never thought about a TV in the shop

Messages
7,690
Location
Outside the beltway
Untill last week when a customer dropped off a 40". The week before Wess was in making small wood toys for his grand kids a I told him , sorry no TV to watch the game. Last week he dropped of the 40". Told me I needed one. So today verizon was in to hook up Fios, then Jarrod went to best buy and bought another 40" for the work area and to other will go in the office. There not for work hours. Weekends and after hrs. Or to watch when the news is compelling.
I'm wondering what you all have to say about TV in the work areas.
Jarrod is an ESPN guy.i don't really care.
 
No TV nor Internet in my shop. I've got my smart phone and can access the internet if I need to, but since I'm using data when I do, I keep it short so I can get back to work. I also don't have a bathroom, microwave, or coffee pot. I did finally get a small fridge to put in there. It's got 4 sodas, small case of water, and half a dozen bottles of CA glue in it. When I built my shop, I wanted to make sure 1) that I would force myself to go out and interact with others at least occasionally and 2) that LOML couldn't banish me to the shop permanently for some imagined slight.

If I need more info than I can get from a CD player/AM/FM radio or my smart phone in small doses, I ask my dog. He's very wise and we usually agree on things.
 
We've had Internet net for years. Only one who has had a problem with that is my son, hes working through it. Will see how it goes. If all is well it can stay if not. It's gone.
I have a couple top notch repair guys in the shop plus Jarrod who does most or all pick up and delivery , and estimates. I still in the spraying mood and art I've learned to work with TV on , all my art works have been with tv in the back ground. So their is guys who are very productive with it.I just hope we done have any problem.
 
No tv in my shop, an old radio.
In the school shop once the kids get in a routine and are working well, I will allow a radio with the golden oldies station on. Not real loud, but background noise. It is another hurdle to teach them to enjoy the radio without it harming their productivity.
 
Well I dont believe in TV in the workplace. This is not the grumpy old man talking. Its a business man talking. First up its distracting and in your business could cause an accident either as in damage to a piece being repaired or working with a tool. Second one of the biggest issues employers are having since the internet and cell phone came out is the issue of engagement. When internet first hit a desk, it meant a load of lost hours and productivity dips. Now we can manage it via the IT admin guys but still its added effort and cost in policing and policies for computer use etc. Then cell phones hit and we now have staff taking calls at any time or texts and checking FB etc all day long. That's a time burner. Its distracting from what they getting paid to do and impacts productivity in a part of the world where the cost structure of any small business is having difficulty being competitive.
Lets go back to time when this was not possible and we went to work and got on with work. Yes there was a cooler break but it was limited and very visible.

What i think you want to consider is being pretty disciplined about the times its on and used.
You also just added a further cost to your company each month in the TV service fees and then keep in mind when something does come on the news you end up not just having the tv take time while everyone watches something they cannot do anything about, there is then the added discussion that follows.

On our Thanksgiving i was in the emergency with my son at the local hospital. They had a TV in the wait line in the area after the reception to keep patients entertained while waiting. Well that day the Blue Jays were playing some important game. Heck the whole emergency staff stopped processing patients to follow what was going on with the game. The talk between staff and doctors became the game not what the heck they were supposed to be focused on as in patients and making sure the right care is being taken.

Sorry to sound like a party pooper but that's just the thing, we seem to have lost our common sense and now feel the compelling need to have media in our lives every second. Where is the downtime to actually think and ponder your own views rather than hearing what some talking head has to say.

As for TV in a hobby shop, well for me again i agree with Steve and Leo and Stu. I have enough of a time making sure i stay focused and use the safety devices i have, i dont need "breaking news" i can do nothing about distracting me, and I dont need a real time update on how the Pats are beating everyone, I know they will. :thumb:
 
I've had a TV with video tape & DVD since the beginning of the shop. It's great for turning videos because I can watch a turning video & follow up with practice & back up the video as many times as it takes to get an understanding of the method. Also Norm videos as well as other woodworking videos.
 
Last edited:
I have a flat screen 26" TV hung on the wall above my desktop PC in my shop. I don't turn it on all that much but there are times I'll watch something as I do "quiet work". With my home WIFI connection to the shop computer, I have access to a fair sized library of CDs I've copied to PC. Having all that available doesn't mean it's ever a distraction for me, though.
 
No TV in the shop, I'm not so sure about the TV in the house but familial harmony dictates what it will.

I do have internet in the shop via a tablet which is handy for quick "how is that supposed to work" and "what is the area of a shape with an infinite perimeter[1]" and other math problems beyond my immediate ability. I also use that to stream internet music which is most useful when carving.

[1] which starts to get into interesting limits problems like:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_snowflake (infinite perimeter, bounded size)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel's_Horn (infinite surface area, bounded volume)
and that perhaps illustrates the root of the class of problems Rob was describing...
 
I have a 50" on the wall, use a streaming device to it now for watching youtube channels from my phone or streaming a football game. Have the sound tapped into the stereo system. I don't watch while I'm working, but will listen to the game or stereo. I get internet from the house wirelessly using a long distance repeater, it's half speed, but still get about 15 mbps downloads.
 
i've got an old beat up radio in the shop, but i can see a small fridge and turbonuke for the occasional swig and snack. keeping pop from grousing about tracking dust and shavings in the house. got the laptop, but that's for the cnc. i can use it for internet access, but that's using the somewhat smart phone as a mobile hot spot.
 
I've got a little flat panel tv out in the shop. I like to have it on for the races on the weekends.

The computer is handy to be able to look things up while I'm out there, or to tune in to my favorite internet radio station.

Speaking of which, I should spend some time out there straightening up tonight. Got up to 50 degrees out here today.
 
Rarely watch regular TV. My son did give me access to his Netflex account and I have to admit I have been using it. Been watching some of the series I don't watch on the regular TV, such as Blue Bloods. I have always been a Tom Selleck fan. Great to watch the series without commericals.

Anyway no TV in my shop. Have internet close by and it is enough of a distraction. Does come in handy when waiting for paint or glue to dry.
 
To be clear, I spend a lot of time out there doing other things than woodworking. Theres a lot of time spent at the computer working on electronic projects, and it's nice to keep up with the shows share and I both watch. Gotta say, Love 'Agents of Shield'.
 
No TV, radio or internet in my shop... I'll take my cell phone out there, but since it's just a flip phone, no good for anything other than a phone call... and weirdly it usually doesn't work in the shop unless I'm near the door or it's laying in a window... then I have to step out into the yard to take the call.... on the back side of a 12 ft wide shop I don't get a signal.

Like Rob, never liked TV or radio in a work place. We did let the agents and clerks have a small radio at their desks, but the volume had to be minimal. I find it distracting. We had internet in the office, but only on manager's computers... mine, the boss's, the boss's secretary... I used it to contact customs, dept of commerce, etc and to make bookings on airlines and steamship lines... don't know what the boss or his secretary used it for. All other terminals in the office were "dumb" terminals, only connected to the mainframe.
 
Top