We have never owned a TV. It was a lifestyle choice, and I haven't regretted it, although I recognize that this extreme of a choice won't work for most and pass no judgment on anyone who enjoys a TV at home. It's just what we chose, and I still love not having a noise box in the house.
With the youngest, the access to inane entertainment started earlier thanks to cable Internet and Hulu, etc., but the two older kids survived their childhood without access to videos except by DVD on the computer once that technology arrived. But even with our youngest, watching a video had to be an active choice while sitting in front of a computer. I agree with you that only letting a kid watch TV while playing something else is actually setting them up to not be able to focus on a single activity.
