Survey: How do you watch TV shows, videos, or movies?

[Mary Terry]

That's another advantage of the way we did things in the bush, large collections of movies and TV shows on an external harddrive plugged in to the TV.

An even better way is to plug the computer in to the TV and use the computer to play movies and shows. This was especially helpful to a lot of older people who have to put their other glasses on to be able to see the buttons on a remote control. The mouse is a much better remote control, it only has 2 buttons and you use the wheel to adjust volume. Much more intuitive.

In early 2020 when the pandemic hit, I ordered dozens of DVDs, complete sets of British murder mysteries such as Foyle's War, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Miss Marple, Midsomer Murders, etc. I'm going to order the complete set of Vera, too, as I am a fan. I also ordered lots of children's DVDs and some educational DVDs to entertain the grandkids.

I'm glad I have all these DVDs because I can play them when the electricity goes out by hooking up the DVD player to the gas generator, although I can also just watch satellite TV when that happens. It's my personal DVD library, no commercials, and I can pause them or replay them at any time.

 

[Mary Terry]

Maybe not. Looking over so many itemized features and functions, not surprisingly there seems to be one glaring omission. No evidence of an ability to upconvert progressive scan DVDs to 720 to 1080p resolution.

Meaning for all those attributes advertised, it defaults to playing 480p resolution tops. I still have a Sony progressive scan DVD player which sits perpetually in my closet given how poorly that level of resolution appears on modern widescreen high-definition tvs.

That's disappointing!

 

[Judge]

That's disappointing!

Right now my main concern is with the DVD format itself. Watching most retailers retreat from even selling them because of the later formats out there. A key reasons why I cherish my 1080p television that still plays DVDs just great. And I have zero desire to replace my DVD collection to the latest and greatest format.

-"Homey don't play that game anymore."

Besides, probably half my collection can't even be found now in a better format. Reminds me of vinyl records and cassette tapes. I love the CD format, but the selection became far less back in the 80s compared to so many records and tapes. And of course now some are saying it's time to end the CD format as well.

Better technology IMO is no replacement for a greater variety of film or music. All made even worse with certain industry mentalities looking to force consumers to merely rent and never actually own digital quality media.

 

[Mary Terry]

Right now my main concern is with the DVD format itself. Watching most retailers retreat from even selling them because of the later formats out there. A key reasons why I cherish my 1080p television that still plays DVDs just great. And I have zero desire to replace my DVD collection to the latest and greatest format.

-"Homey don't play that game anymore."

I'll research the usual suspects - Consumer Reports, Wirecutter in the New York Times, etc. - for options. I don't want used equipment if there is something new out there.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I chose books. I don't watch TV/movies anymore, primarily because of the light. I have trouble with flatscreens.

I also went to the movies constantly as a kid, and was a big TV watcher throughout childhood. After awhile it all feels the same. There are brilliant shows and films, but so much is cranked out and it's largely forgettable. No one is going to care about most (or any?) of these "prestige" shows in 50 years. The praise they get for being topical and expressive of our time is too self-congratulatory. It's a huge turnoff. Even something as wonderful as Breaking Bad will fade, just from the sheer glut of artifacts we're bombarded with. So what is the value in all this?

Much of what's hyper-popular is also indebted--thoroughly--to its time. I was obsessed with Seinfeld from age 10 until it ended, but seeing reruns now is like watching The Honeymooners in the early 90s. You respect it and get the importance, but you're watching the experience of another time. When I read Macbeth or Oedipus, I never feel that way. When I read Austen or Dickens I never feel that way. Even American Psycho--a novel devoted to this phenomenon--transcends this, as a parable. But, will White Lotus or Game of Thrones be remembered as more than trivia questions, if even that?

With so much competition, there is less room for subtlety. Everything must scream to be heard. Another victim, then, is insight. I'd rather quietly step away.

(Edit: of course, my avatar is a TV character)

 

[Outdated]

There are brilliant shows and films, but so much is cranked out and it's largely forgettable.

I decided to free up a bit of space on a harddrive, I kept only the movies that I was likely to want to watch again. The collection went from almost 3000 to about 30.

I've never seen more than a few minutes of Game Of Thrones because I had already read the books, I can't stand it when the video is different from the book.

 

[Judge]

I decided to free up a bit of space on a harddrive, I kept only the movies that I was likely to want to watch again. The collection went from almost 3000 to about 30.

