How do you find time? (1 Viewer)

[Sam Favate]

We all buy a lot of DVDs, I'm sure. My question is how do you find the time to enjoy them? In 2004 alone, I've gotten far too many DVDs to watch, and I hate that. I bought each one because I was interested in it, and I want to spend the time watching it, but that inevitably never seems to happen the way I'd like.

So I'm curious as to how my fellow DVD enthusiasts find the time to watch the discs they buy -- or if they do.

I tend to watch more TV on DVD than movies, simply because my day seems structured that I may get an hour at night to sit and watch a show, but rarely do I get two. (Today is the rarest of days, a whole day to myself -- I watched Spider-Man 2 this morning and the Hellboy director's cut this afternoon.) Even with an hour or so most nights, I find it hard to get through the several TV series I have waiting to be watched -- to say nothing of the old favorites I want to revisit.

I would like to restructure my time in 2005 to allow myself more DVD time - but I said the same thing a year ago too.

So the subject of this thread is not intended to be sarcastic or anything but sincere. I'm interested in your stories - how many hours a day or a week to you find to enjoy your DVDs; how many hours do you work, spend with family, etc. What are your favorite DVD snacks? : )

 

[JayMacey]

I Want to know as well!! I really do!!

Someone please respond as the TO WATCH list just gets bigger & bigger & bigger (Close to 100, not mention about 30 TV seasons). I REALLY want to watch these I just need to figure out HOW.

 

[Frank@N]

If you don't get alot of responses, you might assume others have the same problem (and no solution).

I, for example, have a 'to be watched' rack (yes, rack) and it is frustrating in a fun way.

Fortunately, I'm finding that the weekly ads hold few titles that I don't already have (a good thing).

I'm hoping to turn the tide and let my collection lie fallow while saving for better hardware and returning attention to other hobbies.

But let's not complain, having lots of DVDs is fun and when you've watched everything you might miss the anticipation.

 

[CaptDS9E]

TV show sets i usually watch a episode or two before bed so those are easy to get through. Movies i usually watch early in the morning on weekends and rainy days means movie marathon

capt

 

[Andrew W]

We have no broadcast or cable TV, so all we watch are DVDs.

 

[dpippel]

Spend less of your free time posting on HTF and more of it watching films. I'm not being sarcastic - if your time is limited and you want to spend more of it watching some of the unseen titles in your collection, you'll have to borrow time from your other pursuits.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

He's right - you have to force yourself to make the time.

What a lot of people might not realize is that if you record shows that are on prime time, you can watch them the next night with a 25% reduction in time. (15 minutes of commercials and credits for every hour). If you have chores on weeknights, try and combine them so that you end up with a free night.

A few TV disks that I have run about 3 hours each. That would kill one prime time evening - if you can manage it. Set the box set near your player and try to get through a whole disk in one sitting. That way, you can count them down. If one disk is shorter than others, try and watch one or two from the next disk.

Glenn

 

[Michael Elliott]

That's exactly the truth.

I've probably got around 300-400 unwatched DVDs and I'm getting more each week. This past month I made sure to try and watch as many as I could to knock that number down. Being off work this month helped a bit. The biggest issue is staying off the internet and phone, which can take away viewing hours. When I'm trying to catch up, I'll watch a movie and then give myself 10 minutes for the next one. In that ten minutes I can get a drink, check this board or whatever but I've got to have the next movie going in 10 minutes.

Plus, having insomnia is a bonus. :b

It also helps having a girlfriend who works a different shift plus thinks I get paid to watch all of the movies.

 

[george kaplan]

Like most of us, I don't have enough time, but watching dvds is my main hobby, and so it's how I spend a good portion of my free time. The amount of free time we have is beyond our control perhaps, but how we spend it isn't.

One thing I do is cycle through my dvds, and without going into too much detail, I basically take turns between watching a new dvd, an old dvd, or something I've tivo'd.

In some ways TV on dvd is the worst thing that's happened, cause in the time you can watch 1 season of a 1 hour show, you could easily watch a dozen or more films.

 

[Kain_C]

Wow, I didn't know these kinds of problems could exist. I only have about 260 DVDs but I have watched most of them at least twice, i.e. I have watched the entire Sopranos series twice and the 10+ hour Band of Brothers DVD set about 4 or 5 times. I do have a job and a hobby of making short films plus a semi-active social life and a probably very unhealthy obession with the internet so I don't have alot of time. I think I may have 3 or 4 DVDs I haven't watched.

Maybe you should be hard on yourself and stop buying DVDs until you watch the ones you do have. Or designate certain days/hours as catch up time.

 

[Tony_Faville]

I make the time to chill in the home theater and watch a movie or some TV on DVD. For me it's part of my drive to let nothing be in control of my life.

 

[WilliamG]

I have always held to the notion that we all find the time to do what we really want to do - in all facets of life. Now, I understand that the reviewers on HTF may be really backlogged with discs to watch as a part of their responsibilities here on this forum. My own collection of DVD's is miniscule (~110 and counting for Christmas!) compared with so many here. But now with my work schedule being a little wacky, I find myself with six DVD's that I'm trying to work in around other family members schedules and desires!
What am I gonna do? I've got it! I'll send 'em on a trip out of town for a couple of days and take a few days vacation for myself so I can sit home and catch up! They'll never know!


I can't say as I've eaten a DVD as a snack - yet! (Sorry, couldn't help that one.) :b

 

[Malcolm R]

What? You mean there's more to these things than buying them and organizing them on shelves?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Oh crap. . .I'm screwed then!!!

 

[Matt Stone]

I'm relatively good at watching stuff as I get it. But, I don't always get around to extras or commentaries right away. The main DVDs that I buy and don't watch are horror movies, and I usually cycle through them every October. If I find that I never have the inclination to watch something after a year or so, I usually try to sell it. Overall, it's pretty simple...I just watch stuff when I have the time. If I get a backlog, I slack off on purchases and watch the stuff I haven't watched yet.

 

[MarkHastings]

I have a DVD rack to hold my "watched" DVD's and I have shelving (above the couch) that holds my "unwatched" DVD's. This helps me to realize how big that section is growing and helps me to watch them more often.

But I too wonder if there's enough time to watch them all, but I found a GREAT explanation that has helped me:

I tell everyone that there will come a day when I can't afford to buy DVD's...wether it be that I am saving money for a new home, a wedding, kids, etc. there will come that day that I need to conserve $$. And when that day comes, I will have TONS of "unwatched" entertainment at my disposal. Instead of looking at the unwatched DVD's as a "waste of space", look at them as "an investment towards future entertainment".

Just think, I can stop buying DVD's right NOW and have enough material to watch for the next several years.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have about 1700 DVD titles
in my collection.

About 60% of them are still
in shrinkwrap. Most of the
other 40% are stuff I reviewed
or actually had time to watch.

With a 40+ hour-per-week job,
a forum to run, and a new girlfriend
I have absolutely no time to watch
DVDs these days.....

...yet I still spend about $200-$300
per month on new titles. Why?
Because my hobby is collecting and
building a film library in my home.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Completely flawed logic. I tell myself exactly the same thing!

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Yeah, baby!!!

 

[Dillon*G]

I make myself get off the computer and watch a dvd.I find my self going to the same sites over and over again looking for new information.Once I realize i'm doing it,I make myself stop.Also,if I bought a movie I saw in theatres i'll wait to watch that and see a movie i've never seen before first.