TV/Cable

[Wee Free Woman]

I'm addicted to TV. Especially TBS re-runs.

I'm looking at Cable costs per month and it just seems a waste to be paying 50 bucks a month. And am I really going to have time to watch TV that often?

So I was wondering how many of you guys actually even have TV's and if so, what cable plan do you have? (I understand some of you might have kids and so you have the TV for them, but I'm pretty much single and childless)

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[Sondra]

I no longer own a tv. I had one pre-Katrina. Living in a FEMA trailer taught me how many things I could do without. I found my life was so much better if I didn't spend it in front of the tv. I found that I read more, went to bed at a decent hour (got more sleep!!!), and spent more quality time with my boyfriend and family. We actually ate meals together and talked instead of sitting in front of the tv together. So... I am starting med school with out a tv.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm addicted to TV. Especially TBS re-runs.

I'm looking at Cable costs per month and it just seems a waste to be paying 50 bucks a month. And am I really going to have time to watch TV that often?

So I was wondering how many of you guys actually even have TV's and if so, what cable plan do you have? (I understand some of you might have kids and so you have the TV for them, but I'm pretty much single and childless)

Bear in mind that those who go to school in cities probably get no reception without cable, so a lot of responders will have at least a basic cable package. Your TV time will be more limited than college, but med students seem to watch a few favorite shows during the first two years.

 

[Bobblehead]

For $50 you could get basic cable and a netflix subscription and still come out ahead.

 

[inked_caduceus]

I started the year with "cable" - a 50 foot coaxial cable plugged into the back of the TV that functioned as an antenna. We got the basic 7 channels, and it worked.

Since my roomate moved out with the cable, I haven't gotten around to replacing it - and to be honest, I don't miss it much.

 

[MollyMalone]

My apartment includes basic cable with the rent... that's the only reason I'm getting it.

 

[willow18]

I've lived my entire life without a TV. You'll do fine without one, though I guess it'll take getting used to it. Try listening to radio. There are still some good things in that medium, and you can wash dishes/do laundry, etc while you're listening.

 

[Medical123]

I have basic cable. I live in a city where I don't get any TV reception otherwise. I don't watch that much TV, but it is nice to have it around when I have some downtime.

 

[Church]

I started the year with "cable" - a 50 foot coaxial cable plugged into the back of the TV that functioned as an antenna. We got the basic 7 channels, and it worked.

Since my roomate moved out with the cable, I haven't gotten around to replacing it - and to be honest, I don't miss it much.

Inked- if you really want to replace it someday, you will get better reception with a bare piece of wire than with the coax. Not that I'm a ham radio guy and make antennas a lot or anything

 

[Church]

I got the digital package, and cable modem. I will not have a lot of time to relax and kick back, so I want to have good cable

SpeedTV and military channel

 

[LauraPaz]

Last year my roommates and I opted to forego the cable bill and just got an antenna. I lived in Cleveland, so as mentioned before there were basically like 8 channels available on a good day, but that was all we really needed. We still got the major networks (although they could be fuzzy at times), and what we really used our TV the most for anyway was DVDs. I'm planning on going this same route next year.....inexpensive TV & an inexpensive DVD player and I'm thinking I'll be fine.

 

[JonnyG]

I went all out with the cable and internet package. I decided i wanted my living situation to be as comfortable as possible. When I have a study break i wanted to actually have a choice of stuff to watch. Turned out I was doing all my studying during the day and had nights free to do whatever i wanted. Not going to class has its benefits.

 

[angietron3000]

Inked- if you really want to replace it someday, you will get better reception with a bare piece of wire than with the coax. Not that I'm a ham radio guy and make antennas a lot or anything

Hams can do anything with a long piece of wire! our whole neighborhood burnt down when i was in HS and my dad made like a mile long antenna up and down the streets with wire and was chatting with people all over the freakin world on his little radio

 

[cbgray]

It sounds ultra-lame to admit it, but sadly, if I had cable I would spend way too much time watching baseball and other sports on it. Having Netflix and a local antenna is the perfect solution for me. I can always get my fix of television shows by just putting the series DVDs in the queue, and at the same time I have the limit of only being enticed to watch whatever sports are currently aired on the local stations. For me, it works.

And it's only $15/mo.

 

[Rogue_Leader]

For the first 1.5 years of med school, I was fine with $8 el-cheapo cable which had about 20 channels, half of which were home shopping networks or in spanish. However, it did have Spike TV, which gave me my daily dose of Star Trek - The Next Generation, and Star Trek - Deep Space Nine. Then this January, Comcast moved Spike to basic cable which was $45 dollars a month. Being the weak, weak person I am, I instantly upgraded to regular cable to I could get my daily fix like the trek junkie that I am. All of this was on top of the $50 a month I spend for cable internet. If I were smart I would just forgo the cable with the money I save in 1 year of not having expensive cable, I could buy 5 or 6 seasons of Star Trek on DVD. But now I've gotten hooked on being able to watch baseball, and mythbusters. I'm such a technology addict.

 

[eddie13231]

How do you guys live without broadband? Up here, if you want broadband you have to get basic cable!

 

[Wee Free Woman]

Man, I'm feeling guilty about having TV.

Netflicks is cheap, I know, but the idea of having to mail out videos aftering having watched them is so annoying. And sometimes it's more fun to surf the TV channels to see what's on. I guess I'm way too addicted to TV. I suppose if there's not much else to do when taking a break, then TV will be it?

I hope its a worthwhile investment.

 

[vtucci]

I have digital internet which requires me to have digital cable. I watch it. Sometimes it is nice to have a distraction. But all this costs a lot ($128/month for cable, internet and phone). You will need to unwind. Trust me on this.

 

[SwineLake98]

My cable bill is about $12.
I get about 20 channels, including TLC and Discovery.
However, I gave up VH1, Comedy Central, [Adult Swim] on Cartoon Network, Food Network, ESPN, etc...
I thought about not getting cable at all, but my roommate and I at least wanted our networt TV shows to come in clear.
Honestly, I've barely had the TV on except for checking the weather in the morning. Also, our med student lounge has satellite TV, should I need a fix. I also liv in walking distance from a number of bars should there be a hockey game or the like that I don't want to miss. I'm cheap.
I'm considering Netflix...

 

[Law2Doc]

How do you guys live without broadband? Up here, if you want broadband you have to get basic cable!

Lots of people get DSL thru their telephone service carrier, rather than via cable, at about the same cost.

 

[Church]

Angietron,
I hope you're saying he put up the antenna AFTER the neighborhood burned down

I've been accused to trying to burn mine down before

Or draw lightning strikes

Or signal space aliens

 

[amy2003uva]

after realizing that basic cable was an unwanted distraction 1st year, i just canceled and am down to bare-bones local channels (rabbit ears, here i come!) mtv's "next" and "room raiders" were fantastic for late-night procrastinating, but wtf was i doing watching such crap on tv!

the only shows i like to watch regularly are house and grey's anatomy, which i can catch w/o shelling out $50/month. ideally i'd have discovery health, but that require a cable upgrade ($100/mo!)

save the cash and ditch the cable... you won't need it after this summer

 

[Church]

I don't really watch that much TV regardless. But if I had missed a match of world cup, or a Formula 1 race...

(And F1 races are Sunday mornings, not really my prime study hours, and be honest how many of the rest of you not in rotations or residency are awake before 7 on Sundays anyway?)