# was the quality of TV better with only 4 channels ?



## silverback (Jun 18, 2008)

After having SKY for years an years,I recently had everything switched off as working permanent nights an being busy most weekends just didn't warrant the huge fee. What struck me the other night was I don't miss it at all,and the only show of any true worth I think I have seen is the sopranos. The quality of TV has just hit rock bottom so badly. 200 channels and nothing but mind rotting ******** on. So what do peple think ?


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

I keep thinking about cancelling repeat tv sorry sky tv, there's 1000 channels of nothing, the movies are garbage now they only show the same ones for the week and the sports are ludicrously priced.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

TV still exists?!?!?!

I have too good a life to be sitting about watching s**t... 

:thumb:


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

Get rid of the TV altogether.

It's liberating.

I've never known anyone to regret ditching the stupid thing. Not that I know many.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

tomah said:


> Get rid of the TV altogether.
> 
> It's liberating.
> 
> I've never known anyone to regret ditching the stupid thing. Not that I know many.


:wave::wave::wave::wave:

When I moved, I never got it put back in... I decided to get it for the F1 and MotoGP... but have now turned it back off....

:thumb:


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## silverback (Jun 18, 2008)

But without a TV I couldn't play games :lol:


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> :wave::wave::wave::wave:
> 
> When I moved, I never got it put back in... I decided to get it for the F1 and MotoGP... but have now turned it back off....
> 
> :thumb:


I noticed you'd sneaked in with advice just before me, Cuey.

There's 9 mins between our replies, but I was busy wondering what part of Roald Dahl's poem I could include in my response.

I then never bothered.

Now that I've mentioned it though, for those who haven't read it before, check it out.

(Lots of fond memories reading and re-reading RD books as a kid :thumb


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## Tonym3 (Dec 21, 2011)

I agree we had sky switched off and have not missed it at all, now get to spend the extra £60 a month on the important things in life............cars!! Joking aside I also have more time to play around with them as I never think I can't do that tonight because of whatever show I would have been missing. I would get rid completely but it's the only way of stopping a four year old from jumping on my head at 6 in the morning!!


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## L4CKL (Nov 27, 2010)

it might just me getting older, but the quality of TV programmes were better in days gone by.

Only fool and horses for example...yes we have seen them all, but still funny to this day with no swearing for family entertainment. likewise for porridge.

kids tv was better in the 80's too.....

We dont have sky and just rely on the freeview channels. Have comptemplated getting sky or virgin, but when we go to friends or familys houses who have sky/virgin, there never appears to be anything decent and therefore doesn't warrant the expense....or it that me just being a tight a r s e????


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

I've been called a cheapskate for only having 'council TV' a few times.....but I don't even really watch that. I watch Top Gear when it's on and eeerrrrrrrr.........I watched Frozen Planet, F1 and The Big Bang Theory in the last 6 months. The F1 was tempting me to Sky for next year......but I'll resist feathering Peter Murdoch's nest, thats was of course his intention when he out bid BBC.

Of course the quality used to be better. There are only 70odd Million people in the UK.....that can generate a lot of advertising revenue per channel, but spread the same viewing audience over a few dozen (freeview) channels and the quality HAS to go down.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Tonym3 said:


> I would get rid completely but it's the only way of stopping a four year old from jumping on my head at 6 in the morning!!


I don't have kids, so this may just be a wild rumour... but I've heard that there were 4 year olds before the invention of TV...sure their parents managed to control them as well.....

:tumbleweed:

:lol::lol::lol:

:thumb:


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## J1ODY A (Nov 28, 2008)

If I get rid of tv, who will bring up my children?


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Yep TV was better before SKY and multi-channel.

However, So was the quality of book available.


