TV Licence required because i have a computer?

[britboy4321]

Officially, it isn't currently possible to do that with the live streams, so it's probably a non-issue as far as the authorities are concerned. Unofficially, there may be some way around that and in that case you would be recording the live stream (license, please). On demand material, downloaded or not, is currently exempt.



How you pay is irrelevant. The retailer should ask you for your name and address. Sometimes, of course, they conveniently forget.

You need a license if you have the capability of watching any BBC channels - whether you choose to or not - if you are a resident of the UK.

Of course Johnny Foreigner not only gets it all for free -- but also all the premiership games (including Saturday 3pm kickoff) for free as well.

 

[ethan]

You need a license if you have the capability of watching any BBC channels - whether you choose to or not - if you are a resident of the UK.

What I would prefer is the choice not to be able to receive them- let them worm their way around that.

 

[Pestilence]

Essentially, look at it this way :

If you don't have a television, and your PC doesn't have a TV card in it, tell them to go you-know-where.

If they attempt to claim that while you don't have these, you still partake of iPlayer etc. for real-time broadcasts, advise them that you do not and they should prove it before you'll pay anything.

 

[V4NT0M]

Our survey says:

x

http://thesurveysaid.com/

 

[JonJ678]

iplayer works internationally. The french are very unlikely to pay a UK TV licencing fee so I don't believe it follows that watching iplayer makes you morally obliged to pay for the licence.

I don't have a licence as I don't watch TV. I do have a TV however to play an N64 through, so I've checked the wording carefully. I've called them and explained this, and they told me they'd send an "officer" round to check. Many months on I'm still getting letters and haven't met anyone. My grandparents don't have a TV and never have; nothing they did persuaded the licensing people to stop hounding them until one of them became old enough that it's free anyway (70 perhaps?).

What gets me is that the letters follow a cycle, from polite up to ludicrously aggressive then start again from scratch. The last set were in the format of a wage slip, with edges to tear off and the total I must owe them clearly printed. It was student themed, something to the effect of "we know this many of you went to uni, most of you have a laptop, you don't seem to all have licences, so we're going to **** you up". I'm sure the next one will be very courteous, I can't imagine it getting any more threatening without having a court summons pinned to it. They must spend an absolute fortune on this policy, I don't get how it makes sense financially.

 

[Adrianr]

So even though I have a port in my flat to feed me TV signal, if I have nothing capable of using this signal I don't have to pay for the license?

I never watch TV, don't have the time or patience. But the Ariel/port came with the flat and I'm not allowed to just rip it out. Had a letter from the TV License folk already starting to sound a little pushy.. I'm within my rights to tell them to sod off then?

 

[Pestilence]

So even though I have a port in my flat to feed me TV signal, if I have nothing capable of using this signal I don't have to pay for the license?

I never watch TV, don't have the time or patience. But the Ariel/port came with the flat and I'm not allowed to just rip it out. Had a letter from the TV License folk already starting to sound a little pushy.. I'm within my rights to tell them to sod off then?

You are indeed.

 

[Pestilence]

iplayer works internationally. The french are very unlikely to pay a UK TV licencing fee so I don't believe it follows that watching iplayer makes you morally obliged to pay for the licence.

I don't have a licence as I don't watch TV. I do have a TV however to play an N64 through, so I've checked the wording carefully. I've called them and explained this, and they told me they'd send an "officer" round to check. Many months on I'm still getting letters and haven't met anyone. My grandparents don't have a TV and never have; nothing they did persuaded the licensing people to stop hounding them until one of them became old enough that it's free anyway (70 perhaps?).

What gets me is that the letters follow a cycle, from polite up to ludicrously aggressive then start again from scratch. The last set were in the format of a wage slip, with edges to tear off and the total I must owe them clearly printed. It was student themed, something to the effect of "we know this many of you went to uni, most of you have a laptop, you don't seem to all have licences, so we're going to **** you up". I'm sure the next one will be very courteous, I can't imagine it getting any more threatening without having a court summons pinned to it. They must spend an absolute fortune on this policy, I don't get how it makes sense financially.

A guy I work with gets the same. He hasn't had a TV for over 20 years, yet constantly gets letters in the same cycle and visitations from officers. He has no issue showing them around to prove he has no TV, and they always say "OK", yet the letters keep coming.

I think he's getting close to finally taking them to court for harassment.

Unless a member of staff can gain entry to your premises and prove you've been watching terrestrial television, all they'll do is keep sending letters and the odd person round to look at nothing.

 

[Aod]

I'm within my rights to tell them to sod off then?

you absolutely are.
the ONLY time when you're not allowed to tell them to ****off is when they knock on your door with a warrant.

let me make this VERY simple for the whole thread.

If you DO NOT use your equipment to WATCH or RECORD LIVE television broadcasts, you DO NOT need a TV License!

 

[CK61938]

I live with my friend and she has a TV but I dont watch it as anything I want to watch I can either do it online or download it. However, because she already pays TV License for her TV, it is my understanding that I myself don't need to pay it as it's one License per household right?

And yes a couple of years back I was in the same position thinking, even if I watch say Match Of The Day on a sat and sun night, would I have to pay TV License? Turns out I would have to even if that is all I would watch (not to mention Formula 1, World Cup Football, Olympics, Rugby World (with the last 3 being shown every 4yrs) and Wimbledon). Surely that wouldnt warrant a TV License? But yes it does.

