The Zohan

Here's a thought - if you do not watch or listen to any BBC programming or sue the BBC web services then simply ask not to pay the tax as you do not use any of their services - if necessary let it go to court to prove your point if you believe that this is the case

hodgy0_2

It's worth it for Radio 4&5 alone

hodgy0_2

that is because the licence is for using/having a TV recieving device -- not for watching TV or even the BBC

but the internet certainly muddys the water

they will replace it with a broadband/internet tax soon

Trout

iTrader: (1)

There is an ad campaign at the moment that states that watching iPlayer is subject to a TV License.

ChefDude

i don't watch any broadcast tv and, just through constant harrassment, have relented and bought a tv license.

i have 2 tvs but we just watch dvds. we have no aerials, etc.

really p!sses me off.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Everyone in the UK who watches or records TV as it is broadcast needs to be covered by a TV licence. This includes TV on computers, mobile phones, DVD/video recorders and other devices

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Wish

iTrader: (2)

I too hate paying for the TV licence when it arrives on the door mate every September.
However I can alway cheer myself up by working out what SKY costs me each year.





I could quite happily live without TV... I just wish my wife and child would feel the same way.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Tell me about it; we have business property in a residential area. We made the mistake of buying a PC monitor via this address, problem was it had a built in TV tuner. Retailer (as by law) informed the TVLA. Of which sent a nice threatening letter as their first mean of communication.

Phoned told them the situation, OK sorted.

3months later get another. Basically saying pay up or else IN RED

Rung again told them the score.

3 months later ANOTHER letter.

Everytime they say "oh we'll send round an inspector to check" blah blah. They never do. The letter always imply big fines and always assume you are watching a TV illegally. Think we're on our tenth letter now; its the same as the earlier ones, so its now obvious to us its just a generic mailshot to scare people into paying.

Think I may forward it onto watchdog....oh no, hang on, thats the BBC!


In the end of the day with the switch to DVB the UK TV regulators had the oppertunity to encrypt broadcast channels when it was first inplemented, forcing equipment manufacturers to fit their products with a CAM (conditional access module) which would take a viewing card. This would have been so easy to do as the technology is there - and its exactly what Sky and Virgin use.

Instead, they didn't stipulate this when DVB-T was introduced into teh UK, so now the majority of cheap/old set-top boxes and DVB TVs have no slot for a CAM, meaning if encrypted subscriber TV was ever introduced on terrestrial TV, alot of people willl once agan have to buy new equipment.

Subscriber TV could easily replace the TV licence and could be incorperated in viewing subscriptions be it sky, virgin or encrypted DVB-T.

This would have also opened up the market for subscription channels on terrestrial; i.e getting SKY channels through a normal aerial. And also unlocking Sky's vice like grip on the satellite TV in the UK. Imagine not needing a dish or a yet another box under the TV to recieve Sky? And not having to pay Sky's call out fees everytime their crappy equipment went belly up, it would be bliss.

DVB-T was a big oppertunity to clean up UK's broadcasting mess, and its just been wasted. The TVLA are probably as much to blame for this as much as the government.

JPL

Are you Matteeboy?

FlightMan

White liquid in a bottle is milk.

So there!






























Rafa Benitez, Oct 2010

22BUK

http://www.onebillionpageviews.org/avoid.html

Simon C

When I moved, I got a letter through the door. The person on the other end of the phone took offence when I said the letter was demanding money with menaces. Which it is effectively

stilover

No.
For your licence fee, you get BBC1, 2, 3, etc. All the radio stations.

The BBC over the years have made some of the best television programs to be aired.

Those that don't like paying the fee should try going through their daily life without ever watching or listening to anything the BBC produces or funds.

Plus, those who moan the loudest about the fee, are probably those that are more than happy to pay `SKY` £45 a month to watch only about 3% of the channels available.

David Lock

The BBC provides an excellent service overall but may be top heavy in overpaid management IMHO.

dl

StickyMicky

Is this for catchup programs, or the live streams ?

hodgy0_2

agreed -- but i think the law states the device be "capable" of recieving TV signals. whether you watch it is irrelelvant

you don't have to actually watch it -- so the guy who tried to say that his TV only played pre-recorded tapes still had to pay becuase his TV set was still capable of recieving TV signals even though he did not watch them

that said the internet means they will change the law soon

speedking

Can you, technically, 'broadcast' something if it is point to point down a wire?

urban

iTrader: (1)

Probably right.
Either way they'll shaft up into paying one way or another.
I managed to avoid paying it for about 5 years once.
Had just moved house etc
They tried the old letter address to the Occupier
Inspector called a few times - I never let them in.

Then one night I arrived back from work and dopey wife let him in.
This wee b@stard gloated that he'd eventually got in, said we'll you're going to court etc is going to cost you a lot of money this.

I had the last laugh, because when he said how long have you had the equipment etc.

I said 1 month to everything and the following day I went and bought a license and back dated it 1 month.

Got called to court and the judge threw out the case as I had a back dated license and therefore hadn't cost them any revenue

I left court and smiled winked at the week hure that had gloated on the way out.
The look on his face was priceless

Leslie

It is a rip off, and the programme standards are dropping all the time too. The BBC wants stuffing!

Les

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

You only need a tv license if you watch or record television AS it is being broadcast, it says so on their own website.


http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/

Seeing as iplayer is not broadcast live you do not need a license to watch it.

DCI Gene Hunt

Where does it say "live" ..... I think you'll find broadcast means "sent" rather than live - ergo iPlayer is still broadcast to you!

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

I don't watch it whilst it is being broadcast, I download it and watch it later.

DCI Gene Hunt

So it is broadcast from your hard drive to your screen then

Trout

iTrader: (1)

The advert was targeted at students I think and specifically stated that if you use iPlayer you would need a license. It did not differentiate.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

The TVL is obscure on this issue...

The BBC iPlayer allows users to watch programmes “live” as they are being shown on TV (i.e. BBC1, BBC2, BBC News etc.) and on-demand. If you are watching live content (e.g. a programme as it is being shown on BBC1 or BBC News) you will need a TV Licence. If you are using the BBC iPlayer to watch programmes on-demand i.e. after they have been shown, you do not need a TV Licence. Accordingly, depending on the nature of the content being viewed on the BBC iPlayer, a TV Licence may be required.


So first of all it says you do not need one if it is a download; and then it states it is dependent on content

So what is it? Content based or delivery based?

cster

To be fair - these guys will always "try it on", so I wouldn't take their advert as being the definitive truth.
They do have a vested interest after all.
As for the idea of having to pay to be spoon fed **** from the government, well if you don't like it - p1ss off

Dedrater

You do not need a TV licence to watch Iplayer, this is fact and I have got the letter from the BBC to confirm this.

I haven't paid a TV licence for over 10 years, still get 1-2 letters a month telling me they are taking me to court.

All our TV is downloaded and streamed round the house.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

So say if I torrent American TV programs that are yet to be shown in the UK?

If its not live or hasn't been shown then I don't need a licence (albeit in breach of copyright). Correct?

Dedrater

Copyrights aside, yes.