TV Licence Super Thread

spoffle · 16 Apr 2019 at 18:50

itchy said:
Can you ignore TV Licence?
No, you can safely ignore them if you don't have a TV on site. They like to sound urgent so that you'll act if you do, but if you don't then you are under no obligations. But do remember that the TV licence isn't for watching TV, it is a licence for the ability to watch TV.

F'em not getting near me.

This is BS. It isn't a license for the ability to watch TV.

humbug · 16 Apr 2019 at 18:52

spoffle said:
This is BS. It isn't a license for the ability to watch TV.

You see this is what i thought, which is why i asked, i though the licience was to own a TV full stop, i guess its the same crap that says "we have vans that can tell when you're watching TV"

spoffle · 16 Apr 2019 at 18:55

humbug said:
You see this is what i thought, which is why i asked, i though the licience was to own a TV full stop, i guess its the same crap that says "we have vans that can tell when you're watching TV"

Yeah it's crap. The law states you should buy a license if you watch live TV, and more recently, BBC iPlayer.

There have never been actual TV detector vans. They're just minibusses with lies all over them. There hasn't been a single prosecution of someone found to be watching TV via a "detector van."

banbom44 · 16 Apr 2019 at 19:02

The thing is everybody who says they don't need a license because they don't watch live TV is lying and they know you are when they come round to your house so stop being tight and pay what you owe.

dowie · 16 Apr 2019 at 19:10

banbom44 said:
The thing is everybody who says they don't need a license because they don't watch live TV is lying and they know you are when they come round to your house so stop being tight and pay what you owe.

LOL

Malevolence · 16 Apr 2019 at 19:15

<pedant>Just a quick reminder that it's licence with a 'c', not an 's'. One is a noun, the other is a verb.</pedant>

LuckyBenski · 16 Apr 2019 at 19:31

Malevolence said:
<pedant>Just a quick reminder that it's licence with a 'c', not an 's'. One is a noun, the other is a verb.</pedant>

Thanks, I never know the difference or which spelling to use.

Most useful post in thread, would learn again.

Nasher · 16 Apr 2019 at 19:41

spoffle said:
Yeah it's crap. The law states you should buy a license if you watch live TV, and more recently, BBC iPlayer.

There have never been actual TV detector vans. They're just minibusses with lies all over them. There hasn't been a single prosecution of someone found to be watching TV via a "detector van."

Even then it isn't enough proof to prosecute someone.

Using some kind of "detector" is basically guess work until it can be confirmed. There is nothing you can get from it which looks like hard evidence.

robj20 · 16 Apr 2019 at 19:45

banbom44 said:
The thing is everybody who says they don't need a license because they don't watch live TV is lying and they know you are when they come round to your house so stop being tight and pay what you owe.

I'm not lying i really don't watch live tv why would i. Everything is on catch-up.

Psycho Sonny · 16 Apr 2019 at 20:23

spoffle said:
I don't pay for a TV license. I live in a 5 bedroom Victorian semi...

You haven't stated whether or not your legally obliged to own one?

Psycho Sonny · 16 Apr 2019 at 20:27

humbug said:
Is there anything on the BBC worth watching now? there used to be, there was a time when the BBC made high quality programs but these day's even their documentaries and investigative journalism is dumbing down to Channel 5 levels, its not quite that trashy yet but its getting closer to:

Silly hyperbolic music for a completely unnecessary intro to what the program is about, followed by Whats coming up in the program, then some brief actual content explaining the nuances of whats happening over and over and over and over for thick people.....at least they don't have commercial breaks because then you get highlights on whats coming in part two, then a break, then the program starts again with a looking back at what happened in part one 'before the bloody break', then a segment of whats coming up in part two, 'again' then some actual programing still explaining the same nuances over and over and over just in case thick people are still watching.... until before the next break when they run a thing on whats coming up in part three................. at which point you just want to end it all.

Mainstream, or legacy TV is utter junk.

Show me a free to air broadcast company in the UK that is pushing 4k broadcasts?

The BBC is at the leading forefront of broadcasting technology which then trickles down to all the other channels.

Without the BBC all the money would just end up in skys pockets who has shown it will push content as little as possible but charge an arm and a leg for it.

By not paying for a TV licence you restrict the ability to move forward as fast as it could.

I believe that the way its currently handled is wrong and should be lumped in with council tax

Nasher · 16 Apr 2019 at 20:29

It's not free to air though. It's £150 a year, about twice as much as better services like Netflix.

And yes most of their programs are junk these days. The BBC used to be known for comedy, but that died and now it's known for being comically P.C.

If they want to stick it in council tax, then there needs to be an opt-out. It's not a public service, it's a corporation...

Marky · 16 Apr 2019 at 20:30

banbom44 said:
The thing is everybody who says they don't need a license because they don't watch live TV is lying and they know you are when they come round to your house so stop being tight and pay what you owe.

Can’t tell if sarcasm or not

humbug · 16 Apr 2019 at 21:08

banbom44 said:
The thing is everybody who says they don't need a license because they don't watch live TV is lying and they know you are when they come round to your house so stop being tight and pay what you owe.

Right but in all seriousness why bother with live TV when you can just stream it?

Dirk Diggler · 16 Apr 2019 at 21:59

The BBC needs to evolve in order to deal with those who blatantly refuse to pay. A surcharge on pay TV subscriptions should be implemented and this would mean anyone with a Sky TV, BT or Virgin package etc would pay via their monthly payment and be exempt from the TV licence direct payment. Those on Freeview could just pay the licence fee via a login facility and this would mean those with Netflix/Amazon would be exempt.

The technology exists to do it this way.

humbug · 16 Apr 2019 at 22:05

String said:
The BBC needs to evolve in order to deal with those who blatantly refuse to pay. A surcharge on pay TV subscriptions should be implemented and this would mean anyone with a Sky TV, BT or Virgin package etc would pay via their monthly payment and be exempt from the TV licence direct payment. Those on Freeview could just pay the licence fee via a login facility and this would mean those with Netflix/Amazon would be exempt.

The technology exists to do it this way.

Wait, why should those who don't watch the BBC pay for it?

humbug · 16 Apr 2019 at 22:11

How about this, the BBC charges for its own pay for view / streaming service and with that those who want to watch the BBC can pay for it and those who don't don't.

Dirk Diggler · 16 Apr 2019 at 22:16

humbug said:
Wait, why should those who don't watch the BBC pay for it?

Because it's irrelevant whether they watch it or not, and the BBC needs to stop pretending that it is.

humbug · 16 Apr 2019 at 22:19

String said:
Because it's irrelevant whether they watch it or not, and the BBC needs to stop pretending that it is.

So i dump a garden suite into your garden and send you a bill for £150, would you pay it?

dowie · 16 Apr 2019 at 22:30

String said:
Because it's irrelevant whether they watch it or not, and the BBC needs to stop pretending that it is.

Well it isn't really irrelevant, it is a perfectly reasonable point, the technology exists now to only provide certain content to subscribers of that content. I don't see why people who perhaps want to watch say non-BBC channels that are free/subsidised by adverts should have to also pay for the BBC or indeed why Sky TV or Virgin media subscribers should have to. The vast majority of the license fee goes to the BBC, if there is some funding required in order to pay for terrestrial broadcasting infrastructure in general then perhaps a much reduced fee could be available for those who which to watch terrestrial TV without BBC content. The technology is there so the choice should be available these days, if people don't choose to watch BBC content then so be it, they can thrive or die on their own merits not freeload off the back of all content providers who require their consumers to have a license.