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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> Bye, bye TV
        
(Message started by: sandie99 on Aug 30th, 2007, 10:58am)
Title: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Aug 30th, 2007, 10:58am
This time tomorrow Timo and I preparing ourselves for a change: Finland is headed to digital TV age, but we're not.

Yup, you heard it correctly. We don't have a digibox or digital TV, so that means that at 4am on Saturday morning our TVs are useless pieces of furniture.

If our house would have cable access, then we'd be able to watch TV normally until the end of this year. But because it doesn't... It's bye bye to TV. :)

We're planning to have a tiny party to celebrate this change. ;;D
I'm thinking pizza, popcorn and nachos. ;)
We are going to stay as late as we can and watch the last programs. Too bad nothing good is on... [smiley=laugh.gif]

Luckily most Finnish programs are crap and all good shows can be downloaded. ;)

More time to reading, whoo! :)

Soon TVless,
Sanna
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Brewcrew on Aug 30th, 2007, 11:02am
You won't be missing much.

It's actually quite liberating when you turn the idiot box off.
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Aug 30th, 2007, 11:14am
After the summer, it's not a big deal. Nothing good is on. ;;D

We'll be missing another Big Brother, Single Mum Wants a Hubby, Farmer Wants a Wife... ::)
And Talent Finland. It's US and UK versions were funny as hell, but I'm guessing that the Finnish one would be a let down after those.

But, because our national daily papers looove to cover each and every reality show at length, I won't be missing a thing. Heck, I didn't even need to watch a minute of the previous two Big Brothers nor Farmer Wants a Wife to know everything I needed (and far too much more) thanks to the tabloids. ;)
Latest Big Brother begun this week and tabloids are filled with "shocking" stories about the contestants.
:-X

I won't be missing any of those. I might miss some great nature programs, documentaries and concerts, but I'll live.

Sanna
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by George_J on Aug 30th, 2007, 11:19am
It's not a bad thing.  We don't miss it.

We disconnected from broadcast, network, cable, etc., about twelve years ago--when El appeared to be more interested in zombifying herself in front of the tube than anything else.  Much whining and thrashing about ensued, but it didn't last long.  Poor kid was forced to read books, and draw and paint, and run around outside.  

Now she's positively snobbish about the whole thing:  "We don't watch television at OUR house...."

We do have a good-sized digital flatscreen with a home theater system, but we use it to watch movies.  We enjoy watching films, including bygone classics and cultural icons, as well as new releases.  (Ellen and I are action-film junkies, but EJ seems to like chick flicks for some incomprehensible reason.)

Heck with the offerings of the networks.  There isn't really anything on that I want to see.  Most of the time, the shows and sitcoms bite.  I can get more and better news and analysis from the 'net--instead of the daily onslaught of death and celebrity angst that the soap-sellers on the tube are pushing.  

Phooey.

Good luck, and enjoy the view--losing the TV is no loss at all.

Best,

George      
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by gore2424 on Aug 30th, 2007, 11:39am
I would be lost with out my "Discovery Channel" , " Speed Channel" , "History Channel" , "Weather Channel" , and " Local News Channel" Terry
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by ClusterChris on Aug 30th, 2007, 12:30pm

Quote:
I would be lost with out my "Discovery Channel"


Amen to that, I think the tv in my bedroom is permantly stuck on that channel now, it hasn't been changed in a long time! ;;D
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Rosybabe on Aug 30th, 2007, 12:58pm
We have rabbit antenna, I can watch news and CSI and HOUSE and my soaps in spanish.
My daughter gets PBS all week and a few hours of Nick jr on saturday but we have lots of movies.
Discovery can be replace with PBS, they have great documentals and concerts. PLus there is alwasy internet, I love reading in the internet.

Sanna you will have a lot more time to talk to your best supporter  ;)

or do whatever else you can think of  ;)
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Karla on Aug 30th, 2007, 1:05pm
George, I can relate.  We have been without a telivision for 15 years.  Our whole family was glued to the tv and we did nothing but sit there and vegitate in front of it. Nothing got done around the house.  People would complaine if anyone dared talk.  We listen to Packer games on the radio now.  We played board games with the kids, did outside activities with them, and really enjoyed the liberation that we got without having one in our home.  Our kids were diagnosed ADHD.  When they stopped watching hyper cartoons and other things their ADHD went away.  It was amazing.
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by fubar on Aug 30th, 2007, 1:42pm
Good GOD!  How will you know what to BUY? How will you know what to THINK?  How will you know what new maladies you can cure with a new pill?  For cryin' out loud, you'll actually have to, uh, er, what was it again... think!

