I recall a childhood TV set of mine that probably had 13 channels… and we had to manual turn it on/off, do the volume, and channel changing on the unit itself.
UHF Only? Or were you in a large metropolitan area that had lots of stations. Lived in our state capital until the 1970’s and if you broke out the tin foil for the aerial you might be able to get 5 total and having the last 3 be clear enough to watch through the snow was a stretch.
Do yourself a favor, pick up the TV and throw it out. I did over a decade ago and have never looked back. The programing on TV is a large part of the reason we have so much violence in our nation. Before someone starts up about “Its not real.” Some of the smartest and most media savvy people on the planet are willing to pay $5 Million for a 30 sec ad during the Super Bowl. They do this for one reason only, It Works!
Our satellite TV provider proudly advertises that they offer 250+ channels on the service.What they don’t say is that half of those are 24 hour sell-a-thon types that do nothing but pitch useless junk and half of the other channels show TV shows from decades ago, three fourths of which I didn’t watch when they were new.
My wife and I usually end up watching PBS and 2 or 3 other channels. End result we have as many useful and worthwhile stuff to watch as when we had the over-the-air 5 or 6 channels in the old days. However, back then the service was free and now you pay upwards of $100.
I remember having only a half dozen stations in the Detroit area-4 VHF 2 UHF. The only reason we had 4 VHF channels is we picked up a station from Windsor Ontario.
Okay, I sort of figured that I was not younger than the rest of you but I don’t remember having only 1 or 3 channels. I am in mid my 60s and back in the 1950s here we had the 3 national networks that existed back then and now – ABC, NBC, and CBS. We also had local channels – 5, 9, 11 and 13 – so in the 1950s we had 7 channels.
In the 1973 we also had – once – stereo TV – that is not stereo sound, but rather stereo picture. It was a show gimmick that was on once staring the comedy duo of Bob (Elliot) and Ray (Goulding). They got two of the local stations to do it. They were at one studio with camera from each of the two stations. Each camera was positioned off from the other. One was instructed to set up 2 TVs a certain distance apart from each other at the same height. In one of their routines one threw a ball from the left side of the stage – shown by the left camera towards the right side of the stage and the other caught the ball on the right side camera. So one looked at the left TV and saw the ball thrown and then looked at the right TV and saw the ball continue across (remember they said how far apart to put the TVs) and then it was caught on the right side TV. It was rather interesting as I recall. BTW Bob Elliot is Chris Elliot.
Templo S.U.D. over 4 years ago
I recall a childhood TV set of mine that probably had 13 channels… and we had to manual turn it on/off, do the volume, and channel changing on the unit itself.
KenTheCoffinDweller over 4 years ago
UHF Only? Or were you in a large metropolitan area that had lots of stations. Lived in our state capital until the 1970’s and if you broke out the tin foil for the aerial you might be able to get 5 total and having the last 3 be clear enough to watch through the snow was a stretch.
Lyons Group, Inc. over 4 years ago
3 or 300 channels, heck, I still turn the darned thing off.
macky87 over 4 years ago
Only had one channel when I was a kid. I’ve got 14 now, but unfortunately 5 of those are not worth looking at. It’s still ok since they’re all free.
ajr58 over 4 years ago
If the first panel is any indication, turning it off is the best option. That is, until the Tangerine can be removed.
stellanova87 over 4 years ago
When worse comes to worse, I go to Game Show Network.
Linguist over 4 years ago
Everyone forgets the operative words: “…we just turned it off.”
We don’t need to be glued to our televisions, phones, or other electronic devices 24/7!
arianseren over 4 years ago
TV has become a wasteland of Infomercials.
Bruce1253 over 4 years ago
Do yourself a favor, pick up the TV and throw it out. I did over a decade ago and have never looked back. The programing on TV is a large part of the reason we have so much violence in our nation. Before someone starts up about “Its not real.” Some of the smartest and most media savvy people on the planet are willing to pay $5 Million for a 30 sec ad during the Super Bowl. They do this for one reason only, It Works!
Cameron1988 Premium Member over 4 years ago
And now with newer TV’S one has to have a remote control in order to turn the TV on and off
ckeagy over 4 years ago
No need for a remote. We only had one channel.
Holilubillkori Premium Member over 4 years ago
Dumped my cable for Internet w/ my Apple TV and there are times; when I’m not even watching… Especially since I’ve discovered a Free Audiobooks app.
diegot over 4 years ago
Our satellite TV provider proudly advertises that they offer 250+ channels on the service.What they don’t say is that half of those are 24 hour sell-a-thon types that do nothing but pitch useless junk and half of the other channels show TV shows from decades ago, three fourths of which I didn’t watch when they were new.
My wife and I usually end up watching PBS and 2 or 3 other channels. End result we have as many useful and worthwhile stuff to watch as when we had the over-the-air 5 or 6 channels in the old days. However, back then the service was free and now you pay upwards of $100.
Bob. over 4 years ago
First TV I had, had a channel 1 on it.
Petemejia77 over 4 years ago
Funny….Grand Ave comic is SAME joke today.
Fabienne over 4 years ago
Guy on TV kind of looks like a blond Leno!
WCraft Premium Member over 4 years ago
Or, as I call it: A blessing and a curse
rbullfogg over 4 years ago
Baldo’s and his dad are right! 3 channels 300 channels it’s hard to find some good TV!
bakana over 4 years ago
But, the same amount of “Good” TV.
As in “Hardly Any”.
fstop8 over 4 years ago
we moved from a larger city to our farm and had to wait 2 years before we could get any stations
Sky_Shachaq over 4 years ago
I remember having only a half dozen stations in the Detroit area-4 VHF 2 UHF. The only reason we had 4 VHF channels is we picked up a station from Windsor Ontario.
mafastore over 4 years ago
Okay, I sort of figured that I was not younger than the rest of you but I don’t remember having only 1 or 3 channels. I am in mid my 60s and back in the 1950s here we had the 3 national networks that existed back then and now – ABC, NBC, and CBS. We also had local channels – 5, 9, 11 and 13 – so in the 1950s we had 7 channels.
In the 1973 we also had – once – stereo TV – that is not stereo sound, but rather stereo picture. It was a show gimmick that was on once staring the comedy duo of Bob (Elliot) and Ray (Goulding). They got two of the local stations to do it. They were at one studio with camera from each of the two stations. Each camera was positioned off from the other. One was instructed to set up 2 TVs a certain distance apart from each other at the same height. In one of their routines one threw a ball from the left side of the stage – shown by the left camera towards the right side of the stage and the other caught the ball on the right side camera. So one looked at the left TV and saw the ball thrown and then looked at the right TV and saw the ball continue across (remember they said how far apart to put the TVs) and then it was caught on the right side TV. It was rather interesting as I recall. BTW Bob Elliot is Chris Elliot.