Television

The Television is a buy mode object that has appeared in every game in The Sims series. A television is used primarily as a means to increase a Sim's fun motive, however, in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 a television can also be used to improve some skills.

Different styles exist, but, in The Sims and The Sims 2, they all function the same. In The Sims 3 more expensive TVs or those upgraded with "Boost Channels" have more channels.
 * Motives: Watching television increases a Sim's Fun motive. Sitting in front of the television allows a Sim to also regain Comfort. Several Sims can watch television together and improve their relationship while gaining Social. In The Sims and The Sims 2, all but the cheapest models improve a room's Room/Environment score.

The Sims
Televisions in The Sims are rather simplistic. Watching television can only be used to increase Sims' fun motive and give them a chance to socialize. All television sets are functionally identical to one another, though the more expensive models boost the Room score. Also, because of the way object graphics work in The Sims, each channel displays a set of static images rather than animated clips or video.

Channels
All the television sets included in The Sims base game are functionally identical, thus they all receive the same TV channels. These are:


 * Cartoons
 * Action
 * Romance
 * Horror

However, with the release of Superstar four new channels were added, and are only available on lots with a satellite dish. The new channels were:


 * Sports
 * News
 * Entertainment
 * Animals

Note

 * Which channel(s) a Sim will enjoy the most depends on his or her personality. For example, a playful Sim will like watching cartoons, while a mean Sim will like watching horror.
 * Installing Superstar will update the base game televisions so that they can receive the new channels included in that expansion pack. However, these channels may not be available on custom televisions, even if Superstar is installed.
 * In The Sims, Sims cannot build skills by watching or repairing televisions, nor can they work out in front of one.

The Sims 2
Televisions in The Sims 2 are slightly more complex than in The Sims. In addition to boosting the fun motive, and giving Sims a chance to socialize, they also allow Sims to improve some skills. Also, unlike in The Sims, televisions actually use video and not just static images. However, as in The Sims, television sets are functionally identical to one another, and more expensive models improve a room's environment score.

If a video game console is placed near a television set (usually within two tiles of it), a video game can be played on the TV. Other Sims will be able to watch or join in.

Channels
Base Game
 * Sims Broadcasting Network (SBN): Local Channel mainly for Adults.  Watching this channel builds enthusiasm for the Film and Literature hobby. The programs are:
 * 1) The Pleasant family drama at 113 Wright Way in Pleasantview, although that is not their house.
 * 2) A show, probably meant to be a soap opera, set in a hospital, which shows doctors kissing and operating.
 * 3) Talk show about celebrities, and what appears to be a Simlish version of "Survivor".
 * 4) News reports appear frequently, and include the sounds "Glarn", which may be the name of the reporter in the field, and "Sophie Kanarf", which may be the presenter's name. News reports include a fire, a political speech, and helicopter reporting over a city. The helicopter reports seem to show the destruction sequences from KidzTube.


 * KidzTube: Children's Channel for Kids.  Children who watch this channel will gain Fun very quickly. Watching this channel builds enthusiasm for the Film and Literature hobby. The programs are:
 * 1) A giant Servo from The Sims destroying a city from SimCity 4.
 * 2) Other programs shows a UFO destroying a city.
 * 3) A super team rescuing their comrades from the evil team.
 * 4) Social Bunnies entertaining children.
 * 5) A grouchy elderly man kicking garden gnomes and flamingos, in which the gnomes and flamingos seek—and apparently get—revenge, as the program finishes with an image of a gravestone with a flamingo and a gnome beside it.


 * SimStation Dance: Music Channel mainly for Teens. Watching this channel builds enthusiasm for the Music and Dance hobby. The programs are:


 * 1)  A man who rents 3 hula dancers and tries to flirt with them, but always fails. His attempts to make them happy includes flirting, dancing together, and dancing to Shicka Zicka Soom.
 * 2) A group of women dancing together, pretending they are inside a night club.
 * 3) A gothic girl and a boy. The girl's mom recently died and the boy shows no respect towards it, such as him kicking the grave and other things. Later on, the girl gets outraged and attacks the boy.


 * The Yummy Channel: Cooking channel mainly for Elders. Watching this channel builds enthusiasm for the Cuisine hobby. Sims gain cooking skill from watching. The logo for the Yummy Channel is an outline of a globe, topped by a chef's hat. The programs are:
 * 1) A cooking challenge which resembles Iron Chef, the show stops after the contender's kitchen catches on fire.
 * 2) Isabella Monty cooking a Baked Alaska. In the end, it catches on fire and burns Isabella to her death.
 * 3) A barbecue cooking show with an old man who apparently has a kitchen outside. After he grills, he takes a nap at a recliner near the kitchen.

