To think that people should have to pay to licence if they want to watch BBCi player.

[PiperIsOrangePumpkins]

people who,pay to licence are funding the programmes to be made. I don't think that people who don't watch live TV should be able to watch the same programme sometimes just hours after for free.

It cost to run the BBCi player so should people who want to watch BBCi programmes on iplayer have to buy a to licence.

I don't think it's a particularly unreasonable thing to think, but it's just an opinion, and the current legal position is that unless you're watching tv live-as-broadcast, you don't need a tv licence. Personally I think it's a bit batty to voluntarily pay a tax on something if you don't have to.

Soloman, I am in much the same position as you, as in I get BBC1, 2, 3 and 4 and BBCnews via my cable package. I only very occasionally access the iplayer in the event I miss something that isn't repeated (which isn't often as everything is repeated on the beeb nowadays) and I do that currently using a VPN. (just watch on my computer which has a large screen). I will look into this app tomorrow. I don't like "stealing" from the beeb by using my VPN to (very occasionally) access the i-player, so I would happily pay a small amount to view "legally", but since I read that bit about it "varying greatly" from the UK version, I am going to have to have to have a proper nosey on it. I am not interested in a netflix like archive of BBC things, more "oh I missed QI or HIGNFY this week, can I get it on i-player".

Thanks though for all your help. I will have a root around the i-store on my husbands ipad tomorrow and see what I can dig up.

You'd probably better off getting an HD recorder from your cable recorder. I had a quick look and it looks like the stuff like Eastenders is a few weeks behind.

Thanks SolomanDaisy ! It's nothing like the UK iPlayer, it's just an archive of stuff, not as LemonChicken says a chance to catch up on the last 30 days of broadcast content.

I have a HD recorder Soloman, I'm just a bit dim and forget now and again to record my favourite things. Like I was enjoying that new thing on BBC 4, "Detectorists" and set the recorder to tape it, and somehow managed to miss episode 5 of 6. Got it via the i-player with the help of my vpn. Or a new season of QI started recently and I missed the first one because they had been showing re-runs of old seasons in the same time slot, so I just assumed it was an oldie. I really should get more organised. I am not sure if waiting a few weeks for "current" episodes is what I want. But, I do really appreciate the BBC, would be lost without it, and have always felt vaguely guilty for "thieving" from their i-player.

Thanks a lot for all your help.

The TV license clearly hasn't kept up with the proliferation of channels, but I would hate to have adverts on the BBC. I love BBC4 documentaries and would hate to see them going down the Channel 4 (or even worse 5) route of endlessly setting up a minor cliffhanger before the ad break then recapping half the previous section after the ad break.

I don't watch all the minor celebrity stuff, endless public vote programmes etc but I love BBC4. As I don't get the option to just pay for the channels I watch, and I don't want to only be offered the really popular stuff, I'm happy to pay.

I didn't understand the comment above about being Scottish. I'm Scottish and have no issue with the BBC (although some of the BBC Scotland stuff is a bit dire).

Sometimes I get the impression i am in the last British household not to have an HD recorder or Netflix. We only got Freesat when we lost the analogue signal.

YANBU

Have only read P1 + P4 so hope I'm not repeating ) but it's a bit like tax evasion - it's a loophole. Does seem unreasonable and there probably should be a subscription if you don't have a TV licence for the house.

For those using VPN to access UK TV, you should look at using a SmartDNS system instead. Faster and easier to set up.

To the person who said using a VPN to access the BBC is theft... I would happily pay for a BBC licence if there was some way of doing so, but there isn't.

Tiny technical note, you can access iPlayer content overseas without any kind of techno-subterfuge. But it has to be radio content.

Source: I'm in Sydney listening to the News Quiz right now.

I've had a tv licence for two years in the last seven. Both when I had sky as they had an offer on. I genuinely found sky a waste of money both times, only liking the movie package but when I have amazon instant and Netflix, what's the point.

The thing that annoys me the most is, if I pay monthly for my tv licence, the first 6 months are double charge so that you are always six months in advance. Ermmm, why? When I did are you going to give me my money back?

I don't feel guilty about not paying as I have a billion other bills and I think they should just have adverts on BBC.