Do you need a TV licence for a PC?

cajef

Also if you want a laugh have a look here

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/index.htm

alyth

Fantastic, bring it on! I can't honestly remember the last time I watched anything on TV, I just want to make sure that I'm doing things the correct way when I move into this new place.

It's actually quite scary though when you think about it, those threatening letters could make someone go out and buy a TV licence when they don't have to.

Cheers Stephen, I didn't know about the de-tuning it thing, I have a huge old TV in the office here that I was going to take with me, so I'll make sure I get it de-tuned somehow.

I don't know, it's worrying, it's like the big brother state watching over you.

Stephen_Leak

alyth wrote: »

Cheers Stephen, I didn't know about the de-tuning it thing, I have a huge old TV in the office here that I was going to take with me, so I'll make sure I get it de-tuned somehow.

I don't know, it's worrying, it's like the big brother state watching over you.

It should have a menu system, which allows to tune it in to the various channels when you set it up. There is usually an automatic system, but also a manual one. Use this to tune all the channels to "snow" and "white noise". It's a PITA, but it will stop a Capita thug finding a grainy and noisy BBC2 signal on channel 99 if and when they ever check.

In George Orwell's "1984", Winston Smith comments that the problems all started when television started watching you.

Swan_2

hi alyth,
I was in a similar situation a 5 years ago when I moved home, I only used my telly for DVDs & gaming (no i-player etc at that time) & got all the usual threatening letters from TVLA because there was no license registered at my address

I wrote to them explaining my situation & the letters stopped, but they did say they might send someone to check I was telling the truth
no-one ever showed up, but that might well have been down to me living in a small out-of-the-way town at the time (not too far from Alyth actually, Kirriemuir) & it being too much bother to send anyone that far

if you've got the bottle, you don't actually have to de-tune etc, it's up to them to prove you've been watching live broadcasts & they've no automatic right of entry to your home
but I actually did do the de-tuning & rolling up & taping the aerial cable to the skirting board, because I didn't want the hassle of arguing with anyone on my doorstep & it gave me peace of mind

HTH

greyster

read this for a true account of someone who doesn't pay their TV line because he uses his TV (for live TV) less than one hour a month.

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/

Oblivion

cajef wrote: »

Also if you want a laugh have a look here

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/index.htm

Great read. I've just about reached that anarchic point in my life where I'm prepared to give that a go and to **** with the consequences.

Dave.

Skintmama

Good luck with this.
For ten years we did not have a TV set at all and yet still the letters came. I phoned and explained, invited the inspectors to visit but they declined to come by appointment. They are not willing to consider at all that you may genuinely not have or watch a TV!

At the time my husband was away a lot and we lived in an isolated situation. As a mum of two small children, I pointed out that to have someone creeping around the house at 9 o'clock of a Winter's night would be very frightening. However, I could not get any agreement to only visiting before dark despite writing to them about my fears. In the event they never did pay me a visit but each time a letter came it got my anxiety going.

When we decided to buy a TV again (and therefore a licence) I was incredibly relieved to no longer be treated as a criminal! To be honest I felt harassed into becoming a part of the TV and Licence holding majority.

Milarky

I think there's a slight misconception that ''the ability to receive [live TV]'' alone is sufficient to require anyone to buy a TV licence - it doesn't. The words used in in the Broadcasting Act are "installed and used [for receiving TV programming services]" In other words, merely having an installation with a switch from 'DVD' to 'TV' and an ariel to boot, you only need a licence once you move the switch and begin to 'use' the equipment in that mode. Thus detuning accomplishes nothing which is necessary - so why go to the bother of doing it?

StuartGMC

Interesting comments in this thread regarding watching live broadcast and comment about BBC iPlayer. You can of course watch News24 live without iPlayer....

Similarly ITV, Bloomberg and various others all stream "live" TV....

I watch this thread with interest as somehow the BBC has to find its funding in future, but it needs to do so on a fair basis. (Personally I wish they'd drop all the "reality" shows and similar material which commercial channels can produce and fund via advertising, and use the license fee to pay for that which commercial channels can't fund).

BTW I do watch News24 and Bloomberg when using the PC, but then I also have a TV License so it's not a problem.

MORPH3US

I am tempted to get rid of my tv licence and not watch tv just so I can take on the idiots that do the "inspecting"....

In response to Milarky... if you don't have a tv licence because you don't watch tv, detuning it saves you the hassle of having to explain why its tuned in if you don't watch it and it stops you being tempted to watch it....