University:
 * SimStation Sports Channel mainly for young adults. It uses the football news report from Sims Broadcasting Network. Watching this channel builds enthusiasm for the Sports hobby.

Pets:
 * No new channels, but some new SBN commercials which include pets.

Seasons:
 * The Weather Station: Gives a pop-up message forecasting the weather for the upcoming hours, although the weather man mostly utters something completely unrelated instead. Watching this channel builds enthusiasm for the Science hobby.
 * New commercials which show seasonal activities.

FreeTime:
 * No new TV channels per se, but a new movies-on-demand service is added.

Channels
The number of channels depends on the television, for example the Old Timey Tele has 3 out of 7 channels, but the 36" HiFi Plasmondo TV from Landgraab Industries has all 7 channels. With Seasons, the weather channel will be added to all TVs. All channels use The Sims 2 game as the model.

Basic (Old Timey Tele) Basic Plus (Channel Troller 27" Deluxe TV) Premium (ÜberVison Panoramic from Landgraab Industries) High Definition(36" HiFi Plasmondo TV from Landgraab Industries / WallVuu Standard TV /    PlasmaTron TV and the Super Sim Television DLX (The Sims 3 Store))
 * KidZ Zone: Shows a show featuring costumed characters like the Social Bunny and rival university mascot playing. There is also a ballerina and other characters all doing the smustle. They each get a close up.
 * Romantic Rendezvous: Shows a black and white romance movie and a wedding from part of the trailer for The Sims 2: Celebration! Stuff.
 * Sports Universe: Shows a sports commentary program about football and winter sports and a news reporter freezing to death.
 * Action World: Shows a superhero film (an edited version of the videoclip "Datarock - Fa Fa Fa" for The Sims 2 Free Time) and a movie about Jessica Knight (from the trailer of The Sims Castaway Stories).
 * Terror TV: Shows a vampire movie and a stalker film (with a twist ending). Coward, Over-Emotional or Neurotic Sims will become scared for several hours if they watch this channel.
 * Cookin' Cable: Shows a parody of Iron Chef and a cooking show with a chef who's manner of speaking resembles the Swedish Chef. This show uses music from The Sims: Unleashed. The chef could be a The Sims 2 version of Chet R. Chase. Watching this channel will increase a sim's Cooking skill, but only if the sim watching has already gained at least one level in Cooking prior to this.
 * Got Garden: Shows a movie of a woman making flower bouquets and, later on, being eaten by a cowplant, it increases the Gardening skill.
 * Fishing Fracas: Shows a duo of fishermen (one clearly better than the other) fishing in a lake in a forest.
 * Halls of History: Shows a variety of elderly Sims discussing an authoritarian society from SimCity Societies.
 * Super Shopping Network: A shopping channel where a variety of products are sold, however Sims can't buy anything.

The Sims 4
Televisions return in The Sims 4.

Footage
Televisions in The Sims 4 borrow footage from The Sims 3, which includes:


 * Sims dressed up in outfits from The Sims 3 Generations, The Sims 3 Seasons and The Sims 3 Movie Stuff in front of the ice cream standees from The Sims 3 Showtime.
 * A film set in Shang Simla from World Adventures where a group of Sims fight over a treasure chest.
 * The firefighter scene from the Ambitions trailer.
 * A news reporter reporting in front of the Bridgeport skyline.
 * A werewolf film from Supernatural.
 * A Victorian drama involving the antique car from Supernatural.
 * A news report about Sims playing soccer in a park from Seasons.
 * A news report about a protest at Sims University from University Life.

Trivia

 * In The Sims 2, some channels such as the Sims Broadcasting Network use video clips from SimCity 4 as well as clips from The Sims 2, which all channels use.


 * In The Sims 3, the TVs use video clips from The Sims 2 for their channels (except for the exercise channel which uses The Sims 3, Halls of History, The Sims 2 and elements from SimCity Societies).
 * If the time is sped up and a television is on, the television won't speed up but go at normal speed instead.
 * In The Sims 3, all channels lack commercials.
 * The music for the Super Shopping Network channel is the same as the Geeky house theme in MySims.
 * In The Sims 2, users could place their own video clips in a special directory (much like custom Music) and these would play instead of the default clips. Clips had to be in AVI format to work.
 * Many programs on the television in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 show Easter eggs
 * If you look closely at the second cheapest television from the base game, you can see games such as SimCity, The Sims, and MySims.
 * The music heard from the gardening channel (Got Garden?) was Rumba Sal sul, one of the music from the radio.