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Am I overreacting?

mkrishnan said:
From what I understand, DirectTV frustrates this... it can't be viewed by most TVs without a decoding device (i.e. the TiVo or another DirectTV box). At least, that's the way I understand DirectTV to work. That's why I asked about this many, many replies ago. ;)
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It would help tremendously if I, or my roommates, new more about it. :) I guess maybe now is the time for one of us to learn.

SilentPanda said:
Get your TV from iTunes like a normal person! :)

The problem would be simple if you weren't using DirectTV. You could run the cable from your wall, to the Tivo, then to the TV (from the cable out on the Tivo). Then you can put the Tivo to sleep (it still records when it is asleep) and the cable passes straight through to the TV. You'd have to change channels on the TV instead of the Tivo and of course lose Tivo functionality for the show you were watching but everything else would be fine.

Do any of their shows play twice or more during the day? You might be able to adjust the recordings accordingly.

At worst, stop paying for cable and make a point not to watch it. Then just buy the shows you want on DVD. Sure you'll be a year behind but it's often times cheaper than cable. That's what I do and I'm the only person in my apartment.
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A couple of the shows probably do show more than once, but they are OBSESSED about being up-to-date so they can talk with all of our friends about what went on with Lost, 24, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Random-new-Sci-fi-show, etc. In fact, I had to bit torrent the first 4 hours of 24 so they could see it a whole 4 days before it came on TV. When one is watching and the other has to come in the room, he says, "Quick, pause it. I haven't seen it yet!!!" even though he's only passing through, and might catch 30 seconds worth of sound, not even images.

wordmunger said:
Watch something that's already recorded. All TiVos allow this. You can watch a pre-recorded program while the TiVo records another; you just can't watch one live program while recording a different one. I can't stand watching live TV anyway -- commercials, gah!
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The problem is that I don't ever use the tivo and I don't have the same tastes- not by a long stretch. I have only one show that I watch consistently, and then will just catch whatever's on at the time I'm in front of the television.


I really appreciate all of your guys' responses...even the ones that are wrong. :) Hahaha.
 
tobefirst said:
The problem is that I don't ever use the tivo and I don't have the same tastes- not by a long stretch. I have only one show that I watch consistently, and then will just catch whatever's on at the time I'm in front of the television.


I really appreciate all of your guys' responses...even the ones that are wrong. :) Hahaha.
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Well given this information I would say you're overreacting. Unless the one show you watch is on at the time of the week when both TiVos are recording something else and you're just sitting down to watch "whatever is on" then I think anyone who has a particular show that they follow religiously has higher priorities than the "whatever was on" person. If the TiVos are busy, get a DVD player and watch movies, read a book, play some video games... if you're only sitting down to kill time and watch "whatever" then you should be able to find another form of entertainment for the hour or so until the recording is done.
 
atszyman said:
Well given this information I would say you're overreacting. Unless the one show you watch is on at the time of the week when both TiVos are recording something else and you're just sitting down to watch "whatever is on" then I think anyone who has a particular show that they follow religiously has higher priorities than the "whatever was on" person. If the TiVos are busy, get a DVD player and watch movies, read a book, play some video games... if you're only sitting down to kill time and watch "whatever" then you should be able to find another form of entertainment for the hour or so until the recording is done.
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I suppose this is a fair assessment. Really it is. I wouldn't have sat down to watch "whatever" if I didn't want to watch television- I'll sit and watch HGTV or Discovery or ESPN without knowing exactly what I'm going to be watching, but I have a pretty good idea of the subject matter when I turn the thing on...and it's frustrating when I find that I want to watch whatever's coming on, only to have the tivo say, "The channel must be changed to record..."

But I totally see what you're saying.
 
lanray said:
Another perspective: stop watching television. My housemate and I gave up television years ago; since then, I haven't had one in the house. The first weeks were boring (what do you do when you don't have a tube?). After that, we started talking, I started reading, I exercised, pursued friendships. At the end of your life, on your deathbed, you won't say, "Holy smokes, I'm glad I watched that episode of so-n-so. Heck, I'm glad I showed my roommates right that one time when I couldn't watch the show I wanted." Try going without. After a while, TV and Hollywood seem kind of ridiculous, and you'll find yourself calmer, more centered, smarter, and better for it.
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I like your style. I too have given up the tube, although I still own a few. I have a fairly large video collection. Occasionally I will watch a movie, or documentary. Most of my time actually goes to doing things, which suits my lifestyle. I did not make a conscience decision to do this. It was just an evolutionary process. Network programming left me totally disinterested in their content. With little, or nothing, to hold my interest, it was an easy choice.
 
tobefirst said:
<snip>We have a tivo set up to record these programs on the big screen in the basement. In addition, several other shows are recorded that would fall into the "will watch when they have time" category. I would say that the tivo records, on average, 10 hours of primetime television per week.
<snip>
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There's 10 hours of TV worth watching a week? :eek:
 
I wouldn't say you were overreacting. If you were overreacting, something or someone would be broken by now.

Do you have a right to your frustration? Well, I 'spose. But I wonder if you're displacing your frustration onto the TVs -- whether these concerns are manifestations of a larger feeling of a lack of belonging in or ownership of your apartment in general?

More simply: If you're not happy where you are, and if you can get out, you should get out. No use martyring yourself in this context.
 
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