Legal eagles

freddiegrubb

hypothetical case- get rid of tv. when licence expires- have computer with I-player etc, does this set-up require a licence. Answers on a postcard please

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Wirral_paul

iPlayer and watch stuff later = no
Live streaming of programmes = yes

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

verylonglegs

Yeah, the definition is watching any kind of 'live' TV...even if you are watching it on a mobile phone though quite how that is enforced I don't know.

Ber Nard

I thought if you had the technology to watch TV, be it a television, phone, laptop etc. you have to be covered by a licence. I don't think a defence of "but I never use it" would wash.

Could be wrong...

Rob

nweststeyn

Don't worry though - even if you don't have a TV or any way to watch live streaming TV you will still be badgered by TV Licensing and accused of being a criminal.

byke68

If I lived alone, I wouldn't bother with a telly. Plenty of eccentric things to do such as reading, listening to music, internet and even socialising. My missus is a slave to the telly, so sad really. Maybe I should boot her, problem chimp AND the telly and Sky box out!

manglier

Ber Nard has it right. If you have the capability of watching live TV you need a licence to be legal.

verylonglegs

Manglier wrote:

Ber Nard has it right. If you have the capability of watching live TV you need a licence to be legal.

Wrong, read the link posted by Paul. It says if you record or watch live broadcasts. To suggest someone who has a pc and an internet connection should pay a license fee because they might be watching TV as denial is no defence implies guilt with no proof and as bad as this country can be sometimes we haven't reached that point yet.

B3rnieMac

I told the tv licence guys I use my tv for gaming, blu rays and as a massive monitor. I dont have a tv aerial connected or a sky, virgin or freeview box. An inspector came out, checked that no channel was tuned in and said it was fine. Haven't been pestered since.

Redhog14

You need a licence to listen to the radio too. No?

bompington

We have gone without a telly for years at a time, in the course of which we have discovered that the criterion for getting hassled by the TV licence people is... not having a TV licence. It was a particular bugbear of mine that while you can easily pay your licence online, there was no way to tell them you didn't have a TV except by writing to them, i.e. you had to pay - even the cost of a stamp was annoying.

CiB

Redhog14 wrote:

You need a licence to listen to the radio too. No?

No.

Ben6899

When we get our own place, we won't have a TV. All we do now is catch the odd show on iplayer and I watch cycling on Eurosport.

For iplayer, we don't need a license and - well - Eurosport will then be watched through the official player, which has f*** all to do with the great British Broadcasting Company.

I look forward to the fun and games; whoever knocks on my door will regret ever accusing me of breaking the law.

nickel

verylonglegs wrote:

Manglier wrote:

Ber Nard has it right. If you have the capability of watching live TV you need a licence to be legal.

Wrong, read the link posted by Paul. It says if you record or watch live broadcasts. To suggest someone who has a pc and an internet connection should pay a license fee because they might be watching TV as denial is no defence implies guilt with no proof and as bad as this country can be sometimes we haven't reached that point yet.

As a student who has spent that past 3 years not paying for a TV license I can say that is the truth. If you just use iPlayer/4od/Itv player or any other form of 'catch up' tv online you don't need one, its only if you stream live tv that you do. In fact the TV licensing site now even has an option for "I use iPlayer but don't watch live tv" (or something similar) for when you say why you don't need a license.