TV Licence article Discussion

Cornucopia

This is Northern Ireland - completely different rules.

The titles on the video are not legally accurate, AFAIK.

Like I said, people need to exercise care, especially if they think they know the law better than TVL/Police.

As a general point, I would recommend not taking TVL Warrant videos too seriously. There are so few Warrants that the tiny fraction of the tiny fraction that make it on to Youtube are not very representative of anything.

Blue_Max

DavidP24 wrote: »

There is a simple thing you can do to disable your TV from receiving live broadcasts, open up the back cover, look where the aerial plugs in and you will see a tuner module, there is usually a cable from that going to another PCB or part of a PCB, just gently unplug that cable. Then put back on and test with aerial, then if a smart TV disable iplayer or even the web, setting DNS to 10.10.10.10 will prevent it finding anything.

Do not install iPlayer, remove iPlayer on any devices it came pre-installed on.

DO NOT ENGAGE.

Good advice David, "DO NOT ENGAGE"
I have copied and pasted for reference

Problem is that some Youtubers are angry and irrational and enjoy playing 'Citizen Smith'

There are simple attenuators that hi-fi enthusiasts plug into unused inputs of amplifiers to prevent RF and other airborne signals leaking in.
Rather than making disconnections inside the TV, is there some sort of an attenuator than can be plugged into the aerial socket?

About the videos that you posted, anyway of knowing the final outcome?

I keep getting letters even after I informed them through their website.

Would it not be better to let in the TCL person, at the first visit itself?
So that they can inspect to make sure that the TV can not receive live broadcast?

Cornucopia

Blue_Max wrote: »

Problem is that some Youtubers are angry and irrational and enjoy playing 'Citizen Smith'

I should say that a number of those people subscribe to an alternative interpretation of law known as Freeman on the Land (FMOTL). IANAL, but to me it is nonsense.

It seems like this relatively small group is disproportionately represented in recent TVL Warrants, presumably because the TVL operatives lack any form of humour and cannot see that querying the nature of the law is not actually a declaration of non-compliance with it.

There are simple attenuators that hi-fi enthusiasts plug into unused inputs of amplifiers to prevent RF and other airborne signals leaking in.

Rather than making disconnections inside the TV, is there some sort of an attenuator than can be plugged into the aerial socket?

I don't recommend making any alterations to equipment such as that suggested by DavidP24. It's simply unnecessary. I do recommend detuning equipment, ensuring any aerial leads are out of reach, and blocking iPlayer URLs on the Router or ISP account.

I'm not aware of these attenuators, and I'm not sure that they would have the desired effect, anyway.

I keep getting letters even after I informed them through their website.

Yes, that happens. They are incompetent on top of everything else.

Would it not be better to let in the TCL person, at the first visit itself? So that they can inspect to make sure that the TV can not receive live broadcast?

They really aren't interested in examining equipment. What they want is access to you in order to sell you a Licence or take you through their legally non-compliant Interview under Caution process. They will also probably argue that whatever minimal capability you have for accessing TV requires a Licence.

I STRONGLY recommend that you do not grant them entry. Certainly, do not answer any questions about your viewing habits (you can invite them to explain what kinds of configuration do not require a Licence). Do not accept a Caution before Interview - PACE Code C S3.22 provides that you can decline to be interviewed, and if you do, they must leave the premises. Above all, never sign anything.

davemorton

Strange one for me (perhaps not to the experts on here) but I have had all the letters before, addressed to 'the occupier', but the latest letter I have had has had my name on. Is this usual?

Cornucopia

davemorton wrote: »

Strange one for me (perhaps not to the experts on here) but I have had all the letters before, addressed to 'the occupier', but the latest letter I have had has had my name on. Is this usual?

TVL seems to have acquired some name data from somewhere (most likely a commercial marketing source). They are using these to provide named "Threatogram" letters to unlicensed households.

It's too early to tell whether this is a one-off or will continue like this.

It is a "data only" exercise, though, and has no practical relevance or implications.

wymondham

Sorry if this has been answered in the thread but I just wondered as TV's now are 'smart' TVs and able to get broadcasts via the web is the whole 'unplug the aerial' idea a bit redundant?

Blue_Max

wymondham wrote: »

Sorry if this has been answered in the thread but I just wondered as TV's now are 'smart' TVs and able to get broadcasts via the web is the whole 'unplug the aerial' idea a bit redundant?

You can detune a smart TV.
Auto tune with the aerial disconnected. It will find no channels.
You can leave it like that or retune, after you buy a license or decide to sell your smart TV.

For analog, keep the aerial connected when de-tuning.
Make sure all the channels are de-tuned before disconnecting the aerial.

Cornucopia

I realise how hard it is not to read TVL's letters as being literally true (or at least somewhere in the ball-park of the truth). But unfortunately, that's not the case. There is no "magic visit" and there will never come a time under the present regime when they do not take an interest in virtually every unlicensed address, even if you've fulfilled their every whim.

Subject to certain legal niceties, they seek out contact with unlicensed households for the entire time that they are unlicensed.

They make nearly 4 million attempted house calls a year - every year.

Cornucopia

wymondham wrote: »

Sorry if this has been answered in the thread but I just wondered as TV's now are 'smart' TVs and able to get broadcasts via the web is the whole 'unplug the aerial' idea a bit redundant?

In what way? It's an offence to watch linear TV. The recent focus has been on iPlayer, but the original offence remains.

As I said, I recommend detuning, unplugging any aerial/satellite/cable TV connection and blocking iPlayer on the Router or ISP account. These things only take a minute or two, and once done don't have to be repeated. But, if the equipment were ever examined, they strong positive signs that the law is not being broken now or in the recent past.

Blue_Max

Cornucopia wrote: »

I'm not sure MSE Towers would want advice on breaking the law to be circulated on the forums. I certainly wouldn't want any of my advice to be used that way. The effort required these days to be Legally Licence-free is trivial, and that is the appropriate way to be unlicensed.

In any case I think you may have taken the TVL hype a little too literally. There is no one "magic visit" nor an "after they stop pursuing you". They seek out contact with unlicensed households for the entire time that they are unlicensed (subject to certain legal niceties). They make nearly 4 million attempted house calls a year - every year.

Cornucopia, you are absolutely right!
I have edited my post.
Please remove my original post that you quoted.
Thanks!