I have 4 tv channels! Yes FOUR!!

[K'Ehleyr]

So Saturday afternoon and I have four television channels to choose from ~ rugby, racing, a '49 John Wayne film or 'Anywhich Way But Loose'!
I don't have Sky or cable, as well you can see! I have a set top box but because it's on a communal arial only picks up 2 more channels after 7pm which show repeats of what I've seen on the other channels.

So do I fork out for Sky? Is it worth it?

I mean I could be watching... 'It's Me or the Dog', 'Monk', 'The Last of the Summer Wine' or 'Britains War Heroes'. Yep ~ see that's why I don't have Sky or cable.

So who could not live without the extra channels? Who, like me, has only the minimum? and who, unlike me, has a life and better things to do than complain about tv on a Saturday afternoon?

 

[John Clark]

Personally, I'd get a freeview box too. At least it gives you a little extra choice without worrying about subscriptions

Certain programmes I'm addicted to haven't yet appeared on the standard five channels so that's why we went the cable route a few years back. Come november though, that's the only way I'll be able to watch anything on tv.

As for complaining about it on a saturday afternoon, here the weather currently sucks so I guess it passes the time

 

[Jadzia]

Have you tried an indoor aerial K'ehleyr? It might provide a stronger signal than the communal aerial for your set top box.

 

[Plecostomus]

Instead of complaining about TV complain about that new movie that's out. Everyone else is.

 

[curson]

If you can, go with a Free Digital TV set (freeview if it is what's available in your country), or even FreeSAT (if you can/want to put a dish up). Internat aerials could work too, but as far as I know it is a bit of a lucky guess... if the zone where you live have a good coverage/strong signal they could work, but they might as well be a bit of a loss of money too, it depends.

I am personally on the free package (that comes with broadband) from VirginMedia here in the UK, and while I'd love to have the upgraded package (Sci-fi Channel, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery, NatGEO are all in the package in price range next to mine) I am not sure I can afford it right now, so I'm going with what I get "for free" :P

I can live without 1000 TV channels, but 4 are a bit... well...

 

[trampledamage]

TV? Four channels or hundreds there's usually nothing on - or when there is, everything is on at the same time!

You need to watch more DVDs, K'ehleyr, that would solve your problem.

 

[K-Star]

When we lived in England, we had only the basic four BBC channels, until a neighbor got reassigned elsewhere (we lived in a base housing area... off base) and they had Sky. They gave us their satellite equipment before moving away so for the last year or so that we were there we had Sky.

There were some great shows on those BBC channels back then, though. Good times...

 

[John Clark]

TV? Four channels or hundreds there's usually nothing on - or when there is, everything is on at the same time!

Indeed. With my family, at one point, there was something like five things on at the same time every week that someone wanted - and little or nothing the rest of the time

 

[Geckothan]

I have Sky, and believe me it's a waste of money. If it wasn't for the handful of channels that I like which aren't availible on Freeview, or the fact that I don't pay for our subscription myself, I'd probably get rid of it. I have most of the shows I want to watch on DVD anyway, and it's not like there's anything airing right now that I care about.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Personally, I'd get a freeview box too. At least it gives you a little extra choice without worrying about subscriptions
As for complaining about it on a saturday afternoon, here the weather currently sucks so I guess it passes the time

Tell me about the weather ~ every time I set up outside to read a book the sun flees from the sight of my white flesh

Have you tried an indoor aerial K'ehleyr? It might provide a stronger signal than the communal aerial for your set top box.

Good plan, but I tried one ~ apparently we're 'in a dip' and they don't do much. Must start protesting for an aerial (thanks for spelling it right, had a 'word-blip!) upgrade! Oh I'm going to get a clipboard and petition my neighbours

Instead of complaining about TV complain about that new movie that's out. Everyone else is.

Haven't seen it yet . Trip planned for early bird special followed by 'all you can eat' pizza next week.

Oh and BTW Plec, Jadzia and others ~ you are missing from the 'that's me' AV week! Come-on show yourselves!!

If you can, go with a Free Digital TV set (freeview if it is what's available in your country), or even FreeSAT (if you can/want to put a dish up). Internat aerials could work too, but as far as I know it is a bit of a lucky guess... if the zone where you live have a good coverage/strong signal they could work, but they might as well be a bit of a loss of money too, it depends.

I am personally on the free package (that comes with broadband) from VirginMedia here in the UK, and while I'd love to have the upgraded package (Sci-fi Channel, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery, NatGEO are all in the package in price range next to mine) I am not sure I can afford it right now, so I'm going with what I get "for free" :P

I can live without 1000 TV channels, but 4 are a bit... well...

Yeah suffering from bad signal, but will look into broadband deal if I can get one. And yes I totally concur with the "for free" bit

TV? Four channels or hundreds there's usually nothing on - or when there is, everything is on at the same time!

You need to watch more DVDs, K'ehleyr, that would solve your problem.