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## Tonym3 (Dec 21, 2011)

Yes but In those days I believe beating children was also the thing to do! Now I would much prefer my child to watch half an hour of peppa pig and me have half an hour extra sleep.
The alternative being I beat the crap out of her and she forever fears me and would not think of getting up till I tell her!!!
Oh the good old days!!!!!!!;-p


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## R7KY D (Feb 16, 2010)

The quality of TV today is ****e becasue of the quantity over quality , When there was only 4 channels we had quality TV because we never had the quantity , 

If you know what I mean


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Children still need a welting now and then though, half of the problems in society are lack of discipline but that's another thread.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Tonym3 said:


> Yes but In those days I believe beating children was also the thing to do! Now I would much prefer my child to watch half an hour of peppa pig and me have half an hour extra sleep.
> The alternative being I beat the crap out of her and she forever fears me and would not think of getting up till I tell her!!!
> Oh the good old days!!!!!!!;-p


Nothing wrong with a good beating... :lol:

More kids need that these days.... gobby little runts that they are! :devil:

:lol:

:thumb:


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

better off with foreign stations than sky.now have motorised dish and pick up all albania stations which are exellent and in english.Digitalb


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

This is getting way OT, but isn't it sad how as soon as you mention physical discipline that people assume 'abuse', or come out with statements like 'beat the....' etc?

I find that very sad.

Controlled, measured discipline compliments proper parental love and care.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

^^ I agree... and swifty back on topic...

I'm really sick of the cable channels showing a program at, let's say 10am.. then showing it again at 3pm, then again at 9pm...

It's just a rip off...

:thumb:


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

On the other hand, I've got freeview and think it's pants. I don't watch much tv (last night was an exception! Rocky!) and I wish I had sky so I could record the likes of Family Guy and watch it later.


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

alan_mcc said:


> (last night was an exception! Rocky!)


I hope they're going to show Rocky 2??

You can't watch Rocky without watching Rocky 2!


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## Tonym3 (Dec 21, 2011)

I think that is pretty much the problem in a nutshell they do not have enough quality program's therefore just repeat the stuff they have paid out for, then create another channel to play the repeats an hour later!!!!


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Tonym3 said:


> I think that is pretty much the problem in a nutshell they do not have enough quality program's therefore just repeat the stuff they have paid out for, then create another channel to play the repeats an hour later!!!!


I know, you see a great day listing of "mysteries of the ancients" or something like that.... oooh 8 programs, this should be good... then find out it's the same 2 repeated over and over again! :lol:


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## Tonym3 (Dec 21, 2011)

I caught the tail end of rocky 4 I think last night did they play them all back to back? 
If so I take back all comments on the state of TV they clearly know what the public want!! If sky have a jaws night I'm signing back up


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

They played Rocky 3 and 4 from what I remember.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Thankfuly dont have Sky but do have Virgin..the tv not a Virgin woman..

Back on topic, my mum has Sky HD and is wanting rid of it so after Christmas we are going to sort out one of those Freesat+ HD box things for her.

My self oddly it works out more expensive to get rid of the tv and just have the phone and broadband package, plus i enjoy watching the NBA on ESPN HD.

But i agree TV viewing is absolute awful.


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

Some of us can remember when there were only three channels, and they shut down around midnight to the sound of the National Anthem :tumbleweed: 

Quality of programming has definitely gone down though, with more soaps, talent shows for the talentless, and hordes of property, cookery and antiques programmes. Then in place of situation comedy we seem to have the latest phenomenom of the situation Gay drama queen b1tch fests and flouncing strops - Coach Trip, Come Dine with Me, Big Brother etc. Coach Trip though - WTF is that all about? :wall:

Celebrity detailers going on Jeremy Kyle to tell the world it hurts when they pee because they've caught the pox off the local bike... :wall:

The 'impartial' BBC with it's lefty leanings and Climate Change brow beating that we fund, and the general dumbing down, endless repeats and the bloody One Show, jeezuss that programme really gets on my pip that does :lol: 

Quality of programming and content etc has definitely gone down, a lot.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

We only have sky for the sports and the better entertainment channels such as, Sky1, Sky Atlantic and FX, my dad also likes the documentary channels. We also have it for the HD and sky+ facilities, I don't think my parents would be able to live anymore without the ability to pause and rewind live TV and record an entire series at the push of a button


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

Perhaps it's just the target market.

