Unplugging From TV: Living Without a DVR:

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In March of 2016, we moved from an extremely large and busy city to a semi-rural town. Doing a literal "hop" over my parents, we are 45 minutes from them either way, and now living further North which is awesome. When we moved though, we ended up on DUN DUN DUN: CAPPED INTERNET! It's okay, tell your hearts to re-start! We have actually never gone over our cap even though we're a family of three who are always using the internet. It's not even a high cap either, we have just toned down our constant need for "HD" on Netflix and stuff. Anyway, I was unable to bring my AT&T U-Verse account with us to our new home so I went with Direct TV. First thing I wanted to do was get my DVR back...but I couldn't. Why? Well Direct TV would say "Oh it doesn't use your internet!" Which I knew was a lie. Never listen to companies when they say this, want to know why? When I was with U-Verse and my internet dropped off, I couldn't watch ANYTHING that was recorded. It would stop recording, it would just stop altogether. Now why, seriously why would you say it doesn't use internet when clearly without internet it doesn't work? 

SO for 10 1/2 months now I have been without a DVR. This simple device is in everyone's home and everyone says is their lifesaver. If they want to go out one night but don't want to miss a show, they set the DVR to record and then on the weekend they "catch up". The correct term actually is "binge watch". I would do this. I'd set up so much to record: Movies, television shows, re-runs of shows I had seen a million times. I'd use the shows as background noise as I worked or I'd binge watch evenings and weekends. But, moving out here and not having one? Yes, I UNPLUGGED AND I LOVE IT! Have you considered unplugging? You should!

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First thing I know you're going to say "Well, I have too busy of a life and need it!" No, really you don't. Television was never meant to be such a strong influence in American homes. Yes, it's entertaining and fun but it was meant for families to sit together and enjoy for short periods of time. When you record a television show on your DVR, then another, and another, and then on the weekend sit down and "binge watch" you're letting television take over on that day which actually makes you feel busier during the week.  You cram so much into 6 days just to have that 7th day of television, and now without a DVR I can't do that. So if I spend more than maybe an hour watching TV I end up falling asleep, or I end up looking around the house for something to do. It's great! There's only one person that I know of who legit earned a seventh day of rest after six days of hard work...and I don't think any of us are creating entire universes! Well...scratch that pregnant women, keep your DVR for nine months!

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I know something else you're going to say "I'm with my family during such and such time and I can't watch it so I record it for later!" Why? Is it a show your family can't watch together? Television is not what it used to be and we can all agree to that. Shows like "I Love Lucy" or "The Flintstones" were all meant for families to sit together. Very rarely would you have a television show until around the 1980's that you'd have to tell your child "You can't watch this, go to bed!" and then you'd spend the entire 45 minute period watching over your shoulder. So how about you use that 45 minutes to watch TV as a family without skipping commercials? Oh, and that's another thing:

"I hate commercials they are such a waste of time; I like being able to fast forward." Okay, I used to feel the same way if I really got into a show or a movie. I'd get to the commercial and immediately fast forward. Funny quick story: My Mom wore her fast forward out on her remote. Seriously! The button that jumps about 7-10 seconds ahead, she wore it out! I almost did too, haha. Now, I can't do that. So I'm back to calling out "OH COME ON!" when they cut to commercial and rolling my eyes at the constant barrage of "Buy this!" and yet...it's just as entertaining! Did you know that there's a commercial that claims you don't have to be lonely? With...(Everyone sing it!) Farmersonly.com. Yeah, you sang it didn't you? Oh have you seen the commercials for the Red Copper Pan?

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Yeah I bet you didn't know that is the: GOTHAM STEEL PAN!

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Haha, yes, same pan, different color background, same commercial too! Wouldn't have known that if I hadn't sat through the commercials on the same 30 minute session of television. Another thing that is really awesome is we'll be out at a store, and come home and one of my shows will have come on like "Hell's Kitchen". My daughter will go "Mommy, we didn't get home in time your show has started!" haha. It's really cute, but I don't mind! It's not the end of the world if I miss a show.

So in conclusion, save yourself some money every month and get a regular box! Get rid of your need to fast forward, get rid of your dependency on a DVR! Miss your show? Awe, you can probably find it on the network's website (Seriously, I missed the last episode of Hell's Kitchen so I watched it on my laptop on Sunday really fast and caught up). Give yourself that seventh day to do something besides sit down! Use Television as a small form of entertainment, and not your NEED!


Elizabeth is a wife to her wonderful husband, a work at home mother to her beautiful little girl and a blogger for some time now. When she isn't spending time with her "Livvybug", or laughing with her husband, she is looking for new review opportunities and writing or singing along to classic rock and pop music!

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