I'll pray for you.
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Aug 30th, 2007, 2:39pm
Congrats Sanna.  TV sucks.  
I watch virtually no TV at all.  Since I have been away from it for quite a while now, it really shocks me at how ridiculous it is when I do see it.
You will be smarter for it, I promise!!!

B$
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Kevin_M on Aug 30th, 2007, 5:50pm
Me too, haven't watched TV in many months.  

Libraries have about 30 years compiled non-fiction videos of history that rent for free, which will probably not be transferred to discs.  I've watched many several hundreds of hours of very good tapes available, perusing every library in the county, especially if interested in any wars and any kind of history.  Don't discard the VCR yet.  ;)
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Charlie on Aug 30th, 2007, 7:55pm

Quote:
Luckily most Finnish programs are crap and all good shows can be downloaded.


I don't know what I'd do without erectile dysfunction infomercials, hours and hours of prison tours, and the latest cable "news" of the latest Hollywood dim bulbs. http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/remote.gif


Quote:
We're planning to have a tiny party to celebrate this change.  
I'm thinking pizza, popcorn and nachos.


Don't tell anybody but when I was a little kid, tv was so rare that people had tv cocktail parties inviting the neighbors to see the latest the Dumont TV network had to offer.

Come to think of it; if I didn't have a cable bill, I would have been able to go to Richmond.

Might be worth a try next time

Should be fun kid

Charlie
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sldrswyfe on Aug 30th, 2007, 9:47pm
Charlie...Stop!!! ;;D ;;D ;;D

Sanna, Im glad you're celebrating...have fun, it's a good cause for a party! :D
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by assaultme on Aug 31st, 2007, 12:38am

on 08/30/07 at 11:39:57, gore2424 wrote:
I would be lost with out my "Discovery Channel" , " Speed Channel" , "History Channel" , "Weather Channel" , and " Local News Channel" Terry

SPEED CHANNEL !!!!!!!!!! Big block Chevys, nitro methane...makee big a hoss powa :) Oh yeah!!!

Reality Tv shows lower I.Q. Celebs have oatmeal for a brain.
 I don't care if Paris Hilton does finally successfully lobby daddy for a new brain.
   The money would be better put to use  studying alpaca poo as an alternative fuel source, or sending underprivileged kids to school to learn to dance the Macharena.
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Aug 31st, 2007, 2:57am
I'm an avid reader and we live right next to the biggest library in the city. I'm there all the time, looking for books and reading magazines. Thank God for Finland's brilliant libraries! They're wonderful.

Timo has a lot of great movies on dvds (and I lots of chick flicks and Silence of the Lambs  ;)) we're planning to watch within time. We just got Little Miss Sunshine, which we both love. :)

Fubar, luckily here in Finland we've been able to buy, think and act ourselves for years. ;;D Besides, I've been watching so little amount of TV during the past few years that giving it up is a natural addition. My current fave shows are House (the 1st series ended months ago and no idea when second starts in here) and Men in Trees (the 1st series will end next week).

Finland lacks its own brilliant dramas and sitcoms, which is unfortunate. Many "exciting new shows" in here are, in fact, those US shows which have run like 1 series back in there... ::) And then they're heavily marketed in here. I'm fed up with that.

Those who will have their TVs will get to see also our edition of Deal or No Deal, Dexter (it started last night), Weeds' second series (I did enjoy some of the first episodes) and Heroes (one of my friends is already a fan of that). Our Public Service Broadcaster YLE made a deal with HBO, so that brings some new shows as well.

I grew up watching little TV. As I kid I played with my best friend, spent hours outside and read zillion books per year. I do recall loving Cosby Show and watching episodes of The Golden Girls and some kiddies programs, but that's it. There was always so much more to do.

And boy, did we play board games and baseball and basket ball! :) And hide and seek. And showball wars during the winter... ;;D Fun!

This digital age is a challenge for our networks, though. YLE, the public service broadcaster, will lose lots of revenue, because at least 13 000 households have decided not to get a TV permit (which finances YLE's programming). Not to meantion, the networks have spent lots of money to create their digital channels and most folks either stick to the few they've had until now or decide, like us, not to get the digi box or digital TV at all.

My mum is one of the digi box people and what I hear she's been watching Conan! ;;D Late Night with Conan O'Brien is on SubTV, one of the cable channels our house doesn't have access in the analogue age and my childhood home didn't have cable ever, so I skipped all the nice influences from MTV and etc. ;;D

Sanna
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by fubar on Aug 31st, 2007, 8:32pm
Sanna,

I can't understand a word you're typing.  It's like you evolved and left us behind...

