I checked the letterbox today to find a letter from a German organisation called the GEZ. Seems to be their central body to which all TV/Radio licenses are paid, a bit like what I understand the UK has. Difference is, with the GEZ you don't get a piece of paper saying you have a TV license, and from what I have read, it is all operated in racket-like fashion, with threatening letters sent to all those who claim not to have a TV, and random visits from inspectors who are paid per person they bust.

So apparently we need to pay €6 a month if we have a radio, or a computer connected to the Internet, or a phone that can connect to the Internet. Regardless of whether we have any desire to watch or listen to German state TV or Radio. Coming from Australia where none of this crap exists, I'm not too impressed.

I knew the Germans had a UK-type TV tax before I came over here, but since we had no plans to get a TV, I thought we'd be clear. Turns out I was wrong. Although, if we did have a TV, that €6 monthly figure would instead be €18.

The rich part is that from 2013, they're changing the system to a flat rate so it's €18 for everyone anyway, regardless of devices in use. If you're going to do it that way, you may as well just simplify the lot by funding state media directly from taxes like Aus and the US do. My understanding though is that there is something in the Konstitution that forbids this, probably some relic from decades past to prevent government control. Not a big problem in modern democracies from what I have seen, given all the alternative media outlets available anyway, but I guess a constitution is not a quick thing to amend.

So there's my rant for this evening.

Right now, the only TV that I watch is what I can stream online from the US. Thankfully I can stream Comedy Central here in Germany, in Australia it was geoblocked. So this brings me to my question - what do you watch, how do you watch it, and what is it costing you? I know cable is a lot more popular in the US than it is in Australia, but then, when I was at Taco's house I don't think I saw the TV there being used for anything besides Netflix.

In Reply To #1

Japan has a system kinda similar without the threats and fines. Being the passive-agressive, shrouded in over-politness country that it is (personal opinion, what would I know), door knockers do the rounds each year on a certain day to try and collect money for their national TV station NHK, trying to get people to pay simply because they have a TV and probably do watch the station.

It's 100% optional to pay, but the funny thing is, most Japanese people won't answer the door on this day.

Without further ado my solution to your problem is never open the door again. You may suffer from vitamin D deficiency for the rest of your life, but you've had the last 20+ years to evolve, yeh?

In Reply To #2

It seems to be the common method people use here, actually.

However with the new system starting in January, the door knocking will cease.

Something funny which I forgot to mention. One time when they came-a-knocking, my gf suddenly crouched on the floor, leaning against the fridge, hissing as me to get down also.

Quite astonished at the level she was willing to avoid them, I went and opened the door. Well, seeing a foreigner shocked them quite a bit AND IT WAS I WHO MADE THEM UNCOMFORTABLE. I just played dumb that I didn't know about the knock-a-thon and made ridiculous comments on how much I loved watching X, Y and Z shows on NHK when they actually announced they were from NHK.

I had fun and that's all that counts AND THEY GOT NOTHING.

I'm as obsessed with TV as I am with music, though after the terrible Weeds series finale at the end of an awful last season I'm re-evaluating which shows get my time. I'm no longer watching new episodes of The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother or Sons of Anarchy. Was going to give up on Dexter, too, but the first couple of episodes of this season have won me back. The Office has also worn out its welcome, but I'm tuning in for the last season.

On the other end of the scale, I'm addicted to Breaking Bad, Louie, Mad Men, Parks & Recreation and Boardwalk Empire. Loved the three season run of Eastbound & Down and glad to hear it's coming back for a fourth. Discovered and fell in love with The Life and Times of Tim this past year. Stoked for the return of The League tonight. Never miss an episode of The Daily Show or The Colbert Report.

Aside from leaving Friends repeats on the telly while I make and have dinner when I'm home, and tuning into Conan now that it's on free-to-air, all of my TV watching is through my WDTV media player. I have a couple of reliable sites for Rapidshare downloads of new episodes in 720p, and on the rare occasion that they're late putting something up then I fall back on a private torrent site (freshon.tv).

I watch quite a bit of my stuff using On Demand from Comcast. There aren't too many shows I keep up with, mostly NCIS + LA, Burn Notice and Suits. I occasionally watch the weekly Modern Marvels marathons on History and watch an episode of Mythbusters every now and then.

Previously most of my TV watching came from buying seasons of shows on DVD(still get a few every now and then).

I'm generally incapable of watching a series as it airs, so the vast majority of my TV watching is whole series after they're over on Netflix. I was watching a ton of Food Network stuff but that has trailed off. I catch Mythbusters when I can, facilitated by my new dvr.

But there is on series I'm caught up on and watching as it airs. Castle. Castle Castle Castle. Obsessed with Castle.

Breaking Bad
Justified
QI
Doctor Who
Community

I also watched Terriers while it was on.

Holy shit, someone else that watched Terriers! Saddest cancellation since Freaks & Geeks.

I watch random stuff on TV, but nothering really has taken my fancy...

Terriers was an awesome show and part of me is glad that the season they did was such a good one with a solid ending.

On the other hand, season 2 would have kicked the balls off most anything else out there.

I have cable and Netflix which together cost, what, $150 or so? I use my TV pretty much exclusively. I have no desire to watch movies on a tiny phone screen or even my laptop screen when I have a nice TV for that purpose. As for what:

A shitload of movies. Seriously, a lot of movies. It's like a sickness. Netflix has dropped my DVD/bluray purchasing down to just things I feel like I absolutely have to own. It saves me quite a lot of money.

Can't miss TV for me:

Numerous HBO and Showtime series including, Boardwalk Empire, True Blood, Game of Thrones (and most of the series that are over now on HBO), Dexter and Homeland.

Other cable shows like Sons of Anarchy, Justified and, for now, Walking Dead.

Network shows like 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, Community, Fringe, Castle and Happy Endings.

BBC stuff like Doctor Who, Sherlock and Downton Abbey (I love the shit out of British TV).

This is in fact the entirety of my TV watching at the moment. Top Gear isn't back until January... I have a short list.

We tend to watch a lot of crime dramas/procedural stuff so the current favourites is stuff like the following:

Castle
Rookie Blue
New Tricks (with Wedge from Star Wars, apparently)
NCIS + LA
The Finder (no more Michael Clark Duncan...sniff)
Body Of Evidence

However, I confess that the same sort of thing can get annoying so I'm trying to find alternative shows. Game Of Thrones was good but we switched to Virgin Media earlier in the year (ADSL was giving a poor connection in our area and cable is a big improvement) so no more Sky Atlantic (goodbye Blue Bloods as well). At the moment I'm watching Strike Back:Vengeance, which is reasonable action fare but why they feel they have to introduce porn in every episode is beyond me.

At the moment Virgin is getting £46 per month for the TV, Interweb and calls, which is about as cheap as I can get it. Unfortunately we need the money for the house so I had to cancel my Sky Sports HD subscription so no more footy for me. What's annoying is that my wife still complains when there is a match on the normal terrestrial channels...

In Reply To #1

I have dick all to say on TV because I'm a huge snob who doesn't watch TV. That's right, one of those guys.
"Oh, I don't really watch television."

BUT, I still like the idea of the BBC and similar institutions - having a media organisation that isn't funded by the government or advertising is, I think, pretty rad. Although I'm not too worried about the UK turning into a totalitarian state overnight, it's still good to have, at least theoretically, TV and radio channels free of third party interference and bias.