Most people who watch TV now were brought up on a diet of TV, which has probably made the general population dumber, meaning their taste in programming is, shall we say, less demanding?

That's all assumption mind you, but it's just one potential theory. 

I do get a surprise when I find out that people who I had considered quite bright, are watching talent shows, soaps, and 'reality' programmes.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Laurie.J.M said:


> I don't think my parents would be able to live anymore without the ability to pause and rewind live TV whenever they want.


If that wasn't a little joke, it is, without doubt the saddest thing I have ever read.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Multipla Mick said:


> Some of us can remember when there were only three channels, and they shut down around midnight to the sound of the National Anthem :tumbleweed:
> 
> Quality of programming has definitely gone down though, with more soaps, talent shows for the talentless, and hordes of property, cookery and antiques programmes. Then in place of situation comedy we seem to have the latest phenomenom of the situation Gay drama queen b1tch fests and flouncing strops - Coach Trip, Come Dine with Me, Big Brother etc. Coach Trip though - WTF is that all about? :wall:
> 
> ...


I like come dine with me  Dunno wtf coach trip is though and don't care to find out  Big brother would only cause me to vomit into my mouth.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

Nope, they hate not having it. When the hard drive on our original sky+ box packed up they weren't best pleased, not only becuase they lost half a series of Desperate Housewives and most of Boardwalk Empire but because they had to watch live TV rather than being able to simply switch off the endless supply of reality TV and soaps and find something good on the planner.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Laurie.J.M said:


> Nope, they hate not having it. When the hard drive on our original sky+ box packed up they weren't best pleased, not only becuase they lost half a series of Desperate Housewives but because they had to watch live TV rather than being able to simply switch off the cr4p and find something good on the planner.


There's a difference between not being able to live and hating not having something.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

They just about managed the two weeks it took sky to send out a new box, I don't think they could manage without it permanently though. Evenings are the only time my parents get to spend together and watching something half decent on the TV is what they like to do.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Laurie.J.M said:


> They just about managed the two weeks it took sky to send out a new box, I don't think they could manage without it permanently though. Evenings are the only time my parents get to spend together and watching something half decent on the TV is what they like to do.


Better not take away their sky tv box then, but they should be fine without running water, heating and leccy :thumb:


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## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

I enjoy my sky love cooking so theres plenty to watch on that side of things quest is good always watch how its made how they do it ect, and i like the hallmark channel law and order ect i dont do movies or sport so my outlay is £18 i think well worth it for me anyway.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

RisingPower said:


> Better not take away their sky tv box then, but they should be fine without running water, heating and leccy :thumb:


Now your just being silly  :thumb:.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Laurie.J.M said:


> Now your just being silly .


I think you'll find you're being a drama queen too :thumb:


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## zaphod (May 7, 2007)

Have to say it was better with THREE channels.

More recently, it all went for the worse when Thames Television lost their franchise. 

The evil Sky came in with their diluted drivel, and the slide down the slippery slope accelerates. The closed shop for Sports (ie pay us), did, and does them no favours

The loss of local ITV stations and productions now we have the current ITV monster has. for me, simple attenuated quality TV's demise, but there are little rays of delight, once in a while, but by no means in the quantities we once enjoyed.


