TV Licence article Discussion

wild666

I don't have a TV licence but if I wanted to watch something exclusive to a streaming service like Amazon or Netflix, be it sport or otherwise I would watch it. Amazon does live streams of some sports, if there was a sports event on that I wanted to watch then I would watch it live. I don't have any streaming subscriptions as they are getting too expensive, I mean £10.99 to watch Netflix and £8.99 for Amazon those two services alone are more than the monthly price of a TV licence! Add Disney plus and Paramount at £7.99 and £6.99 respectively, subscribing to all those services would cost just under £35 per month. 
I suspect that many who have these services dip in and out of them having one every few months so they can binge watch certain shows they like and not having to wait a week for a new episode.

wild666

Cornucopia said:

Krakkkers said:

I don't watch anything that requires me to have a license but i am concerned at the mention of a "media license" and these mean that everyone must pay even if you don't watch any BBC or live broadcasts, proposals include a levy on broadband contracts or even the council tax with no opportunity to opt out if you don't use the BBC.
We will get a Labour government later this year and you can bet that they will look after the BBC.

I think there are too many things happening around the BBC and the TV Licence to speculate much about the eventual outcome.   Personally, on balance, I probably want to see the current regime retained after 2027 as it will become more and more unworkable.  

I'd prefer it if the culture media and sports minister at the time said the BBC had to find another way of funding as the licence fee will be no more from 1/1/2028. 
Debt charities sometimes say that the TV licence is an essential bill and has to be paid. If I ever used one of these charities then I would put them straight and tell them it's not an essential bill at all but an optional bill that can be disregarded if I don't want to watch iPlayer or live as shown programs 

Zardust

Hi I dont have a tv but watched the bbc iplayer on another device a few times thinking it was unrelated to tv licenses, at the same time as moving into a new residence.
   Since the move I have recieved nasty letters. And recently threats of a visit at any time of day or night.
  I dont know whether to take the threats seriously or what to do if they come knocking on my door. Do they have  a legal right to enter my home or question me? .They claim to know my IP address too!
     I'd be very grateful for any advice.

Olinda99

yes you need a TV licence to watch the iPlayer. this is one of the myriad of TV licensing rules that is actually easy to understand.

yes you should have had one but it is too late for that now. what you should do is stop watching iPlayer immediately and ignore all contact from tvl. If they come to your door refuse to speak to them.

the other alternative of course is to continue watching iPlayer and buy a licence

Cornucopia

BBC/TVL send a lot of letters regarding licensing requirements.   Some people (me included) receive one every month.

Mostly they are full of dubious claims and hollow threats.   The chances of getting a visit from them are relatively small (165 staff to cover several million unlicensed addresses).   If they do turn up, you do not have to speak with them, nor defend any suggestions they might make that you could have evaded the Licence.   Do not sign any of their paperwork under any circumstances.   They don't have a right of entry on those routine visits.   Your IP address is probably of no value to them - that's not how they go about building cases against people.

But, please do buy a Licence if you need one.

castle96

"Your IP address is probably of no value to them "

but it is of NO use is it? When I kook at mine, I may be in the same street, same town, or even a different island!

Cornucopia

castle96 said:

"Your IP address is probably of no value to them "

but it is of NO use is it? When I kook at mine, I may be in the same street, same town, or even a different island!

Their main way of making an evasion case is by extracting a confession from a householder under dubious circumstances.   IP addresses aren't involved in that process.

The problem with an IP address from their POV is that it doesn't provide the name of the alleged evader, and obtaining a street address might well require a Court Order.

CompulsiveSaver

Can I check my understanding on this:

• I don't watch the BBC (the only program I actually miss in the weather), I also don't watch any other terrestrial TV stations, although most of the others are better than the BBC, most of it is repeats!
• I occasionally stream things; Disney plus, Sky Movies etc, all on-demand streaming.
• I never watch iplayer.
• I occasionally watch things on Youtube, but nothing is live, but some it might be BBC originally (several years ago).
• I have a TV licence, but do I need to? please explain why so I have a clear understanding?
• No doubt. the BBC will change the requirements next year when more people realise they don't need it...

Thanks

Cornucopia

CompulsiveSaver said:

Can I check my understanding on this:

• I don't watch the BBC (the only program I actually miss in the weather), I also don't watch any other terrestrial TV stations, although most of the others are better than the BBC, most of it is repeats!
• I occasionally stream things; Disney plus, Sky Movies etc, all on-demand streaming.
• I never watch iplayer.
• I occasionally watch things on Youtube, but nothing is live, but some it might be BBC originally (several years ago).
• I have a TV licence, but do I need to? please explain why so I have a clear understanding?
• No doubt. the BBC will change the requirements next year when more people realise they don't need it...

Thanks

You need a Licence to watch/record all TV broadcasts, or BBC TV programs via iPlayer.

If you're only watching commercial on-demand content, you don't need a Licence for that.  The only Youtube content that requires a Licence are parallel live streams to TV broadcasts.  e.g. Sky News.   You can watch old BBC content via any commercial on-demand service (even UKTV Play, which is owned by the BBC).

There are no immediate plans to change the rules. BBC/TV Licensing do have a bad habit of changing their guidance (although they don't make the law).    The next major upheaval is due in 2027 when the BBC's Charter is renewed.   It's too soon to tell what that might consist of.

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

CompulsiveSaver

Cornucopia said:

CompulsiveSaver said:

Can I check my understanding on this:

• I don't watch the BBC (the only program I actually miss in the weather), I also don't watch any other terrestrial TV stations, although most of the others are better than the BBC, most of it is repeats!
• I occasionally stream things; Disney plus, Sky Movies etc, all on-demand streaming.
• I never watch iplayer.
• I occasionally watch things on Youtube, but nothing is live, but some it might be BBC originally (several years ago).
• I have a TV licence, but do I need to? please explain why so I have a clear understanding?
• No doubt. the BBC will change the requirements next year when more people realise they don't need it...

Thanks

You need a Licence to watch/record all TV broadcasts, or BBC TV programs via iPlayer.

If you're only watching commercial on-demand content, you don't need a Licence for that.  The only Youtube content that requires a Licence are parallel live streams to TV broadcasts.  e.g. Sky News.   You can watch old BBC content via any commercial on-demand service (even UKTV Play, which is owned by the BBC).

There are no immediate plans to change the rules. BBC/TV Licensing do have a bad habit of changing their guidance (although they don't make the law).    The next major upheaval is due in 2027 when the BBC's Charter is renewed.   It's too soon to tell what that might consist of.

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

So from what you are saying I don't need a TV licence, that is good to know. Thank you.
Although it means 2027 when they change the requirements (again) as I am quite sure there are lots of others in a similar position.