We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Is a TV licence needed?
Comments
-
LittleMissAspie wrote: »If she de-tunes it she won't have to pay.
"You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, set-top boxes, video or DVD recorders, computers or mobile phones to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown on TV."
That simply is not the case, de-tuning a TV does not preclude the need for a TV Licence.0 -
Do I need a licence if I haven't got a TV and I watch telly on my laptop?
The law requires everyone, including students, to be covered by a licence if they use any device to receive television programmes as they're being shown on TV. This includes any TV set, DVD or video recorder, digital box, PC, laptop or mobile phone.
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/index.jsp
What if I only use a TV to watch videos/DVDs/as a monitor for my games console? Do I still need a licence?
You need to notify us in writing that this is the case and one of our Enforcement Officers may need to visit you to confirm that you do not need a licence.
Please write to us including your name, address and the reason you believe that you don't need a licence at:
TV Licensing
Bristol
BS98 1TL
What happens if I don't have a TV Licence?
Using a TV or any other device to receive or record TV programmes (for example, a VCR, set-top box, DVD recorder or PC with a broadcast card) without a valid TV Licence is against the law and could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000, not to mention the embarrassment and hassle of a court appearance.
(All from the TV licensing website.)
Incidentally if you buy a TV from Tesco and use your Clubcard, they automatically inform NTVLRO that you have a TV at your home address, even if you bought it as a gift for someone else. When I challenged Tesco they said they have a legal duty to do so.
Whether you are pro- or anti- licence fees, these are the conditions outlined on the TV licensing website. It says on the back of my licence that you don't have to let their officers in without a search warrant.
Charis
PS: BBC are planning to broadcast up to 200 free to view channels (including many now available through Freeview and Sky). The current launch date is April 2008. :j The service is called FreeSat. The catch is that no one is yet manufacturing the digiboxes capable of receiving the signal.However we will be able to use our existing Sky satellite dishes as the satellite BBC will use is in in the same vicinity. :T A friend who is a radio/TV expert told me last week.
0 -
you definitely DON'T need a licence if you're only using your telly for games & DVDs
I was in this situation a couple of years ago, I told TVLA & they said it was ok, but that they'd send someone round to check ... they never did, which shows how interested they were :rolleyes:
I took the precaution of de-tuning the telly & disconnecting the ariel, but I've since learned you don't even have to do that
what amazes me is the amount of disinformation that's going around about TV licensing0 -
Show us a link where it states that categorically.
thanked you by mistake, stupid post-Hogmanay fingers ... but ANYway ...
I don't need to post a link to prove it, I did it ... I lived for two years only using my telly for games & DVDs, I wrote to TVLA & told them, they wrote back to say that's fine, & they'd send somone to check, but they never did come round
there are links about it on another similar thread ... I'll have a look for it later & post them for you0 -
Show us a link where it states that categorically.
You guys are obsessed with giving dis-information because your scared of loosing public subsidises which go towards your entertainment. People this like tend to be left wingers or have a connection with the BBCQ What if I only watch videos? If a television or video recorder (VCR) can receive signals, then you need a licence. However, you don't need a licence if the equipment is not connected to an aerial, satellite receiver or cable and you only use it to watch pre-recorded tapes. This sometimes happens in schools and colleges.
I prey for the day your forced to fund the Biased Broadcasting Cooperation without everyone else being forced to help you0 -
I was sure you needed a tv licence to watch anything that is on live tv.
The reason why I'm thinking this, is because when the football world cup was on and people were working in offices, I'm sure TV Licensing said everyone in offices needed a license to watch the live video stream on the bbc's website.
I guess that's covered by this:
From: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/students.jsp
"It makes no difference how you watch telly - whether it's on your laptop, PC or mobile phone or through a digital box, DVD recorder or good old-fashioned TV set - if you use any device to receive television programmes as they're being shown on TV, the law requires you to be covered by a licence."
That would also rule out any use of 4od or iplayer, as they are recorded "as they're being shown on tv". A dvd version of the same programme would be fine as long as it wasn't recorded off the tv I guess.
I thought that it was worded as any equipment "capable" of picking up tv signals - not just if they actually could from that side of the room.
It looks like not though - from my interpretation of what I can find on the Tv Licensing website, I'd say she's ok - it says you need a license to watch tv. If she can't, I wouldn't see why she should have to pay for a license.
*An important thing to remember - you're not under any obligation to let tv license inspectors into your house. They're not the police - they've got no more rights than anyone else to come in and snoop around. Tell them where to go.
Note: I have no issue with the license fee by the way. BBC News online is very good, news24, local radio, radio 1-6, there are some good shows on bbc4 and bbc2. All paid for by the license fee. Its better value for money than say.. Sky. I paid for that for years before I realised it was just endless repeats and quiz/!!!!!! channels. I'd struggle to find 4 pay-for Sky channels I miss on a regular basis. A lot of other countries have license fees and some are higher than ours.
And no I don't work for the BBC. I have done in a low capacity - on/off and found it a lovely place to work though.0 -
From what i remember,you dont need a licence even if you own the equipment if you do not actually receive the TV programmes using it.
For years we had an old TV that was never tuned in to the tv channels or even connected to an aeriel and only watched Video tapes hired from the library which we played on a Video recorder that no longer received TV signals.
At uni you can watch a battery operated TV as it is covered by your own household TV licence but must pay for one if you are 'receiveing' a TV signal to watch programmes on a TV connected to the mains0 -
Check out "whitedot.org"
I lived without a TV licence for three years, even admitted to the TV Licencing peeps that I didn't have a licence.
But then again I didn't have a TV either...
The kind people from TV Licencing sent me lots of lovely letters threatening me with lots of nasty things if I didn't buy a licence and was using a telly, and offered to come round and check, every six months, that I really didn't have a TV when it finally got through their thick skulls that I had told them I didn't have a TV. Innocent till proven guilty? Not.
AFAIK (but please check at whitedot) you can use a TV for games, etc as long as it cannot receive a transmitted TV signal. So you need a sparky to remove the relevant parts if a TV is going to be used. Just because your daughter cannot get a signal is unfortunately no defence (in the eyes of TV Licencing).
All the best,
Eph.If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got.
0 -
AFAIK (but please check at whitedot) you can use a TV for games, etc as long as it cannot receive a transmitted TV signal. So you need a sparky to remove the relevant parts if a TV is going to be used. Just because your daughter cannot get a signal is unfortunately no defence (in the eyes of TV Licencing).
All the best,
Eph.
TV Licensing are not the law their just a bunch of thugs contracted by the BBC (Capita)
The actual law states you need to receive a live signal so the pro BBC lot go lie until their blue in the face but the law is the law0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.2K Spending & Discounts
- 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 258.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards