Mom Wants More TV Options
Sun Jun 18, 2006 5:12PM EDT
See Comments (41)
Gina's problem: her family only has one TV. She likes to watch her shows in bed, but her husband likes to relax in the bedroom reading and enjoying the silence. Can you see the conflict here?Â
On top of the bedroom time-share issues, Gina also wants to watch TV in multiple places through the house. With two kids, she spends a lot of time doing chores in the kitchen. She'd love a little entertainment while washing dishes or cooking, but their only TV is in the living room.Â
Jon Chase, one of Hook Me Up's technology experts heads out to tackle Gina's TV troubles. Jon's a tech journalist, problem solver and fellow TV addict, so he understands Gina's pain.
Jon has a bevy of cool gear for this family. He starts in the living room—unveiling a Panasonic HDTV. This is a 42-inch plasma screen, and it looks gorgeous in the room. Jon takes the old living room TV upstairs to the bedroom and hooks it up to an existing cable outlet. This plasma pops out of their entertainment center. Their living room is not exposed to much natural light, so plasma is a great choice for the TV's technology.
Plasma TVs tend to look a little better in darker settings. If the room was flooded with light and Gina's family watched most of their TV in the daytime, a brighter LCD might have been a better call. When the family sees the new TV, their expressions say it all—they love it!
To offer Gina more viewing options, Jon hooks a Sony LocationFree TV up to one of the cable boxes. It is basically a 12-inch LCD screen that doubles as a wireless TV. Sony says the TV has a 100-foot wireless range, but in real-world tests with walls and multiple stories, the range is more like 50 feet. For Gina's house that distance is not a problem. The TV gets a signal in the kitchen, the kids' rooms, even in the backyard.Â
Most importantly, the wireless TV gets a strong signal in the bedroom. Jon has a brilliant solution for the "she likes to watch TV/he likes to read" marriage dilemma. Our esteemed technician attaches a pair of Bose Triport headphones to the LocationFree TV. While her husband reads in bed, Gina can snuggle up to him with her headphones and TV.
The LocationFree TV is much more than a wireless monitor, but it's still unclear if it will live up to its potential as an Internet browser and place-shifting device. More on that in my next blog post.
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27 Posted by pkanaka on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:14PM EDT Report Abuse
Apparently most of the people here can't read or don't bother to read. There is no way currently for a wireless TV to work in a moving vehicle if it's greater than 100 feet from the base station. So for all you judgemental folks who ask her to look at the road rather than the TV and cast her as a horrible mother, do us all a favor. Just read the article first!!
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28 Posted by dombrowd on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:46PM EDT Report Abuse
Just another tool. how we use them is our resposi silly-bility. The media is not the message any more?
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29 Posted by djholman2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:44PM EDT Report Abuse
There are too many adictive devices already (cell phones, mini computers, etc.) - we don't need another one. Some people can't even go to the bathroom without taking their little toys with them. Some call this "multi tasking" but that's just a euphemism. Put your toys away and look at the real world around you! If you don't like what you see, maybe you could help improve things instead of playing games or watching TV.
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30 Posted by addisonbeach on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:45PM EDT Report Abuse
There should be an exam before one has children. People that do not pass certain levels of responsibility, intelligence, and community involvement should not be allowed to bring children into this world. Entertainment is a background noise.
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31 Posted by tomandsparky@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:14PM EDT Report Abuse
TV can be genuinely addicting. That's not just a cute phrase. And as amusing as drunk jokes can be, there are folks who have a real problem with alcohol. So, along with stories about super TV or sophisticated new cocktails, how about some mention of TV addiction recovery options?
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32 Posted by drgorkian on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse
IT'S A T.V!! I don't think the article really hit on her parenting skills. I know lots of people, including myself that actually have televisions, cable, and many channels available that still manage to do the dishes, clean the house spend LOTS of time with our kids outside and participating in many activities other then watching T.V. If the woman wants to watch a bit and enjoy her down time let her, who are we to judge, that being said, I'm going to relax, and maybe watch some tube, or play a video game...oh no someone call children's aid!!!
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33 Posted by codito1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse
Well,T.V is deffinatly relaxing and thats OK. My family used to only have one T V and it was chaos! But then we moved to a beautiful house and bought two new, beautiful T.Vs. But T.V and computer should NOT run someones life. I say Gina should post times, time for the kids to watch, an hour or so. Time for the husband, a few more hours. time for herself, same as the husband.or post a time for both parents to watch together. As the parents watch, kids go outside, read a book, or play cards. Something like that. A schedule is profitiant(i spelled it wrong I know)and usually the way to do it. Gina, you could also start a program, working out is a way to get worked up, go home watch T.V fore and hour. Read an interesting book. Now T.V should not be your life's only way to relax. Go to a spa once a week, or once a month. Figure something out that won't ruin your brain. It's ok to watch T.V once in a while. OK, good luck.
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34 Posted by jds68 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse
If everyone had watched the video, they would have noticed that the scene in the car was part of a playful "can you see me now" spot including the backyard, the bedroom, and a kid's room. I agree that it might not have been the wisest choice to front the story, but it got people to read the article. As far as down time, she wants to be with her husband, but they like different things. How is this different than sharing a couch and reading different books? The video also showed a couple of kids who appear fit and trim, and a yard w/ play equipment. So now she can get a chore done while catching the news, or Oprah, or anything else. Let's crucify her ....