I've never seen more than a few minutes of Game Of Thrones because I had already read the books, I can't stand it when the video is different from the book.

LOL...how true. It embarrasses me at times to think that I have so many movies I have seen so many times that there's no point in seeing them again. Just too fresh in my memory to enjoy. And at my age a good recollection of anything can be a good thing.

 

[Aspychata]

My daughter owned a VHS video camera at preschool age and she recorded her barbies in a comedy skit. We would watch it and just roll around laughing on the floor, it was so funny.

 

[LadyS]

That's when you make food and go the bathroom and let the cat outside. Small pauses to do other things. But there are way too many commercial breaks on the regular tv channels now and they are too long.

Exactly. It's what I use them for. Of course you can just pause anything these days but sometimes an involuntary break is welcome to snap me back to reality.

 

[Shevek]

I only use YouTube and attached clips. "Television is called a medium because so little of it is rare or well-done."

 

[Luca]

I rarely watch movies or TV, but if I’m going to for some reason, I use an Amazon Fire Stick.

I mostly watch YouTube, and read books and magazines.

 

[Forest Cat]

I rarely watch movies or TV, but if I’m going to for some reason, I use an Amazon Fire Stick.

I get a mental image of someone in the Amazon rainforest rubbing two sticks together to make a fire... I should probably google Amazon fire stick.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I decided to free up a bit of space on a harddrive, I kept only the movies that I was likely to want to watch again. The collection went from almost 3000 to about 30.

I've never seen more than a few minutes of Game Of Thrones because I had already read the books, I can't stand it when the video is different from the book.

And I should have said there's nothing wrong with liking either. But the fawning over some shows, and the bullying over others, is hard to stomach.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I read books.

I rarely watch anything on any medium. I find most of it boring. That’s been true all my life, from network TV as a child to today.

I‘ve made a few exceptions over my lifetime. Star Trek original only on regular TV. Star Wars in theaters.

When I was in college there were foreign films.

Books are where it's at.

 

[Sherlock77]

Old fashioned cable... But then my sister, who I live with, pays the bills on that one...

I could subscribe to streaming services if I wanted to on my own, but I don't bother anyway, I don't always watch TV, sometimes it's just the radio on as well

Most weekends I'm out fairly often, so thus not watching TV... And some weekdays, as often as twice a week, I'm out of the house too at various functions...

 

[damoisellepeachy]

I’ve always watched tv/movies as a kid. I used to have cable but at some point when I was a teenager I fell out of watching tv shows and I just kept using DVDs/Blu-Ray to watch my favourite movies. I also love to go to the cinema when it’s not crowded.

For streaming services I tend to use Netflix and Disney+ the most. I have Paramount+ right now but it doesn’t have much I like.

 

[Aneka]

I don't watch a lot. Mostly documentaries and a few series I like. And if I do and I'm alone I turn off audio and read the subtitles...

 

[Luca]

I get a mental image of someone in the Amazon rainforest rubbing two sticks together to make a fire... I should probably google Amazon fire stick.

Lol! It’s a USB that plugs into your TV, with a remote.

 

[Georgia Galaxy]

I read books.

I rarely watch anything on any medium. I find most of it boring. That’s been true all my life, from network TV as a child to today.

I‘ve made a few exceptions over my lifetime. Star Trek original only on regular TV. Star Wars in theaters.

When I was in college there were foreign films.

Aww that sounds nice :3 I enjoy books more than media sometimes too, it's more relaxing and involving in a way, plus no screen radiation is a big plus. Even coming from someone who grew up in 2010s

 

[Georgia Galaxy]

In early 2020 when the pandemic hit, I ordered dozens of DVDs, complete sets of British murder mysteries such as Foyle's War, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Miss Marple, Midsomer Murders, etc. I'm going to order the complete set of Vera, too, as I am a fan. I also ordered lots of children's DVDs and some educational DVDs to entertain the grandkids.

I'm glad I have all these DVDs because I can play them when the electricity goes out by hooking up the DVD player to the gas generator, although I can also just watch satellite TV when that happens. It's my personal DVD library, no commercials, and I can pause them or replay them at any time.

That sounds really, ahh I love DVDS! You would get along so well with my Grandma who loves murder mystery stuff exactly like you're watching