Has anyone gone more analogue and loved it?

[Consideringparttime]

Ironically inspired by a tiktok video someone showed me about living like the 90s, I've really scaled back lots of the 'noise' of modern life and I'm liking it so far

Has anyone else done this? Or just want to chat about it. I mean, it's not rocket science, it's just having a simpler life but I'm interested in it
Here's what I've done so far

1. Got my cd player out for the kitchen instead of listening through phone
2. Got my DvDs out again

Started waking up to the radio on a timer, not a phone alarm.

1. No reading news on phone, just put telly on if I want news
2. Started a Christmas list, rather than just buying whatever I want. It's made me look forward to Christmas

I'd love to chat if anyone has done the Same sort of thing

I suppose what a lot of us would like (and someone is probably now going to tell me you can have by just playing with the settings on any phone) is the functionality of a phone, with the apps that make our lives easier or more pleasant (for me OS and Google maps and GPS, music/podcast player, loyalty cards, weather, money transfer, camera, WhatsApp (for messages and sharing photos but not chatting) but without all the time suck of social media/Mumsnet or whatever we'd rather not have in our lives.

I like that I can go out and have access to all the useful features of a smart phone, but what I don't like is that I spend too much time on here (I've pretty much given up all other social media and don't use WhatsApp for chatting but obviously communicate as needed with DP and friends/relatives and am in a couple of (thankfully relatively quiet and drama free WhatsApp hobby groups) and I only have Facebook and Instagram accounts because a lot of independent restaurants don't have actual websites and only share their menus, opening times etc on social media.

But despite my preference for paper maps, boarding passes and to do lists, I'm completely wedded to my Kindle such that I can't read paper books comfortably anymore and love that I can read in the middle of the night without putting the light on.

Not just about films, about simpler choices in all areas

I think it feels more rewarding if you've had to make some effort to watch or listen to something. If you're flicking through vast amounts of movies which are available anytime, anywhere then it's very easy to just skip through things and never feel invested in them. It's different with something physical.
There are lots of albums I've listened to over the years where tracks I initially didn't think much of, grew on me and became favourites because I listened to the whole album.

Unkippable ads? On a dvd?
Do you mean a couple of trailers at the start?

When you dream or purchase digital films, you don't own them you merely purchase the right to watch them for an unspecified amount of time. Companies like Amazon have started interrupting them with ads which you can't skip and need to pay an additional fee to remove.

The only benefit to digital files now is that you save physical space but the cost to do so is way too high - and much more than currency.

Digital life removes a lot of the... I don't know what to call it so let's say texture, from life. You sit and scroll, click, swipe, tap, things happen instantly. It's efficient, I'll grant you that, but it feels flat, I imagine especially to us oldies who are not digital natives. When you go analogue there's a sense of doing something, bodily engaging, rather than just consuming. I get a sense of being rooted in time more from analogue than digital too, digital stuff doesn't stick in my head.

Sometimes the downsides outweigh the positives. As I said before, I wouldn't want to have to go to the library to look up information. Also the inconvenience of correcting mistakes on a typewriter would make that feel more like a punishment than anything for me, but each to their own.

In the example you give, Netflix v. DVD, there actually isn't that much difference in the level of faff for us. We don't have a smart TV so when we watch on Netflix we connect the laptop to the TV; similarly, when we watch a DVD we have to watch through the laptop as the only thing we have now that plays DVDs is a CD/DVD player that connects via USB to the laptop.

So, we do stream some TV, yes. Our music collection has been digitised, by us, so we don't have to keep hundreds of CDs and vinyl records permanently accessible. However, I think the reason we prefer to do it that way is ownership. If you have a physical thing with the content on - DVD, CD, record, a book - you have really got it. Nobody can change the terms of service, go out of business, remove your right to access it because you can no longer pay the monthly subscription. It will be a cold day in hell before I stop reading books as books and there is no way ever I would get rid of my book collection in favour of some e-reader. Yes I might, often do, have a cull of the shelves and get rid of the ones we will never read again. But only to make room for more! A PP said they can only learn things from a page and I kind of sympathise with that. Also I like to smell books.

