TV Licence article Discussion

DGBill

Do I need a TV Licence if I do not have a TV aerial and my Satellite
dish is not aligned on Astra 28.2/28.5 East. I often watch programmes from Germany on Astra 19.2 East. BBC World News [ with commercials ] is also on this Satellite but is not financed by the TV Licence.

Cornucopia

DGBill wrote: »

Do I need a TV Licence if I do not have a TV aerial and my Satellite
dish is not aligned on Astra 28.2/28.5 East. I often watch programmes from Germany on Astra 19.2 East. BBC World News [ with commercials ] is also on this Satellite but is not financed by the TV Licence.

Yes - you need a licence.

mymedi

mrobsessed wrote: »

This person has received information from the BBC that ...
Link is here

Now, this is interesting.
Having thoroughly read through this, it seems you should do two things to avoid a warrant with a very high certainty:
- do NOT communicate with the BBC or TVL - do not revoke the implied right of access, etc. For two reasons. 1) it gives them additional impetus to pursue you personally. 2) this gives them ammunition in court whereby they can say that "all avenues of contact have been exhausted and access will not be granted without a warrant".
- do NOT open the door when they arrive to knock on it - just pretend you're not there or do not hear them. Again, they will not be able to claim to have exhausted all other means of contact which is one of the essential requirements for a warrant being issued.

Nice. I learned something new today. :T

postrophe

I genuinely do not watch live TV during the summer months and have twice received a refund (without question) for the unused portion of a licence starting in October.

Be sure to apply while a full six months remain, if you want the refund. Or you could opt for 3 month 'telly holiday'.

Paul_Varjak

neil9313 wrote: »

Its never ever been used in court, so you are correct it doesn't exist.

That's why they knock on doors.

I am not sure that just because such evidence is not used in Court that this proves TV detectors are not used. In order to be used as evidence in Court, I think the method and reliability of such detection would have to stand up to challenge.

If the BBC does not wish to disclose what methods are used for detection then they could not use such evidence without disclosing what the equipment is and how it works.

Of course, I am not saying that detection equipment is used. I am just saying that if it is used then it is used to detect a breach of the law and then other ways would be used to prove any case in a Court of law.

I suspect the most likely scenario is they have some real detector vans and some dummy ones too.

mrobsessed

mymedi wrote: »

How would they then match it to a specific flat in a building without the internal structural map detailing which windows correspond to which property?

I'm not saying it works in every case, but in certain circumstances being able to see the overall light cast by a TV that is not directly visible and noticing that the fluctuations of light and dark perfectly match those of a live broadcast would be pretty strong reasons to assume that a live TV Broadcast was being watched.

It's also very low tech, so could easily be implemented with an observer with access to the live TV pictures currently being broadcast. Light fallout from a TV must be much easier to detect than a particular weak electromagnetic signal among the complex soup of transmissions in cities.

[Deleted User]

Steve059 wrote: »

The TVL "goon" would see the above Freeview device plugged into the aerial socket and, hey presto!, a summons.

They will only see it, if you let them in.

[Deleted User]

iancarbarns wrote: »

I can see nothing about it needing to be for watching TV 'live'.

Take a look at the The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004.

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.

(emphasis is mine)

[Deleted User]

Flyingmag wrote: »

9. If you have a SKY dish on the side of the house it means you are capable of watching live transmissions.

Not without a box (or decoder containing TV) on the end of the lead you can't.

My home has both a dish and a TV aerial on it (they were there when I moved in), but I have nothing to connect to either of them.

Paul_Varjak

mrobsessed wrote: »

This person has received information from the BBC that the 'TV Detector' is little more than a video camera. Matching the timing of light and dark cast on a house's curtains by a TV picture to a live broadcast would be an effective way to ascertain if a TV was being used illegally.

I wonder what would happen if their TV detector van comes to my house and I have a 'fake' TV switched on, such as this...

http://www.faketv.com/