Luddites, Unite

[Bat Guano]

I think I have a hate/hate relationship with TV. Not only do I find it a "vast wasteland", but with two remotes, a VHS/DVD player, and some sort of extra black box, an aggravation. I can usually turn it on and off (for Fox news, now and then) and if it hasn't been too long, run a video on it. But heaven help me if I fumble a remote and hit a wrong button on it. Rarely do I have any idea of what I did, much less know how to fix the damn thing. I feel like James Bond in all the movies where the counter is clicking down on a nuclear weapon and I'm clueless.

I've never (yet) killed a TV, but sometimes I think I'd like to do it before I die.

Contrariwise, I get along pretty well with the Mac my son talked me into getting. I can actually do stuff, can't seem to break it, and there is even a certain degree of logic to it. I rarely have to curse it. And I already get all the news, etc. that I want my way, and all the movies I could want.

It's been said that the surest sign of an immature technology is that it requires a lot of futzing around to use it. Makes sense to me.

 

[Fishslayer]

I have three remotes that I use, two that I don't...

 

[BigBoy99]

I totally agree. I hate this modern "junk". Who needs a remote with 30-40 buttons on it? I think the "OFF" button gets the most use as I sometimes end up where I have no idea how to get back the TV program i was watching.

My cell phone is attached to the kitchen wall and has a long curly cord. If I'm not home and you want to talk to me, leave a message on my answering machine and I'll you back. I have no desire to be "connected" all the time. Just being alone sometimes is just fine.

I respond to my emails every few days as the computer is turned-on only every few days. Two weeks ago I received a rather curt email, chiding me for not responding to an email sent to me with in 5 minutes of it being sent. I respond by saying consider yourself lucky that is gets a response in 5 DAYS.

Luddites Forever!

 

[jaymoore]

My TV is hooked up only to a Blu-ray player and a stereo. No cable, satellite, antenna, etc. There are three remotes, but only generally use the player's. Not technologically overwhelmed, but mostly hate the monthly bills. (Would have an antenna if there was decent reception!)

 

[mudcat100]

I have three remotes that I use, two that I don't...

And one that says it's a friend of mine.

 

[soFlaNative]

And one that says it's a friend of mine.

Take it eaaaaaasy....

Nothing wrong with simple.

 

[perryhd]

My wife dropped the remote and some how turned on the closed caption. So I just spent twenty minutes trying to turn it off,I did finally get it.

 

[webley green]

Still antenna circa 1994 TV, glad to have closed caption though. Cell phone circa 2006, it's off unless I'm using it.

 

[zonker5]

With remotes and such today's kids are getting soft. When I was growing up we had to walk 15' through the green shag carpet to change channels....

 

[GatorFarmer]

Eh. You want primitive, you wait for the paintings on the cave walls to come alive in the flickering light of the fire.

 

[Salty RI]

I hate it when you push a button by mistake and a screen comes up that you can't get rid of , I call to the wife, whats the matter with this damn thing, sometimes the words are a little stronger than that.

 

[rustythread]

... some how turned on the closed caption. So I just spent twenty minutes trying to turn it off,I did finally get it.

If you're not yet using the closed captions, you haven't been shooting enough.

 

[DoubleAdobe]

I agree with all the OP says. I can relate for sure. The way I get around some of the aggravating issues is get one of my grandkids to help me. Yeah, it's humiliating, but if there are few witnesses it's not THAT bad.
The little boogers just don't know yet how hard it is, hehe.

 

[SW MP15]

Two remotes, as well. One to use while couch cushion nestles with one? I guess that's what happens when I can't find it? I look and look and go back to the starting point and low behold, there it is.

Do you think they play hide and seek?

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

We had one of the first. It was a clicker. Press down on the button and it would 'click' which turned the dial on the TV. Worked ok, but if the TV was on channel 5 and you wanted to get to 4 you had to keep clicking until it went all the way around the dial. If the dog rattled his tags it would change the channel. That was pretty funny the first day... not so much after that.

 

[the ringo kid]

I had to buy a universal remote. It claims you can use it for TV stuff, DVD player etc. However, no matter what I do? the damned DVD part will not work!! On this remote, accidentally hit one tiny red button next to the volume/channel tree? dad-burned thing will stop working till the freaking red flashing light stops---which takes about 30 seconds.

 

[wbraswell]

Really, we're all spoiled to it now. Back in the day with maybe 3 channels, we were just tickled that it was TV. It really didn't matter much what was on, or that it was fuzzy Black and White.
Bat, if you want to kill a TV, you need an old tube type, or use tannerite.

 

[NYlakesider]

I get by fairly well with my tv. We have cable and the cable teck set up one remote to do all functions. Tv on/off, cable on/off volume and changing channels. I do no FANCY stuff like recorder, have my phone through the TV or streamed movies. Firm believer in the Kiss principal.

Now in my new car I call that touch screen thingy that can adjust or work 23 different things Rubics Cube. Heck even the heat/AC and radio are stuck in there.