Sheesh, all these grumpy old men :)

I have two satelite dishes, one for free to air, the other for
foxtel. The quality of the pictures is amazing these days, with
a large flatscreen LED which uses less power then the old sets and
digital TV. Some of those travel documentaries, or David Attenborough
documentaries, are just amazing! When I was younger, I travelled
a huge amount and loved it, but now, with all those security issues
and the huge cost of travel, frankly its easier to see in on high
quality tv.

One of my favourite shows is on commercial tv, called "how its made"
They show and explain the production lines which make anything from
pencils to John Deere harvesters. The Ferrari factory tour was
interesting, from making the engine block to the finished car ready
to roar. Then Bloomberg keeps me up to date as to what is happening
in things financial, direct from New York. Ain't technology grand.

When I first watched tv out here in the sticks, it was one or two
channels, sometimes visible between the snowy picture, depending on
the weather

ludwig,
I watch a commercial news and the ABC news each evening. Not much else

I used to watch Midsomer Murders when it was on. But was concerned about so many murders in a small community. As it happened on SBS was interesting about war history. I am not an avid fan but, if available, I watch the Swans play AFL. QI can be funny.

Seldom watch the comercial channels and pride myself in how quick I can mute the adds, when I have those channels on.

Most nights after the news it is on the computer for me.

Ludwig,

The strangest thing happened to me around the time of the 2010 election - I lost the desire to watch TV. It is extraordinary because I used to be quite a newshound and was somewhat addicted to the whole thing.

I still watch telly a bit, and I'm more likely these days to watch a DVD, but overall I'm less comfortable with passively absorbing just any old thing.

I get most of my news on the net, and if I see anything that catches my particular interest then I follow it up on TV. But I missed being drowned in coverage of all the middle-east uprisings...ie, I kept abreast of developments, yet didn't subject myself to the heartache and slaughter by constantly watching the anguish - same with the present situation in Syria - I know of it, but I'm not watching it.

Basically the ABC and SBS for me. I undertook a free trial of Austar and quickly found I was not interested in paying for anything except the History channel and had it uninstalled, but then others want it for cartoons or sport which would bore me silly. If I want to be amused then I might watch "yes Minister" which I think is clever, or some of the English costume dramas, otherwise it's documentaries and news and finance and discussions like Q & A

If there is anything on the commercial channels, I automatically record them to watch at leisure and zap the advertisements. This way 60 minutes becomes something under 45 minutes and like the wiser amongst you, keep the mute button within reach when the likes of short news items, weather etc. are broadcast and interrupted by stuff I definitely don't want to hear.

See we are mostly ABC watchers,how do you pay for free to air OUG?
And the docos surely we watch them.
ANZAC day soon real film and would not miss it absorb Poirot?
Nah not me get my grumpy old man hat on an tell the screen its junk.
Keeps me in touch like most watch about one tenth of what is making the noise in the background.
One of my two dogs watches it all,square eyes!

Perhaps not, Belly.

>>See we are mostly ABC watchers<<

You won't find anyone here confessing to an addiction to The Voice, or Australia's Got Talent, or The Block, now will you? We're just witnessing the standard responses to a question like this.

"I don't watch it any more, it's all rubbish" is par for the course, but some brave people do admit to an "occasional" glance at the ABC...

(Just in case you are wondering, I had to look up the names of those programmes - they were, apparently, Monday Night's top rating shows. I, of course, don't watch anything except extremely worthy documentaries. And occasionally the ABC News...)