TV Licence Super Thread

arknor · 4 Feb 2015 at 04:46

I find it mental that people actually sit around the TV watching english TV channels in this modern age like my family did when I was a child.

I was recently at my friends house waiting for a delivery so she wouldn't have to pick it up from the depot.
Sitting for 4 hours channel surfing from one channel to the next finding nothing worth watching and it reminded me why I don't own a TV
A waste of my time. may as well find something worthwhile to do or just download a tv series/docu/film legally via netflix or skygo

Is it just a case of threes nothing better on so I will watch this? and you end up watching something to pass the time instead of watching something because you want to?

Freefaller · 4 Feb 2015 at 05:06

There's hardly anything on TV worth watching live. I balk at people willing to spend substantial amounts on sky TV and such like. So many channels of pure drivel.

uvarvu · 4 Feb 2015 at 06:12

Yep I can't stand it, especially ITV. Wish my partner didn't watch TV then I'd cancel mine too.

Efour · 4 Feb 2015 at 06:14

Whats the rules in a situation like this:

All terrestrial aerials unplugged BBC channels untuned on TV.
Virgin Media package along with 200+ of junk brings in BBC1 BBC2 BBC3 etc etc - Can you tell VM to untune these or remove them from the package?

uvarvu · 4 Feb 2015 at 06:16

Licence is for picking up transmission of any sort, even for something not intended for UK audience like Eutelsat.

Boycie · 4 Feb 2015 at 07:18

Freefaller said:
Some friends of mine were HORRIFIED that I dared cancel my TV licence. I pay now as I do watch live TV but they couldn't accept that what I was doing was fair or legitimate. Quite funny really how this subject winds people up so much.

This.... when I told my father in law we didnt have one for the same reason I think for a split second he was considering whether his daughter had married a criminal!

Zeed · 4 Feb 2015 at 07:59

I dont pay for years now I have 95% of tv shows. Only thing i watch is Top gear day or two after it aired.
I would pay whole 140 or whatever strait to top gear. But i will not support idiots on ice and other celebrates with my money HATE ALL OF EM !!!

On other note had 2 visits so far and no problems as my Plasma is only connected to PS4 in my gaming room.

MooMoo444 · 4 Feb 2015 at 09:00

Freefaller said:
Some friends of mine were HORRIFIED that I dared cancel my TV licence. I pay now as I do watch live TV but they couldn't accept that what I was doing was fair or legitimate. Quite funny really how this subject winds people up so much.

what a scumbag :mad:

Will21st · 4 Feb 2015 at 09:05

arknor said:
I find it mental that people actually sit around the TV watching english TV channels in this modern age like my family did when I was a child.

I was recently at my friends house waiting for a delivery so she wouldn't have to pick it up from the depot.
Sitting for 4 hours channel surfing from one channel to the next finding nothing worth watching and it reminded me why I don't own a TV
A waste of my time. may as well find something worthwhile to do or just download a tv series/docu/film legally via netflix or skygo

Is it just a case of threes nothing better on so I will watch this? and you end up watching something to pass the time instead of watching something because you want to?

+1

DR_Pingu · 4 Feb 2015 at 10:38

Mynight said:
My mate doesn't have a license as he doesn't watch TV live. I was there when they paid him a visit and he just looked at the TV saw it was connected to a laptop and ps4 only and asked if he watched iplayer live, mate says no. Tv license guy says well we will know if you do so no worries and then gave him a document to sign and off he went.

I'm calling bull on the we will know bit but I guess it's possible.

Probably possible by contacting your ISP for site visits.. however they would know your ISP I don't know though lol.

And to OP - you still need a license to watch catchup tv. Just a heads up, in case you come moaning back why you're heading to court about it

but otherwise I really doubt they'd ever find out if you were anyway lel.

MooMoo444 · 4 Feb 2015 at 10:41

DR_Pingu said:
And to OP - you still need a license to watch catchup tv. Just a heads up, in case you come moaning back why you're heading to court about it

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/technology--devices-and-online-top8

If you only ever watch ‘on demand’ programmes, you don’t need a TV Licence. On demand includes catch-up TV, streaming or downloading programmes after they’ve been shown on live TV, or programmes available online before being shown on TV

doofer · 4 Feb 2015 at 11:23

I thought I'd count my ever growing threatening letters of harassment from TVL, there's currently 107 including 8 'We told you we'd call' personal delivery specials, I save them to:

a) Keep as evidence of continual harassment when/if they ever want to see me in Court.

b) If the goon ever comes around when I'm actually here, I will offer him/her a deal, he can come in and snoop around my place IF he pays me £1 for every harassment letter from TVL I show him.