Yes we got rid of our landline more than a year ago since the only calls we got on it were scammers. We only kept it as long as we did because our broadband came in to the house via the BT line. As soon as we could get fibre we ditched our BT line completely, thus saving at least £40 per month on the standing charge.

From my point of view, I don’t necessarily think it’s better to watch a film on a DVD instead of Netflix, but there are several reasons why I prefer to still use my DVD/VHS recorder. None of our TVs are particularly new so we couldn’t use Netflix on most of them and I very much doubt that I would appreciate any difference in quality - I certainly don’t notice if I’m watching something on a friend’s new smart TV. I don’t want to take out a subscription to Netflix or any other platform when I’ve got a ready supply of DVDs that I can watch, and when I can buy loads more for next to nothing in charity shops. But when I’ve tried in the past to find programmes I want to watch online, admittedly some of them have been quite obscure, they haven’t been available, whereas I’ve been able to track down the DVD. It’s also nice to be able to watch my own recordings that I made onto DVDs and VHS tapes many years ago, and I’ve got recordings of some fairly obscure concerts which I’m quite sure I would never find on line.

I love having hundreds of records, cassettes, CDs, and DVDs that I can look through and choose from. In terms of sound quality, I’m quite sure my hifi system sounds better than most digital systems that are available now, but maybe that’s not necessarily important when we generally only play heavy metal 😆😆

Further to my post at 10:24, the more I think about it the more I realise that ownership is a key preference for us. Take TV programmes that you really like. If they are available to stream then that is great as long as you have a subscription to that service and the providers continue to have it in their catalogue. What happens when it disappears because they don't want to offer it anymore? Or it is shown on a service you don't have a subscription to and who can afford to subscribe to all of them, or even want to if 90% of what they show does not appeal to you.

We really like Slow Horses. DH has read all the books so was always going to want to watch it. If it was available on DVD we would have bought all series of it like a shot. But it wasn't so we eventually took out a subscription to AppleTV. We caught up on Slow Horses within a month and had a look to see what else Apple had to offer. Not impressed so we cancelled the subscription. Now the latest series is all available so we will be subscribing again to watch that, but will almost certainly cancel it again once we have watched it. Are you telling me that is less faff than just buying it on DVD? And at least if we owned it we could watch it again if we felt like it and it would never be likely to disappear.

I think if you think going back to DVDs and CDs is "going analogue" then you don't really understand what digital actually means.

I am not sure how going back to CD players, VHS machines etc is helpful.

You need more devices so more e-waste. A smartphone you can do lots of different things on. A cd player only one. The devices use more power (it takes more power to spin and read a disk than it does to stream). The media itself generates a lot of waste. The list goes on. Couple that with the fact it is not in any way easier. Disks require storage and you need to fetch them and put them away. They can also get scratched and ruined. Probably the only benefit is that you own the media, so once you have it noone can take it away from you.

I have a SACD/4K blu ray player, but I have that because it offers something over and above what streaming generally offers.

Oh and DVDs generally look rubbish on todays decent TVs.HD is pretty much a minimum unless you are peering at a 24" Tv from 50 metres away.

Do you actually know what analogue means OP ?
CDs and DVDs are digital, not analogue, for goodness' sake.

No need for the grumpy telling off, from context and from my clarification , you'll see I was using analogue as a synonym for simpler

I like this thread. I've kept a written diary for years now.
We still.look at roadmaps.
Don't use Sat Nav.

