TV licence thread

[the_bloke 17]

4 hours ago, Car Boot said:

You must be covered by a BBC TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer – including catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use.

 

Why is the BBC iPlayer on demand service treated differently from its commercial equivalents - many of whom also provide BBC content?

 

If you are going to 'quote' things, at least get it right.

 

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/bbc-iplayer-and-the-tv-licence

 

From the link above:

 

You must be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use.

 

BBC iplayer includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a licence. You don't need a licence for anything else, but the design and mechanics of iplayer means it doesn't separate live TV from anything else, so you need a licence to use it regardless of what you do with it. The BBC isn't about to change iplayer to support people who don't have a TV licence, because the assumption is that everyone has one and everyone should have one.

[davyboy 19]

you need a licence to watch ANY TV channel not just BBC.

When I volunteered at the CAB I had a client who wanted to know if he needed a licence because he only watched Lithuanian TV. The answer from the licensing  dept. was YES!!!!!

I couldn't believe it, he was not happy.

A licence  entitles you to operate a live TV set

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by davyboy

[Magilla 510]

6 hours ago, Car Boot said:

If I choose to watch an old episode of 'Doctor Who' on BBC iPlayer I must pay the BBC TV Licence fee. If I watch an old episode of 'Doctor Who' on Britbox, I do not have to pay the BBC TV Licence fee.

 

Both are NOT live broadcast, linear tv. Yet BBC iPlayer content is treated differently from the commercial equivalent.

...because iPlayer is not a commercial entity. You answered your own question.

 

6 hours ago, Car Boot said:

This special privileged treatment for the BBC on demand streaming service only happened because the BBC agreed to fund tv licences for the over 75s.

In this case you have no-one to blame but people like yourself.

 

Those, like you, who spend all their time slagging off the BBC and the license fee, but continue to use the  service via the iPlayer.

 

Spongers, essentially.

 

The government has rightly closed that loophole.

 

6 hours ago, Car Boot said:

Something it has now reneged on.

As before, it's "the will of the people"

 

Doesn't matter how you spin it, you can't have it both ways.

 

6 hours ago, Car Boot said:

No non-BBC on demand service is covered by the legal need to buy a BBC tv licence if you watch it.

...because they're all commercial/subscription based.

 

The distinction is somewhat obvious, it's not rocket science.

 

[Baron99 794]

3 hours ago, davyboy said:

you need a licence to watch ANY TV channel not just BBC.

When I volunteered at the CAB I had a client who wanted to know if he needed a licence because he only watched Lithuanian TV. The answer from the licensing  dept. was YES!!!!!

I couldn't believe it, he was not happy.

A licence  entitles you to operate a live TV set

 

Yes. Initially you needed a licence because you were watching the BBC.

 

The rules were changed ages ago, (back in the 1990s if memory serves me right?),  when a bloke who worked permanent night shifts, won a court case against TV Licencing / the BBC, because he had a tv that someone had fixed for him which didn't receive BBC channels & he persuaded the judge he only watched ITV, Channel 4, pre-recorded films & the only BBC programmes he saw were recorded for him by friends, which he then watched via his video. 

 

That loophole was soon closed. 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Baron99

[apelike 10]

4 hours ago, davyboy said:

you need a licence to watch ANY TV channel not just BBC.

When I volunteered at the CAB I had a client who wanted to know if he needed a licence because he only watched Lithuanian TV. The answer from the licensing  dept. was YES!!!!!

I couldn't believe it, he was not happy.

A licence  entitles you to operate a live TV set

Actually that is wrong but I suppose it depends on what you call a live TV set as just turning one on makes it live. You only need a TV licence if you are watching any live broadcast TV and what channel you are watching at the time doesn't matter.  A TV license is not needed if you use the TV set as a monitor for gaming or playing downloaded films.

[Pettytom 1]

24 minutes ago, apelike said:

  A TV license is not needed if you use the TV set as a monitor for gaming or playing downloaded films.

Unless you’ve downloaded them 

using iPlayer.

[Baron99 794]

This link might help? 

 

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/Live-TV-and-how-you-watch-it

 

It does seem that if the BBC is involved in your viewing, in any context, then a licence is needed?  See the questions at the bottom of the link. 

 

 

[apelike 10]

4 minutes ago, Pettytom said:

Unless you’ve downloaded them 

using iPlayer.

True, forgot they changed the law on that one to include iPlayer downloads.

[Car Boot 10]

8 hours ago, the_bloke said:

If you are going to 'quote' things, at least get it right.

 

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/bbc-iplayer-and-the-tv-licence

 

From the link above:

 

You must be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use.

 

BBC iplayer includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a licence. You don't need a licence for anything else, but the design and mechanics of iplayer means it doesn't separate live TV from anything else, so you need a licence to use it regardless of what you do with it. The BBC isn't about to change iplayer to support people who don't have a TV licence, because the assumption is that everyone has one and everyone should have one.

I can watch All 4 (the on demand service from Channel 4) without a BBC TV licence and not watch the live television broadcasts it offers but download (stream) content legally.

 

I cannot watch the BBC iPlayer (the on demand service from the BBC) without a valid BBC TV licence even if I just choose to download (stream) content and not watch live television broadcasts.

 

In July 2015 the BBC announced that the BBC TV licence fee income in 2016/17 was forecast to be £150m less than it was expected to be. This is because, as more people relyed on BBC iPlayer, mobiles and online catch-up, the percentage of households owning televisions was falling faster than predicted. This meant, according to the BBC,  people didn't always pay their television licence fee.

 

Since the iPlayer 'loophole' was closed, has the BBC recovered the £150 million per year? 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Car Boot

[Car Boot 10]

If the TV Licence is so good at protecting the public service credentials of the BBC, then why does MORE than a quarter of the BBC's income come from commercial sources?

 

Defund the BBC. 

 

Make the BBC a subscription service. 

 

Let the public decide if they want to pay for BBC content. 

 

The BBC already generates more than a quarter of its income from commercial sources.

[Car Boot 10]

All 4 includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a valid BBC TV licence. You don't need a licence if you just download (stream) non live content.

 

Itv Hub includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a valid BBC TV licence. You don't need a licence if you just download (stream) non live content.

 

BBC iPlayer includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a valid BBC TV licence. Unlike it's commercials rivals, you also need a valid BBC TV  licence to just download (stream) non live BBC content.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Car Boot

[Pettytom 1]

1 hour ago, Car Boot said:

All 4 includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a valid BBC TV licence. You don't need a licence if you just download (stream) non live content.

 

Itv Hub includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a valid BBC TV licence. You don't need a licence if you just download (stream) non live content.

 

BBC iPlayer includes the facility to watch live television, for which you need a valid BBC TV licence. Unlike it's commercials rivals, you also need a valid BBC TV  licence to just download (stream) non live BBC content.

 

 

Best make sure you are paying your way then