The new television is a mystery to Doug, so he’s been trying to avoid learning how to operate it till he’s in better humor. Says Doug, “I don’t need the fancy crap. I just want to watch my familiar programs on the familiar channels.” Seems he ordered some highly specialized stream-ready piece of technology he truly doesn’t appreciate.
Inevitably, Andy ends up on the television stand, a favorite perch. Being obsessively aware of any changes in his world, Andy notes the tangled mess under the stand is more tangled than usual and…
…thinks it might require a cat investigation! Andy knows he’s the only cat in this household…Doug tells him so all the time! “Yer the cat, Andy!” says Doug, just like that! And a proper cat examines all changes, obsessively.
Only thing down here are dust bunnies! Andy’s curiosity sated, he…
…heads over to that place Doug hides the kitty toys. It’s a mess, too, but it’s a familiar one.
You have my sympathies. I need to buy a new TV, but have no idea what kind. My son-in-law has made a suggestion, but it seems like a bit much for someone who watches maybe 10 hours/week.
Since I got the new one, thanks to the complications, I’ve limited my viewing to news and TCM movies. I’ve increased laptop time, though, and kitty play time. I think there’s no rush to return to the amount of tv time I used to watch.
Good old Inspector Andy! Yes, everything must be inspected. 🙂
Yes, new technology continues to drive us particular directions. 🙂
I’m looking for a simple television even I can use to watch stupid cable television. I think I will have to go to a store where I can talk with someone who knows something about stupid televisions, not smart ones with tons of channels I’ll never watch.
Good luck. Those people are harder to find.
That they are!
Ah, a Roku TV! I have one, and it can be a pain in the tail, especially when they do an update of the software. (For future reference, you have to unplug the TV for a minute or two, then plug it back in and wait another minute before turning it back on. However! you may have to call their customer help line if it doesn’t install correctly. To Roku’s credit, their customer rep staff are a lot more responsive than say, Comcast or other tech/consumer help lines.)
(Like everything nowadays, they also have a smartphone app that you can pair with your TV so you can change channels, watch movies, etc. I find it ridiculously fiddly.)
It does take a bit to read the instruction booklet, then turn it on, start your Roku account, and put in your preferences. I groused about this to my tech consultant, my son-in-law, but he said nearly all smart TVs require a software setup. He thought AppleTV was easier, but whenever I’m visiting his and Daughter’s house, I always waste several minutes trying to figure out which remote to use to change the channel/switch to streaming/play a video game with the grandkids, who humiliatingly can do this within seconds. Alas, we must adapt to survive, Doug….
Good grief! As if I didn’t want more complication! I think I’ll give it away and cancel my cable.
If I lived closer I’d set it up for you: I think someone with a modicum of tech skills can do it, but it requires patience and a willingness to use a remote to punch in commands, passwords, etc. (For instance, setting up the TV’s connection to your WiFi.) I’d understand if you decided to just chuck it out the window, but a couple of years ago I helped a grumpy technophobe friend set up his Roku TV and now he can’t get enough of it, though he admittedly spends more time watching DVDs than Netflix or CNN. (Hooking up his DVD player to the TV was a bear: once again, trying to connect black cables to black USB and HDV ports when you’re hopelessly nearsighted had me swearing. I had to put on a headlamp, which made me look like I was hunting in a coal mine.) My kids call DVDs “dinosaur disks” and say streaming is better if you watch a lot of movies: but honestly, I do wish the electronics companies would make a basic TV for cable users.
Me, too. I think I have it set up for my Spectrum package, which would let me watch the usual channels, but I still have to figure out where the MDMI1 thingy (or whatever it is) that connected to the old tv is in that mess of lines under the tv. It was the last thing that stood between me and getting my Spectrum channels on the old smart tv. Like you, seeing the spot to plug it was nearly impossible -tiny font, black on black – and I plugged it in the wrong one.
Sigh, I wish they would quit changing the tech so I wouldn’t have to relearn everything all the time ….
Ugh! You said it, Leah! Read Hangaku Gozen’s comment and my response….
Can relate
Things have reached the point where one more remote to get where I want to go is two more than I can handle!
we think we have to swim too with the stream.. the tv programm is the last thing on earth this time…..
I’ve reached the point where I’m ready to throw away the paddle!
I definitely don’t envy you. Good luck
It may be the thing that liberates me from a heavy television habit!
Heck, I barely know the difference between streaming and just watching TV. But you’ll get there, and Andy will enjoy it, too!
I’m at the point where I don’t think it’s worth my effort.