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Original poster

to be surprised that anyone watches terrestrial TV anymore?

161 replies

MaMaLa321 · 01/12/2020 21:49

If I'm watching TV, I go straight to Netflix, as there doesn't seem to be much on terrestrial that isn't a) stupid or b) depressing. Is it just me that does this?

OP posts:
SchrodingersImmigrant · 02/12/2020 12:44

No worries @WitchesSpelleas Happens to all of us

EvilPea · 02/12/2020 12:56

I don't have any subscription tv, it seems to just go on and on with 5.99 for this, 7.99 a month for that. It all adds up and it is a lot of money, I don't have prime, don't have spotify or anything like that.
Life seems much more expensive than it used to be.

OneForMeToo · 02/12/2020 13:03

I don’t think it’s that bad £11.99 Netflix as we have the biggest one so the children have it on their tablets, £7.99 prime, £38 500mb internet that includes a landline we don’t use.

Our virgin subscription tv/internet 200mb/phone with just one tv box, no movies etc was like £93 a month plus tv licence at £11?£12 a month. We would still never watch live tv but was paying a stupid amount.

Plus with prime we get free delivery so where paying that on top of the virgin subscription before as well.

timegoesbysoslowly · 02/12/2020 13:10

I don't watch live tv anymore and kind off miss having to sit down at 5.30 to watch Neighbours or 7.30 for Eastenders. Or you watch a series and the excitement off having to wait for next week to see the cliffhanger.

I know I could still do this but have now got into the habit off binging on box sets also can't stand adverts and love being able to cut them out.

Wonder how we ever coped with only 5 channels! and wish sometimes it was like that, still a lot off crap was made but feel these days a lot off filler tv is made as these channels need something on.

As people have said you go into work or school and say did you see that program last night, wonder what will happen next.

Now everything needs to be spoilt, I don't watch strictly but see it on Twitter being revealed and why can't people wait anymore.

rc22 · 02/12/2020 15:04

My pet peeve with Netflix, and it is really petty, is that when you watch something and decide you don't like and don't want to watch it anymore, you can't get rid of it from that continue watching bit. Whereas, with sky you can just delete what you don't want from your planner!! Like I said, very petty!!

LightasaBreeze · 02/12/2020 16:03

@rc22

My pet peeve with Netflix, and it is really petty, is that when you watch something and decide you don't like and don't want to watch it anymore, you can't get rid of it from that continue watching bit. Whereas, with sky you can just delete what you don't want from your planner!! Like I said, very petty!!
You can get rid of it but only via the website, its very convoluted though, I had to google how to do it and it wasn't easy at all. You seem to be able to do more on the website than the apps.

Also it annoys me on both Netflix and Prime that if you are in the middle of a series the app opens up at a new series they think you may like and then you have to search for the one you were originally watching

Malbecfan · 02/12/2020 16:08

If your internet connection is too crap to stream anything, you don't have much choice. Poor mobile signal too. Openreach promised us fibre to the property in May. Needless to say we're all still waiting. Then they said "before Christmas" but didn't say which Christmas.... The joys of living in a small hamlet in an AONB.

Twobrews · 02/12/2020 18:32

There's been evenings where we've spent so long looking for a mutually agreeable programme or film it's been too late to watch it to the end!

This is where you and I differ - I don't see that as a good thing.

@Lockheart no neither do I!

Butteredtoast55 · 02/12/2020 20:56

We recently had a period where we could only access streamed TV and I missed 'normal' TV so much. Netflix and streamed services are such a faff, and I hated not being able to flip from one channel to another pretty easily.
I love Sky+ though - being able to pause and rewind is great. I am always surprised when people can't find anything they enjoy on the main 5 UK channels ...maybe I am easily pleased!Grin

Butteredtoast55 · 02/12/2020 21:13

ELM8
I'm a bit weird, whenever I've gone through lonely periods in my life I've got some comfort from knowing I'm watching the same thing as thousands, sometimes millions of other people..