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## Chris CPT (Dec 16, 2009)

I've just got normal Freeview, but can get the repeated stuff on my PS3 from iPlayer, 4oD, ITVplayer etc anyway, so always have plenty to watch if needed.
My mate has Sky, and yes there's a couple of channels I'd like to have, such as Discovery Turbo and Sky Atlantic, but he's paying about £45 a month, and not even got all the channels! 
Unless I was very loaded, I don't think I could justify paying that much for watching T.V. I already think the normal license is a rip-off as it is.
However, the Beeb do have some blinkin' amazing programmes anyway, such as Frozen Planet, Yellowstone, Top Gear etc, and the BBC4 channel shows some totally amazing documentaries too and a huge variety of topics,
I'll keep me £45 and spend it on coffee, fuel for me Pajero, and more coffee. :lol:
Cheers,
Chris.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

RisingPower said:


> I think you'll find you're being a drama queen too :thumb:


Maybe I should have used a different smilie  :thumb:.

We have lived without the central heating and running water for a period when we had some building work done a few years ago and I can tell you now it's not fun :thumb:. We did also lose the Sky TV for a time as satellite dish had to be taken down to accomodate the new extension, doing without it for a few months was actually pretty hard as it was in the one area that wasn't having any work done and it provided some normality and relief from the building site.


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## apmaman (Jun 8, 2010)

I use my TV for the BBC news, which is mostly just the weather to be honest, the Big Bang Theory and, uhh Top Gear. 

The rest of its life is spent used as a monitor for my PC.


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Oh, thank goodness that it's not just me then. The way that the BBC is 
deliberately dumbing down its programs, with a few notable exeptions, is
driving me nuts. BBC News is a case in point. Does anyone actually now
understand how and why the bankers caused this presently depressing
time? It just gets more and more confusing, probably to make sure that
they're not brought to book for outright fraud. I've yet to comprehend
any babble-babble, I mean report, made by Robert Peston. 

Advertising on telly also drives me nuts, especially on those channels
where it's almost 50/50 with the so-called content. So, gone are the days
of planning "an evening in front of the telly". I did away with it back in the
'80s and didn't miss it back then. Perhaps it's time for a repeat performance.

With Season's Greetings,
Steve


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Lowiepete said:


> Does anyone actually now
> understand how and why the bankers caused this presently depressing
> time? It just gets more and more confusing, probably to make sure that
> they're not brought to book for outright fraud.


Probably Steve, because it was nothing to do with the bankers... 

They were only acting on greed by their bosses, i.e. the shareholders, and in most cases that is actually the public....

Someone has to be vilified for the greed and egos of the many, and they turn on the people that are easiest to blame...

The public is very ignorant about money and how it works... and we are now fighting through the aftermath of that... but as usual we need to point to a bad guy, instead of looking in the mirror...






:thumb:


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

Oh lordy, Robert flipping Peston :wall: He has to be THE most irritating reporter on telly. Just speak normally man! :wall:


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## transtek (Mar 2, 2007)

zaphod said:


> Have to say it was better with THREE channels.
> 
> More recently, it all went for the worse when Thames Television lost their franchise.
> 
> ...


Agree with what you say about 3 channels, HOWEVER the UK still has the best TV in the world, it just tends to get hidden under a lot of [email protected] thesedays. Best documentaries, history, geography programmes, etc., and especially comedy shows (live at the Apollo, HIGNFY, QI, Mock the Week, even mini-series like Fresh Meat and Beaver Falls). If you don't believe me, try living in the USA, Australia or anywhere else and watch just their TV!
Luckily for me, for the last 10 years I'be been able to download all the UK Tv I want, otherwise I would have gone completely insane! :thumb:


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## zaphod (May 7, 2007)

I'll agree with that. I spend a lot of time in the states - TV is mostly pants.


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

UK TV is becoming more & more Americanised, I for one watch far less now thanks to advertising :thumb: I’ve noticed the dumbing down, acting is bad & the actors have to say what they are thinking as though we don’t have the intelligence to work things out :wall:

Sky is far worse than it was a couple of years ago with its increased advertising time/frequency between programs.

