Thoughts on Cable and Television

Yesterday there was an incomprehensible, multi-page flyer from Time Warner in my mail with a bunch of ballyhoo about their services and new channels they are adding. There was pricing listed. I could not figure out what it was going to do to my cable bill; and if it was going to change my service. I have three televisions. Only one receives digital cable. I called Time Warner and talked to a representative. I asked her to explain the flyer to me. She told me she had been off work for a few days and was not familiar with the flyer. She started checking and could not figure it out either. She tried to call her supervisor over and could not get her attention. Finally she said she would call me back. About an hour later she did call back and essentially what is happening is that my bill will go up $2 plus tax. It looks like I am paying ~$6 per month for the Digital Value Package over regular cable. I rarely watch the digital channels. I decided to leave things the way they are for now.

 

It seems like my viewing habits are changing. After 9/11, I had CNN on all the time. Now CNN gets on my nerves. I get the general gist of the news and then turn it off. In the evening I am watching the CBS Evening News with Bob Schieffer. I know he is only a temporary news anchor, but since Dan Rather left I have really grown to like Schieffer. I think he has a lot of qualities in common with Walter Cronkite. There was something about Dan Rather that I never really liked. It is too bad that Bob Schieffer did not get the job when he was much younger.

 

Also it seems like I am almost exclusively watching CBS at night for entertainment. I like all of the CSI shows, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Numbers, Cold Case and Close to Home. I also watch Survivor and The Amazing Race. I am looking forward to a new Amazing Race series starting tonight.. All of this has caused me to wonder why I need digital cable.

 

My plan has been to take my two newer Sony televisions to my new home and donate the old heavy television that is in the living room to the Salvation Army. I have not studied all the flavors of HDTV and the different screen types yet. I thought I would wait until I am in my new home before purchasing one. Now I am thinking I will be in no hurry to get a new TV. Reading, the computer and CBS seem to be all I really need now.