Do I need to buy a license if I dont terrestrial TV?

Cornucopia

What you can watch without a TV Licence:-

Free services:-

- All 4 (C4/E4/More4/4-7 catch-up + Walter Presents boxsets)
- ITV Hub (ITV1/ITV2/ITV3/ITV4/etc. catch-up)
- Demand 5/My 5 (C5/5 Spike/5 Star/5 USA/milkshake catch-up)
- UKTV Play (Drama, Dave, Really, Yesterday catch-up)
- Youtube (everything except streams that mirror broadcast channels e.g. Sky News "Watch Sky News Live")

Pay services:-

- Amazon Prime Video
- Netflix
- Now TV (catch-up, box-sets only, not broadcast streams)


What hardware is required depends on the hardware you already have, including any smart capabilities of the TV.

Adly812

I’m confused, so if your tv has built in free view, but you don’t watch freeview and only watch amazon prime video or Netflix then you don’t need the liscense

Cornucopia

Smb3088 wrote: »

...so if your tv has built in free view, but you don’t watch freeview and only watch amazon prime video or Netflix then you don’t need the liscense

Correct.

Ideally detach the aerial lead, if there is one, and detune the TV channels.

(The Licence is a licence to receive TV broadcasts, not for ownership of a TV set).

thefirs

There's a useful recent article from Jack Schofield setting ut how you can legally watch without a licence. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2019/feb/21/how-can-i-avoid-paying-a-tv-licence-fee

If you've got the determination to really do it, that is. Personally I think we get terrific value from the BBC despite the long term movement to undermine it and am happy to pay.

Cornucopia

thefirs wrote: »

There's a useful recent article from Jack Schofield setting ut how you can legally watch without a licence. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2019/feb/21/how-can-i-avoid-paying-a-tv-licence-fee

It's good to see the MSM covering this, but that article isn't great. The MSE one is much better - both clearer and avoiding some of the classic pitfalls of misinformation. (Well it would be, wouldn't it?)

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

This issue is hard for the mainstream media, though, and I suspect that they get little assistance from TV Licensing/the BBC in putting out accurate information.

If you've got the determination to really do it, that is. Personally I think we get terrific value from the BBC despite the long term movement to undermine it and am happy to pay.

I think there are some commercial competitors who would prefer the BBC to be less... well... competitive, there are a few individuals in the industry who comment against various aspects of the BBC's operations and there is a community of people concerned about TV Licensing whose issues are well-documented and well-founded. But I don't see it as a "movement", unless I've missed something.

[Deleted User]

Cornucopia wrote: »

Quote:

If you've got the determination to really do it, that is. Personally I think we get terrific value from the BBC despite the long term movement to undermine it and am happy to pay.

I think there are some commercial competitors who would prefer the BBC to be less... well... competitive, there are a few individuals in the industry who comment against various aspects of the BBC's operations and there is a community of people concerned about TV Licensing whose issues are well-documented and well-founded. But I don't see it as a "movement", unless I've missed something.

Given todays news that the BBC & ITV are collaborating on a paid subscription streaming service for:-

The new venture is not intended to replace the BBC's iPlayer or the ITV Hub and is expected to have box sets from the BBC and ITV archives with some new commissions.

then I suspect the content and therefore value of the BBC live shows and the iPlayer (and The Hub) will significantly dive. They're not going to launch Britbox with ancient shows that no one will pay for. All of the best catch-up will migrate to it and new shows will be on there first, long before you get a chance to view it for free. The BBC TV license is looking less and less worth it's fee.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47383559

Cornucopia

This is the fundamental problem with the BBC being involved with commercial activities within the UK: just how does it fairly serve its Licence Fee Payer funders whilst at the same time developing its commercial audiences.

There's not just Britbox to be accommodated within the model, but the transition to full ownership of the 7 UKTV channels that it has acquired recently.

I wonder if the ultimate motive of the BBC in making this land-grab for commercial activities is to ensure its own long-term survival irrespective of the Public's and Government's future attitudes to the Licence Fee and public service broadcasting in general.

lassfarfromhome

The assumptions TV Licensing make about how people watch tv seem so out of date to me. They seem to be forever stuck in the late 1990s.

Also, I cannot understand why they haven't found a way to make viewing live TV or anything on iplayer, which, so far as I understand it are the only things you need a licence for, impossible without a valid licence. It must be so inefficient sending out a scattergun of letters and enforcement officers (if these even exist).

JJ_Egan

lassfarfromhome wrote: »

The assumptions TV Licensing make about how people watch tv seem so out of date to me. They seem to be forever stuck in the late 1990s.

Also, I cannot understand why they haven't found a way to make viewing live TV or anything on iplayer, which, so far as I understand it are the only things you need a licence for, impossible without a valid licence. It must be so inefficient sending out a scattergun of letters and enforcement officers (if these even exist).

Live TV comes down an airial cannot see how they can police signals in the sky .
BBC IPlayer does ask you to register now .


Officers certainly not officers but plenty get a door knocked.
Courts deal with a fair number per annum as well .

Swipe

Will the new Britbox service still require a licence like iPlayer?