Thursday, November 24, 2011

Keeping up with The Kardashians... Reno House Style!

We haven't watched reality tv since I pulled the plug on cable almost four years ago.
Since the switch to digital tv brouhaha in late August , we only receive ONE analog channel.
Yes we have a digital tuner in our top of the line Toshiba television and we even went out and purchased a digital antenna from Future Shop. The top of the line digital antenna was a bust but it was no surprise to me and the dude.
The only radio stations that we can receive are CBC 1, Bob FM and EZ Rock. All other signals come in very faint with CBC 1 streaming over the intended signal. It's a strange anomaly that we have learned to cope with. Thank G*d for Internet radio.
Since moving into Reno House in 2008, we have made the search for seamless low cost wireless home entertainment a priority.
Our pipe dream of yesterday is now reality in 2011.
We just purchased Apple TV with a Netflix Subscription to fill the void with movies, TV and personalized entertainment. For $7.99 a month Netflix truly proves why Netflix killed the video store. With the option of controlling bandwidth, Netflix provides a wide arrange of entertainment for the entire family with parental control.
Apple TV seamlessly provides access to all of your media, from your ipad, media server, computer to your designated entertainment centre. Reno House will have three entertainment centres including the home theatre, master bedroom and kitchen.
Back to the Kardashians ...
From no cable to watching not one but all three Kardashian shows for the first time this morning I could see how tempting it is to fall into watching reality tv. I'm still experiencing culture shock!
EOnline is a modern day Sodom and Gonorrhea. I'm suffering like Lots wife ... I can't turn away.
Perhaps the spiracy theorists have it right .... but it's not in the digital signal, it's the programming itself. If television has such a hold on intelligent adults what chance do our children have ?
When we bought this house it was our intention to renovate an original Sifton family home into a home for the 21st century. It's a house that has been re engineered for the ultimate family experience. A separate pantry, main floor laundry, led lighting, a six foot fountain in the dining room for ambient noise enjoyment /natural humidifier. We designed the house for smart storage, no useless shelving and a natural design that forces the home owner to reduce clutter.
Our move to cancel cable was wise. Children's grades went up, improved communication from all family members and it freed up our expendable income. The house could be rewired for cable or satellite but why ? The freedom to choose entertainment at a price point which is acceptable to us is part of our dream.
If we want to watch a reality TV show, it's always available to download from Apple. Creating the choice to buy/ download versus the unconscious couch surfing move is a smart family decision and one that thousands of Canadians across the country are making.
If I want to keep up with the Kardashians, that's my choice !

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