I only have BASIC cable, 20 channels maybe, basically the local broadcast channels, The Weather Channel, CSPAN and CSPAN2 and TBS.
I dumped extended cable years ago, and don't miss it... at first I did, because I was a news junky... now, no way, don't miss it at all. Other than when a major news event happens, I don't miss it at all.
Even with my limited channels, I have debated buying or building a DVR.. just so I can watch the few shows I do watch anymore when I want.
In the evenings I am now much more likely to be doing things than 3 years ago when I had extended cable... my lifestyle has changed drastically, and on nights when I do have nothing going on, I feel like I should get up and find something to do.
I have reached the conclusion that if I could "subscribe" to just shows I wanted, IE shows downloaded directly to a DVR that I could watch when I wanted for a fee I would probably do that, but I have zero desire to have 80 channels of smut in my house.
In fact, when we went on vacation recently and stayed at a hotel, we tried to find something for OUr son to watch at about 8:30 at night on their cable offerings.. just flipping through the channels to find a kid friendly channel we were lambasted with overt images and situations and language on nearly every channel. I'm no prude by any stretch, but Cable has clearly gone down a spiral rapidly... Not that it had that far to go... but still in 3 years its gone beyond gutter.
If there is a good show that came out that I don't have access to and want to see, I'll rent or buy a season of it on DVD for $20 or $40 and watch it on my time without commercials.
And as to just regular broadcast TV, its gone down the dumper too... not only do I feel like I have to be doing something on the odd night that I am actually around and could just watch TV.. but when I do turn on the TV and look at whats on... its wortless reality shows on EVERY channel.. literally.
Yep. Buy a season at a time on DVD, watch it, and stop buying just as soon as the product quality starts going downhill as it nearly always does. Most of my video recreational time allotment goes to the Inet leaving movies/shows as treadmill entertainment. An typically episode lasts almost as long as my daily workout.