Has our tv viewing changing or less?

[firebirdgold]

Cnn.com has an article about how American''s tv viewing has changed but they aren''t sure if people are simply watching less tv, or if they are watching the same amount of tv but in different ways, or if it''s a combination of the two.
This made me curious so I''m wondering how my fellow PSers have changed their tv viewing habit?


In addition to the poll questions please post and tell me why you''ve changed your viewing habits. Also if you record your shows for later via DVR or TIVO or whatnot also add to your post if you watch the commercials or not.

(Don''t worry, I''m not part of the entertainment industry, I''m just curious and avoiding last minute cramming for my last final!)

 

[firebirdgold]

I''ll go first:
I''m watching less tv overall and what I do watch is recorded on DVR. When I''m watching by myself I either forget to ff over the commercials or I do ff but stop and watch the interesting commercials. When I''m watching with my DH we ff over all the commercials except for the Apple commercials!

DH wants me to watch less tv, so I cut down to my most favorite shows. I find I don''t miss it. This was helped by the huge pause in new shows this spring, it made it easier to drop some.

We''re moving to another state this summer and we''re thinking of not continuing satellite/cable service. We''re considering getting Apple TV and just buying our favorite shows from itunes. Our most favorite, digging for the truth, is now on itunes so that''s what gave us the idea. Plus apple tv can be hooked up to our wireless network and so we only need one box for multiple tv''s.

 

[Mara]

we are watching less TV than last year, mostly because of lack of time right now with our schedules...we are both very busy with work and social events so we end up eating dinne at home around 8pm almost all week and then try to get into bed by 11. so we have about 1.5 hours to watch TV during the week each night but that doesn''t always work out, sometimes we go out and walk or sometimes we go to dinner outside, or similar. during the weekends we hardly end up watching any TV interestingly enough, whereas last year i think we watched more. we TiVo pretty much everything, do not watch commercials, and when we do watch our shows we are pretty much always a few days or a week behind. i actually like watching less TV because it typically means we are doing other more active things...but then we get too behind on what''s going on with our fave shows!

 

[crown1]

hi! interesting poll. i am watching hardly any tv since i don''t care for the current programming.

 

[FireGoddess]

I think I''m watching more TV than last year but I don''t watch ''live'' tv anymore. Commercials take up WAY too much time so I only watch what I''ve TiVoed and sometimes it''s the same day, but more often than not it''s the next day or on a busy week, several days later.

 

[Skippy123]

TV line ups are boring. Too many Reality shows. I love comedy''s; oh well. Oh, I am watching less.

 

[decodelighted]

I''m probably watching less TV (which is sweet!) ... however, it''s my biz & if other people are watching less I''m kinda scr****!

Something we''ve done here & I''ve never done before is watch whole series on DVD. DH had never watched ALIAS, & I loved it, & he''d loved the creator''s previous shows but never gotten "into" this one ... so we watched them all together. It was really fun to share that way & have the satisfaction of an ENDING. I think this is a big way TV will change ... people being impatient for five season, 100+ episode arcs. They want RELIEF!!!

We both kept hearing good things about THE OFFICE, but hadn''t gotten into that from the start either ... now we''ve caught up on Season''s 1 & 2 but are NOT watching this season on purpose, so we can watch it on DVD (we don''t want to come in in the middle of the story arcs & ruin it for ourselves). So here we are -- OFFICE fans, who are NOT watching the show. It''s a new frontier for TV for sure & hard to figure out for execs & programmers etc. YIKES!

I heard yesterday that people are trying to work out a deal where first run movies premiere on pay per view the same day as they''re in THEATERS. That''s crazy too!

Wish I could figure out how this is all gonna shake down -- I''d make a mint!!

 

[onedrop]

I am watching less TV these days. Mostly because I am just really busy now, but also because I just don''t have that many shows that I *need* to watch. Except for AI and The Sopranos, I can pretty much take or leave any show nowadays. I do record or watch other shows On Demand like CSI and Entourage. But other than that I am just not impressed with the latest lineups.

Hubby is probably watching more TV I would say, but mostly shows like Forensic Files and stuff on the History Channel.

All in all I think it''s a good thing that I am watching less TV because I was a real couch potato for a while there!