I never really moved out of the analogue era.😆

I listen to the radio, watch Freeview TV, play CD's & DVD's (of which we have many hundreds) and read real books.
I have never streamed or downloaded and never looked at a Kindle or iPad.
I only got a smartphone 3yrs ago but only use it for calls, texts, emails and occasional internet access as I much prefer the large screen and real keyboard of my PC.
My choice of (brand new) car was based on one which has a more traditional dashboard with knobs, buttons & dials rather than just a touchscreen unfortunately nothing has a CD player anymore.☹️

My OH is more up to date and does indeed stream films, download music and owns a Kindle (doesn't use it much), he also got me into watching Bangers & Cash from S1 E1 (we are both classic car/bike nuts) on catch-up so maybe I am on the slippery slope!😆

Hi @Consideringparttime That sounds cute! My DC are both doing this. (Me too - a bit.) They are starting to collect films and some TV shows/series on DVD, moreso because so much stuff is not streaming when they want to watch it, or it's cancelled altogether. They have record players and vinyl records too, not CDs though. (I have 400 CDs though, and lots of vinyl and a 'record' player too.)

I also still own (and occasionally play) around 25 cassette tapes. I used to have about 100, but binned them with my 300 odd video tapes when DH and I downsized our home. I regret it a bit, but am glad I kept a couple of dozen cassette tapes! Don't regret binning the VHS as they took up a lot of room, and the quality was average. We got most stuff we had on VHS, on DVD. My DC also have board games, and also some 'retro' furniture. My one DC loves 1960s and 1970s furniture, and actively seeks it out on Facebook marketplace and Ebay.

Also, I have a 1970s theme in my bedroom - candlewick bedspread, an old rotary phone (it works too,) a standard lamp (popular in the 1960s and 1970s,) and various 1970s ornaments, and 'bit and bobs.' Also have some board games, like Monopoly, Stay Alive, Cluedo, Scrabble, and Ludo. I also keep a diary (have done since I was 12, now nearly 60!) I love old fashioned advent calendars too - no chocolate, and no plastic, just a cardboard one with 24 or 25 Christmas pics behind the doors. I print out actual photos too, and put them in photo albums.

I have pickwick lights for the 3ft high Christmas tree I keep in the hall, and some tin foil decorations (popular in the 1980s and 1990s) that I put up in the hallway and kitchen. Awwww. Such fond memories of the past. Thanks for this thread OP! (Ignore the haters!) 😐

But this is simply not true. DVDs are not lower quality, they don't take 'ages to set up' and there are no unskippable ads. They have never been like this. Are you thinking of video cassettes?

And at least if you have the DVD, you will always own that film or TV series. You never know when it's going to be taken off 'streaming.' I am constantly being asked by people I know who have no DVDs, (as they prefer to stream,) if they can borrow this film and that film, and a certain TV show or series on DVD, because it's disappeared off streaming, and they can't watch it. (Or Amazon have it but want £6.99 off you to watch it!!! Or if it's a series of 5-10 seasons, they want £6.99 per season!)

Yep, I will never stop buying DVDs. Ever!

.

The key is to know what is good and what isn't. Some stuff you buy that is vintage is better quality and will last longer than stuff you buy today and some isn't.

I have a fantastic mid century Danish teak coffee table that looks fantastic and cost peanuts second hand. It would take me thousands to get something of similar quality today.

I also have a fantastic oled TV that is huge, light, produces a brilliant quality picture and uses much lower power than an equivalent 1970s CRT TV.

So the 1970s for TVs, no. For teak coffee tables, very much so.

Totally lost the point of this thread haven't you?

Lower quality. Really? Most DVD players are upscaling nowadays and the quality is just fine, especially if they are older programs anyway which were never going to be HD quality
Takes longer to set up. What? Select your DVD, pop it in the slot and it plays (with perhaps a few seconds of branding if starting from the very beginning).
Ads. No ads on any of my DVD's.
Also many DVD's include extras such as delegated scenes, bloopers, cast interviews etc,.

What if you don't have Netflix (like us).
We are often away in the MoHo. No need for internet connectivity, just stick in the DVD (we keep a selection in the MoHo) and away you go.

I have heard that many older films and/or TV series are often edited for streaming to take out "offensive" language or scenes whereas with the original DVD you are certain of the version that you are getting.

No DVD player can really upscale to modern TV sizes effectively. The resolution jump is just too high. You can rip them and watch them on phones and tablets and they are OK, but on TV's ? No. Unless they are really tiny TVs like 12-24".

