TV Licence - No TV

esuhl

Dr.Shoe wrote: »

Actually this is not true.

You are not paying to watch live broadcasts you are paying a licence to own the equipment for doing so. Therefore if your TV is designed to pick up live broadcasts you need a licence whether you actually watch it or not.

Moreover, if you have any sort of internet connection in your home you will also need to buy a licence as you own eqiopment that is capable of viewing live streaming.

Erm... that's categorically untrue. You need a licence to watch (not just have the ability to watch) or record broadcast TV. You can legally have a TV plugged in, connected to an aerial, with all the channel presets tuned in, but until you turn it on and watch it, you don't need a licence.

snaffler

Modern TV is utter dross, the thing is they have let the general public on TV which means it is all amateur cheap dross, no money is invested in having professional people on TV.

My partner watches TV I watch DVDs which I have purchased that contain old TV I enjoy I am big fan of old comedy and films none of which are broadcast on TV, unless you wish to go down the road of buying for your TV and I would rather stick hot pins in my eyes ;0) that support Branson's or Murdoch's empires.

The thing is with DVD sets you enjoy you control them unlike TV that controls you and tells you when to watch it, this why so many people revolve there lives around the idiot box.

Forum poster "Karate Dragon" is spot on there is a big world out there get out and live it past the TV screen live reality you only get one chance to do so. Radio is brilliant DAB and Net Radio so much choice now.

I save my DVDs for the winter months and in summers it's Mountain Biking, Power Kites, Beach Trips, Fire Juggling, Festivals, Walks, Games & much much more.

TV is also linked to depression I have done many years of research on this speaking as a person who has recovered from depression I do know what I am talking about as I done an awful lot of self help.

You can own a TV to watch DVDs or play on your Wii or something but don't plug an Aerial into it simple.

Enjoy Life

Dreamnine

I got rid of my TV - the last thing I watched was Andy Murray's loss in the Australian Tennis Open.

Life is too short to watch TV.

boliston

Dr.Shoe wrote: »

Actually this is not true.

You are not paying to watch live broadcasts you are paying a licence to own the equipment for doing so. Therefore if your TV is designed to pick up live broadcasts you need a licence whether you actually watch it or not.

Moreover, if you have any sort of internet connection in your home you will also need to buy a licence as you own eqiopment that is capable of viewing live streaming.

This is an urban myth

joyfull

I ditched the TV years ago & life just kind of opened up & relaxed. Radio 4 is great.

I got really incensed when, at the beginning the TV license letters came regularly practically accusing me of lying & threatening imminent visits etc. I ended up phoning them & politely & firmly explaining my situation & invited them to come & look for themselves. The letters have pretty much stopped.

As others have stated, it's watching stuff live that requires a license & that includes the internet as far as I understand.

ret_2

I had a different problem with TV Licensing concerning buying a new licence after being abroad for several weeks during which my previous licence expired on 31 Dec. 2009. I paid for a new licence at my local Post Office PayPoint counter on 1 Feb. 2010 stressing that I had just returned from severak weeks abroad and wanted my new licence to expire on 31 Jan. 2011. This was done and I was given a receipt with the correct expiry date on.
A couple of days later I received an e-mail from TVL inviting me to view my new licence on-line. I did this and was horrified to see that the expiry date had been changed to 31 Dec.2010. I phoned TVL on 0117-302-1838 (from saynoto0870.com) and finally managed to speak to a real person, explained the problem but she was unable to help. She said that I had to write to TVL. Rather than spend time writing and spending a fortune on a stamp, I went on TVL's web site where you can send them a message.
I received a letter from TVL stating that 'my new licence was dated to expire on the last day of January 2011 rather than 12 months from the expiry of my previous licence. In most cases when a licence is bought, the need for a licence is unbroken and the expiry date of the new licence stays the same. In some cases however, a new licence bears a different expiry date from the one it has replaced. Often the gap in licensing is the result of a simple error either by the customer or the outlet issuing the licence. That is why we change the expiry date of the licence, unless we have been told that there was a reason for the difference. I am therefore writing to inform you that the expiry date of your licence has been changed. It will now expire on the last day of December 2010. As agents of the Licensing Authority, we are given powers to do this under the Communications Act 2003. If there is a reason why your new licence had a different expiry from your old one, please let me know what it is and I may be able to change it back again.'
The whole tone of this letter was bullying and one is 'guilty until proved innocent'. Having received no reply to my message after a week, I sent them another message and finally, after another week awaiting a reply, I was forced to write to them. I am now pleased to report that I finally received a reply from TVL (incorrectly dated 3 February 2010) to say that they had changed the expiry date of my new licence to 31 Jan. 2011.

musicmaker29

I have the internet, dvds, an old games consoles and..........A LIFE! ditching the TV was the best thing I ever did, the only thing's I miss are the News and my guilty pleasure (Harry Hill's TV Burp - Harry is just too funny), but theres always ITVplayer for that and plenty of ways to get news without a TV!

karatedragon

Big Cheer to those that are Telly Free! :T:T:T:T:beer:

davidlizard

Agree. Going telly free is very rewarding - I went without a TV for three years, and learnt Greek instead, and found no shortage of other worthwhile things to do rather than sitting watching rubbish with my brain in neutral. (I must confess that presently I do have a TV mainly because of nagging from my family, but that will change soon).

Anyway, what annoys me is whenever there is a post about the television licence, one of the "you must have a licence if you own a television even if you only watch DVDs" brigade always pops up. Thankfully, there are plenty of people who are aware of whether a licence is required and soon correct them, however I then see the same people on other boards after they have had the facts pointed out to them still posting the same misleading views. Clearly the message is not getting through!

redlady_1

Well, I am now 4 months TV free and seem to be more busy now than I ever was before! Everyone thinks I am nuts but I love not having a TV. However, I sense the fun is about to begin...my address has just been passed over to the "Enforcement" brigade!