To wonder if a TV license is worth it?

[PoesyCherish]

DP and I got rid of our TV license when we moved as the aerial was broken and we couldn't be bothered fixing it. We had no access to live Tv and since we weren't actually watching anything on BBC1 we didn't think it was worth it.

Now though I'm questioning that and wondering if we should get one again. I saw on here that the BBC have started a shop well for less programme. I loved eat well for less and would love to watch it. I also want to watch The apprentice soon.

Is it really worth it for the sake of being able to watch two programmes though?

I don't think it's worth it and will cancel soon. There's too much good stuff on Prime / Netflix etc. I resent having to pay even if I'm not watching BBC.

As an aside, I'm also not entirely convinced you could be tracked and caught for watching iplayer without a license and curious as to how the technology for this works.

Actually no you don’t need a licence to watch 4od or ITV hub. You do need one to watch live BBC/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5, or to record them to a hard drive for later viewing, or to watch BBC IPlayer.

NowTV depends on what you watch

help.nowtv.com/article/do-i-need-a-tv-licence-to-watch-now-tv

For the early child years cbeebies was a godsend. He has now moved on from cbeebies. We rarely watch TV tbh. I reckon we probably could survive ditching the license and putting the house on bbc tv exile. Radio on the other hand not a chance. The radio is always on here but from what I understand the tv licence is separate from the radio.

I don't think its worth it at all, and I don't pay it. I refuse to fund the BBC, who cover up child sex abuse and such, and are biased as fuck anyway.

The only thing I ever watched live on TV was big brother, and its on streaming sites an hour or so after its on TV anyway.

I think its ridiculous to expect people to pay 150 quid a year for BBC content, most of which is utter shite.

It's £12.37 a month, hardly going to break the bank.

Well for me it would have until recently. And plenty others out there. To the point where it would have been food or heat vs TV Licence. As it was, I hadn't had a licence for years prior to being up shit creek financially, as I never watched TV unless at my mother's house. Now I watch the odd Netflix show on my ex's account (he's aware and happy with that btw!).

Hi lighting this because they changed the rules a while back and this reads like you have no idea.

YOU CANT LEGALLY WATCH CATCH UP WITHOUT A TV LICENCE.

Course they did, as too many people were cancelling their license. Wouldn't be surprised if its changed again soon to include watching anything at all, even streaming sites. Its ridiculous really.

You don't need a licence to listen to the radio but the money from the licence pays for the radio programmes. I use the bbc a lot and for me it's worth every penny.

I need to keep it so I can watch the Bodyguard.

My main issue with the BBC is how you can’t access a lot of old shows on iPlayer, like you can on 4OD.
There’s a couple of episodes of old Casualty on YouTube and I would do watch them all

Politically independent? - ahahahaha

If it were just me I wouldn't bother but my dc watch quite a lot of the cbeebies and dh watches motd.

Expensive just for the above though, £12 is almost double what their competitors charge.

I like blue planet but would be cheaper to just buy the DVD.

I have Netflix and Now, there's plenty on those to keep me going.

The whole model needs changing with TV licencing. It's not the 1950s.

I'm not a fan of the TV license and think its outdated in modern terms, but I pay it as I listen to 6 music daily and I think that is worth the £12 a month just for that, visit the bbc website daily and do catch up on the odd program that they make that's worth while.

I think for what I use of the BBC's products - radio, website and the odd tv, £12 is a fair price for me. I don't think it is as groundbreaking etc as some of its serious fans like to profess but I think I get value for money from it.

It’s a bit of pointless think to ask strangers on an online forum op - we can only give an opinion based on what we like to watch, which has no bearing in what you might / might not to watch and whether it’s ‘worth it’.

I watch loads of bbc and think it’s well worth the money - breakfast news, wanted down under, strictly, Bodyguard, costume dramas, bbc4 documentaries, blue planet - I’d rather have the choice but hen I watch a lot of tv (we also have sky, Netflix and prime...

