topic Re: Too Much At Once in Community Chat

Too Much At Once

Desert Lily — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 02:13:17 GMT

I took a leap yesterday to update the tech I use, & I learned a lesson.

Since streaming is here & cable may be getting old school, I chose to cut the cord & cable co.'s internet & went with a mobile provider for my internet. My brother went with me to the mobile provider's store & set up the internet at my house. TG!

I chose Hulu Live TV and added MAX & Paramount+. I had no idea of the mire I stepped into in order to make these work on 3 TV's. I ended up making 7 calls to Hulu & 4 to my internet provider. There were codes, authorizations, new accounts, password replacements, speed tests, working online on my laptop & on the TV's, and on and on.

I worked on them 5:30pm-10:30pm yesterday & 10:30am-2:45pm today, with a lot time on the phone for support. There are some very helpful CS reps.

Tonight, I'm watching Perry Mason Season 1 Episode 1 on Paramount+. Tomorrow I'll watch Mildred Pierce on TCM on Hulu, & later I'll watch the HBO version series on MAX.

I saw The Golden Girls, The White Lotus, QVC, area news, etc. available.

The work, headaches, & frustration seem worth it though I'm sad to lose the cable I loved.

I liked that cable stations have their own set program schedules. Now, I'll mostly have to decide what I want to watch when.

I bought a new phone & a watch yesterday too. My SIL kept telling me I needed them & I wanted them. I've never used the new brand, just the other brand phone for at least 15 yrs. And, I've never had a smart cellular watch.

Honestly, I don't know how to use either one.

Did I mention I also bought the latest earbuds that I don't know how to use?

As soon as my brother had the internet set up, he & my SIL left my house.

And there I was with 3 important tools that I'm clueless about. I went to bed at 12:30am but barely slept.

When I woke up, the 1st thing I did was google how to get to my home screen, how to delete a text, etc. on my phone, so I wouldn't feel completely lost/out of touch. I gave my watch verbal directions to send a text to my SIL on my phone.

The watch is good for health info, in case I fall, heart info, & for driving directions help. The earbuds have hearing aid qualities in case I need them in the future, & I'll wear them while I exercise & weed whack with music.

However, today these new tools are pretty overwhelming all at once. Several times, I've felt like returning everything. It was like jumping into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim.

I learned that for me, I should've made only 1 or 2 tech changes at a time to avoid being over stressed & feeling plain tech ignorant. I still battle with electronic buttons on my fridge & believe it's pure luck when the fridge does what I want.

Tonight, I received a link from my brother for a different gps for my car & a link from my SIL for a phone cup holder & multiple charger...

Maybe next week or the week after.

Re: Too Much At Once

rockygems123 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 02:45:10 GMT

@Desert Lily

That is a lot!

Re: Too Much At Once

Kachina624 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 02:47:13 GMT

@Desert Lily.

I'm not at all techy, have nobody to help me but I assembled and set up my new TV, installed an interior antenna for local stations. I installed several streaming services now having settled on YouTubeTV. I've tried most of them.

It simplifies things a lot to have a Roku device installed on your TV. All of the installation seems like a lot but really isn't that complicated

Re: Too Much At Once

shoekitty — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 02:57:19 GMT

I have Hulu, Peacock, Britbox and Netflix. There isn't anything I can't see I love it. Now I want to get rid of our DISh. Do I need some sort of a provider to get my streaming channels if I discontinue DISH? I love watching the old shows just finished 25 years of SUV, and 20 of Law n Order watched all of leave it to beaver, father knows best. I'm on a roll

Re: Too Much At Once

Sooner — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 03:28:45 GMT

You can't keep up with everything. It is a continual learning process. We try to upgrade frequently and get some residual value from tech and thereby keep up with change better, keep warranties up, and grow along with it.

It seems to be less stressful that way. All at once would make me crazy.

Re: Too Much At Once

colleena — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:11:56 GMT

@Desert Lily Kudos to you! I know its not easy but you will overcome.

Re: Too Much At Once

SportyShorty07 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:04:45 GMT

@Desert Lily Way to go, DesertLily 🤗🙌! I'm very intimidated by new technology- I prefer VHS tapes and cable TV. You're bravely taking on all of these new devices and different streaming services. Great job! You can do it!

Re: Too Much At Once

NYCLatinaMe — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 07:14:18 GMT

Hi @Desert Lily Congratulations on your new TV! I agree that these things are not as easy as people claim unless they are settling for limited choices. I am sorry you had such a hard time setting up your TV, but that has happened to me too, with different technologies. Sometimes we get lucky with our systems and equipments, sometimes we don't.

For the TV, did you get a regular antenna? Can you get a signal? You should be able to get at leats some of the major networks via local channels, and there are some odd stations with old shows that are sometimes fun to watch. The antennas are inexpensive and a one time cost, less than $50. I like your streaming choices, and the antenna will complement them. I am missing Hulu, which I would like to have. If you have amazon prime, I would get that connected. There is a decent amount of content included with prime, and some options where they charge.

That does seem like a lot of gadgets to try at once. I would not bother with the watch. I think they are for people who don't want to miss a phone call or text at the moment it arrives, like people who monitor their kids or spouses. I do carry my phone with me when I am waiting for an important call or message, in my pocket, or crossbody phone bag. There are waistbands and wristbands and armbands where we can carry our phone as well. But I don't feel the need to have it with me at all times, so no watch phone. No need to cave to SIL pressure! Maybe you can return? I find my phone more than enough.

I would wait on the gps, but the phone cup holder is for the car, to hold your phone and may come in handy. It's a no tech item. BTW, most phones have gps, maybe try that before shopping for a standalone one, my cab drivers use phone gps and it works for them. I don't drive.

