Tv license issue..

Unity

We have a TV licence, we've always had one, but reading the phrase: "Providing you do not watch TV as it is being broadcast" I am wondering whether it is a real necessity these days.

We hardly ever watch a programme as it is being broadcast. We've got Virgin+ and because I have short term memory problems everything is on record - even the soaps:o. We don't watch a lot of TV so I've noticed just recently that whenever it is switched on we go straight to Virgin+ and select something previously recorded, that we really want to watch. About the only thing I watch as it's broadcasting is the local news - but I could live without that, or even watch it later .

It's therefore a hypothetical question from a MSE point of view , theoretically is it necessary in a situation like this to keep paying for a licence.

I am not, repeat not advocating breaking the law here - just posing this for debate. If it is a loophole, I think we can guess that the wording on TV licences will be changing shortly :rolleyes:.

Finally - the old ones they say are always the best, like the one about the woman who answered the door to the TV licencing bloke and when asked if she had a TV licence, produced a photocopy of the one for the previous year.
The TV bloke said: "Do you realise this is a photocopy?"
To which the woman replied, "Yes, because all you broadcast are repeats!" :rotfl:

juliescot

Unity wrote: »

We have a TV licence, we've always had one, but reading the phrase: "Providing you do not watch TV as it is being broadcast" I am wondering whether it is a real necessity these days.

We hardly ever watch a programme as it is being broadcast. We've got Virgin+ and because I have short term memory problems everything is on record - even the soaps:o. We don't watch a lot of TV so I've noticed just recently that whenever it is switched on we go straight to Virgin+ and select something previously recorded, that we really want to watch. About the only thing I watch as it's broadcasting is the local news - but I could live without that, or even watch it later .

It's therefore a hypothetical question from a MSE point of view , theoretically is it necessary in a situation like this to keep paying for a licence.

I am not, repeat not advocating breaking the law here - just posing this for debate. If it is a loophole, I think we can guess that the wording on TV licences will be changing shortly :rolleyes:.

Finally - the old ones they say are always the best, like the one about the woman who answered the door to the TV licencing bloke and when asked if she had a TV licence, produced a photocopy of the one for the previous year.
The TV bloke said: "Do you realise this is a photocopy?"
To which the woman replied, "Yes, because all you broadcast are repeats!" :rotfl:

You are recording the programmes, to watch later, as they are being broadcast therefore you do need a licence

Unity

juliescot wrote: »

You are recording the programmes, to watch later, as they are being broadcast therefore you do need a licence

That's true, I am recording them, but not via my TV. I don't need a licence for the Virgin+ box and it doesn't need to be connected to the TV in order to record. The licence is only for the TV and it's not switched on when the programmes are recording.

I still think there may be a loophole worth exploring .

juliescot

Unity wrote: »

That's true, I am recording them, but not via my TV. I don't need a licence for the Virgin+ box and it doesn't need to be connected to the TV in order to record. The licence is only for the TV and it's not switched on when the programmes are recording.

I still think there may be a loophole worth exploring .

It is not the TV that requires a licence it is the equipment capable of (and being used for) the receiving of "as broadcast live" programmes. Which is what your box is doing

Swan_2

Unity wrote: »

That's true, I am recording them, but not via my TV. I don't need a licence for the Virgin+ box and it doesn't need to be connected to the TV in order to record. The licence is only for the TV and it's not switched on when the programmes are recording.

I still think there may be a loophole worth exploring .

no loophole I'm afraid, the law applies to any device you use to watch or record 'as it's being broadcast'

info from their site ---> TVLA

Unity

Swan wrote: »

no loophole I'm afraid, the law applies to any device you use to watch or record 'as it's being broadcast'

info from their site ---> TVLA

Thanks for this - it was one of those things I just always wondered about.;):D

Cheers:beer:

vet8

Right this is interesting as I was going to post on this very subject.

My OH and I are seriously considering getting shot of the TV as it shows such CR&P all the time. This means we could save on the licence fee, BUT we would still watch the odd thing on the Iplayer. As we can watch TV programmes on the computer do we need a licence?

And you can watch live TV. During the Olympics I watched a lot of sport on the computer. So if the TVL heavies knock on the door and ask for the licence and I say "We have no set" will they say, "AH ha, but you have a computer and can watch things on that, you're knicked!" How can they prove if we watch live TV on it or not?

I am sure they must be aware of the opportunity to watch things on a computer and I am sure they would have changed their rules accordingly to catch people out.

vet8

Sorry I am being stupid. I just followed that link in the post above mine, I should have done that before I posted. That seems to say that you need a licence for watching live TV on your computer, but if you wait a few hours for it to be shown on the Iplayer or equivalent you do not need one. Is that right?

Swan_2

vet8 wrote: »

Sorry I am being stupid. I just followed that link in the post above mine, I should have done that before I posted. That seems to say that you need a licence for watching live TV on your computer, but if you wait a few hours for it to be shown on the Iplayer or equivalent you do not need one. Is that right?

yes, that's right

& you're not being stupid, the rules & the way they're communicated by TVLA are seem to be designed to confuse :rolleyes:


EDIT ... I've just seen your previous post

you don't need to get rid of your telly, all you need to do is not watch programmes on it as they're broadcast

you can still use it for gaming & DVDs/Blu-Rays perfectly legally without a licence, and you can link your laptop to it & watch iplayer or any of the other catchup services on the big screen

elfen

Unity - The TVLA would see that you have a box capable of being broadcast on TV, and then when connected, does, so you would have to have a TV license.

vet8 - the way it works is....If you have ANY device that can pick up LIVE (as broadcast) programming, then you need to have a licence (this includes mobile TV if watching as live, the same with a pc watching as live)