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 5/9/2007 1:50:04 PM
Author: decodelighted
We both kept hearing good things about THE OFFICE, but hadn''t gotten into that from the start either ... now we''ve caught up on Season''s 1 & 2 but are NOT watching this season on purpose, so we can watch it on DVD (we don''t want to come in in the middle of the story arcs & ruin it for ourselves). So here we are -- OFFICE fans, who are NOT watching the show. It''s a new frontier for TV for sure & hard to figure out for execs & programmers etc. YIKES!

That must take restraint not to watch - I LOVE the American version of The Office. Hilarious. So is 30 Rock.

 

[Gypsy]

I'm watching less because I've lost interest in many of our shows... or they've gotten cancelled. But we DVR EVERYTHING-- no commecials plus we can watch them whenever we want... bot necessarily that day, which is great.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 5/9/2007 2:12:30 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Hilarious. So is 30 Rock.

30 ROCK is my fave show right now, I think.

1. 30 ROCK
2. American Idol
3. Dancing w/ The Stars
4. The Office (but I can''t watch this season)
5. Grey''s Anatomy?? (but tiring of it)

CANNOT WAIT for "So You Think You Can Dance" to return May 24th -- I loved that show last season!!!

Shows I used to like are just getting so lame: Oprah, Dr. Phil, Trading Spaces (is that even on anymore), Lost, 24, Ugly Betty, Survivor, Bachelor, blah blah blah

 

[TravelingGal]

I stopped watching TV about 4 of 5 years ago. Back then, I had shows I watched every night of the week. But then the complete glut of reality stuff happened and I didn''t have the stomach for it.

We don''t have any kind of recording device, so no DVRing here. TGuy watches sports and movies here and there, and that''s it. I''m happy that both of us don''t have to be glued to the set watching shows. I tried watching AI this season due to work (we have an AI product) but it''s only proved to me that I missed nothing.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 5/9/2007 2:25:48 PM
Author: TravelingGal
I stopped watching TV about 4 of 5 years ago.

I *highly* recommend you get or rent the DVD set of THE OFFICE. It is weird & uncomfortable & hilarious in a way that US tv is *not*. LARRY SANDERS is the closest thing I can think of ... I have no idea how it got on & stayed on ...

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/9/2007 2:31:41 PM
Author: decodelighted

I *highly* recommend you get or rent the DVD set of THE OFFICE. It is weird & uncomfortable & hilarious in a way that US tv is *not*. LARRY SANDERS is the closest thing I can think of ... I have no idea how it got on & stayed on ...

Funny you should mention that...I have been thinking of doing so. Do you recommend the American or British version?

The last show I really loved was Frasier...that should tell you how long it''s been!

 

[anchor31]

I don''t watch much TV because I don''t own one. I watch it in the evenings with my family when I visit my parents. J has one though, and we moved together on April 29th, so I guess that when I''ll officially move in after my work contract in late June I''ll watch more.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 5/9/2007 2:34:21 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 5/9/2007 2:31:41 PM
Author: decodelighted
I *highly* recommend you get or rent the DVD set of THE OFFICE. It is weird & uncomfortable & hilarious in a way that US tv is *not*. LARRY SANDERS is the closest thing I can think of ... I have no idea how it got on & stayed on ...

Funny you should mention that...I have been thinking of doing so. Do you recommend the American or British version?

You know .. DH & I were both *independently* fans of the British version & then didn''t dig the U.S. version when it first came out so stopped watching it. But somehow the US version picked up steam after the 1st 3-6 episodes ... new writers, slightly different tone, different than but as good as the British version. You kinda have to have faith during those first 3-6, but if you can get past that it''s really hilarious!

So ... I guess the answer is ... both?? I haven''t gone back & watched the British one on DVD though ... so I''m not sure it holds up. The U.S. one I feel more strongly about -- as we spend a whole recent weekend watching them (when I was sick!).

30 ROCK is very, very, very funny too -- but in a different, perhaps more conventional way? 30 ROCK has higher highs ... but THE OFFICE makes me *think* more -- it so DRY & makes you want to just look away from its discomforting truths. Its a comic car accident.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/9/2007 3:17:19 PM
Author: decodelighted


You know .. DH & I were both *independently* fans of the British version & then didn''t dig the U.S. version when it first came out so stopped watching it. But somehow the US version picked up steam after the 1st 3-6 episodes ... new writers, slightly different tone, different than but as good as the British version. You kinda have to have faith during those first 3-6, but if you can get past that it''s really hilarious!

