago
For me, a TV is a large monitor that sits in the lounge that the family can watch a streamed movie or tv series on the couch. It’s not about broadcast/cable/satellite channels anymore, it’s about a nice medium to enjoy media on. Laptop/tablet screens are ok when travelling but after a few weeks I do miss a large screen and no fluffing around with setting up the viewing area, sound, etc.
jpe90 5y ago
The value is that it lets you comfortably watch stuff with other people.
noduerme 5y ago
I think we've gotten to the point where "watching TV" is not a thing people do anymore if they're under 70. But "having a TV" is something most people do - it just doesn't imply the same thing. I don't have a TV per se, or any black box hanging on a wall in my house, so the first thing most people mention when they visit is "you have no TV! I've been wanting to get rid of mine, or put it in the basement, but the kids....". But I do have a discreet projector for watching movies or shows (most of which I pirate). The projector itself, however, is a smart TV, although that's not something I noted when I bought it. It's full of apps that update themselves and all manner of shit I didn't ask for. My only use for it is having it play things off a USB card. I'm actually not sure what the complaint is about "smart" TVs. Just don't give them your WiFi password, or else isolate them on a closed LAN. Plug in your own devices to play what you want to play on them. The cross-marketing is what makes them affordable... the special buttons for accidentally turning on Netflix, that Netflix paid to place in just that position on the remote control, are the reason a 60" TV is within your budget. So just control your network and take the free shit. As long as it has the ports you need. If it doesn't have ports, then obviously don't buy it.
hiq 5y ago
> (I do watch DVDs on computer BTW) Do you watch them alone, or do you have a dedicated screen for that? Or what's your setup? Many people have a "TV" just for the screen, not the tuner, simply because you don't want the same kind (size) of screen at the same position to watch a movie and to do e.g. browse the internet.
Root_Denied 5y ago
I haven't had cable for 15 years at this point and don't miss it, but I generally have had a TV in the living room with a Chromecast or Fire stick plugged into it. It's nice to be able to throw a movie from the plex server on there with my SO and have a stay-in movie night with some popcorn. Especially during covid lockdown we did this almost weekly with movies, documentaries from youtube or netflix, and tv shows we watched together. A computer screen doesn't really provide the same experience. On Black Friday I found a deal for a new TV and picked it up, but it was a Roku smart tv. I couldn't find a way to get it working without creating a Roku account so I made one with a dummy email address and then disconnected it from the wifi. Only use it with the Chromecast, which we can use for plex/youtube/netflix without trying to futz around with the UI on the TV.
- syedkarim 5y ago
  Did they advertise the fact that an internet connection was required to initially turn the tv on? What happens when a TV like this is purchased for places without internet connections?
  - Kon-Peki 5y ago
    Perhaps it is brand by brand? I purchased a HiSense TV with Roku from Costco. When I first turned it on, it asked to connect to Wi-Fi. I said no, and it hasn’t bothered me since. There were no terms of service or click-through licenses to agree to, or accounts to create. I imagine all that comes after you connect it to Wi-Fi. But never having been connected to the internet, the HDMI ports and TV tuner all work fine.
- sliken 5y ago
  BTW, Plex sadly requires a network connection, I'm looking at alternatives. Seems silly to have local media and not able to play it.
phh 5y ago
From your message, it sounds like you think TVs are used only to watch live broadcast channels. If that's the case, that's the part you missed, nowadays I think that we're at like 60-70% of usage that IS NOT live broadcast channels. I do think there is a bit to be missed by not watching live broadcast channels, because it is an easy window to view how a large part of the population think, but yeah overall the content is pretty abysmal. But, WRT having a physical TV, it's mostly comfort. I want to watch my entertainment (educative youtube video, dumb shut-your-brain-off TV shows, "complex" plot with pretty images TV shows) from the comfort of my sofa, with "happier" colors and brightness (I could say better "picture quality", but since it's mostly post-production changes, it's usually hardly representative of real-life, it's only representative of what the producer wants)
dmitriid 5y ago
- Watching movies/shows on a big screen - Playing console games - Common "sharing ground" when friends are around (let me add something to Spotify queue, let me show something on Youtube etc.)

NikolaNovak 5y ago

I think we need to distinguish a television as a hardware device, and what here we would call "cable channels". If you have a family, tv is not a necessity per se but a convenient norm. It allows more than one person to watch the Disney or Netflix show or movie, or even a DVD if your inclinations are toward vintage antiques ;-) I agree that I have not watched a cable channel in more than a decade.