This is a really perceptive point, Elm. I know exactly what you mean, it makes you part of a shared experience.

EasternDailyStress · 02/12/2020 21:14

Most of Netflix is American shite.

grafittiartist · 02/12/2020 21:25

I can't be bothered to work out which remote does what/ what needs the PlayStation controller- it's all too much of a faff.
I'd go back to 4/5 channels in a flash!

yelyah22 · 02/12/2020 21:28

We don't have a TV aerial in the house, we only watch Prime or Netflix. If there's something I really wanted to watch on terrestrial I just watch it on iPlayer/4OD!

HisNibs · 02/12/2020 22:43

We have Prime and Netflix which works out around the same price as a TV licence. Never watch live TV or anything BBC for that matter so cancelled the TV licence nearly a year ago. Can still use the non-BBC catch-up players. Works for us. DD at university can access the packages we use at no extra cost (no TV licence needed there either). Also get the benefit of free Prime delivery.

JayDot500 · 02/12/2020 22:44

@EasternDailyStress

Most of Netflix is American shite.
It really isn't. Once you step outside of watching American shows, it will start suggesting other things. There are stupid amounts of Asian dramas on there, and my SIL is addicted to Turkish and Spanish speaking shows. My netflix is now so heavily skewed towards Asian stuff that I actually have to go hunting for crap American background noise.
SchrodingersImmigrant · 03/12/2020 08:34

@JayDot500 is roght. Ive just finished Italian series. Before it was arabic. Few French and some Nordic ones. One of the iconic, Dark, is German (How many Martas can you fit in one scene😁 looooved it). There is some Polish offering as well.
They are really getting series made all over. It's great to see the differences between different styles and humour.

switswooo · 04/12/2020 14:27

@WitchesSpelleas

I only watch terrestrial - I don't have Netflix or any similar services. I can watch i-player etc. on my laptop but I don't really like squinting at a tiny screen so hardly ever bother.

You can watch iPlayer on your TV if you have a streaming stick that has the iPlayer app.

funinthesun19 · 04/12/2020 14:44

I watched terrestrial TV for about a week last month when my WiFi wasn’t working. I felt a bit lost, but it must have been the first time watching terrestrial TV for YEARS and I felt a bit nostalgic as it’s all me and my family had in the 90s!

Nowadays I just stream things on Netflix, Now Tv, Disney +, Amazon and YouTube. I don’t even bother with fancy Sky packages anymore and haven’t had them for about 4 years now. Huge waste of time and money in my opinion.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 04/12/2020 15:23

Yeah. I think everyone who has Virgin wifi watched plenty of terrestrial TV this year😂

keeprocking · 04/12/2020 15:32

I'm amazed that anyone is so nosey as to wonder why other people do an irrelevsant thing like watching terrestial TV. It never amazes me, the inconsequential rubbish thst seems to bother people, get a life and live it!

switswooo · 04/12/2020 15:39

I don't think it's nosey keeprocking but I do think think anyone who is satisfied by Netflix for all their viewing needs is probably a light viewer of TV or pretty shallow.

Emmapeeler2 · 04/12/2020 15:42

I am mostly watching BBC dramas on the iplayer at the moment, apart from Strictly which I watch live. I have Netflix and Amazon Prime but don't watch them much because there is lots on the BBC. When you say depressing, what do you mean? There is quite a variety of things on the BBC!

Sheogorath · 04/12/2020 16:14

@switswooo

I don't think it's nosey keeprocking but I do think think anyone who is satisfied by Netflix for all their viewing needs is probably a light viewer of TV or pretty shallow.
Here it is. 'People who like things I don't like are shallow'.
LaceyBetty · 04/12/2020 16:23

Much more regular TV than Netflix here. I am the odd one out of my friends though.

WitchesSpelleas · 04/12/2020 16:30

@switswooo Thanks for the tip, but I don't have a streaming stick.

I still have a video cassette player - that's how low tech my viewing is!