Watch better television and save money
Andrew Rowland | 3 May 2016 | 0 comments
Ever think there is nothing on? TV going downhill and not as good as it was in the past? Subscriptions costing an arm and a leg every month?
There is a service that solves all that, and you might be surprised. Coming from me, you might expect some new device or Internet package. But no, get yourself a listings magazine every week. My favourite costs just 52p and is worth every penny. The reality is, that despite the proliferation of trashy channels and poor daytime television, there is still a wealth of good material out there: more than you can watch in a week, and it’s all free. But the trouble is finding it. The good programmes and films don’t necessarily go out at the times you sit down to watch something. And when they do, they clash with something else you want to watch. Or you are not in the mood for that just at that moment.
So record. Choose what interests you and set the timer. Then when you switch on, there will always be something to your taste waiting for you. A few years ago, Sky ran an advertising campaign with the slogan, ‘Make your own channel’, for their (then new) Sky+ boxes. That has it exactly right – you choose what you want to view and you even get to choose when to watch it, just as if you had your own on-demand TV channel. And you can skip the adverts as well! But the odd thing is that public just didn’t ‘get it’. In fact, over the next few years, the proportion of live television viewing actually increased, under the influence of reality TV and the like.
I will admit that it takes a bit of discipline, but not much. Heck, even I can do it! Get your favourite listings mag and on the Friday evening or Saturday morning, go through and circle the programmes you fancy watching in the near future, and set your recorder up to record them. Make sure your favourite serials are set to record the whole series. Then forget about it. You can even throw the mag away. When you want to watch TV, browse through your recordings, not the Guide. In other words, you will have your own on-demand channel, full of things you have selected as interesting to you. And don't forget, no ads! The quality and enjoyability of your viewing will take a quantum leap, and you will catch those gems that go out at odd hours, without having to stay up late. So ditch that expensive subscription and use your time better. After all, you work hard and don’t get much time to relax. Don’t you owe it to yourself to make the best of that time?