Brian_K_White 5y ago

I watch youtube and play xbox on my tvs. I want the big screen sit back good surround sound. Laptops and phones are for airplanes and work.

dudul 5y ago

Didn't you just answer your own question? I dont have cable but I have a TV to watch movies, DVD or BR. More comfortable than watching on a computer. There is a difference between the TV set and broadcast television.

Trasmatta 5y ago

Many people use their TVs almost exclusively for video games (including me)

scarface74 5y ago

This is the oldest trope on the Internet. I saw this years ago Slashdot. There has been this thing called “the internet” since the last time you owned a TV and these things called “streaming services”. Why is this the one area where being ignorant of something that has 90% penetration seen as a virtue?

kyruzic 5y ago

Are you single and living alone? Not trying to be insulting but in that case yea a tv doesn't have much value. But if you have roommates or a family yes TVs definitely have value beyond just a habit.

rapind 5y ago

If you're single (watching alone), I'd say there's very little advantage over a laptop / tablet. If you're watching with others (family, significant other, sports with friends, etc.) it's more social to use a shared screen (TV). I personally never turn it on unless I've planned to watch something with the kids.

andybak 5y ago

Without a TV I'd miss the ability to "turn something on without being paralysed by choice". Usually mealtimes or when very tired, I just want to turn on the TV and flick through a handful of channels and just watch whatever there is on. It's mainly a UX thing. There's just more friction with TV apps even if they do have a "watch live" option. Channel hopping is just much harder.

jolmg 5y ago
It isn't much different to open YouTube, pick whatever's recommended, and just let autoplay pick the next video to play. You get better tailored content.
- andybak 5y ago
  It is different. YouTube is deep in my filter bubble whereas channel hopping TV channels is a moderately curated selection. (and YouTube in private browsing is just a firehose of automated recommendations). There's probably about 10 channels worth watching on UK Freeview and the hit rate is fairly high when my standards are low but I want something easy and engaging.
  - wrycoder 5y ago
    > firehose And that common denominator is appalling!
- maccard 5y ago
  And what are you connecting YouTube to to display that content? For most people that's a TV I would guess.
  - andybak 5y ago
    (scroll back a bit - that's not quite the point being debated)

everdrive 5y ago

Our TV is basically just a movie machine in our case. We could watch movies on a laptop on the couch, but it's not as nice as having a TV. For what it's worth, our TV is actually a big old tube TV. We have a small collection of DVDs and VHS, and also a Raspberry Pi 3 which is very capable of playing movie files, and can even stream from Amazon in a pinch.

andrepd 5y ago
What, you have a CRT? And you play VHS movies? Mind if I ask why x)
- deergomoo 5y ago
  I’m not the OP, but you’d be surprised just how good the image quality on a decent CRT is. They lack the resolution to display the sort of fine detail you get in HD video, but the brightness, contrast, dynamic range, and colour reproduction still holds up (assuming it was a decent unit at the time). Importantly, they’re far more forgiving to lower definition content than modern displays, and while retro games are more of a driving force for still using a CRT today, I could totally see a VHS collection being a good reason to keep one around. The main drawbacks are the size/weight, limited screen size by modern standards, obscene power draw, and the fact that they need maintenance to keep the geometry good.
- everdrive 5y ago
  It's a fun novelty. You can find VHS for free at yard sales and other places. It often costs less to get a VHS than rent a movie on Amazon or something else. CRTs in general are honestly superior in a number of a ways. They effectively have built-in anti-aliasing, they tend to have better color depth, and usually have better speakers than a flatscreen TV. They're also better for most retro video game systems. Where I am, you can also still get a decent number of CRT TVs for free. I've also never understood the obsession with higher resolutions. Particularly in the case of old movies, films were not shot with the expectation that you could see every detail. Even when we still had a flatscreen we'd rent from Amazon at 480p just to save a dollar or two. Higher resolution doesn't really inherently look better in many cases. But, I'll definitely admit some newer movies will flash some text on screen sometimes that is hard to make out on an old CRT. I guess my primary argument is not really that CRTs are so amazing (although they're better than people remember) -- but only that flatscreens are not really that great either. A great movie is a wonderful experience on either. Once you get into the film, the story, music, and characters really prevent you from fixating on pixels. We're not missing anything, and we haven't spent any money to support this hobby. In the case of VHS and DVD, old movies generally look better on a CRT. In the case of new movies, there is some compromise, but it usually doesn't matter.

ramraj07 5y ago

A really big screen makes a huge difference. If you truly want to appreciate 4K content (be aware that most streaming 4K content is not good at all, surprisingly YouTube’s rentals have the best 4K fidelity of any streaming option I’ve seen) you need like a 70 inch screen at less than 10 feet away. I can assure you that with right content this can transport you into the movie in ways only a theater can match. A great example I use is that in the Dark Knight, the thread the joker ties to the smoke grenade while getting into the school bus unwinds from his coat and is also purple. Like isn’t that insane to notice?

