[TV] How much do you watch?

[Bozza]

Prompted by my learned friend on another thread...

I have Disney+, Prime, Netflix and a few premium channels (including BT Sport) on Virgin, which must total £100 a month, yet I don't have time to watch enough iPlayer/ITV hub and TIVO recorded stuff on Virgin. I really am going to consider binning off some of these streaming services - I'd get rid of Netflix already if it wasn't for the fact I know my two university student kids use them.

...how much time do you spend watching stuff, be it on the TV, tablet, computer or phone?

We probably have no more than a couple of hours a day, by the time the boy has gone to bed, to watch stuff. We also have Netflix, Prime, Disney+, AppleTV+ as well as the huge wealth of stuff on iPlayer and the other terrestrial catch-up services. I've yet to watch the last series of Line of Duty, despite watching the earlier stuff live and things like Vigil are still on my watch-list.

There seems to be a vast ocean of decent viewing options, with very little time to dive in and enjoy it. Invariably, the sheer wealth of choice seems to lead us to watch stuff on YouTube (travel, running and tech mainly) because it just seems to be easy and doesn't really require decision-making.

How much time do you get to watch stuff, and how do you choose?!?

 

[Happy Exile]

Personally very rarely watch anything - might get to watch one game of football a week on my tablet on Now TV, but rarely watch any more than that. I don't even know how to use the controller for the Sky box. Just don't seem to have the time to watch TV really, and can't imagine having the time to invest in a whole series. I would have zero subscriptions except Now TV (for the football) but as my wife and child watch a lot of TV we have Sky, Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney. It seems like every time we go to cancel any of them there's something new that "justifies" the expense for keeping it. Does feel like being rinsed for money each month that could go to other activities though, especially as I get nothing out of it myself!

 

[Stat Brother]

What I find helps greatly in getting my TV hours up is:-

Attempt to renew your passport.
Take a hard look at the potential photo.
Be horrified.
Retreat to the sofa, with Haribo

&

Bingo it's TV o'clock. (Currently watching Pawn Sacrifice on I-Player.


I have all the usual free stuff, Netflix, plus access to all other stuff but am weaning myself off that.

As for recommendations, they come from pop culture podcasts, mainly The Ringer network and of course here.

 

[Bozza]

Personally very rarely watch anything - might get to watch one game of football a week on my tablet on Now TV, but rarely watch any more than that. I don't even know how to use the controller for the Sky box. Just don't seem to have the time to watch TV really, and can't imagine having the time to invest in a whole series. I would have zero subscriptions except Now TV (for the football) but as my wife and child watch a lot of TV we have Sky, Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney. It seems like every time we go to cancel any of them there's something new that "justifies" the expense for keeping it. Does feel like being rinsed for money each month that could go to other activities though, especially as I get nothing out of it myself!

Subscription creep is a thing isn't it?

We started with Prime, but that was for the free next-day delivery, then video got added. We went for Netflix when that launched over here, same with Disney+. AppleTV+ is currently on a free trial.

We were BT customers so took on BTSport when it launched. It was either free or very cheap - I suspect that's not the case any more.

I've never had Sky but went with NowTV for football and that seems reasonable value for our games at least. Don't watch much else.

Beyond that Deezer (music), Audible (the boy's audio books), Xbox Live/Game pass (the lad's gaming) and Nintendo online thingummy for his Switch and I've probably forgotten something. That'll all be adding up to quite a bit each month.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Subscription creep is a thing isn't it?

We started with Prime, but that was for the free next-day delivery, then video got added. We went for Netflix when that launched over here, same with Disney+. AppleTV+ is currently on a free trial.

We were BT customers so took on BTSport when it launched. It was either free or very cheap - I suspect that's not the case any more.

I've never had Sky but went with NowTV for football and that seems reasonable value for our games at least. Don't watch much else.

Beyond that Deezer (music), Audible (the boy's audio books), Xbox Live/Game pass (the lad's gaming) and Nintendo online thingummy for his Switch and I've probably forgotten something. That'll all be adding up to quite a bit each month.

This is such a good point, we have Sky and all the bolt on's, BT Sport, Amazon Prime and Netflix, I probably only watch a couple of hours a day, unless Football's on.

 

[Happy Exile]

Subscription creep is a thing isn't it?

We started with Prime, but that was for the free next-day delivery, then video got added. We went for Netflix when that launched over here, same with Disney+. AppleTV+ is currently on a free trial.

We were BT customers so took on BTSport when it launched. It was either free or very cheap - I suspect that's not the case any more.

