TV licences

poppasmurf_bewdley

Cornucopia wrote: »

The BBC under Greg Dyke gerrymandered the Freeview specification to inhibit a future move to card-based subscription.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/sep/17/broadcasting.digitaltv

That 11 year old article has been largely superseded now because most Freeview TV viewing is through TV sets which incorporate both Freeview AND a smart card slot. And as I pointed out above, the lack of a smart card slot is overcome by the simple addition of a card reader of the type pioneered by Sky in 1990/91.

Cornucopia

I don't doubt that it's technically possible. The question is who should pay?

spenderdave

My Samsung does have a slot for a memory card, I have not investigated what I could do with it. Similarly it CAN connect to the internet, but I have not bothered to do that either. Most people will still use a TV in the way they have always done, connected to an aerial, even though stacks of the current ones can also do smart things.

gjchester

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

That 11 year old article has been largely superseded now because most Freeview TV viewing is through TV sets which incorporate both Freeview AND a smart card slot.

No they don't


FreeSAT system tend to have the ability to take a smart card, or at least a CAM module you can put a smart card reader in.


Almost all freeVIEW only systems will not.


Its down to cost, a card reader may only be a few pence to install but as its not currently required for Freeview and with the demise of Top Up Tv not in use by anyone for Freeview they simple save a few pence and don't install it.

almillar

Thanks for the info - Yes, there are 'stacks' (lots) of devices without a slot, and there's something about the BBC having to be 'universally available' and not being allowed to be encrypted, hence no need for smart cards for decryption on Freeview boxes.
That makes it very difficult to lock up the BBC content to only subscribers, without writing off loads of perfectly good equipment. Remember the fuss about people having to buy freeview boxes? Having to buy an HD box for their HD TV?
I think we're all quite techy on here just to be talking about such things - let's not just get stuck in our little bubble!

Bigphil1474

There are quite a few channels on freeview that require you to enter a pin for viewing (don't subscribe so not sure how it works), so why not BBC. I have Sky Now and Amazon Prime through my TV and both require a login which I have through subscribing. I-player could easily go down that route. I think with Sky Now you can watch through about 3 or 4 devices anyway.
Having said that, I'd prefer to keep the TV license. I can't see it being anything other than more expensive if BBC was to go subscription. Rough figures - Amazon Prime£6 pm?, Sky Now movies £8 p/m, Sky now entertainment £6 pm? Netflix etc. I'm quite happy paying £12 for all the BBC services I enjoy, but I do think they need to sort out what your license pays for and what it doesn't - if your license doesn't go towards certain channels, why should you have to have a license watch those channels - make it a license to watch 'license funded TV', rather than a license to watch any TV.

Cornucopia

There are all sorts of ways around this issue. And I would remind everybody that it is an issue that the BBC arranged specifically to create this very problem.

Personally, I think it would be a very flexible approach to have two versions of BBC1: one with ads, and one without, which would require subscription. The one with ads could be carried on Freeview and Freesat, and both of them could be carried on platforms that support encryption/subscription (which would include Sky, VM, BT TV, Talktalk Youview, and Internet).

That would give people the optimum choice of BBC or no BBC, ads or subscription.

By not making it fully ad-funded, the idea would be to reduce the competition with existing commercial media.

BBC-Died-in-1980

True, especially if the adverts were just at the start & end of the Program - the Encrypted one could run plugs for other progs or have a short cartoon :rotfl:

UKParliament

Hi MSEs,

Today at approximately 12.30pm, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, John Whittingdale, will make a statement on the BBC charter review.

Watch the statement live or via catch-up on Parliament TV.

The House of Commons Library have produced a paper on the BBC Charter renewal.

BBC Charter renewal

UKParliament

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the comments in this thread!

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee have now launched an inquiry into the BBC Charter Review and they want to hear your thoughts.

The particular areas they want your thoughts on are:

- The argument that the BBC should become smaller and more focused on a narrower, core set of broadcasting and online services

- The effectiveness of public consultation on BBC services and content choices to meet the needs of audiences, and how these consultation mechanisms might be strengthened

- The possible scaling back of BBC production capabilities and any impact this would have on content overall, and on free-to-air content

- The possible replacement of the licence fee with a universal household levy; and a longer-term possibility of a move to a degree of subscription for BBC services

- The recently published Perry review into TV licence enforcement

- The process for setting the level of funding for public service broadcasting and the availability of funds offered on a contestable basis to others for the production of PSB content

- The substance and process of the financial settlement so far announced, including the withdrawal of the broadband top-slice and the transfer of responsibility for covering the cost of free TV licences for over 75s to the BBC from 2018

- The position of BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial arm, and the suggestion that it might be reformed or sold

- The governance of the BBC and mechanisms for holding the Corporation to account for the public money it receives and spends in line with the expectations of those who fund it

- The BBC’s own organisation and management

- The balance of national and regional investment and spending by the BBC

- The importance of the BBC’s role in training and technical innovation and its support to the UK creative economy overall

- The wider relationship between the BBC, the general public and Parliament

Find out how you can send you thoughts to the Committee