I don't have a TV (Not for over 15yrs or more). I do NOT need a TV Licence, I occasionally watch something via the various Internet catch-up services which you do not need a TV Licence for. They have no right to accuse anyone of breaking any Law, even the UK Courts of Law/Police cannot do that without explicit evidence/proof, let alone harass or intimidate anyone continually.

BunnyKillBot · 4 Feb 2015 at 12:21

silversurfer said:
If you own a tv you need a license.

DR_Pingu said:
And to OP - you still need a license to watch catchup tv. Just a heads up, in case you come moaning back why you're heading to court about it

These types of posters are either

1) trolls
2) just that stupid
3) TVL employees spreading misinformation

So which is it?

Prophet · 4 Feb 2015 at 12:23

BunnyKillBot said:
These types of posters are either

1) trolls
2) just that stupid
3) TVL employees spreading misinformation

So which is it?

2

MichaelAwkward · 4 Feb 2015 at 12:28

doofer said:
I thought I'd count my ever growing threatening letters of harassment from TVL, there's currently 107 including 8 'We told you we'd call' personal delivery specials, I save them to:

a) Keep as evidence of continual harassment when/if they ever want to see me in Court.

b) If the goon ever comes around when I'm actually here, I will offer him/her a deal, he can come in and snoop around my place IF he pays me £1 for every harassment letter from TVL I show him.

I don't have a TV (Not for over 15yrs or more). I do NOT need a TV Licence, I occasionally watch something via the various Internet catch-up services which you do not need a TV Licence for. They have no right to accuse anyone of breaking any Law, even the UK Courts of Law/Police cannot do that without explicit evidence/proof, let alone harass or intimidate anyone continually.

Or you could go online, spend literally 2 minutes telling them you don't need a license, and only get another letter if you move... rather than throthing at the mouth over a non-issue.

mattyg · 4 Feb 2015 at 12:29

I pay may TVL because I believe in the unique way the BBC is funded an I believe we get value for money..

Oh hang on.

I pay for TVL because the damn wife does it before I get chance not too

BunnyKillBot · 4 Feb 2015 at 12:30

MichaelAwkward said:
Or you could go online, spend literally 2 minutes telling them you don't need a license, and only get another letter if you move... rather than throthing at the mouth over a non-issue.

Once again, I have done this process, I still get the letters. I dont care that you are responding to another poster. Their process is as broken and corrupt as their methods.

It is broadly speaking my plan to write to them, informing them that all further communications from them will incur a £10 administration charge. I will then start writing to them with threatening but legally limp letters demanding payment of said fees.

DR_Pingu · 4 Feb 2015 at 12:53

BunnyKillBot said:
These types of posters are either

1) trolls
2) just that stupid
3) TVL employees spreading misinformation

So which is it?

Prophet said:
2

Neither. Just someone who didn't know the law had changed regarding this matter. Last I knew of it on-demand required a TV license still.

jumpy · 4 Feb 2015 at 13:03

DR_Pingu said:
Neither. Just someone who didn't know the law had changed regarding this matter. Last I knew of it on-demand required a TV license still.

On-demand has never required a license as you are watching it after it has been broadcast; that's the whole point of on-demand.
Although the wording is sometimes opaque - you only need a license if you watch live TV, either on your standard television set, or via a TV card in your PC. Keyword being live, watching it as it is being transmitted.

DR_Pingu · 4 Feb 2015 at 13:06

jumpy said:
On-demand has never required a license as you are watching it after it has been broadcast; that's the whole point of on-demand.
Although the wording is sometimes opaque - you only need a license if you watch live TV, either on your standard television set, or via a TV card in your PC. Keyword being live, watching it as it is being transmitted.

Thanks for the lesson (as well as the link previously provided by MooMoo) - it's nice to learn something new. I probably misinterpreted information from a news broadcaster and assumed my original opinion. Yet again I'm taught to never bloody assume! xD

Cheers