tv licence - this might help

adam2484

i asked emailed tv licence about my situation. i get the telly through my computer on the uni network - i actually have a laptop and so emailed tvl about having to buy a licence. il copy and paste my email.

I said...
Subject: re tv licence

hello,

i received an email from you in which i quote;

'If you are using your laptop powered solely by its own internal batteries
to receive programmes, a licence held for your main address will cover its
use in other places. However, if you use an external power source then a
separate licence will be required.'

Does this really mean that if i watch tv (BBC, ITV, C4 and C5) on my laptop
powered off the laptop batteries then my tv licence at home will cover me?
My home address is my main address but i am in university accomodation 5
days a week.

Thanks

and then they said...

TV LICENSING
BRISTOL
BS98 1TL

Tel: 0870 243 0229
Fax: 0870 240 1187
E-Mail: tvlcsc@capita.co.uk
Our Ref: TVL852035

13/11/2006

Dear Adam

Thankyou for your enquiry.

If you are using your laptop powered solely by its own internal batteries to receive programmes, a licence held for your main address will cover your use at University. However, if you use an external power source then a separate licence will be required.

I hope this has clarified the situation.

Yours sincerely

Ruth Blaney
TV Licensing

I emailed them on tvlcsc@capita.co.uk

Hope that helps somebody!

Darksun

Do you have a TV card on your laptop that's picking up signals, or are you actually streaming the video over the network.

If you're (legally) streaming TV over the internet, the situation is in even more doubt. Currently TV licenses are required for equipment capable of receiving television broadcasts, and not things streamed across the internet. The TVLA claim that if you're streaming anything over the internet that's synchronised with normal TV broadcasts, you need a license, but this has not yet (to my knowledge) been proved in law.

adam2484

its kind of legally being streamed.

The uni of lpool has a program called freewire that you can download and install and then get digital tv.

Excellent quality

Hannah111

Out of curiosity, how would they know if ur using it off your battery or not? If you watch it when you have a full battery and not on charge then you obviously dont have to pay, but I'd keep hold of the email just to back yourself up if they ask you to pay at a later date.

adam2484

Hannah111 wrote:

Out of curiosity, how would they know if ur using it off your battery or not? If you watch it when you have a full battery and not on charge then you obviously dont have to pay, but I'd keep hold of the email just to back yourself up if they ask you to pay at a later date.

precisely...