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Original poster

To not know wtf I'm doing re: TV license

134 replies

ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 10:28

I didn't have a TV license for years, was pretty cut and dry because I only watched dvds and catch up on the internet. Then OH moved in and we got one due to him wanting sky.

Now we have a firestick, we only have the telly on freeview for cbeebies (of which most programs we could easily locate on the firestick)

I can't find anywhere information on whether I need a TV license if we have a firestick and give up watching our freeview?
Another note - freeview is built into the TV (but I can't see that being an issue as long as we take the aerial out)

I know it says if you watch live TV then you need a license...but then than complicates things.. what if someone had Kodi installed on their firestick, which streams TV from all over the world? is that even a legal program?.. and I think is a minute or two behind normal TV... what then??

Don't want my OH to go full steam ahead into it all and then realise we actually do need it!

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 12:29

IlikePercyPig

Yep! I was just wondering with so many people using it whether there was some kind of loophole being abused. Just turns out people don't worry as much about it as me!

I'd rather stick to doing things proper. :)

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 12:30

Thanks Coffeethrowtrampbitch

OP posts:
LizKeen · 02/03/2016 12:41

God there are some arseholes about on MN these days. Its getting really off putting when every thread descends into sarky comments about spelling or nit picking one sentence and condemning a whole relationship. Its all so tiring. Who can be arsed.

As for the TV licence. We don't need one, but I pay it anyway because I have anxiety that cannot cope with letters and people calling to the door. So its £150 a year to just be left the fuck alone.

DH hates that I pay it, but he sucks it up because he knows how not paying it would affect me. I am probably abusing him. Financially. By depriving him of that money. Hmm

ivykaty44 · 02/03/2016 12:44

If you cancel your TV licence then be prepared for the barrage of nasty letters. To stop the nasty letters when you get the first one - just write back stating you withdraw rights of access. This means they are prevented from coming on your property so are no longer able to write to you. They send you one more letter ( even though it is illegal ) to tell you they will get you anyway and catch you out in other ways....

TV linceing need proof to enter your property that you are receiving live TV, without it they can't get a court to give them a warrent to come into your property with police - do basically they use underhand bully boy tactics.

Most people don't know about withdrawal of rights Google. In rlaion. TV licencing and lads comes up of use against h bully by tacts.

Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 12:45

LizKeen

Like I said bloody minefield.... say one thing and suddenly your whole relationship is in question! blimey :)

I had a few years without TV license and they were pretty fine about it, just got a few letters reminding me that if I'm watching TV now I need to tell them, and a fella who came to my house and had a flick through the channels.

I don't think they are as bad about it anymore, especially if it's you that's gone to them telling them you are not paying..etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 12:46

ivykaty44

Ive not had TV license before. Letters weren't nasty at all. I rang them to tell them what exactly I used and did and they told me I didn't need to pay. Had a few letters telling me that I'm not paying and IF I'm watching live TV to let them know.

And one visit, I let him in, he was nice and he left and I got a letter saying I still didn't need to pay.

Maybe I was lucky but it was all very fuss free :)

OP posts:
OurBlanche · 02/03/2016 12:50

I too have never had any barrage of letters or nastiness. We have not had a TV on and off over the last 30 years. We have had a letter every year or 2 after which we confirm we still do not access live tv. We had 2 visits in 10 years at our last address... the disparity between the house having an aerial and satellite dish and our letter had started that - we explained we rented, they were there when we moved in. They smiled and went away. That's it!

Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 12:53

OurBlanche Yep ours had an old cable running through (virgin or whatever) behind where the TV was, and another aerial upstairs, he didn't even plug it in to check, He just turned telly on and had a flick through (and nothing was tuned in/on) he just saw I only had an xbox plugged in, asked if I watch anything on the internet, I said yes, but only catch up/youtube..etc and he beggard off. :)

OP posts:
Blackpoollassy · 02/03/2016 12:53

it's £12 a month, seriously

IlikePercyPig · 02/03/2016 12:56

There's no point spending £12 a month if you don't have to.

OurBlanche · 02/03/2016 12:56

Seriously what?