V true trampledamage, I do have my Christmas pressie of all TNG to watch but we usually do that in bed at night ~ no sniggering please And I've watched all my SATC as I can only watch that when there's no men in the house or I get accused of watching 'soft porn'

 

[K'Ehleyr]

^^^ Thanks all.
I'm starting to see the way. If Sky was free then yes, but there'd be arguements. and Geckothan, thank you! That's what I needed confirming. Will just petition for an aerial upgrade and make use of the set-top box! I mean just how does an extra channel of CeeBeebies at the moment, enhance my life

 

[Zulu Romeo]

A Freeview box is the best way to start getting new channels to entertain you (including Channel Five). It's how I was introduced to more TV. The Channel 4 owned channels are mostly good, however. Plus, you get Dave.

I mean just how does an extra channel of CeeBeebies at the moment, enhance my life

LazyTown Extra.

 

[captcalhoun]

When we lived in England, we had only the basic four BBC channels, until a neighbor got reassigned elsewhere (we lived in a base housing area... off base) and they had Sky. They gave us their satellite equipment before moving away so for the last year or so that we were there we had Sky.

There were some great shows on those BBC channels back then, though. Good times...

[British TV Pedant]

ITV and Channel 4 aren't BBC channels. they're independent and subsidised through advertising. BBC is subsidised through the license fee. BBC 3 and 4, as well as the News Channel, kids channels and Parliament, are only available via digital services.

[/British TV pedant]

 

[K'Ehleyr]

A Freeview box is the best way to start getting new channels to entertain you (including Channel Five). It's how I was introduced to more TV. The Channel 4 owned channels are mostly good, however. Plus, you get Dave.

I mean just how does an extra channel of CeeBeebies at the moment, enhance my life

LazyTown Extra.

But my pathetic excuse of an aerial won't even pick up C5! And they have good films on there!
Please tell me LazyTown Extra is not a programme on CBBs that you are familiar with

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Have you tried a signal booster on your aerial to see if that gets you more channels on Freeview? I know it worked for my grandma at one point, went from 7 channels to 37.

Freesat is another option, although I hear Standard Def boxes are hard to come by, and HD boxes start at around £130 I think. There's also Freesat+ which is around £250. It gets you around 100 TV channels, unfortunately most of them are rubbish, but on the other hand it doesn't have subscription.

 

[Hermiod]

Instead of complaining about TV complain about that new movie that's out. Everyone else is.

Everyone ? I can only guess you're talking about Wolverine or something because Star Trek has 305 Excellent votes.

 

[Plecostomus]

Instead of complaining about TV complain about that new movie that's out. Everyone else is.

Everyone ? I can only guess you're talking about Wolverine or something because Star Trek has 305 Excellent votes.

'twas being silly. One of those Excellent votes is mine.

 

[judge alba]

A Freeview box is the best way to start getting new channels to entertain you (including Channel Five). It's how I was introduced to more TV. The Channel 4 owned channels are mostly good, however. Plus, you get Dave.

I mean just how does an extra channel of CeeBeebies at the moment, enhance my life

LazyTown Extra.

But my pathetic excuse of an aerial won't even pick up C5! And they have good films on there!
Please tell me LazyTown Extra is not a programme on CBBs that you are familiar with

not sure about how your broadband is caped if at all but you can downlaod a program called 'zattoo' that has all the normal channels like bbc and itv also it has channel five. used that when they were showing my work place on zoo days awhile back. you'll get and a couple of pooy channels too. not much choice but hey at least you'll get c5.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

A Freeview box is the best way to start getting new channels to entertain you (including Channel Five). It's how I was introduced to more TV. The Channel 4 owned channels are mostly good, however. Plus, you get Dave. LazyTown Extra.

But my pathetic excuse of an aerial won't even pick up C5! And they have good films on there!
Please tell me LazyTown Extra is not a programme on CBBs that you are familiar with

not sure about how your broadband is caped if at all but you can downlaod a program called 'zattoo' that has all the normal channels like bbc and itv also it has channel five. used that when they were showing my work place on zoo days awhile back. you'll get and a couple of pooy channels too. not much choice but hey at least you'll get c5.

Isn't Zattoo one of those not quite legal things?
Anyway, there's always iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD, and Demand Five. Along with the live streams most of them have too.

 

[K-Star]

When we lived in England, we had only the basic four BBC channels, until a neighbor got reassigned elsewhere (we lived in a base housing area... off base) and they had Sky. They gave us their satellite equipment before moving away so for the last year or so that we were there we had Sky.

There were some great shows on those BBC channels back then, though. Good times...

[British TV Pedant]

ITV and Channel 4 aren't BBC channels. they're independent and subsidised through advertising. BBC is subsidised through the license fee. BBC 3 and 4, as well as the News Channel, kids channels and Parliament, are only available via digital services.

[/British TV pedant]

I lived in England from 1991 to 1995. Our four channels were called (or at least I think they were called): BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3, and BBC 4. I was also very young at the time (six years old when we left), so while those may not have officially been the channel names, that was at the very least what my parents called them and what I remember them as.

(Actually, I just called them "Channel *insert number here*" for the most part, so you might be right. At the very least, I don't remember there being a station called ITV back then.)