Is it even worth watching TV any more?
Discussion
As a self confessed TV addict, I'm starting to wonder whether it's worth the bother. I'm getting at the number of ads we now have to endure. I'm sure it's my perception but if I turn the TV on, on almost any channel, at any given time, the chances seem to be that I'll be watching ads, rather than a programme and they come thick and fast, more frequently and more of them. I'm seriously wondering whether I should just not bother, because it's starting to wind me up. The fact that most ads are absolute sh**e doesn't help.
I’d agree that ads now are absolutely intolerable. We have Virgin in our house hence the TiVo V6 boxes and do not ever watch live tv, just the recordings so we can skip the ads.
It wouldn’t surprise me if at some point in the future tha ability to skip the ads on a removed - I note that the new ITVX thing won’t let you skip.
It’s not even as if it’s a minute or 90s of them - it appears to be five minutes.
It wouldn’t surprise me if at some point in the future tha ability to skip the ads on a removed - I note that the new ITVX thing won’t let you skip.
It’s not even as if it’s a minute or 90s of them - it appears to be five minutes.
The more channels you have, the more chance of switching to one showing an ad. If you could only watch ITV1 all day, do you think there are more ads now compared to ITV in the 1980s when there were only 3 or 4 channels?
I think you may have got used to watching films/stuff on streaming with no ads so when you watch live TV the ads really become noticeable.
I don't mind ads personally. Yeah better without but the odd 2 minute break every so often makes no difference to me. I don't watch the ads though, I do something else.
I think you may have got used to watching films/stuff on streaming with no ads so when you watch live TV the ads really become noticeable.
I don't mind ads personally. Yeah better without but the odd 2 minute break every so often makes no difference to me. I don't watch the ads though, I do something else.
The ads give me time to either make a sandwich or go upstairs for a pee .
I'm finding there is very little to actually watch ,all channels have launched new dramas for 2023 ,some have finished already and were very forgettable .
I seem to have 1 go to programme per day now ...and The Chase .
I'm finding there is very little to actually watch ,all channels have launched new dramas for 2023 ,some have finished already and were very forgettable .
I seem to have 1 go to programme per day now ...and The Chase .
Not really, but it’s not the annoying adverts, it’s the repeats, when the licenses were issued a condition was there had to be a percentage of original programming, that seems to have gone out of the window, when I scum down the sky epg it’s just all repeats and stuff they call classic this and classic that. Even the films are the same ones over and over again.
And then theirs Britbox, we can pay to see old repeats that we have already paid the BBC for in the first place, they must be in hysterical laughter watching the mugs pay.
And then theirs Britbox, we can pay to see old repeats that we have already paid the BBC for in the first place, they must be in hysterical laughter watching the mugs pay.
Marc p said:
I got rid of terrestrial TV(and the TV licence) a few years ago and just have Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime now, can’t say I have any desire to go back to having terrestrial TV.
Same. Absolutely nothing on TV that I feel I'm missing. To be fair, if it was just me in the house I wouldn't bother with the aforementioned three services either, but the OH and kids use them.Adrian W said:
Not really, but it’s not the annoying adverts, it’s the repeats, when the licenses were issued a condition was there had to be a percentage of original programming, that seems to have gone out of the window, when I scum down the sky epg it’s just all repeats and stuff they call classic this and classic that. Even the films are the same ones over and over again.
And then theirs Britbox, we can pay to see old repeats that we have already paid the BBC for in the first place, they must be in hysterical laughter watching the mugs pay.
And then theirs Britbox, we can pay to see old repeats that we have already paid the BBC for in the first place, they must be in hysterical laughter watching the mugs pay.
I dont pay for anything other than the TV licence, but doesnt Britbox also have old ITV shows? And I'd have thought that what you are paying for is for all of those shows to be made available on-demand rather than anything to do with them being made. I think that any catch-up service must have a limit to what's held on it eg iplayer.
Anyway, for no adverts it's obviously the BBC. I get by mostly on BBC2 and BBC4 plust Quest and Yesterday on freeview. The adverts do drive me made for those so generally I plan in advance and record. Then watch everything on a delay so I can skip the ads.
I still watch some mainstream TV but often do so using the various catch-up streaming options. I find the ad breaks less intrusive when watching that way. Of course, if it's a BBC iPlayer programme, then there are no ads.
I also watch a lot of You Tube content, much of this being older "mainstream TV" - but the ads can be disposed of quite rapidly if desired.
I also watch a lot of You Tube content, much of this being older "mainstream TV" - but the ads can be disposed of quite rapidly if desired.
There was a recent significant increase in the allowable % of adverts to TV programming for the commercial channels, which is why people are really noticing them now. I think terrestrial has caught up with sky.
I used to smoke a lot of weed in my 20s and when watching sky, we'd often forget what program we were watching when the adverts went on so long. So much so we'd be delighted when we rediscovered we were watching something we really liked! :-)
I ditched the TV license years ago. It's all most all s
te. bland, unimaginative, repetitive. The BBC are particularly bad for lack of imagination. They get one success and then that's it, st loads more of almost the same.
The great British...
bake off
Pottery throw down
Sewing bee
Garden off?
Allotment challenge
Jewelry
Woodworking
Interior design
Same format, same presenters
Etc etc etc
Then they wheel Attenborough out like he's the NHS, and throw in some Strictly for good measure.
Eugh! :-)
I watch movies, and docs and science on Amazon. Plus the epic series on streaming... I.e. GOT, Narcos, Good quality stuff.
Mainstream terrestrial TV is like a pacifier for the brain dead. (And who honestly still cares what goes on in Albert Square?!? Grumble grumble, hurrumph!)
I used to smoke a lot of weed in my 20s and when watching sky, we'd often forget what program we were watching when the adverts went on so long. So much so we'd be delighted when we rediscovered we were watching something we really liked! :-)
I ditched the TV license years ago. It's all most all s
te. bland, unimaginative, repetitive. The BBC are particularly bad for lack of imagination. They get one success and then that's it, st loads more of almost the same.The great British...
bake off
Pottery throw down
Sewing bee
Garden off?
Allotment challenge
Jewelry
Woodworking
Interior design
Same format, same presenters
Etc etc etc
Then they wheel Attenborough out like he's the NHS, and throw in some Strictly for good measure.
Eugh! :-)
I watch movies, and docs and science on Amazon. Plus the epic series on streaming... I.e. GOT, Narcos, Good quality stuff.
Mainstream terrestrial TV is like a pacifier for the brain dead. (And who honestly still cares what goes on in Albert Square?!? Grumble grumble, hurrumph!)
Edited by Griffith4ever on Thursday 19th January 08:27
dieselgrunt said:
To pre-record everything is the only way I can watch tv these days.
Agree this is the only answer. I have been doing it for about 15 years. Its surprising how often I can't join in with discussions about TV adverts as I rarely see them.ITV ad breaks tend to be 4 mins, 4 times an hour. 25% of air time.
Channel 4 is the same as ITV
other channels tend to be 5 mins, 4 times every hour 33% of air time.
I really don't want to waste my life being sold extra comfy mattresses and magic potions.
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