I pay for my license willingly for one reason : Sir David Attenborough

There is no need for the TV licence nowadays. The UK has another public service broadcaster - Channel 4. It manages perfectly with advertising revenue.
Until the TV licence is abolished, I will continue to pay it because the BBC produces great content and the TV licence also partially pays for the broadcasting of over 120 terrestrial and 250 satellite channels - Freeview is owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and Arqiva; Freesat (which you receive even if you pay for Sky) is owned by the BBC and ITV.

You also cannot legally watch Now TV without a license as I've just realised you are doing that as well.

I don't watch Now TV live. Only the films that are already on there rather than on specific channels at a set time iyswim

YOU CANT LEGALLY WATCH CATCH UP WITHOUT A TV LICENCE.

You're wrong.. very wrong in fact. I'd say it's almost like you have no idea

You don't need a license to watch catch up TV on channels such as ITV, 4OD, Demand 5, STV, UKTV etc etc.
You don't need a license to watch NOWTV box sets or package content like the kids shows.

You need a TV License if you watch live broadcasts on any channel or my device.
You need a TV License to watch iPlayer.
That is all.

Imo it's not worth it.
They use threats of court action, dodgy collection people that work for a private company (you tube "BBC Goons" to see some of their antics)
They criminalise people for not paying the fee, the fee that funds over paid millionaires to do very little.

My biggest issue tho, and one people don't really talk about, is the fact that they use the fee to make a program, show the program and then sell the program world wide and to Netflix, Prime etc. So they're selling something the public paid to make, why do they need the public to pay in the first place? What happens to all the profits from them selling it abroad? What happens to the profits of the DVDs?
It'd be called a scam if anyone else did it.
If they can't keep afloat by making a product, selling product for profit Nd making more products with those profits, like other companies, they shouldn't exist.

Don’t you know what happens to the profits from selling shows abroad? They go back into producing and paying for BBC content. Obviously. How could you not know that? It’s not a profit making organisation

They go back into producing and paying for BBC content. Obviously. How could you not know that? It’s not a profit making organisation

It kinda is... BBC had a department called BBC Worldwide.
In 2015/2016 BBC Worldwide had sales of over a £1 Billion and made a profit of over £150Million.

The program Planet Earth 2, made by BBC Natural History Studio, sold to over 200 countries around the world.
"Dancing with the stars" as a format was sold to it's 53rd country (Brazil)
They even partnered with ITV to launch a channel in the US to air BBC and ITV shows. Called BritBox.

So with all that cash, selling things for phenomenal amounts of money etc
Why do they have to threaten people with criminal records and massive fines to get a license fee?

These days BBC Worldwide, the commercial division of BBC, has been merged with BBC Production and is now all one company known as BBC Studios.

Which means, using Dr Who as an example.
License fee pays for BBC to make Dr Who.
BBC makes it.
BBC then sell it to 200 countries.
BBC also all DVDs and merchandise around the world.
Dr Who makes BBC over £300million profit (in 2013, it'll be a lot more now)
So why did they need that license fee again? Couldn't thy use the £300million profit?

I saw on here that the BBC have started a shop well for less programme. I loved eat well for less and would love to watch it.

It’s definitely not worth it for fact programme!

I can't think of a single thing that is better value for money.

So clueless KlutzyDraconequus. How can you not know that the BBC is not for profit! Do you really think the BBC could produce the wide variety of TV, Radio and web content for £300million? The license fee isn't perfect, but it's the best way of ensuring a wide range of quality content. There is no better solution that actually makes sense.

What is Now TV? Do you pay for it?

Klutzy I think you’ve misunderstood somehow. Take a quick look at BBC worldwides published accounts, it’s very clear the profits go back into the BBC to produce content.

Also the most recent accounts show a profit (paid back to BBC) of £86m not £150m

Definitely not worth it. My TV is a dust collector in the corner. I kept it to watch DVDs on but don't even do that any more.