I've never had Sky but went with NowTV for football and that seems reasonable value for our games at least. Don't watch much else.

Beyond that Deezer (music), Audible (the boy's audio books), Xbox Live/Game pass (the lad's gaming) and Nintendo online thingummy for his Switch and I've probably forgotten something. That'll all be adding up to quite a bit each month.

Totally! We've also got Audible, Spotify and I'm sure some others, plus TV licence on top, PlayStation Plus...all adds up.

 

[Klaas]

Subscription creep is a thing isn't it?

We started with Prime, but that was for the free next-day delivery, then video got added. We went for Netflix when that launched over here, same with Disney+. AppleTV+ is currently on a free trial.

We were BT customers so took on BTSport when it launched. It was either free or very cheap - I suspect that's not the case any more.

I've never had Sky but went with NowTV for football and that seems reasonable value for our games at least. Don't watch much else.

Beyond that Deezer (music), Audible (the boy's audio books), Xbox Live/Game pass (the lad's gaming) and Nintendo online thingummy for his Switch and I've probably forgotten something. That'll all be adding up to quite a bit each month.

That is quite a bit!

About your other point, there is so much good stuff to watch. Too much! Like everything these days. We've settled into a fairly nice habit of choosing one 'major' series to plough through with an occasional side dish of a decent comedy series. Recently finally got through the Sopranos. Am in no hurry to see things straight away so PLENTY of things to watch until the day I die. Just started on Succession.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I've got Sky Q, Netflix, Prime (originally subscribed for next day delivery), Apple TV+ (I've had it for a year and a half and paid for 1 month so far as phone upgrades have given me free access) and Disney+ (converted clubcard points for 3 months access).

I've got loads to watch on backlog at the moment I'm not sure where I will ever find the time. I've just started watching Firefly on Disney+ as I've never seen it before, Vigil, Angela Black, Close to Me are all starting to queue up on Sky Q. The new series of The Cockfields has just come on Dave (but I'm not sure I am warming to Gregor Fisher playing Ray after Bobby Ball died). I've also got Spotify for music (that is mainly used in the car) and PS Plus for gaming. There aren't enough hours in the day. It does help keep the kids quiet on rainy weekends though.

 

[Stat Brother]

Subscription creep is a thing isn't it?

We started with Prime, but that was for the free next-day delivery, then video got added. We went for Netflix when that launched over here, same with Disney+. AppleTV+ is currently on a free trial.

We were BT customers so took on BTSport when it launched. It was either free or very cheap - I suspect that's not the case any more.

I've never had Sky but went with NowTV for football and that seems reasonable value for our games at least. Don't watch much else.

Beyond that Deezer (music), Audible (the boy's audio books), Xbox Live/Game pass (the lad's gaming) and Nintendo online thingummy for his Switch and I've probably forgotten something. That'll all be adding up to quite a bit each month.

I'm glad my post count is going to such a deserving cause.

 

[Bozza]

About your other point, there is so much good stuff to watch. Too much!

Is it the case that there is more great stuff to watch than ever before, or is the great stuff just spread more thinly across the various channels and services which makes it feel like there is more?

It feels like the former to the point of being almost overwhelming.

I noticed there was a third season of "You" on Netflix the other day. "Ooooh, I quite liked that" I thought. I then went to check and it turns out I only made it through one episode of season two. So that'll be nine episodes of the last season I need to watch before I make it to the new one!

 

[Swansman]

I only watch football.

Once or twice per year I might have a week where I just binge movies, TV-series and documentaries but other than that, only football.

Everything is available for free so not paying for any subscriptions etc: I feel absolutely no shame in "stealing" from TV and movie companies.

 

[Taybha]

Films with Sean Penn in them, Documentaries about wildlife, Cricket, Football, horse racing, the first lap of formula 1, lots of YouTube stuff on how to to stuff you shouldn't really do around the home.

Topless darts from Roehampton and Hammer Horror movies.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

We watch quite a lot. We currently have Netflix/Prime/Disney+/AppleTv /Britbox/Sky( no additional channels).
We also have A Spotify family subscription.

Sky was just the best broadband deal at the time - never watched any tv on it, I will be binning it off once the 18 months are up.
Britbox and AppleTv can also go, without causing any concern.
Netflix, Prime, Spotify and Disney are decent value IMO.

 

[banjo]

Summertime not much, winter a little more.

 

[BBassic]

I'm going to say 'constantly' but it's not quite constant.

