Television

The Television is a buy mode object that has appeared in every game in The Sims series. Televisions are used primarily as a means to increase a Sim's fun motive; however, in The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4, 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.

Watching TV will always appeal to fun. Sims will generally sit down to watch TV, which replenishes their 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 with the background sound 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.
 * Sometime in the lifecycle of The Sims, an image of a man and a house found on the cartoons channel was replaced with a white anthropomorphic cat with anime-looking eyes.

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 certain 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.

Sims will generally sit down to watch TV, unless there are no available seats left. If the boolProp allow45DegreeAngleOfRotation true cheat is used to place seats or the TV diagonally, however, Sims will ignore the seats and stand up to watch TV. They will also ignore seats that are placed perpendicular to the TV screen, even if they are realistically able to see it from that angle. A mod is available that fixes this behavior.

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:
 * The Pleasant family drama at 113 Wright Way in Pleasantview, although that is not their house.
 * A show, probably meant to be a soap opera, set in a hospital, which shows doctors kissing and operating. This is similar to the popular soap opera General Hospital.
 * Talk show about celebrities.
 * What appears to be a Simlish version of "Survivor".
 * 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:
 * A giant Servo from The Sims destroying a city from SimCity 4.
 * Another program shows a UFO destroying a city.
 * A super team rescuing their comrades from the evil team.
 * Social Bunnies entertaining children.
 * 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:
 * 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.
 * A group of women dancing together, pretending they are inside a night club.
 * 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:
 * A cooking challenge which resembles Iron Chef, the show stops after the contender's kitchen catches on fire.
 * Isabella Monty cooking a Baked Alaska. In the end, it catches on fire and burns Isabella to her death.
 * 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
 * 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 / Zeemuth Television Set / Retro-tastic TV / Have-It-All Entertainment Center) Basic Plus (Channel Troller 27" Deluxe TV / Mastodon Television by Standard Issue) Premium (ÜberVison Panoramic from Landgraab Industries) High Definition (36" HiFi Plasmondo TV from Landgraab Industries / WallVuu Standard TV / Artscreen TV / The Baronet's Fiefdom TV / The Glass SlipperVision Television / Hang Anywhere Crystal TV / The Imperial Viewing Screen / FormFunk T-Object / MedeaMedia Wall TV / PlasmaTron TV and the Super Sim Television DLX)
 * 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).
 * Weather: Shows a news channel about the weather.
 * 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.

Channels
Televisions in The Sims 4 have 9 pre-made channels, which have footage created using The Sims 3, similar to how The Sims 3 itself used The Sims 2 for the TV. This isn't the case with the Weather Forecast channel from Seasons, which uses footage from The Sims 4. When watching TV, various Emotional Moodlets will appear or skills will raise.

Base Game Get to Work Kids Room Stuff City Living Vintage Glamour Stuff Seasons
 * Cooking Channel: Watching it raises the Cooking skill, and Foodie Sims will gain Inspired +1 from watching it for long enough.
 * Top Chef: A parody on Iron Chef, a Japanese cooking show. Similar to it, the 2 chefs fighting are of the Asian ethnicity and cook to compete for the winning place.
 * Cooking Show: A cooking show where an elder woman shows the recipe for cooking chicken, and then cooks it.
 * Action: Watching it raises Fun.
 * A parody on the Indiana Jones movies, which tells the story of an adventurer that ventures in a pyramid, then has to escape multiple traps. Afterwards, he is saved from a close call by a female, but then a mummy comes out and they both scream in fear. The movie ends on that note.
 * Drav Lord: A movie about a martial arts master that wants to acquire a treasure, and then sneaks into the palace with it at night. She is then caught by the guard, and they fight for it. While the fight is going on, another fighter runs off with the treasure.
 * Wolf Guy: The Living.
 * The Fighterman.
 * Comedy: It raises Fun quicker than most channels, and raises the Comedy skill. Watching it for long enough grants a Playful +1 Moodlet.
 * Corah: A stand-up comedian tries to tell jokes, but most of them fall flat. He then leaves the scene.
 * The Tonight Show with Tony Clifton: A parody of The Tonight Show, a talk show between the host and a female guest.
 * Romance: It raises Fun (faster for Romantic Sims), and watching it for long enough grants a Flirty +1 Moodlet.
 * A movie based in the Chateau du Landgraab, a rich aristocratic family looks as their son leaves to marry the maid of their house, but gets in an accident midway. Several scenes of the engaged's family are then shown. It could be based on Downton Abbey, since some characters look similar.
 * A movie about a doctor with a patient that is bound to die from a heart problem, but gets saved by a miracle during the operation. In the end, the patient's wife kisses the doctor, what possibly induced a cardiac stop in the patient. This could be based on Grey's Anatomy, given it is a romantic drama and the theme and apostrophe in the title are similar.
 * News: It simply raises Fun, just like Action. This is the only channel which Snob Sims will not get bored by. The name is basically translated into, Sims.
 * A report from a protest, where a fight began during a misunderstanding.
 * A report from a fire spot that started recently and is controlled by the firemen.
 * A report of a meteor shower at an unknown beach.
 * A report of aliens attacking a city, which ends by the camera turning off, the female reporter freaking out, then kissing the male reporter before an interruption.
 * Sports: It raises Fun (faster for Active Sims), and Sims with the Bro trait gain a Confident +1 Moodlet from watching it.
 * A football game, in which one team scores a goal before the next sequence.
 * A trainer talking about her skating trainee, probably telling how good she is and making a hubris of herself.
 * A basketball match, in which a player tries to dunk into the basket but fails. The other player fails the throw too, possibly resulting in a tie.
 * A ping-pong match.
 * Kids Network: It raises Fun for Children and Sims with the Childish Trait; The latter earn a Playful +1 Moodlet after watching for long enough.
 * KFun Sho: A bunch of mascots singing. Mascots include a hotdog, a shark, a skeleton, a bee and a dinosaur.
 * Fireplace Channel: As the name implies, it simply shows a fireplace. Only unlocked after the TV Upgrade. Its only use is to help to solve Tense moodlets and provide Fun, albeit at a slower rate.
 * Music TV: Unlocked after the TV Upgrade, this channel mainly shows music clips. It provides Fun and Sims with the Music Lover trait can get Inspired from watching it.
 * !#*%&$@%: Unlocked as an alien, or with an upgraded sattellite dish you can make as a scientist.
 * BEtween: Features a cartoon based on MySims Agents as well as other shows for more mature kids.
 * Civic Public Access: Can grant the "Public Access Weirdness" moodlet, which gives +1 Playful.
 * PolitiSim: Broadcasts political debates and campaigns.
 * World Culture Network: Features documentaries about Champs Les Sims, Al Simhara and Shang Simla.
 * TV Classics: Shows old black and white TV shows and soap operas.
 * Weather Forecast: The only channel so far that uses footage of The Sims 4.