Not sure what the chargers are for, so I would find out before shopping. When you are ready.

Re: Too Much At Once

haddon9 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 08:08:37 GMT

Sounds exhausting!! I'm not a tech person and I hate when they make you jump through hoops!

I have an older phone right now and plan on going later this week to get an upgrade. Fingers crossed it's not a burdensome process!

Re: Too Much At Once

Roscoe the Rascal — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:09:35 GMT

I like to keep up to date and my daughter is great at all that stuff so she helps me learn when I am stuck. I also do what I want to do for me. I do think it is good to keep learning new things.

I have cable and stream a couple. I'm finding less time watching any more. I probably drop the cable at some point.

Re: Too Much At Once

Puppy Lips — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:37:19 GMT

I am not tech savvy at all either. Hopefully between my husband and sons, I will always have help with all that. I will likely end up like my dear MIL, (rest in peace), who would try to change the TV channel with her cordless phone. Sometimes you gotta laugh.

Re: Too Much At Once

kaydee50 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:58:24 GMT

I'm happily stuck in the 20th century! As long as there's cable and "landline" phones I'm good! Have no desire to keep up with the "latest" technology.

Re: Too Much At Once

tends2dogs — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:22:51 GMT

@Puppy Lips wrote:
I am not tech savvy at all either. Hopefully between my husband and sons, I will always have help with all that. I will likely end up like my dear MIL, (rest in peace), who would try to change the TV channel with her cordless phone. Sometimes you gotta laugh.

Hey, at least it was cordless....

Re: Too Much At Once

jubilant — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:42:32 GMT

@kaydee50 wrote:
I'm happily stuck in the 20th century! As long as there's cable and "landline" phones I'm good! Have no desire to keep up with the "latest" technology.

@kaydee50 Ditto! I'm with you. We still have a landline and I do have a flip phone. Everyone wants me to try a Smart phone but they don't know what they are getting into. Since a stroke a bit over a year ago, it is triple hard for me to remember what anyone taught me the day before or for that matter 2 hrs. before! Because of that, I rather imagine some of us, as much as we would like to, it would just keep us in a constant state of frustration. The one thing I do want is some kind of watch to remind me to take my medicines....especially the one's trying to keep me alive!

It you can do it that's great. Do it while you still can!

Re: Too Much At Once

Snowpuppy — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 13:52:35 GMT

Personally, I like living in The Dark Ages. 😁

I bought myself a Bulova watch for Christmas. Substantial, well made, feminine and a sweep hand. Doesn't talk back to me at all.

I did buy a second hand smart tv from a family friend who was upgrading. I have basic cable and watch the morning financial news. Then it's shut off for the day when I log into work. I don't have any subscriptions.

I have a flip phone for $30/mo. I call or txt. No apps

or social media. On anything.

Re: Too Much At Once

We rescue cats — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:01:40 GMT

We still have cable TV, though I think it is a streaming service. We like have a 'tv-guide' on the televisions to know what is on along with where and when! I can't imagine needing to look up what is on and then figuring it out. I'm worthless when it comes to all of that.

But I love my Apple watch, though for some reason it stopped talking to my phone, so we had to reset it-ended up going to Verizon and having them do it. Had to re-set my password at least a hundred times. . . or so it seemed.

My watch has saved me several times. I set it when I am filling or refilling the fish tank, have food in the oven or as a reminder that I need to leave for an appointment . . . I cannot believe how often it saves me. A friend lives alone and passed out in her livingroom, unable to get a response her Apple watch called 911 and sent an ambulance to her home. It saved her life. I got the watch shortly thereafter.

Re: Too Much At Once

Regal Bee — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:16:58 GMT

We switched from cable to a streaming service two weeks ago and it has been nothing but problems. We've made several phone calls and continue to have tech problems.

We have a package with countless channels and most of it is something I don't care to watch. Both of us are sorry we took the plunge in the first place. Too much of a hassle.

Re: Too Much At Once

rockygems123 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:45:41 GMT

@haddon9 wrote:
Sounds exhausting!! I'm not a tech person and I hate when they make you jump through hoops!

I have an older phone right now and plan on going later this week to get an upgrade. Fingers crossed it's not a burdensome process!

@haddon9

I have a friend who went from using Android Samsungs forever to an Apple phone, that wasn't an easy transition for him.

Someone talked him into it, it was a "deal". Not if you don't like it.

Re: Too Much At Once

Melzie — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:50:41 GMT

@kaydee50 wrote:
I'm happily stuck in the 20th century! As long as there's cable and "landline" phones I'm good! Have no desire to keep up with the "latest" technology.

I'm with you. While I am somewhat tech savvy there are some things I'm not comfortable with. I still have a landline and I have a cell phone. I still have cable and, even though I'm paying more for it vs streaming services, everything is in one place and I don't have to worry about different streaming services in order to get all of the channels that I want. I think my cable company is already streaming a lot of shows anyway.

Before cable we had an antenna but reception wasn't that great because I live in a valley and I live at the bottom of a hill to boot. My mother used to say we live in a hole. :-) Reception is limited with an antenna so that option with streaming doesn't work for me.

If there was a streaming service where I could pick only the 10, 20, or 40 channels that I would watch rather than have to select several packages to get that, I might go for it but, so far, I haven't found it. Right now, if I have any issues I only have to go to one place to get things rectified. Works for me.

Re: Too Much At Once

Marsha2003 — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:38:36 GMT

Congratulations, @Desert Lily, for moving forward despite the hassle. It's good for our brains to learn new things even when it seems overwhelming.

I don't even own a television any longer. I watch Prime and Netflix on my iPad. I wouldn't want to live without my iPhone. It keeps me on track with reminders and timers. I haven't ventured into the world of Apple watches, but I've been considering it for the fall sensor.