maxwelldone 5y ago
Absolutely. I watch a ton of movies & tv shows; all from the comfort of my personal library and I love the experience. Though, mine is only 55", my next upgrade would be much bigger.

yardstick 5y ago

For me, a TV is a large monitor that sits in the lounge that the family can watch a streamed movie or tv series on the couch. It’s not about broadcast/cable/satellite channels anymore, it’s about a nice medium to enjoy media on. Laptop/tablet screens are ok when travelling but after a few weeks I do miss a large screen and no fluffing around with setting up the viewing area, sound, etc.

jpe90 5y ago

The value is that it lets you comfortably watch stuff with other people.

noduerme 5y ago

I think we've gotten to the point where "watching TV" is not a thing people do anymore if they're under 70. But "having a TV" is something most people do - it just doesn't imply the same thing. I don't have a TV per se, or any black box hanging on a wall in my house, so the first thing most people mention when they visit is "you have no TV! I've been wanting to get rid of mine, or put it in the basement, but the kids....". But I do have a discreet projector for watching movies or shows (most of which I pirate). The projector itself, however, is a smart TV, although that's not something I noted when I bought it. It's full of apps that update themselves and all manner of shit I didn't ask for. My only use for it is having it play things off a USB card. I'm actually not sure what the complaint is about "smart" TVs. Just don't give them your WiFi password, or else isolate them on a closed LAN. Plug in your own devices to play what you want to play on them. The cross-marketing is what makes them affordable... the special buttons for accidentally turning on Netflix, that Netflix paid to place in just that position on the remote control, are the reason a 60" TV is within your budget. So just control your network and take the free shit. As long as it has the ports you need. If it doesn't have ports, then obviously don't buy it.

hiq 5y ago

> (I do watch DVDs on computer BTW) Do you watch them alone, or do you have a dedicated screen for that? Or what's your setup? Many people have a "TV" just for the screen, not the tuner, simply because you don't want the same kind (size) of screen at the same position to watch a movie and to do e.g. browse the internet.

Root_Denied 5y ago

I haven't had cable for 15 years at this point and don't miss it, but I generally have had a TV in the living room with a Chromecast or Fire stick plugged into it. It's nice to be able to throw a movie from the plex server on there with my SO and have a stay-in movie night with some popcorn. Especially during covid lockdown we did this almost weekly with movies, documentaries from youtube or netflix, and tv shows we watched together. A computer screen doesn't really provide the same experience. On Black Friday I found a deal for a new TV and picked it up, but it was a Roku smart tv. I couldn't find a way to get it working without creating a Roku account so I made one with a dummy email address and then disconnected it from the wifi. Only use it with the Chromecast, which we can use for plex/youtube/netflix without trying to futz around with the UI on the TV.

syedkarim 5y ago
Did they advertise the fact that an internet connection was required to initially turn the tv on? What happens when a TV like this is purchased for places without internet connections?
- Kon-Peki 5y ago
  Perhaps it is brand by brand? I purchased a HiSense TV with Roku from Costco. When I first turned it on, it asked to connect to Wi-Fi. I said no, and it hasn’t bothered me since. There were no terms of service or click-through licenses to agree to, or accounts to create. I imagine all that comes after you connect it to Wi-Fi. But never having been connected to the internet, the HDMI ports and TV tuner all work fine.
sliken 5y ago
BTW, Plex sadly requires a network connection, I'm looking at alternatives. Seems silly to have local media and not able to play it.

phh 5y ago

From your message, it sounds like you think TVs are used only to watch live broadcast channels. If that's the case, that's the part you missed, nowadays I think that we're at like 60-70% of usage that IS NOT live broadcast channels. I do think there is a bit to be missed by not watching live broadcast channels, because it is an easy window to view how a large part of the population think, but yeah overall the content is pretty abysmal. But, WRT having a physical TV, it's mostly comfort. I want to watch my entertainment (educative youtube video, dumb shut-your-brain-off TV shows, "complex" plot with pretty images TV shows) from the comfort of my sofa, with "happier" colors and brightness (I could say better "picture quality", but since it's mostly post-production changes, it's usually hardly representative of real-life, it's only representative of what the producer wants)

dmitriid 5y ago

- Watching movies/shows on a big screen - Playing console games - Common "sharing ground" when friends are around (let me add something to Spotify queue, let me show something on Youtube etc.)