Had a Visit from TV Licence Man

spiro

In the days of old fashions TVs they could see from their van what you are watching. That is why computer terminals in sensitive environments have special screening inside the case to stop the signal being radiated.

kaya

spiro wrote: »

In the days of old fashions TVs they could see from their van what you are watching. That is why computer terminals in sensitive environments have special screening inside the case to stop the signal being radiated.

Lol, and you claim to be an it consultant ?

giraffe69

OP admits to watching live broadcasts so needs a TV licence. The fact that it might be one programme per week or month is completely irrelevant. I certainly hope you are caught and fined as your dishonesty makes my licence more expensive.

Nilrem

kaya wrote: »

Lol, and you claim to be an it consultant ?

I'm not sure about TVL people being able to do that.
However local oscillators on old sets certainly gave off RF that was traceable with directional antenna (as is any RF signal with the right equipment*).
In the early 2000's it was demonstrated by a US researcher how you could recreate the image from a computers CRT on another completely unconnected machine in a different room by listening to the interference changes as the electron gun scanned across the screen (basically it changed slightly depending on if the pixel was light or dark).
And more recently a university student in the US did something very similar with computers using digital (LCD) displays connected through a fully digital interface (DVI).

So yet it's possible to recreate the image seen on a screen, but it's much simpler to track down the basic RF sginal emitted by the tuning circuits,
And even simpler still to just send a guy out with a clip board, and his mark 1 eyes and ears (the method TVL seem to use these days).



*Indeed the same principle has been used in Aircraft navigation since Amelia Earhart's days, and is also used to locate things like pirate radio stations, and devices that are faulty and affecting the radio systems used by the police etc (a few years ago a faulty plasma set in Aus started emitting on the rescue beacon frequency - the only thing that stopped a full rescue operation being launched was the fact they were able to tell it was on shore very quickly).

AllSpent

At least you've got clean fish.

blueoctober_uk

Hi, when the guy next calls round from capita do not engage him in any kind of conversation. The fact is, if Capita TV Licensing visit you at home, watching/recording live or not, innocent or guilty, do not talk to them except to tell them you are not obliged to talk to them. At best, ask them what evidence they have that you are breaking the law.

You will almost certainly get a non-committal answer as they try to probe you with more questions so they can find an excuse to interview you under caution, stitch you up and prosecute you. Do not answer any of those questions. You have no reason to. You do not have any legal representative standing there to advise you, contrary to what Capita TV Licensing and the BBC and contrary to the absolute rubbish that is recited as a caution your silence can never be used against you.

In my opinion it is an illegal "tax" and we should all stand united in our refusal to pay.

Also, look into withdrawing capita's assumed rights of access to your home address. This basically stops them coming onto your property.

Blue_uk

Gordon_Hose

You could have watched your friend on BGT via ITV player, surely? Then you wouldn't have had to lie.

Either a very bad liar, or a troll.

marcowil

spiro wrote: »

In the days of old fashions TVs they could see from their van what you are watching. That is why computer terminals in sensitive environments have special screening inside the case to stop the signal being radiated.

Load of nonsense

almillar

When you say you watch things after they've been broadcast - do you mean you've recorded them, or watch them online?
Watching recordings still needs a Licence.

Cornucopia

Watching catchup-up services online - this does not require a licence.