Are intelligent people in the minority? TV in general seems to be aimed at brainless cretins with the mental capacity of a sponge cake


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## silverback (Jun 18, 2008)

ITHAQVA said:


> UK TV is becoming more & more Americanised, I for one watch far less now thanks to advertising :thumb: I've noticed the dumbing down, acting is bad & the actors have to say what they are thinking as though we don't have the intelligence to work things out :wall:
> 
> Sky is far worse than it was a couple of years ago with its increased advertising time/frequency between programs.
> 
> Are intelligent people in the minority? TV in general seems to be aimed at brainless cretins with the mental capacity of a sponge cake


i think the football coverage is just so unwieldy now on sky sports,its just over the top and it reminds me very much of the NFL/NBA games with hours of build up,stats,discussion and last and worst of all,adverts,to top it all of gary neville as a commentator :lol: **** me,what an awful choice he is.just because you played the game at the highest level,doesnt make you a good commentator.


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## Lion (Sep 4, 2006)

Multipla Mick said:


> Some of us can remember when there were only three channels, and they shut down around midnight to the sound of the National Anthem :tumbleweed:


Jesus Mick, your making me feel old now!! I can just about remember when channel 4 was "new", cant quite remember the national anthem, but definately remember the devil girl that looked at me from her chalkboard at 2 in the morning :doublesho

Tv has definately gone downhill imo, i got rid of sky tv about 6 months ago, and dont miss it at all!!

Every channel shows the same rubbish, celebrity reality shows, someone telling you your too fat, too thin, or soaps with the same storylines that have been ongoing since 1993 it seems.

The News isn't much better, War, terrorism, disease, all to drive fear and panic into the public, adverts arent much better, what the hell is the new lynx advert all about?! Just bad taste if you ask me

If it wasnt for the miserable winter months, i'd get rid of tv altogether.


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

ITHAQVA said:


> UK TV is becoming more & more Americanised, *I for one watch far less now thanks to advertising* :thumb: I've noticed the dumbing down, acting is bad & the actors have to say what they are thinking as though we don't have the intelligence to work things out :wall:
> 
> Sky is far worse than it was a couple of years ago with its increased advertising time/frequency between programs.
> 
> Are intelligent people in the minority? TV in general seems to be aimed at brainless cretins with the mental capacity of a sponge cake


This is where Sky+ and other PVR's really come into their own, simply put the program on pause at the beginning and leave it long enough to build up enough of a delay so that you can skip straight through the ads, for a half hour show you need about 5 mins and for a hour show 15 is normally enough, this approach gives you time to make a cup of tea, check DW and maybe do a couple of other things. Sky Movies have the right approach to ad breaks, they simply have one long ad break between each movie rather than lots of short ones.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

We canceled sky tv over a year ago never missed it and im fed up of reality tv drives me nuts and the quality of tv is very poor iMHO , all cooking programs as well drive me up the wall give me drama or true life stories like the one with the uK paramedic working in gun ridden area of mexico and uk bus driver driving in india excellent tv


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## NickTB (Feb 4, 2007)

tomah said:


> I noticed you'd sneaked in with advice just before me, Cuey.
> 
> There's 9 mins between our replies, but I was busy wondering what part of Roald Dahl's poem I could include in my response.
> 
> ...


I LOVE Roald Dahl's writing, but I had never seen that poem before. Thanks for linking it.


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

NickTB said:


> I LOVE Roald Dahl's writing, but I had never seen that poem before. Thanks for linking it.


No problemo.

Even his autobiographical books were interesting and humorous to read as a child. You couldn't say that about many autobiographies.

While I loved Blyton, Dahl was less predictable in his writing, which I enjoyed more.


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## herbiedacious (Sep 27, 2010)

Multipla Mick said:


> Some of us can remember when there were only three channels, and they shut down around midnight to the sound of the National Anthem :tumbleweed:
> 
> Remember when colour telly was being phased in and BBC2 where running trade test transmissions every hour on the hour? My fave was the one about the motorway service station. Better than real telly.


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