Improve my understanding of live TV vs Catch Up/ On Demand

Tokmon

pbartlett said:

If you are not watching it live (ie as it is being broadcast) then it is not live

For example, if you wind back Sky news to 2 weeks ago it's not live. One day ago - it's not live. One hour ago - it's not live. In fact you could argue if you wind it back 1 millisecond ago it's not live either.

Live means 'as it is being broadcast';

Using that logic nothing is broadcast live because a delay of several thousand milliseconds between the event happening and it arriving on someone's TV is about the best you will get with any live broadcast. 

Cornucopia

The whole concept of "live" is a misleading misnomer.

In reality, something is either broadcast (in which case a Licence is required) or it is video-on-demand (in which case a Licence is not required (other than BBC TV on iPlayer)).

pphillips

pbartlett said:

If you are not watching it live (ie as it is being broadcast) then it is not live

For example, if you wind back Sky news to 2 weeks ago it's not live. One day ago - it's not live. One hour ago - it's not live. In fact you could argue if you wind it back 1 millisecond ago it's not live either.

Live means 'as it is being broadcast';

The legislation defines when a TV licence is required, see particularly the wording I've highlighted:

PART 3 Definitions for the purposes of the Communications Act 2003 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967

Meaning of “television receiver”

9.—(1) In Part 4 of the Act (licensing of TV reception), “television receiver” means any apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving (whether by means of wireless telegraphy or otherwise) any television programme service, whether or not it is installed or used for any other purpose.

(2) In this regulation, any reference to receiving a television programme service includes a reference to receiving by any means any programme included in that service, where that programme is received at the same time (or virtually the same time) as it is received by members of the public by virtue of its being broadcast or distributed as part of that service.

Cornucopia

Exactly - "virtually the same time".  

There are various exemptions to the requirements for a TV Licence.   But this (tiny transmission delays) is not one of them.     Winding back the broadcast stream is not exactly practical, either.