So, as others have said, if you have the means to receive the channels, you'll have to TV License.

Hmm wonder if the same rule will apply to the new Sky Player coming soon to Media Centre in Windows 7?

 

[csmager]

iplayer works internationally. The french are very unlikely to pay a UK TV licencing fee so I don't believe it follows that watching iplayer makes you morally obliged to pay for the licence.

It doesn't work in other countries, as it requires you have a UK IP address. Outside the UK, the BBC site has advertising, and iPlayer only works for radio broadcasts.

 

[Wicksta]

You need a license if you have the capability of watching any BBC channels - whether you choose to or not - if you are a resident of the UK.

Of course Johnny Foreigner not only gets it all for free -- but also all the premiership games (including Saturday 3pm kickoff) for free as well.

Which country gets all Premiership games for free? I had to get Premiere (now Sky) when I was in Germany to get English games. Also no BBC there, apart from BBC Prime.

I know in the Netherlands they get BBC1/2 etc. but as far as i know they don't get any premiership games free to air?

 

[willhub]

I think the £142 fee is a rip off, they should either reduce it buy a large margin, or put better programs on the BBC. If any other country gets the BBC they should pay TV License too, since it costs the BBC to broadcast channels to other countrys I'd guess and it's obvious who's paying for that.

 

[mollymoo]

you absolutely are.
the ONLY time when you're not allowed to tell them to ****off is when they knock on your door with a warrant.

let me make this VERY simple for the whole thread.

If you DO NOT use your equipment to WATCH or RECORD LIVE television broadcasts, you DO NOT need a TV License!

Yes you do, I used to work for them. You need a license if you have equipment in your home capable of receiving a broadcast regardless of whether you use it or not. If you don't use your T.V for watching T.V then it needs to have the tuner disabled to stop you requiring a license. Computers with a T.V card in them require a license, if you dont have one in then don't get a license.
The OP stated his friend at the same address has a license so he is covered anyway, they could build a house out of tele's and be covered.

 

[Freefaller]

Would be easy just register with your tv license number and address then set up login details. Then you can login from anywhere. Always wondered why hey have not done this. It would be so simple. Even if they just did it for live broadcasts like news, f1 and the like.

You could easily borrow someone else's licence and get away with it because you have more than 1 device at that address.

Adverts don't really bother me so would be happy to scrap the licence and replace it with adverts. Those who want to pay for sky or movies can then pay for the privilege of having advert free programmes.

I wonder how they could stop you from streaming/downloading it from your iphone or laptop on a free wifi connection or 3g connection etc...

I pay for the licence, but I don't agree with it. I watch BBC news and top gear and tha'ts about all I watch on the bbc. I watch maybe 3hrs of tv a week - hence why I haven't got sky or virgin etc... absolutely no point. I have a nice big tv for DVDs (I don't have consoles either) - it's almost tempting to just get rid of the RF circuit altogether and just listen to the radio and use iplayer for catching up with top gear!

 

[AJK]

Yes you do, I used to work for them. You need a license if you have equipment in your home capable of receiving a broadcast regardless of whether you use it or not.

Unless you are USING it to watch live TV, NO YOU DO NOT and if you were informed otherwise you were lied to.

If you don't use your T.V for watching T.V then it needs to have the tuner disabled to stop you requiring a license.

Unless you are USING it to watch live TV, NO IT DOES NOT.

Computers with a T.V card in them require a license, if you dont have one in then don't get a license.

Unless you are USING it to watch live TV, NO THEY DO NOT.

 

[mollymoo]

Unless you are USING it to watch live TV, NO YOU DO NOT and if you were informed otherwise you were lied to.



Unless you are USING it to watch live TV, NO IT DOES NOT.



Unless you are USING it to watch live TV, NO THEY DO NOT.

And your source is?
Mines from working there and they make sure you know these things.

 

[csmager]

And your source is?
Mines from working there and they make sure you know these things.

It pretty much says it on the TV licensing site.
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/
"You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone or DVD/video recorder."

It doesn't say 'own a tv' as you imply.

EDIT:
It explicitly says on this page:
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/what-if-a-tv-licence-is-not-needed-top12/

That you don't need one if you don't watch TV.

"If you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes at the same time as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you only use your TV to watch DVDs or play video games, or if you only watch programmes on your PC after they have been shown on TV - you don't need a TV Licence."

 

[willhub]

And your source is?
Mines from working there and they make sure you know these things.

Load of rubbish, no one needs a TV license if they don't watch TV, the TV License/BBC don't make the TV Tuners so why would anyone pay a fee of £142 a year just so they can use a piece of hardware that is capable of reciving TV but is not reciving TV?

If an officer came around and found a TV but not plugged into the wall they can't send you to court and fine you £1000, they can't do anything, not to mention you don't need to let them in your house since they don't have warrants.

Also:

You don’t need a TV Licence for your term-time address if




You only watch downloaded or streamed TV AFTER it has been broadcastThis includes using websites like YouTube and Bebo, as well as ‘on demand’ internet services like iPlayer offering TV downloads or streaming.All of the following are true:

• Your out-of-term address is covered by a TV Licence AND
• You only use TV receiving equipment that is powered solely by its own internal batteries AND
• You have not connected it to an aerial or plugged it into the mains.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/students-aud1/

 

[DampCat]

Oh jesus christ.

So many people post utter rubbish that it becomes pointless even asking a question on this board at times.