Does anyone still watch live TV?

[doorknob60]

I only really rely on it for sports. I occasionally watch the local news, or something like the NBC Nightly News (I don't like the cable news channels like CNN or FOX News, but the 30 minute nightly news programs are usually solid). If I didn't have TV, I could stream my local news on the station's website. I am able to pick up all my local stations with an antenna, luckily.

I have an HDHomerun and a Channels DVR server so I can record stuff, and watch all the stations from streaming sticks on my TV (no need to run coax all over the house). Channels DVR also supports adding TV Everywhere credentials to pick up a bunch of other stations over the internet, through the official legal streams. It doesn't have everything (for example NBC recently pulled all their streams of networks like USA), but it has what I need.

The only questionable thing is, I'm using my parents' Spectrum credentials, since I no longer pay for cable myself. Password sharing is the norm these days though, for now. I can use this to access networks like ESPN, TNT, and FS1 that you'd normally need cable or a streaming subscription (eg. Youtube TV) for. Channels DVR is super nice since it combines the local OTA channels like NBC and CBS, with the streaming channels like ESPN and TNT, and puts them all into one guide, and I can do all the nice DVR things with all of it. I even have non-DRM files of recordings on my computer that I can do anything with, rather than recordings tied to your prioviders hardware like you get on cable or Dish.

I do record some shows like Amazing Race and Survivor, though I often don't get around to watching them. If I didn't have a TV setup, I could also just stream the shows if I wanted to, but doesn't hurt to record them.

[Laura]

I stream almost everything I watch (which, these days, is mostly little kid friendly shows) but will watch live sports and live parades on cable. I currently pay for Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, and YouTube streaming services.

I'm actually very intentional in that I want my daughter to watch as few commercials as possible. I have an older friend who only showed her older son shows and movies on videos and DVDs, but then loosened it later with her younger kids (10 year age gap) and found that her younger kids were constantly wanting, wanting, wanting toys and things from commercials while her older son didn't and was always easily satisfied. (Yes, personalities could also play a role, but I'd rather avoid having my child marketed to.)