It's been about a year for me, and it's blissful. I tried to watch some Channel 4 UK on demand, and even that small amount of advertising had my teeth on edge. It's amazing how quickly you stop calmly glazing over for the high octane mindlessness you find in advertising; the tolerance just vanishes. The music grates, the acting is more obviously terrible, and messages more obviously manipulative... when you're not constantly immersed in them.
I also find that I watch less, because I'm actively finding anything I want to watch, rather than passively channel surfing or just "seeing what's on".
Indeed. Having "cut the cord" for 10 years now, I find commercials extremely grating: loud, frantic, and stupid. My watching has plummeted to almost nothing, precisely because when I _do_ watch it's very deliberate, knowing what I'll see and how long it will take - contrasted with a flippant/reflexive "see what's on" and settling for whatever drivel vaguely catches attention.
I honestly don't see how anyone can spend the average 40 hours a week "watching TV" now. My time is so crammed full of things having priority over "sit and watch" - because I'm evaluating the content & time before I watch, and comparing it to the value of what else needs doing. I'll get in a few hours a month of video, usually movies because I perceive a need to "be done with it" rather than having more to see and little time to see it.
We cut the cord late last year and I can say we feel the same way about commercials. They seem so forced. From the acting to the music to the stale jokes. I must say though, sometime I miss being able to just turn the TV on without actively searching for something.
It'd be great if Channel 4 let you pay a subscription to go ad-free. I think ITV does, but I have no interest in their programming (unlike Channel 4, which would be worth it in my opinion).
I also find that I watch less, because I'm actively finding anything I want to watch, rather than passively channel surfing or just "seeing what's on".