TV License Second Home 7 May 2021 at 6:52PM edited 7 May 2021 at 7:13PM in TV MoneySaving 30 replies 632 views

uk1

Hi,

We are fortunate enough to have a second home that is planned to be a retirement home but is currently rarely used.  It isn’t used by anyone else. We are currently paying for two licences but only ever watch TV in one or the other, so  I’m trying to understand what I can legally do to avoid paying a licence fee on the second home. I have a licence on my main home.

1. If I record TV programmes on a recorder in my main home and take the box to our second home and plug it into a tv and not used for any live tv other than streaming of Netflix, Prime etc - does this avoid the need for a licence? 

2. Am I right in saying that I could use my recorders apps at the second home to watch all catchup programmes BBC excepted?

3. In otherr words I can use the stb reorder to watch all catchup except BBC iplayer and all prerecorded BBC programmes on my box without a licence?

Thanks. 

Jeff

Source https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/broadband-and-tv/tv-licence/

Cornucopia

1.  Yes
2.  Yes
3.  Yes

uk1

Many thanks for such a speedy response.

There is very little live BBC content we feel the need to watch live and most of the non-BBC channels we want to watch “live” would be perfectly acceptable via catchup a little later.  Seems like I’m not losing much at all if anything.  I haven’t read any other people suggest this as an approach for second-home owners. 

Thanks again. 

uk1

Hi,

Just rereading the guide again.  It implies that I can watch live tv at my second home as long as the source is the stb tuner through the tv  and not the tv tuner directly.  Have I understood this correctly?
Thanks again ....

Jeff

Cornucopia

uk1 said:

Hi,

Just rereading the guide again.  It implies that I can watch live tv at my second home as long as the source is the stb tuner through the tv  and not the tv tuner directly.  Have I understood this correctly?
Thanks again ....

Jeff

No - you can't watch any "live" TV without a TV Licence.   Where "live" means scheduled TV broadcasts.

It doesn't matter how you receive these channels, all methods require a Licence to view (or where feasible, record).

uk1

Thanks,

Sadly, I think the answer to my questions appear to be “no, no no” unless the stb is powered by internal batteries. 

Cornucopia

uk1 said:

Thanks,

Sadly, I think the answer to my questions appear to be “no, no no” unless the stb is powered by internal batteries. 

Your original questions?   No.   The question of internal batteries is a different exemption.

The main rules are these:

You need a TV Licence to:-
- View/record scheduled TV channels received via traditional means (terrestrial, satellite or cable TV).  
- View the channels above when they are received by concurrent Internet streaming.
- View/download BBC TV programs from BBC iPlayer.

You do not need a TV Licence if you only:-
- View commercial catch-up and video-on-demand services, whether free or subscription.
- View pre-recorded material from hard drive or physical portable media.
- View self-contained CCTV/Dashcam images.
- Play videogames.
- View BBC content on streaming platforms other than iPlayer (like Youtube, Netflix, Amazon).
- Stream "live" video services that are not TV channels (like Twitch, Youtube, newspapers, radio stations).

pbartlett

as above - you need a licence to watch tv or record tv but not to playback existing recordings.

it may be acgood idea to de-tune your tv there and disconnect the aerial. However, if tvl come calling you do not have to let them in

mobileron

So who is going to catch you if you watch it,theres no such things as a detector van,you dont let anyone in,so wheres there proof.
Typre tv licence into youtube.

uk1

Thanks all.
My reading of the guide as linked in my post of para 15 is that my stb needs to be inbuilt battery powered.  Have  I misunderstood?

uk1

mobileron said:

So who is going to catch you if you watch it,theres no such things as a detector van,you dont let anyone in,so wheres there proof.
Typre tv licence into youtube.

Hi,

Can’t they check iplayer users from their ip address which will give  map coordinates?

I wonder whether iplayer detects and records what device was used?  I can legitimately view iplayer and live tv from my laptop, but can iplayer differentiate I wonder.