OP has explained they are in straightened circumstances, who are you to suggest that only £12 is neither here nor there?

Some people have no idea... it seems!

Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 12:56

Blackpoollassy

Oh there's another one.

My phone contract isn't even that a month and I use that.

We happily pay our monthly fee for netflix because we use it.

If it's peanuts to you then I'll send you my sort code and account number and you can sort me out.

If you want to pay for something you don't use they great for you. But £12 a month is a lot to me to be fair...

OP posts:
Daddypig36 · 02/03/2016 12:58

Kodi itself is just an open source media player so not illegal. The streams you watch on it are though

Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 13:00

I'm actually on a debt management plan with stepchange, taking £12 a month off my budget and being able to pay to to them towards my payments could actually knock years off my total sum.

I know I pay for other TV which could be classed as a luxury, but we use it everyday, and its £5.99 a month, so coupled with tv licence it's £18 a month.

Why pay the money if I can use it towards something more worthwhile.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 13:04

Thanks Daddypig36 looking into it what OH planned to do with it was dodgy. He'll just have to go to his friends for the games. We don't have sports channels now anyway only freeview so it's no extra loss, think he was just looking at it as an extra

OP posts:
Daddypig36 · 02/03/2016 13:06

Depends on your own morals how you decide to use kodi. Everyone i know uses it these days at a cost of nothing to themselves

BeautyQueenFromMars · 02/03/2016 13:07

From the Kodi website:

IMPORTANT:
The official Kodi version does not contain any content what so ever. This means that you should provide your own content from a local or remote storage location, DVD, Blu-Ray or any other media carrier that you own. Additionally Kodi allows you to install third-party plugins that may provide access to content that is freely available on the official content provider website. The watching or listening of illegal or pirated content which would otherwise need to be paid for is not endorsed or approved by Team Kodi.

So, having Kodi doesn't mean you need a licence, as it is intended to watch stuff that has been stored (so not live) or content which you could watch directly on, for example, the BBC website.

You would only need to get a licence if you used Kodi improperly to access live TV, or if you decided to watch programs broadcast live on the provider's website, at the time of broadcasting.

Lots of legal things can be used for illegal purposes, so being able to view torrent sites via Kodi doesn't mean Kodi is dodgy.

BeautyQueenFromMars · 02/03/2016 13:08

Sorry, X-post and bold fail. I'll get my coat...

BillBrysonsBeard · 02/03/2016 13:11

£12 is a lot when you don't need to pay it. And we've never had any nasty letters or knocks on the door. You just cancel and that's it.

Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 13:11

BeautyQueenFromMars

hahaha :)

OP posts:
HeadDreamer · 02/03/2016 13:13

LizKeen just go to the website and declare you don't need a licence. Same as the OP, I have a firestick. I only watch bbc iplayer (catch up only), netflix and amazon prime. If I want sky, I can get now tv (and a roku since firestick doesn't support now tv). TV license never came to bother me. Not even a single letter. I think it's incredibly common now to not watch live tv. In fact, where I work, I think it's a minority who pays it. (I'm a software developer and everyone I know watches it on devices).

Momamum · 02/03/2016 13:51

Christ!Shock

I'd thought the TV license applied only to watching live BBC, now I'm thinking that watching live commercial channels also needs this license?

I don't actually have a TV, watch only on an iPad, and always watch BBC on the I player catch up, but I watch live itv news.

So I need to buy a license, is that right?

Ps, please substitute 'c' for 's'...I thank yew. And damn forever predictive text Wink

OurBlanche · 02/03/2016 13:53

Yes, Momamum. The BBC has historically collected the fee for watching ALL channels on behalf of the government.

Original poster
ThePebbleCollector · 02/03/2016 14:03

Yes, Momamum. The BBC has historically collected the fee for watching ALL channels on behalf of the government.

Yep!!!

OP posts:
BillBrysonsBeard · 02/03/2016 14:25

Moma you do if you carry on. But could you just switch to reading the news app or just watching the news later? Paying £12 a month to watch the live news is a bit steep!