I recently had a discussion with a fellow modeler about why he doesn’t have a TV in his basement. He says that if he did, he would never get anything done on his RR because he would just be staring at the TV all the time. I feel the opposite. I believe that I get alot more done because I have a TV in the basement, so I can work on stuff while the game is on instead of sitting in the living room doing nothing.
So my question is for those who have a TV in the train room, does it decrease or increase progress on the layout?
I find it difficult to multitask. If the TV happens to be turned on, I’ve tuned it out of my mind while modeling. Regardless, to the extent I wouldn’t be modeling if not for the TV such as during the 20-minutes-per-hour of commercials, I’ll get more done with it on.
I have speakers both in my layout room and workshop that feed “radio” from my computer. I can listen to ball games, news, music…or literally anything! This way I don’t need to look up from my work yet still be “entertained”! Works great!
It’s great when I just want to tinker while I watch a game. As has already been mentioned, the commercial breaks give me plenty of opportunity to go downstairs for glue or tools. If it’s a movie, though, I’d rather just sit and watch it. Sometimes I’ll use the coffee table to work on an engine, maybe to clean wheels or apply some grease to the gears.
But, when I’m running some trains around and I have to leave so someone else can catch up on what Britney Spears is doing, well, that’s when I realize it was a good decision, but not a perfect one.
There is only one TV in the whole house. There are two moniters for VHS and DVD players and of course the computer moniter - none of these screens are within a bulls roar of where I do my modeling. Here, I usually listen to the radio or CD’s. I prefer music when I model - it’s far less destracting than a TV I would imagine.
I have TVs (for sports) and a stereo (for rock and roll) in my shop. I like the sound in the background, but I rarely actually watch the TV - sometimes I’ll stop to watch a replay, but that’s about all the direct attention I give it. I do sing along with the music on the radio (probably one reason my hobbies are all solo endeavors).
I suppose that, since I will stop to watch a replay now and then, the TV does slow me down a little - probably less than 10%.
I spend my time at the computer, in the garden, running to keep fit, preparing meals, or modelling and running trains, as examples. My TV time totals perhaps 4-5 hours per week. When I am at the layout, I have nothing going on in the background except for my steamer decoder sounds. If I am at the computer, I’ll listen to talk shows dealing with philosophy and current affairs either on the radio or via streaming podcasts with a second open browser.
Decades ago, colour TV had me hooked. As time went on, it became less important. Now, the Weather Channel, 24 hour newscast channels (pick one), Two and a Half Men (I miss Rules of Engagement), and such…that’s about it.
I have a new HD television in the shop area of the train room, with cable, and I do have it on while at the workbench working on a project. Sometimes I just take a break amongst the railroad goodies and watch, but mostly listen. However, I grew up with the radio, TV didn’t come until I was in high school, so listening is easy or second nature for me.
It works both ways. It motivates me to work, or it if it’s really interesting I’ll pay attention to it more.
On the other hand, when I’m running trains it actually draws enough current to make the picture quality decrease. Of course, the fact of the matter that my TV is from 1982 has an effect on that.
Well, I have no TV in my main train room, but then there are no outlets for one, I use an extension cord when i really need juice. But where I usually paint stuff, I got a TV, and it usually helps me focus, like you. I can turn a football game or race on for example, and then paint what I want to or work on my desktop layout better, because my mind is completely occupied by both things. Same thing goes for music.
Lou, if one of us has supper ready by the time Jeopardy is on, we actually will watch that while we eat. Otherwise, nope. I do so much critical reading and thinking all day long at the computer that when I watch TV I prefer a belly laugh or four, and the better sitcoms fill the bill nicely. I enjoy anything with David Spade in it, Patrick Warburton (sp?), and generally don’t like stuff telegraphed a week in advance…such as in the new “My Worst Week…” where all the old predictable cliches are evident. Can you say, “Meet the Parents, Part III?”
I listen far more than I watch, so I have to say it doesn’t interfere or slow me down.
In addition to trains, my other hobby is audio/video. Almost every room in the house is wired for A/V and four also have computers. All of my music and video is now digitized (± 5000 albums/200 videos) on a server in the basement and can be streamed throughout the house. My workshop is the entertainment headquarters and has the HTPC, a good size monitor and surround sound, (I can control everything from any of the computers in the house though). The shop also has a fridge stocked with appropriate beverages and when friends stop by we hang out here and watch games, races or train videos.
The layout room used to have a monitor, but as the building progressed it physically got in the way and was removed, but the room is still wired for sound. If we’re running trains, I usually stick in a train video and the sound track substitutes quite well for the lack of sound equipped engines, the rest of the time it’s either music or video
Generally, there is music or TV/video being pumped through the system 24/7. It keeps me company, I don’t work well in silence and since I’m a custom builder/painter full time, I spend most of my nights and days in the shop (I’m a night owl), so I like my “noise”.