The Urbz: Sims in The City
The Television appears in the Urbz. There are three channels that show various static images. The channels are UTV, Reality and Gearheads.

Scrounged TV
One of the benefits of 1st World living is the high trash quality. Perfectly functional electronics are tossed just because they are out of style! Just pick 'em up and plug 'em in! TV for practically free! Now THAT'S livin'!

Price: §500 Fun: 3

It can be bought at Gasoline Row.

Boob Tube
"Boob tube? I keep turnin' the channels and I ain't seen any boobs yet. Are boobs only on cable? What's the deal? Is it a late night show or sumpthin'?"

Price: §700 Fun: 4

It can be bought in Kicktail Park.

Excesutive Plasma TV Plasma TV
Perfect focus. Perfect images. Perfect entertainment. Excesutive Consumer Electronics takes the "plasma phenom" to a brave new level in this pricey technology statement. With its incredible image quality, unique form and super status symbol screen...OH JUST BUY THE THING!

Price: §4,000 Fun: 7

It can be bought on Cozmo Street.

Wall-mounted TV
Plasma TV's are nice, but take it up a notch with a wall-mounted gold-framed model. Increases floor space for elaborate dinner parties and decadent soirees, with added amusement of making insane TV shows look like "art."

Price: §4,000 Fun: 8

It can be bought at Diamond Heights.

The Sims 2 & The Sims 2 Pets for Console
Televisions reappear in Sims 2 for console with the channels slightly being modified from The Urbz. There are three channels that are somewhat identical to the Urbz originals, but with different audio.

Pure TV
High definition? Try the V-hold. Plasma screen? Be glad you got glass screen. No cable, no video "in," none of that hype and clutter...just good old pure "TV" the way it was meant to be.

Cheapovision Television Set
High definition? Try the V-hold. Plasma screen? Be glad you got glass screen. No cable, no video "in," none of that hype and clutter...just good old pure "TV" the way it was meant to be.

Price: §500 Fun: 3 Room: 2

Trottco MultiVid Television
Keep yourself entertained with this truly tremendous television from Trottco. The picture-perfect tube broadcasts Reel Color images. Sonorous multi-channel audio both captivates and dazzles Sims on the sit. Comes with multiple A/V and gaming inputs. Who needs to go anywhere else when you've got Trottco? No one, that's who.

Price: §2,250 Fun: 4 Room: 2

Blade Vision VERY High HD TV
The next generation in HHD displays brings out details you've never seen before: individual droplets in a spring rainstorm ... the slimmest whisker in a basket full of kittens ... the faintest pockmarks on sitcom stars. Nothing is hidden from Blade Vision. You'll be licking your screen or no money back.

Price: §3,500 Fun: 5 Room: 2

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.
 * On the Channel Trowler 27Deluxe TV and the Trottco 27" MultuVid IV Television, the word "Maxis" can be seen on the DVD box
 * 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).
 * In The Sims 2, if the time is sped up and a television is on, the television won't speed up, but go at normal speed instead. However, in The Sims 3, if the time is sped up and a television is on, the television will speed up.
 * 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.
 * In The Sims 3, Sims as young as toddlers can watch TV.
 * 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 Sims 3 (the old CRT TV), you can see games such as SimCity, The Sims, and MySims. Amusingly, The Sims 2: Castaway can also be seen thrice, one of which is placed upside down.
 * The music heard from the gardening channel (Got Garden?) was Rumba Sal sul, one of the songs from the radio.
 * On the console version of The Sims 3, sometimes when a Sim switches on the TV, the TV will make no noise and there will be a static picture of the program they are watching, similar to The Sims. However, the fun motive will still go up as normal.
 * In The Sims 4, text in the end credits of some of the in-game shows translate to "Made by the genious [sic] creators of Plumbob Pictures at Electronic Arts Redwood".