;;D
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Sep 1st, 2007, 6:03am
[smiley=laugh.gif]

Good one, Fubar! ;;D
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by BarbaraD on Sep 1st, 2007, 8:01am
I remember those "parties" with the little TV light on and all the neighbor's over to watch a TV program (Saturday Night Hit Parade with Rosemary Clooney or some such) - awwww those were the days.....

You probably won't miss the TV and will get a lot more done. I just keep mine on for noise - couldn't even tell you what's on most of the time. Waste of money....

Maybe you'll start a trend and we'll all go back to rabbit ears and just watch the news (not that that's anything to watch any more).

Reading and thinking? Now there's a novel thought.... Do ya think (Charlie) that's why those of us over a certain age can actually do those things today - cause we didn't have TV growing up?

Hugs BD
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by andrewjb on Sep 1st, 2007, 8:25am
:), iam sure you wont regret it. i threw mine out 22 years ago. the advertisers got me down, and only getting the news they wanted you to hear, the way they would have you hear it. the world service [radio], at least is heard by the world and so news reports are more responsible. andrew.
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Charlie on Sep 1st, 2007, 8:44pm
Maybe you're right Barb. We watched tv from about 4:00 PM here when it came on. After the Buffalo, NY news at 11:30 there was usually some kind of sign off and of course the test pattern. Mom would actually knit, or read while my dad and I spent Friday night in the cellar developing black and white photographs or on dad's  KN2TAX. Of course there was always the Lionel train that my dad bought more for himself than me.  8)

People fixed stuff back then too.

Charlie
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Sep 2nd, 2007, 10:20am
Ok, life without TV, day 2. We're doing fine. :)

Yesterday we turned the telly on to see what the screen looks like now. It was black with most channels but YLE1 announced that the digital age has begun and that from now on one must get a digibox, digital TV or digi transformer of some kind and phone number for Digita Oy, which will give assistance to those who need it (and what I hear, lots of folks DO need it).

And the change has not been complitely smooth one. Some households with digital TV or digibox still won't see anything because they'll need satellites or other kind of assistance, because there's not enough technical support networks yet. Makes you wonder why to choose to live in the middle of nowhere, right? ;;D

Sanna
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by E-Double on Sep 2nd, 2007, 11:15am
We just downgraded from over 800 channels to a few hundred.
It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do [smiley=laugh.gif]
Maybe someday we will just have basic cable :o

good luck from your resident imbecile
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Brewcrew on Sep 2nd, 2007, 11:42am

on 09/02/07 at 11:15:43, E-Double wrote:
Maybe someday we will just have basic cable :o

Maybe someday you'll be forced to resort to caveman TV - a fireplace. ;)
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Kevin_M on Sep 2nd, 2007, 12:52pm

on 09/02/07 at 10:20:25, sandie99 wrote:
day 2. We're doing fine. :)


Just saying "no" to the changes might be an adjustment but you may find it to be a needless item when network price searching increases involving hoop-jumping has been intensively sought and decided (in your best interest, of course) from all the best brainstorming for improvement, and well-thought out ideas came up with only a clearer picture.  They need more revenue and that is the regulated push.  Like selling you huge speakers for a 200 square foot room and making it a requirement.

Besides, you're next to a huge library that's free, discover the difference then consider paying the charges involved in changes for service.  

I know you like media and are particular in presentation and truth, Sanna, TV is not the only or best source if one were to happen to look elsewhere.  It may tend to frustrate your looked-for standards anyway.

Just my opinion.
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Jonny on Sep 2nd, 2007, 1:06pm
I bought a 52" HDTV.....its hooked up to a digital cable box and I never watch it.

Even when someone turns it on I walk right by it oblivious to whats on it.....LOL ;;D

Some days I wonder why the hell I pay $63 a month for cable TV
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Sep 2nd, 2007, 2:17pm
Kevin,

thanks for your post. :)

The funny thing is that I'm a journalist, which means that it's my "job" to know a little about a lot and pick a field I call my own. Being a critic of some sort has been close to my heart for a long, long time.

Now, the question is, how well one can be a TV critic without it? I'd say; just fine. What I hear many of them see the programs in advance and Finnish TV magazines use a lot of tv.com as their source. I, for one, have known a lot about many shows long before they arrived to our screens (if they ever did).