I tend to have YouTube videos on in the background when I'm working. We'll watch a TV show / film together in the evenings. When I'm making videos I'll usually have something on in the background again. Hell, even when I'm playing video games on the PC I sometimes put on a random football game from somewhere around the world.

The only time I absolutely don't watch anything, and I keep this time sacred, is when I'm in bed. That's wind down time and I'll be reading or writing some notes or something like that.

 

[golddene]

Only watch free stuff, i.e. Freeview, freesat, iplayer etc. Due to financial constraints have never had any subscription tv, though having a tv licence, I am in effect paying for what I view ! I have thought about getting a fire stick for dodgy streaming but the hassle of having to have vpn etc puts me off. Tend to binge watch tv series when they become available rather than viewing weekly episodes, watched 'Vigil' one evening last week as an example.

 

[m@goo]

Prompted by my learned friend on another thread...



...how much time do you spend watching stuff, be it on the TV, tablet, computer or phone?

We probably have no more than a couple of hours a day, by the time the boy has gone to bed, to watch stuff. We also have Netflix, Prime, Disney+, AppleTV+ as well as the huge wealth of stuff on iPlayer and the other terrestrial catch-up services. I've yet to watch the last series of Line of Duty, despite watching the earlier stuff live and things like Vigil are still on my watch-list.

There seems to be a vast ocean of decent viewing options, with very little time to dive in and enjoy it. Invariably, the sheer wealth of choice seems to lead us to watch stuff on YouTube (travel, running and tech mainly) because it just seems to be easy and doesn't really require decision-making.

How much time do you get to watch stuff, and how do you choose?!?

I recently reduced my TV + broadband package from £45 a month to £32 as I thought that was extortionate. I have Netflix and Amazon Prime so the TV package comes with that although I rarely watch anything on Prime as it doesn't seem that good.

I do love the telly though and spend most of my time on YouTube rather than Netflix and terrestrial telly.

I won't pay for anything more than that because I know I won't use them. If I want to watch anything else like The Mandalorian I use "other" streaming services *cough..CinemaHD..cough*...

 

[Meade's Ball]

Is it the case that there is more great stuff to watch than ever before, or is the great stuff just spread more thinly across the various channels and services which makes it feel like there is more?

It feels like the former to the point of being almost overwhelming.

I noticed there was a third season of "You" on Netflix the other day. "Ooooh, I quite liked that" I thought. I then went to check and it turns out I only made it through one episode of season two. So that'll be nine episodes of the last season I need to watch before I make it to the new one!

There is an inundation of produce that one can feel a tad pummelled by, but the plateauing of the drama in these apps reminds us that high quality is sporadic, and rightly so. But when there, it's to be thoroughly appreciated in amongst the bulging sack of the average. That's for tv series, i'd say.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I've got Disney+, Netflix, Sky, Prime plus all the crap that comes free with Sky such as Iplayer and All 4. Despite having all these channels at my disposal, if I am quiet and working from home I will watch ITV4 and pick up repeats of The Sweeney, The Professionals and Minder.

I'd say Disney+ has been the best value for the kids. 100+ Clone wars cartoons, All the marvel and Star wars films, the Mandalorian, Loki and the book of Boba Fett coming up. They are currently wading their way through "Marvels what If" which is watchable if Marvel is your thing. The trouble with Netflix is that there are so many series that just stop (Travellers is the prime example) you waste your time watching something with no ending.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Live football on Sky or BT, capped at one match per day.

1 hour of something on catch up (iPlayer) such as 'Drain the Oceans' with the missus.

We have Netflix with Amazon Prime but we don't bother watching anything.

I was a CD box set man until we got tired of something or other half way through a few years ago. I am a completist when it comes to series (can you imagine my joy at watching the first three series of Star Trek in episode order when the DVDs came out? I was In Heaven!). I started watching Endeavour and Lewis on DVD, one hour a day, a few years ago but we stopped for some reason and now I can't bring myself to go back. Because of that I can't watch any new series, whether on DVD or TV. But I can watch random episodes of stuff I've seen before, so I like to dip into a bit of late night Morse if it's on ITV. This is all typical behaviour of someone who is on 'the spectrum' apparently. Fancy that! .

In summary, 9 hours of live football, 7 hours of iPlayer stuff with Mrs T, plus maybe 4 hours of stuff like Bake Off (which I enjoy greatly) also with Mrs T.

Edit, oh and the Nipper watches endless repeats of Horrible Histories and suchlike, exclusively on the BBC children's channel. Whateve it's called. No idea. She watches in the 'other' room.