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35 Posted by whirledpeas4ever on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:44PM EDT Report Abuse
I really question how many of the people who left negative posts read more than just the headline. There is nothing in the article that indicates she watches TV in the car, that she prefers TV over spending time with her kids, or that she's neglectful or selfish. If you're doing it right, raising children is all-consuming and exhausting. Why must people (especially people who don't have children of their own) be so quick to criticize a parent who talks about anything they like to do other than be directly involved with their kids? I agree with earlier post that said just as kids need attention from parents, kids also need to entertain themselves. Everyone needs downtime--people can't be and don't need to be "on" all the time. Also consider how much time was spent on describing the TVs they gave her -- the article is not just about "how can we squeeze more TVs into our lives?" It's also about technology, and intended to advertise the products they gave her! Here's an example. We have two girls, ages 6 and 4 years. Last Saturday, I did laundry and read a couple chapters while my husband took the kids with him to get oil & an oil filter. Then he changed the oil in my car while I made dinner. The six-year-old sat out there watching her dad, telling him about her day, etc. while the four-year-old watched me grill chicken & helped me make a salad and clean strawberries. After dinner, we sat outside and chatted while the kids played in the yard, then we all took a swim in the pool. We came in and had strawberry shortcake and watched The Incredibles together. At bedtime the four-year-old chose books for her sister & I to read to her -- their dad was in the other room reading the newspaper. Once the kids were tucked in, I read a book while my husband played a video game. I hope what we're modeling for our children is variety and balance. Now ... if my family's Saturday was the subject of an article on technology, and the article told nothing about the rest of the day and only told about the brand/model of TV, DVD player, and surround sound system we used to watch the movie, or the video game he played, people could jump to the conclusion that we rely on TV to keep us from having to do anything active or educational or actually having to talk to our children or each other, and that we're making our kids fat, boring, poorly educated TV addicts. See how that works?
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36 Posted by throwmoney on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:08PM EDT Report Abuse
I read in my spare time. And I'm an active crafter/artist. I listen to music, talk radio and audiobooks and sometimes--gasp--nothing at all. I work, I write, I craft, I get out, I play card and board games with friends, I surf the internet, and I used to act. And I watch TV. I love TV. I do. No one says movies are "today's problem," and TV is filled with quality programming that's basically half-length movies. Law & Order, House, ER, Lost, Veronica Mars--even much of the animation is a welcome escape for a half an hour or hour. I have a TV in my bedroom and another where I can see it from living room and office. I'd love a wireless one that I could carry with me to various parts of my home. It'd give me more choice over where and when I watched! Me? I like TV with some meat, like Law & Order, Medium and ER. Those are like good meals. The Simpsons are my dessert, a treat once or twice a week. And hey, I even get some junk food now and then! I love "Wife Swap" and "Trading Spouses," I admit it. And I watch the news. I took Geography in the 1970's, and I forgot that within a year. Before CNN, I couldn't have found most Middle Eastern countries on a map. But I can show them to you now. I like to watch while I cook. Fancy that! I'm not a fan of cooking, so it takes my mind off of it. I like to fall asleep watching TV; Buffy is my lullaby. My friends with children have favorite shows that they watch with their children, from "Farscape" for the almost-teen to "The Wiggles" for the toddler. They don't just park their kids--they watch WITH and talk about it and turn off the TV when it's time. The people who trash TV just because it *is* TV are being elitist and rude. There is nothing wrong with TV. The only problem is with some of the programming, people using it as a babysitter or as their sole entertainment, and with the people who preach against it simply because it's the cool thing to do.
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37 Posted by whirledpeas4ever on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:44PM EDT Report Abuse
Well said, throwmoney! I have favorite shows, too, and I watch some kids' shows WITH my kids, or at the very least, listen from to what they're watching while I read, craft, or do things around the house. That way, if something comes up that I don't want them emulating, I'm in a position to speak up right away before they repeat something sassy or rude & I'm stuck not knowing where it came from. I also agree with jds68, the problem is not the TV or other technology in the car, it's responsible use of it, and avoiding distraction while driving. I remember when I was a teenager learning how to drive, my grandma used to say, "Don't forget, that's a BIG weapon you're driving if you're not careful."
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38 Posted by campions1125 on Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:39PM EDT Report Abuse
I realize that technology is constantly evolving, but an addiction to TV is ridiculous. It's great to be a part of all that is out there. There just needs to be a balance. What is Gina teaching her children about enjoying life and respecting her husband? It sounds like the god in Gina's home is the television or whatever it takes to get a "break" from her kids....not the true and living God that created very real escapes from the "frantic" that the article talks about. Nature, hobbies, actually enjoying your children. It's amazing and it works!
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39 Posted by ladygenovia@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse
I think I have to agree with the other comments posted on here. I'm a mother of 3 and know that there is more to life than t.v.. Is this women depressed? I wonder if the kids are neglected because of this. What ever happend to reading book, or just going outside for fresh air? What about the hubby?
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40 Posted by michael_belinda2004 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:18PM EDT Report Abuse
This is so DUMB! You don't needa TV everywhere. In a society that says how bad TV is for kids and then I see a lot of GOOD comments about this! The answer to this woman's problem is to get another TV for the living room! DUH! My family has one in the living room and one in the bedroom. We still only watch one at a time, we either watch TV as a family or not at all!
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41 Posted by netman2670 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:36PM EDT Report Abuse
God, you people are so critical! I agree with others saying if she used TV for a 'little down time' it would be fine. Just because she isn't hovering over her children watching them, entertaining THEM 24/7 does not make her an unfit mother. For crying out loud. Stop judging and let's put a camera in each of your homes and see how unfit a parent you are!
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26 Posted by zahava3 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse
All the above; your ad-person is dopey! Having a portable TV sounds good though, entertaining the kids on a long drive or in the kitchen with morning coffee for the grown-ups. How much and where?