Television
The Television is a buy mode object. The video game system[TS2][TS3] is compatible with any TV set, if placed close enough.
Different styles exist, but they all function the same.
- 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.
- Skills: A Sim can use a television to "Work Out" if there is sufficient space in front of the set. Watching the cooking channel increases the cooking skill. Repairing a television set will increase the mechanical/handiness skill but there is a chance of electrocution as with all electronic devices.
(Note: In The Sims, Sims cannot build skills by watching or repairing televisions, nor can they work out in front of one.)
- Hobbies: With FreeTime the television can be used to build enthusiasm in the Cuisine, Sports, Film and Literature, Music and Dance, Science, Tinkering, and Fitness hobbies. With a video game system it can also build Games enthusiasm.
Channels
The Sims
- Cartoons
- Action
- Romance
- Horror
- Superstar: (available only with a satellite dish)
- Sports
- News
- Entertainment
- Animals
The Sims 2
- Sims Broadcasting Network (SBN): Local Channel mainly for Adults. One of the programs is set in 113 Wright Way in Pleasantview, or at least uses an exterior shot of it. It appears to include the Pleasant family, though that is not their house. There is a show, probably meant to be a soap opera, set in a hospital, which shows doctors kissing and operating. There is a talk show, and what appears to be a Simmish version of "Survivor".
News reports appear frequently, and include the sound "Sophie Kanarf", which may be the presenter's name. News reports include a fire, and helicopter reports over a city. The helicopter reports seem to show the destruction sequences from KidzTube.
- KidzTube: Children's Channel for Kids. One of the programs shows a giant robot destroying a city, possibly from SimCity 4. Other programs shows a UFO destroying a city, and one which seems to feature the Social Bunny.
| ||||||||||||||
- SimStation Dance: Music Channel mainly for Teens. One of the programs is set in the empty lot in Strangetown.
- The Yummy Channel: Cooking channel mainly for Elders. Sims gain cooking skill from watching. Many of the shows feature the kitchens catching fire.
- SimStation Sports Channel mainly for Young Adults
- The Weather Station: Gives a pop-up message forecasting the weather for the upcoming hours, although sometimes the weatherman is in a funny mood and will utter something completely unrelated instead...
- No new TV channels per se but a new movies on-demand service.
- With Ikea: Home Stuff comes the cubby TV, and with the cubby TV comes two new commercials and one new mini program: one commercial for the colonial shower/bath, another pizza commercial featuring the Pleasant family, and a mini program featuring a man getting abducted by aliens.
The Sims 3
The number of channels depends on the television, for example if you have the Old Timey Tele you have 3/7 channels, but if you have the 36" HiFi Plasmondo TV from Landgraab Industries you have 7/7 channels. All channels use The Sims 2 game as the model.
Basic (Old Timey Tele)
- KidZ Zone: Shows a show featuring costumed characters like the Social Bunny and rival university mascot playing.
- Romantic Rendezvous: Shows a wedding and a black and white romance movie.
- Sports Universe: Shows a sports commentary program about football and winter sports, possibly snowboarding.
Basic Plus (Channel Troller 27" Deluxe TV)
- Terror TV: Shows a vampire movie and a stalker film (with a twist ending). Cowardly or Over-Emotional Sims will become scared for several hours if they watch this channel.
- Action World: Shows a superhero film and a movie about a woman marooned on an island.
- Cookin' Cable: Shows a parody of Iron Chef and a cooking show with a chef who's manner of speaking resembles the Swedish Chef.
- Got Garden: Shows a movie of a woman making flower bouquets and, later on,A being eaten by a cowplant.
Premium (ÜberVison Panoramic from Landgraab Industries)
- Fracas Fishing: 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 Societies.
High Definition (36" HiFi Plasmondo TV from Landgraab Industries / WallVuu Standard TV / PlasmaTron TV and the Super Sim Television DLX (The Sims 3 Store))
- Super Shopping Network: A shopping channel where a variety of products are sold.