If you go on ebay you'll find thousands of DVDs as cheap as chips. Why ? Because on a decent TV (I think average TV for the UK is 48" nowadays) they look crap no matter how much money you spend on the best upscaling player, and as a result no one really wants them.

I would love it if DVDs actually could be upscaled effectively to large TV sizes as I have a pile of them. But the quality of them is just awful.

For 4K TVs the minimum acceptable is probably 1080p / Blu ray HD. The jump from 1080p to 4K is much less noticable IMO (maybe if you have a 70"+ TV it would be worth it), but generally they have extra features like enhanced HDR and sound so not just the resolution increase that you pay the extra for.

But this is simply not true. DVDs are not lower quality, they don't take 'ages to set up' and there are no unskippable ads. They have never been like this. Are you thinking of video cassettes?

I'm not thinking of vhs. DVDs were created using standard definition. They are nowhere near HD, never mind the UHD that all streaming services offer and TV's show nowadays. There were plenty with loads of unskippable logos, trailers and the infamous "you wouldn't steal a car" piece. You can argue about owning versus licensing content, but you can't claim that it's not a lower-quality product.

@GasPanic

you can't claim that it's not a lower-quality product.

Yes I can. And I will. I am sorry that you have not had the same experiences of good quality DVDs that I and some other posters have had, but you're talking nonsense if you're trying to claim that the quality of all DVDs is shit. You just want it to be because it suits your argument.

You can think it by all means, it's a free country, but don't tell me I should agree with you. Because I won't. Because my experience is differerent to yours, and the vast majority of my DVDs are very good, or excellent quality.

You crack on shitting all over DVDs and singing the praises of streaming though, and enjoy all the edited, sanitized, and watered down versions of everything, then lose all access to it when it's taken off! 👍As I said, it's a free country. Do not presume to tell others they are 'wrong' though. Newsflash: An opinion can never be wrong, and it's breathtakingly arrogant for anyone to say it it.

@Nourishinghandcream

I have heard that many older films and/or TV series are often edited for streaming to take out "offensive" language or scenes whereas with the original DVD you are certain of the version that you are getting.

This is 100% true. I am so glad I have 1000+ DVDs of films and TV shows that I have had since the mid 1990s. Some from the noughties, some from the 2010s. (As well as the 2020s!) Featuring many many films and TV shows from the past 70-80 years... All present and correct and the original version, not a woke version that has had all the 'offensive' and 'jarring' words and phrases removed, that some of the younger generation find soooooooo terrifying these days.

FRIENDS. when it's on the TV now, is a shadow of its former self, with some of the funniest lines cut out, so as not to offend the fragile. 🙄 Some of the episodes don't make sense. EG, you get a huge roar of laughter from the audience, and you don't know what they're laughing at because it's been cut out! Utterly ridiculous. Ditto many action films and comedy films and TV shows. Sooooo many lines and words cut out. They are virtually unwatchable. As I said, the streaming fans can keep it. I will watch my DVDs ta very much. Way, WAY better than much of the streaming! 😎 Obviously I watch SOME stuff on streaming, (new stuff,) but not older stuff.

Oh, and the vast majority of my DVDs do NOT have adverts on them! As I said, you are clearly thinking of video cassettes!!!

!

My DS21 just ditched his smartphone, and got himself old Nokia. With no apps, but a snake game 😆He says he's got so much more time, and peace. He's got smartphone, but is only using it for driving directions. I am well impressed I must say.

Yes I can. And I will. I am sorry that you have not had the same experiences of good quality DVDs that I and some other posters have had, but you're talking nonsense if you're trying to claim that the quality of all DVDs is shit.

I'm not saying they are shit, I'm saying that they are lower quality. You're trying to argue against physics. A dvd has a vertical width of 576 pixels. Your basic normal HD TV now, or blueray has a maximum of 1080. UHD TVs, (all new TVs), your sky q box, Netflix etc, have 2160 pixels! By definition, a dvd has a lower quality picture than modern technology.

What phone is this and how do you dumbify it?