TV Licence article Discussion

castle96

My smart tv doesn't have a terrestial arial plugged into it (so no 'live' TV available). But the sky box 'could' give live TV,, not just catch up. This could be a problem if entry were gained ?

cw18

I'm confused as to why you need the Sky box if you have a Smart TV and won't be watching live TV. Are the catch-up channels via the box more than you can get directly to your TV without it?

I have a Smart TV with no reception equipement of any type plugged into it (other than an ethernet cable so I can use Netflix, though I believe I could in theory watch live TV this way as well), and I can receive iPlayer and such just fine. I can also get the non-live Sky films and TV boxsets for a subscription fee (which is ridiculously high for the choice IMO, so has only been used for a free 3 month trial of the film side).

Cornucopia

cw18 wrote: »

I'm confused as to why you need the Sky box if you have a Smart TV and won't be watching live TV. Are the catch-up channels via the box more than you can get directly to your TV without it?

Sky claim to have the widest selection of Catch-up services.

castle96 wrote: »

My smart tv doesn't have a terrestial arial plugged into it (so no 'live' TV available). But the sky box 'could' give live TV,, not just catch up. This could be a problem if entry were gained ?

Having a Sky box without a TV Licence is problematic, because the box is constantly receiving live TV when it's switched on, whether you are watching it or not.

Sky boxes also used to automatically record items for the Red button service, but I'm not sure if they still do that.

deadhandle

Cornucopia wrote: »

Having a Sky box without a TV Licence is problematic, because the box is constantly receiving live TV when it's switched on, whether you are watching it or not.

The TV Licence guide that comes with the demand letters say - in BIG BOLD TEXT -
" You need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programs as they're being shown on TV"

So, no problem if the TV is off but the Sky box is on, but illegal if you record but never watch the DVD.

enfield_freddy

castle96 wrote: »

Interesting thread, but still not sure if you could 'get away' with no licence....

Have just bought a smart TV (so they have my address)
Just got licence renewal
I have a sky dish and 'ordinary' ariel virtually over the front door.

My answer would be (when the friendly man comes, after all the threatening letters) ....

"I only use the TV for gaming, computer moniter and catch up TV"

As I don't let the guy in, and their van (if there is one), either cannot detect a live signal, or they would not use the evidence in court, they would be none the wiser (true ??)

I will of course be watching live TV

the rules for a shop filling a form in and sending to the licence people were scrapped about 5-10 yrs ago


I still work omn the theory that the vans , just drove around estates and people rushed to buy a licence the day after.


many years ago the old TVs gave out radiation , and indeed a huge glow behind the curtains , to my knowledge , and I would like to be informed if wrong


the BBC / capita have never yet used evidence in 40-50 yrs gleened from a detector van.

Cornucopia

deadhandle wrote: »

The TV Licence guide that comes with the demand letters say - in BIG BOLD TEXT -
" You need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programs as they're being shown on TV"

That's the basis of the Law, but not an accurate statement of it.

As a consequence of that, I would strongly suggest that people who wish to be Legally Licence Free do not have a Sky box installed for the reasons stated above.

I'm trying to provide useful, general advice that won't see people having to quibble over petty detail with TVL or the Courts.

Overall, I think either Youview or Chromecast are the best options for LLF households wanting to access Catch-up and Video-on-Demand services. Given that Chromecast costs around £30, I would highly recommend replacing a Sky box with it. You can subscribe to Sky Entertainment services via Now TV on Chromecast for £7 per month, so there is money to be saved, as well.

In what is likely to be the final countdown for the Licence Fee, I'm not nearly as interested in picking over the detail as I might have been in the past, because it will probably turn out to be a waste of time, as it all gets brushed aside or changed beyond recognition.

Cornucopia

enfield_freddy wrote: »

the BBC / capita have never yet used evidence in 40-50 yrs gleened from a detector van.

The BBC has confirmed in an FOI response, that information gathered using detection equipment has NEVER been used in Court proceedings.

They claim that it can be used in Search Warrant applications, but we know that they are very, very rare. It's estimated that you are 350 times more likely to be burgled than to receive a TVL search warrant (in England, Wales and NI). There are no Search Warrants for TVL in Scotland.

cw18

enfield_freddy wrote: »

the rules for a shop filling a form in and sending to the licence people were scrapped about 5-10 yrs ago

I bought a TV on 30th July 2012, and they were informed of that purchase - so if the rules have changed it's less than 3 years ago.

I'd already cancelled my licence, so they wrote to check if I now needed one - nipped on-line and confirmed I didn't, and the next communication from them was a letter a couple of years later just to ask me to re-confirm again (which they do state they'll do every 2 years).

cw18

I'm one of the former, and have NEVER had any hassle due to cancelling my licence - not even when they've been informed of three individual TV purchases since then.

I have no sympathy for anyone falling into the latter group who gets caught, and can't help feeling that if it weren't for those people they may not be trying to change the rules such that every household (or at least those with an internet connection, which I believe will become the criteria) has to pay. My OH said he's seen something in the news about it not being a full £145 "contribution", but I've not managed to track down the details on line. If it's true, I'll then have to decide whether it's worth paying the difference in order to be able to enable my aerial again or not. (If the contribution is £20-30 then no, but if it's £100 then maybe.)

Cornucopia

cw18 wrote: »

I bought a TV on 30th July 2012, and they were informed of that purchase - so if the rules have changed it's less than 3 years ago.

Correct. I believe it was July 2013.

I'd already cancelled my licence, so they wrote to check if I now needed one - nipped on-line and confirmed I didn't, and the next communication from them was a letter a couple of years later just to ask me to re-confirm again (which they do state they'll do every 2 years).

That's the process they say they'll use. Though they also say they may call round to check. (They don't have a legal right of entry, though, so you can ignore them or tell them to go away).