Pulling the plug

October 27, 2008 in blogs,digital matters,internet,news,television,writing

Oftentimes people are interested to hear that I don’t have cable or basic television channels at home. I own an hdtv for viewing films and videocasts – and that’s about it. Admittedly, this wasn’t a renegade decision. I moved earlier in the year from Miracle Mile to Santa Monica and just never got around to turning the cable on. I use citywide wifi for internet (the bandwidth is decent and I don’t need a megawide pipe).

Not surprisingly I’m more productive sans TV. Although it was difficult at first to break the habit, not getting cable has proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I read books, magazines and blogs more often, listen to music, and spend more time getting organized and cleaning the apartment. I do feel unplugged from the outside world from time to time. So, how do I get my news and entertainment fix? Here’s how:

-news
I find radio and the internet to be even more timely and comprehensive than television was. NPR rocks.  News sites and blogs allow me to aggregate feeds in one place, so i can quickly scroll through the news in my own time by selecting headlines to explore that are of relevant interest. Podcasts are also great for catching news shows on demand.

-entertainment

What can I say? Netflix is the bomb. I love having movies on hand to pop in whenever the mood strikes. This way I’m forced to watch something more educational or culturally significant than, say, randomly tuning in to a reality show, a rom-com on TBS or the latest style show on Bravo (don’t get me wrong, I love me some Heidi and Tim!). Sites like Hulu, comedycentral.com and Fancast allow me to stream shorts and full shows when the mood strikes.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you get your entertainment outside of traditional cable. Post a comment below!