To point out that you do not need a TV licence

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Unless you watch live TV!

The TV licencing authorities have got everyone terrified, loads of myths about scanning equipment and having to let authorities in your home if they randomly turn up on your doorstep. All of which are told to be untrue on their own website. It's there in black and white, you are not breaking the law if you have your TV connected to a DVD player only, or if you watch (non-live) iplayer on your PC.

I'm told very often that I'm going to be locked up or fined for not having one
Yet the actual authorities have no problem with me declaring I don't need one and haven't hassled me at all!

It's ridiculous. People need to be informed!

In the summer dh and I decided that we were going to ditch the tv license for a year and choose films and programmes we wanted to watch.

We have to have very fast broadband for our jobs so we have a variety of subscriptions and download or watch via streaming. It's great. We save money and the tv is on much much less.

We therefore know the rules but are also staggered by how many people tell us we're breaking the law. We also rarely watch anything via BBC iplayer because there is so little worth watching so raspberries to people who think we're abusing their licence fee.

Obviously, then, yes, you do think people who're not like you are crooks.

It's like saying I have 'easy access' to my neighbour's property when she leaves the spare key with me. It's true, but oddly enough, doesn't suddenly turn me into a thief.

I'm not sure why you are so surprised that most people have moral standards.

swedish - why would you ever need to watch live tv?

Why the hell should I have to pay a TV licence to watch non-BBC channels? BBC channels are the only ones the licence is for the rest are funded by advertising and therefore free.

The BBC channels are crap anyway.

ivykate - some people like sport

I think sport's a fair reason. Or if you're really into stuff like Britain's Got Talent where you'd be spoilered very easily.

I'm not so sure I see the value when what I watch most of are US imports that you can get on DVD easily anyway.

It's quite hard to watch live tv on a laptop, isn't it? I know how to stream live sports from other countries but thats all. You can't watch live bbc online for example.

Yes I like sport particualy cycling- but no need to watch live tv. I spent most of July in the gym as they have live tv, as do most local pubs round here that show live matches on sky channels - as terrist tv rarely show live sport

Interestingly, its much easier not to have a tv license these days, it seems like it has become much more common. Go back to say the early 90s (when we did not have a tv, and no such thing as Iplayer nor computer monitors that could theoretically be attached to a tv input, so no grey areas at all), you had to write to them basically justifying yourself, and you still got endless hassle.

These days you go online, tick a box, and hear not a squeak more from them til the next year when you do it again.

Besides, who needs tv these days when you have Mumsnet

bbc live online

Well, shows what I know!

Well, you must be one of the three this applies to nationally LRD. Well done for being so law-abiding

And then there's me and my partner, so that makes three. Jolly good.

£115 for a licence - dont think thats right, we've just renewed ours (cos we do watch live tv) and it was £145.50

Clearly I am in excellent company, stunt.

Though by the looks of this thread we are each several people.

DH and I don't have a TV, and don't watch anything 'live' via our laptops. The last time we wanted to watch something live (Murray v Federer at Wimbledon), we went and found a pub that was showing it.

I really dislike the fact it is an 'opt-out' system. I don't see why I have to give my personal details to the Licensing Authority when I am explaining why my address should not be bombarded with harrassing letters demanding payment. It should be enough that I can indicate that a particular address is not in need of a licence. Why do I have to give my name and other personal details when I DON'T want a service? I find that extremely intrusive.

I haven't had a licence in years, listen to a lot of radio 4 though so feel like I should get one on principle. Didn't have a tv till DP moved his in, there's no reception here though so he just uses it for Xbox.

I have a TV licence because my housemates wanted it, and in fairness it is nice to be able to all watch the TV together.

However, if I lived alone then I probably wouldn't bother - I don't watch much live TV anyway, and anything I really do want to watch (like Downton!) is available online.

1charlie1 you don't need to give any detaisl to the tv licence people

i just wrote and told them I was withdrawing rights of access and enclosed one of their demanding letters which was of course addressed to occupier but with the correct address. I signed of as joe bloggs.

The wrote back stating they would catch me out any way and I haven't heard anything since as they legally can't write to me

I know loads of people who never watch live TV but go on paying for a licence.
We have no TV and have had no hasselling from the authorities, I think they wrote twice then never again.

Thanks for the tip, ivykaty. I tried to opt out via their website, but could not do so without having to include my name etc. on the web form, which I felt uncomfortable with. I will wait for their next obnoxious letter, and do as you did!

If you have no tv, and only watch pre-recorded programmes on your computer, would the tv liscence company have to prove that you watch live tv on the PC or would you have to prove that you don't?

in practice no-one bothers checking up on those who say they just watch pre-recorded TV. The TV licence enforcers are the notorious Crapita, not the BBC themselves.

the law has fallen way behind the tech. If too many people opt out, no BBC. No thanks.

but if you want to opt out of the licence and stick to the rules for doing so, it is perfectly legal.

solution: encoded BBC (TV, radio, iplayer) on payment of licence fee. Those who want endless commercials with a bit of TV will then be able to do so.

Thank you. This applies to our family, I think. I did not know this!

We dont watch live tv. We only watch dvds, I player, and play games.

BUT, what about our Love Film Subscription? This is not live?

YANBU, I was really surprised at people claiming they bought TV licences in order to watch DVDs etc on the other thread.

What a waste of money because you didn't look at the website!

Love Film, Netflix etc are nothing to do with the licence fee. If that's all you watch, alongside iPlayer and DVD's you don't need a licence.