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Original poster

TV licensing and IPlayer

30 replies

Figmentofmyimagination · 13/10/2019 08:09

We are renovating a tiny remote rural cottage, miles from the road. We didn’t used to have a TV licence there because there’s no TV. When it was raining hard last week, my DH, logged onto IPlayer, on his laptop plugged into the wall, and watched 2 series on BBC. He was on his own and he didn’t think about the licence issue. Within a week, I had an email demand giving the property address and saying we had broken our ‘don’t need a licence’ undertaking by watching TV on I player. We have a licence at our home. I checked the rules and it’s true that you must have a licence but only if you plug your laptop to a mains when watching I player - so I paid up. But it was a bit creepy to think that they were surveilling us to this extent. How do they know what you are doing? I suspect they were taking a punt that it must have been plugged in because he watched two series on the trot. It is an odd rule though and very easy to get around. I can’t help suspecting that they can’t actually tell whether your laptop is plugged into the wall and they just write bullying demands to try to intimidate people into paying up. There must be lots of people with no TV in their main homes who escape the licence by charging their device up first before watching.

OP posts:
WanderingMind · 13/10/2019 08:13

Nothing to do with the laptop being plugged into the mains.

To watch I player you must have a tv licence.

You must be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand. This applies to any device and provider you use

From the tv licensing web page.

Yugi · 13/10/2019 08:16

They are probably monitoring the ip addresses. They would have no way of knowing it was plugged in.

Yugi · 13/10/2019 08:18

Do I need a TV Licence if I watch on a mobile device?
If you’re using a mobile device powered solely by its own internal batteries – like a smartphone, tablet or laptop – you will be covered by your home’s TV Licence, wherever you’re using it in the UK and Channel Islands.
However, if you’re away from home and plug one of these devices into the mains and use it to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel or device, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, you need to be covered by a separate TV Licence at that address (unless you’re in a vehicle or vessel like a train, car or boat). It’s the law.

No she is right about it being plugged in, otherwise you would need a separate licence to watch on the bus.

KatherineJaneway · 13/10/2019 08:18

Sounds like they have the ability to detect iplayer usage where it has not been used before/ for a while at a non licenced address.

NannyR · 13/10/2019 08:19

It's nothing to do with the lap top being plugged in - you need a licence to use iPlayer on any device.

Riverviews · 13/10/2019 08:22

She's not disputing whether she needs it or not. She's asking WHAT technology they use to detect that her husband was using the laptop there without a license

Original poster
Figmentofmyimagination · 13/10/2019 08:23

You don’t need a TV licence for ‘any device powered by its own internal batteries’. This is written under the advice for second homes, but how do TV licensing know you are in your home?

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/second-home-aud8

OP posts:
Spam88 · 13/10/2019 08:24

Of course it's to do with being plugged in - as people have quoted from the tv licensing website above. You still need to be covered by a tv licence though, so you can't just watch iPlayer in your unplugged laptop at home without having a tv licence.

They wouldn't have known whether it was plugged it though, of course they're just changing it sending threatening letters - isn't that their modus operandi? I've had red final warning letters telling me they're going to get a warrant to send officers into my home despite having had no previous letters and having a tv licence. Lovely bunch they are 👍

Yugi · 13/10/2019 08:28

Would the previous owners have had a licence? Is the internet hooked up at the house? If so they may have a record of the IP address and know it is residential. Doesn’t sound too likely though.
They may have just seen that you were a long way from where your account is registered and given the length of tv watched taken a punt that it must have been plugged in. You did say he watched 2 series

WanderingMind · 13/10/2019 08:30

@Figmentofmyimagination your link merely reinforces the fact that you need a tv licence for watching iplayer. Whether it's powered by battery, mains or by the power of god.

Yugi · 13/10/2019 08:32

I actually quoted the tv licensing page above, that says if watch iPlayer on a device powered by its own internal batteries then you are covered by your home licence.

Yugi · 13/10/2019 08:33

And the linked page says
You don’t need a separate TV Licence for
Any device powered solely by its own internal batteries (i.e. it is not connected to an aerial or plugged into the mains). Your main home’s TV Licence will cover this.

WanderingMind · 13/10/2019 08:34

Yes but he wasn't, was he. Hmm

Original poster
Figmentofmyimagination · 13/10/2019 08:37

If I can watch IPlayer without any licence while sitting on the train without breaking the rules, why can’t I do the same sitting on my own sofa without plugging in my laptop? Not being difficult - I am supportive of the principle of the licence (I now have two!)

Or would someone sitting on the train watching iplayer on their phone be breaking the rules if they didn’t have a licence covering their main home?

OP posts:
YouFellAsleeep · 13/10/2019 08:52

The iplayer used to tell you before you start watching anything that you need a licence and you had to tick yes or no if you had one and I think it asks for your postcode. Maybe that’s how they knew it was being used.

bridgetreilly · 13/10/2019 08:54

OP, you're right, they have no idea whether a device has been plugged in while watching or not. But I suspect that they have a cut off time limit which will trigger a demand. If you watch for 10 minutes, you're not going to get a request. If you watch for 10 hours, you will. I guess you could dispute it, and say you used replacement batteries or charge banks or something, but as you say, he did in fact plug the laptop in, so.

forkfun · 13/10/2019 09:06

You are misreading the terms and conditions. You can watch iPlayer anywhere unplugged and are still covered under your home TV licence. But you need a licence. So, I have a license and that means I can watch iPlayer anywhere in the UK on my unplugged devices. If I don't have a license I can't watch iPlayer, regardless of where I am or whether my device is plugged in or not.

RingtheBells · 13/10/2019 09:08

To watch iPlayer at all, plugged in or not you need a licence at your home. We have a touring caravan and the tv etc in that is covered by our home licence

Frazzled2207 · 13/10/2019 09:12

If you are watching in an actual house it follows that that house should have a tv licence.

However the whole plugged in thing seems a very grey area- I often plug in my phone/laptop to watch and charge on the train but I don't think that needs a separate licence does it Confused

Frazzled2207 · 13/10/2019 09:13

Ah just re-read it doesn't apply if you're in a loving vehicle .... ignore me

Frazzled2207 · 13/10/2019 09:15

Back to your point though OP I don't think there's any way they could tell it was plugged in so they were chancing by emailing you. Admit it's a bit scary that they could detect you. If you're planning on spending more time there however it's probably a good thing to make sure you're sorted.

Osirus · 13/10/2019 09:17

No, it says above vehicles are exempt from the plugged in rule.

Osirus · 13/10/2019 09:17

Ignore me too!

BunnyKelly · 13/10/2019 09:25

I wouldn't be paying the CF's for this. 1 licence is plenty to be paying out to them.

puppyconfetti · 13/10/2019 09:25

Or would someone sitting on the train watching iplayer on their phone be breaking the rules if they didn’t have a licence covering their main home?

Yes they would. You need a licence to watch iplayer. You can watch it on the train etc under the terms of your home licence.

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