So ... I guess the answer is ... both?? I haven''t gone back & watched the British one on DVD though ... so I''m not sure it holds up. The U.S. one I feel more strongly about -- as we spend a whole recent weekend watching them (when I was sick!).

30 ROCK is very, very, very funny too -- but in a different, perhaps more conventional way? 30 ROCK has higher highs ... but THE OFFICE makes me *think* more -- it so DRY & makes you want to just look away from its discomforting truths. Its a comic car accident.

Thanks for the recs. I should have picked them up earlier in the week. I have been very sick since Sunday and am just now really catching up on PS.

 

[Gypsy]

You''ve been sick? TG.. what''s the matter?

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/9/2007 3:39:34 PM
Author: Gypsy
You''ve been sick? TG.. what''s the matter?

Nothing too scary...just flu or something I think, although it''s kicking my a**. Went out with the girls on Friday (8 gals). One was sick. By Sunday, 4 of us were sick.

Thanks for the concern.

 

[Maria D]

Date: 5/9/2007 3:17:19 PM
Author: decodelighted

but THE OFFICE makes me *think* more -- it so DRY & makes you want to just look away from its discomforting truths. Its a comic car accident.

deco, that describes The Office perfectly! Some of the moments are so painfully real and sad it''s hard to watch. You''re going to love Season 3!

 

[brgirl]

I''m definitely watching less tv, mainly because I can''t ''get into'' any new shows! I have to watch Lost and The Office every week, but they switched Lost to 10pm so lately we are tivoing it and watching it the next day, skipping commercials..
The Office we usually watch when it is on, or a few minutes later, but then we usually watch it again on Thursday night because my FI''s brother comes home from work late. If it wasn''t for TIVO, we''d probably only watch it once! (and we often watch it again on the weekend too...sometimes you miss something the first two times because people in the room are laughing!)

I do watch American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, but mainly because there is nothing else on.

Oh, and sadly every night at 10pm, I watch House Hunters on HGTV. I don''t know why I like that show. But I don''t *have* to watch it, it is just on and I fall asleep to it!

 

[brgirl]

Forgot to add - I LOVE watching the Office on DVD! I own the first two seasons. We watched season two with the commentary on. Hilarious stuff! We''ll def buy season 3 when it comes out on DVD, even though we''ve seen them all..mainly for the deleted scenes and commentary.

 

[monarch64]

I voted for the third choice but now I realize that I don''t watch LESS t.v. this year than last year, but I would roughly estimate that I watch much less t.v. than I did 3-4 years ago since we got DVR. If the t.v. is on for background noise typically it''s because I''m on the computer and focusing mainly on that screen instead of watching the t.v. The programs we actually watch and look forward to are AI, DWTS, Sopranos, The Office, Planet Earth, and Entourage. Like others have mentioned, I would much rather watch a great show sans commercials on HBO, or DVR primetime programs so I don''t have to sit through the constant barrage of commercial breaks.

 

[KimberlyH]

I watch about the same, but have started using DVR. I typically record my trash to watch while working out, but end up erasing 3/4''s of what I''ve DVRed. DH and I watch AI sporadically this season (we watched it faithfully last year but are bored) and on other nights for about 45 minutes to an hour before I go to sleep we watch one of the many available Law and Order''s on TNT, USA or it''s network channel (DH is a night owl, he''s usually up at least 3 hours after me, I''m a morning bird, up with the sunshine between 5:30 and 6:30 every morning). Aside from AI, there are no current TV shows that I watch...I can''t stand getting caught up in a storyline and feeling like I "must see TV!" I''ve felt this way for years and would be perfectly fine with never having cable TV again. DH would not be so okay!

 

[strmrdr]

I dont own a TV.
have a tuner card in my computer but rarely use it.

 

[Nicrez]

barely watch TV anymore. It seems that few shows are original, entertaining, and intelligent. Is it me, or do you have to be into pop culture pretty strong to get a lot of these shows and find them interesting. The whole American Idol thing and the reality TV shows are too much to stomach!

I have certainly gotten busier, but I was never tied to a TV anyway. It felt nice to have shows you connected with, and now it seems that in a vain effort to appeal to very specific segments they ae losing universal appeal... But who knows, maybe I am just fed up with TV in general. Never been a big fan...