Besides, I managed my first year at university in London just brilliantly without TV. ;;D Sure, I had absolutely no idea when there was an academic discussion about soap opera characters, but other wise, no probs. :)

Our news world is bit different with the American one, I've understood (although I wouldn't mind if someone gave me a scholarship to stay a year in America for further research  ;)). But, I do know a fellow who worked at YLE news and he told me that if all the Finns would know what he knows about the news, they would never ever watch news nor believe in them...  :-X

I get my news from several sources online and I read my share of newspapers. Mum ordered us Helsingin Sanomat (Finland's biggest and only national newspaper) as a gift for 5 months, so we should be up to date nicely (not to mention, once the paper is read, we can put in use as a begging at our guinea pigs' cage! ;;D)

But, I must admit that it is kind of funny that when Finland only had those black-white TVs, my parents didn't get one. Their friends and relatives thought that they were kidding when they said that they didn't have TV! ;;D They bought their first TV when color TVs arrived to the market. So, in a way, history repeats itself in us, without getting that better gadget part.

Sanna :)
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Charlie on Sep 2nd, 2007, 7:27pm
My favorite commercial for cable tv from Time-Warner is the one where they tell us how unreliable satellites are when compared to cable. Of course that the goodies cable gets are sent via-satellite isn't significant and all those satellite dishes at the office are just for show.  ::)

Charlie
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Kevin_M on Sep 2nd, 2007, 8:58pm

on 09/02/07 at 14:17:54, sandie99 wrote:
Being a critic of some sort has been close to my heart for a long, long time.


I buy books online sometimes from Amazon.  Based upon what I've already bought, they will e-mail me notice of other books maybe somewhat related that I might be interested in buying.  Some I've already read, some I didn't know about, but they have reviews, starting with known publications that do that.  
  Below and more abundantly, there are reader's reviews, some good, some simple, some too busily long, and one or two that may be helpfully informative.  I might read a couple about a book that might look interesting and even like to see what others say after I've read a book.
 You could read new books that come into the library that are of interest to you, write a review for Amazon and see how it goes.  It may be good practice.  Some people write a lot and have links to all the reviews they've written.
 Just an idea but there is also a count that may be reinforcement for you.  It will say, 50 people read this review and 42 found it helpful, something like that.  
  This may not be the type of critic you wish to be but it is an idea for practice and good for comprehension, also comparing your work with others.  Some I didn't like at all and some I agreed said something I noticed in the book too, be it good or perhaps a fault.  They have asked if I'd like to do some review writing, perhaps a common request to frequent buyers maybe, or need reviews about books they know you have bought that have hardly any written.
 I don't write any but have seen people find fault not understanding the intended scope of the book, or didn't pay attention to a small part that dealt with the criticized point, just wanting to flaunt their opinion.  It might be interesting to compare your's with others and develop opinions about reviews including your own.

A fundamental rule of science is self-criticism.    ;)


 :)
 
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by sandie99 on Sep 4th, 2007, 4:33am
Kevin,

that's a great idea. :) Our local library does stock up English books, which is brilliant. I'm not sure how many Finnish books are part of Amazon's collection, so that is useful for me.


BTW, I'm loving the silence which comes along with not having the TV on. :) We have watched Little Miss Sunshine on dvd and took nice long walks. My best supporter did admit that he had been wondering what was on TV on each day of the week... But that list was a short one. I can tell that he's missing Lost, though.

Sanna
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by Kevin_M on Sep 4th, 2007, 7:23am

Quote:
Being a critic of some sort has been close to my heart for a long, long time.



Quote:
I'm not sure how many Finnish books are part of Amazon's collection


Bunches honey, but I guess in English.  There is an Amazon UK, too.  Just google something like "A Short History of Finland"  Choose the Amazon link.

Scroll down a little ways past the book's presentation and all the related publications of interest, you'll see Editorial Reviews, which could be nice as a career choice maybe and possibly helpful to inspect.  But scroll about half way down and see Customer Reviews I have been describing.  


Or a 2006 war time account, "Finland War 1939-45 Elite" with only two Customer Reviews so far.  

I can't depict the pages on Amazon for you because there seems to be a little too much info on my own account accessable.

Actually, anything of interest should be available at your library and "write a review" is a feature for all on Amazon.

 :)


ps.  I don't mind the quiet either.  ;)
Title: Re: Bye, bye TV
Post by George_J on Sep 4th, 2007, 10:08am
Actually, several Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish authors have been turning up in English translation lately--quite a few in the genres of detective fiction and suspense, including Henning Mankell, Per Petterson, and others.  Many of those I've read (I've been working my way through them) are very, very good.

Best,

George


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