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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Heyheyheygoodbye · 02/03/2016 17:23

Same HeadDreamer, I love Spotify. In the car I listen to Classic FM and recite the adverts because they play the same ones every fifteen minutes Grin

LizzieMacQueen · 02/03/2016 17:26

I never watch live tv but will happily record and watch later - on my humax box, does that mean I don't need a licence? I'm happy to pay it though given the great programmes I do watch, oh yes, and for the radio.

OP - do you listen to any BBC radio channels?

Outaboutnowt · 02/03/2016 17:46

wasonthelist

Why are you baffled?
I'm not sure why you posted it other than to be pedantic and make the OP feel stupid?

If you had actually posted a response to the question or topic of the thread and then at the end wrote 'btw it's licence not license' I doubt anyone would have been bothered.

It's all over MN, people seem to only go on threads to look for spelling mistakes. It's draining and just makes the people who do it look like twats.

wasonthelist · 02/03/2016 18:03

....he people who do it look like twats.
Again with the abuse - this is the bit I'm baffled by. I posted a single word.

wasonthelist · 02/03/2016 18:04

I never watch live tv but will happily record and watch later - on my humax box, does that mean I don't need a licence?

Yes you need a licence for that - as you humax counts as you in this context - though I admit it seems odd.

wasonthelist · 02/03/2016 18:07

The BBC could have added a login, linked to the TV licence. It's not hard to do, given every other service have a login. They have just decided not to.

The BBC wants it both ways. They want to stop anyone watching their content without paying (fair enough), but they are scared of moving to a subscription model, because they know they would lose out.

I would pay for BBC radio BTW but I'm not paying for the TV - and I will live without iPlayer (and BBC tv content) when the "loophole" (that the BBC created) is closed.

LizzieMacQueen · 02/03/2016 18:13

Thanks wasonthelist. Is there an option to just subscribe to BBC radio do you know?

wasonthelist · 02/03/2016 18:22

Thanks wasonthelist. Is there an option to just subscribe to BBC radio do you know?

Sadly not - the BBC has traditionally been against subscription models - although the licence actually started out (before TV) as a radio licence.

The iplayer thing is a new departure if they are going to demand a licence to use it (I am not moaning, just observing) - it will be the first time you'll need a licence specifically to obtain BBC content. Up to now, you needed a licence even if you never watched BBC.

Outaboutnowt · 02/03/2016 18:41

Again with the abuse - this is the bit I'm baffled by. I posted a single word

Abuse? I said people who go on threads only to pick apart spelling mistakes make themselves look like twats. It wasn't a personal attack or exclusive to you.

Anyway I shall stop derailing the thread - it just irritates me.

wasonthelist · 02/03/2016 18:45

No it was, like a lot of the abuse thrown around on here, carefully worded to comply with the rules. I repeat, I typed a single word, no abuse, no assertions or assumptions, and I've just had a baffling amount of abuse about it (disguised as general comments about "people like me").

Outaboutnowt · 02/03/2016 19:57

Oh please. About 4 people commented on it, it's hardly like a barrage of abuse, someone said it's a wanky thing to do. (It is).
And I don't word anything carefully - I'm just sick of seeing stupid little digs about mistakes in spelling which is why I called you out on it.

OvertiredandConfused · 02/03/2016 20:01

The law is due to change shortly requiring either a TV licence or other form of payment for iPlayer. It's a Daily Mail piece, sorry!

LivingInMidnight · 02/03/2016 20:33

I'm a little worried about kodi's future now everyone seems to be getting fire sticks and bunging it on there. The name is becoming more and more synonymous with 'piracy' which is why they're having trouble with things like Amazon's AppStore. Kodi is a perfectly legal open source piece of software. They don't support any piracy addons. If you install repos/addons that's your own choice.

wasonthelist · 02/03/2016 23:35

How can a single word posting draw forth so much bile?

BackforGood · 02/03/2016 23:54

I never watch live TV, well, never in the normal run of things - I suppose I might when the Olympics were on or the world Cup Final or something, but think that I use BBC services a lot - I watch their News programmes (on Catch Up usually, when I sit down later in the evening), I watch all sorts on i-Player, I listen to radio occasionally, and I use their website quite a lot. I MUCH prefer to watch programmes without adverts in, and the £12 odd a month a TV license costs seems pretty reasonable to me, compared with what I have to pay for other services such as broadband and phone line.

LifeofI · 03/03/2016 00:30

I dont think you need one op. I dont need one as i dont even watch tv only internet, they still harrass me though.

Loqo · 03/03/2016 00:34

I'm feeling left out, am I the only person left who pays for a TV licence Sad
I think the current system is a bit crap as its too easy to avoid paying for a licence if you don't want to. Wouldn't it be easier for the BBC be funded by central government.

BTW Correcting spelling mistakes is wanky and pompous unless it's done politely.

stoptryingtomakefetchhappen · 03/03/2016 12:43

tbivision.com/news/2016/03/uk-govt-close-bbc-iplayer-loophole/556512/

Just saw this today. Apologies if the news has already been linked to.

Thecatisatwat · 03/03/2016 13:15

Loqo yes I feel the same, I think if you use any kind of BBC service you should pay the licence fee.

Had a conversation with my dad the other day and we were talking about how the BBC are maybe going to bring in a system whereby old people can pay something towards the licence fee (which he agrees with in principle) but then he added 'but then again what would that money go on?'. I told him rather bluntly that it might mean that the likes of me (who do pay) might not then be fucking well subsidising people like him. I feel the same way about a lot of the non-payers on MN. I hope the BBC put the iplayer behind a paywall.

With regards to the spelling, MN spell check always wants to spell things the American way so it will want to spell licence as license (pisses me off A LOT).

MitzyLeFrouf · 03/03/2016 13:21

I'm glad they're closing the iplayer loop. Seems madness to me that you don't have to pay just because you're watching online.

MitzyLeFrouf · 03/03/2016 13:22

Or what thecatisatwat just said!

HeadDreamer · 03/03/2016 13:31

Well if iplayer puts it behind a paywall, I just won't watch it. Seriously I'm not going to pay £140 a year to watch the occasional Dr Who.

Thecatisatwat · 03/03/2016 13:58

Do you currently pay the licence fee HeadDreamer? If you don't why will the BBC give a shit care whether or not you watch Dr Who? Confused And if you do pay, you won't be asked to pay any extra. Confused Confused

JessieMcJessie · 03/03/2016 14:14

I don't really understand why people have such a problem with paying for entertainment, particularly if they don't want to watch adverts. Do you think that actors, directors, writers, set designers etc etc should do all they do for free? The BBC licence is bloody good value.