How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by nolanbrown23 on Friday April 24, 2009 @02:49PM (#577992)

I'm actually getting rid of my TV when I move. It's not worth the cost, plus 90% of what I watch is on Hulu the next day anyway. I've also thought about buying a Slingbox and hooking it up to my parents cable if I really miss some shows that aren't on Hulu. There are some amazing gems of entertainment on TV but the ridiculous cost is what bothers me ($42 for basic cable, WTF comcast).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by Xichekolas on Friday April 24, 2009 @03:27PM (#578058)

I haven't had cable since 2005, and it's never been a problem. If you can't stream it somewhere, you can always torrent it.

I rarely watch shows, but still have a bit of a movie addiction. However, my total weekly watching of video might amount to 2-3 hours, so I'm ok with it. Video games are a much harder habit to kick in the interest of productivity.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by Femur on Friday April 24, 2009 @03:14PM (#578036)

>I'm actually getting rid of my TV when I move.

I highly recommend this. I've been watching my 'exempt' shows on my laptop for over a year. I'm not quite sure if i will ever have a TV again.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by edw519 on Friday April 24, 2009 @03:35PM (#578075)

"I've been watching my 'exempt' shows on my laptop for over a year"

I thought about this, but for me, this doesn't count. Even if the screen is part of a computer, it is still a "TV". Separating my dev and internet machines has made this a moot point.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by whughes on Friday April 24, 2009 @07:14PM (#578350)

Hulu is fundamentally a different video experience than a TV, though. Rather than passively watching channels and killing time, you're actively seeking out only your 'exempt' shows. It's a lot harder to fall into the couch potato trap.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by Femur on Friday April 24, 2009 @03:56PM (#578111)

This is a really good point; I hadn't considered that view. So on your internet machine, do you consider 'mindless internet surfing' watching TV?

I also keep my work and internet machines separate.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by edw519 on Friday April 24, 2009 @04:01PM (#578121)

"do you consider 'mindless internet surfing' watching TV?" No.

  Activity                  Value Reasoning
  ------------------------- ----- -------------------------
  watching TV                  0  totally passive
  mindless internet surfing    1  you do some initiating
  actively working             9  usually produces benefits
  reading Hacker News         10  basic research :-)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by Femur on Friday April 24, 2009 @04:41PM (#578180)

We should be friends.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Dumping TV Allowed Me to Quit My Job by sokoloff on Sunday May 03, 2009 @10:24AM (#590850)

$42 for basic cable?

I have Comcast and pay -$2.09 (not a typo) for basic cable. I have internet from them (FiOS not in my town), and they give you $10 off internet if you also have a TV package. Their cheapest TV package is $7.91/month for "basic cable". Even if I never watched it, I'd buy it...

[ Parent | on HN ]