Good idea or silly idea?

[havingagiraffe]

I have one of those DVB stick attenaes which plugs into the USB port on my computer, can't get all the channels, but would you have to pay for a TV licence.

Any BCUKers been busted for no TV licence? Every few months I get a letter from the licencing people saying they're going to send someone around to check that I really don't have a TV but nobody's ever knocked my door. Perhaps they just look outside, see there's no aerial or Sky dish, peek through the window and see there's no TV in the corner, and walk away. :sadwavey:

 

[sharp88]

My family's got sky. Its great when you first get it but the novelty soon wears off when you'v seen every show 5000 times.

We had it before, but got rid of it because it was expensive and you pay for channels you dont want, but there pesky call centres kept bothering us and offered us a good deal, so we recently just got it back.

Its ok to get rid of it, if you have lots of things to do or plenty of books. I just bought a stack load of books of amazon, so I'l be veggin' on the sofa reading those, not heating my brain and eyes with another 'gone-too-far' episode of the Simpsons or stupid martial arts movie.

My old commy Italian History teacher never watched the telly, he said it was depressing - I can beleive him nowadays I'v gained a little wisdom and prefer to spend my evenings with a good cup of tea, some nice 'biccies' and a book or a bit of paper and some pens and pencils, rather than squat infront of the TV.

 

[pibbleb]

Dude don't knock the Simpsons

I do agree about the Sky, I usually linger around the Documentary channels, mainly when ever the Missus is in bed having done a night shift and I'm guarding the quiet, whilst making the most noise shhhing the kids, or when she's doing evenings and I'm locked up guarding the kids, I get told off if I call it baby sitting my own kidsI

All that said, the kids have been out front playing in the rain all day and I've zonked in front of the History Channel watching Whickers War which I thought was very interesting and quite moving at times and very poingnant.

Pib

 

[falling rain]

I am going to be moving away and have found that my TV will take up too much room where I am going too. Now I was thinking of getting a smaller one, however even though the TV is on a lot, most of the time it is in background talking to itself.

So I have decided to ditch my TV

These days few things interest me on TV and I spending more and more time reading or walking.

Anyone else not got TV how you find it?

I am being silly?

I think that's an excellent idea redflex. I DO own a TV and all I watch is the news and any wildlife programmes or documentries on exploration/travel, RM, Bruce parry, michael palin, coast, etc. I have a DAB radio and love it :You_Rock_ and listen to that far more than watch TV. (DAB eats through batteries though and at just under a £10 to re-fill it for about 4 - 5 days of constant use, it's always mains for me)
I'm moving back to Exmouth in Devon within the next 10 - 18 months and don't plan on taking my TV.................. So much to do by the sea I won't need one.

DITCH IT MATE !!!!...............and get a DVD player for when those docu's come out on DVD. Renting them from the library is cheap.
I won't tell you what I REALLY think of the programmes like Love island, big brother or any of the other total drivel that gets broadcast nowadays or I'll be banned.

 

[pibbleb]

I personally don't know of anyone being busted for not having a licence, but I used to be friendly with a guy who's dad was a Station Commender of RAf Wittering I think.

He told me that the Licence people would demand to come on to the station so they could use their detector vans to locate properties on the station without a licence, there are a number of family homes in the camp. However, he would take great pleasure in siting numerous rules and regulations preventing access. Everyone soon found out about this and would therefore not renew their licence.

Whether this was true or not I don't know but it's a good stick it to the man story.

Pib

 

[Bigman]

Somehow I don't think I could give up my TV, I need something to fall asleep in front of and wake up when the programme that I wanted to watch has just ended.

Then there's the Rugby, Cricket, Simpsons, Dad's Army and all the Cowboy films.

 

[Tengu]

You'll find that if youi purchase anything like a DVD player, TV etc, you will now have to supply your address details the establishment from where you are buying.

They tried that on me when I bought a player for a friend.

After I rather graphicaly decribed what I would do to them they changed their mind.

 

[spamel]

I can believe the story of not letting detector vans on camp, when I was stationed at Ripon and stagging on the gate one day, a detector van turned up. The guy jumped out and said to me that there were a number of televisions on camp that didn't have a licence and he needed to come on camp to find out who they were. I told him I couldn't just let him on and would have to speak to the Provost Sergeant to see what he said. The Prov came to the gate and told the guy to sling his hook!! After the guy had left, Prov told me that the Sergeants' mess was one of the offending places!!!

 

[redflex]

Quick update

TV is now gone, used money to book myself on a Sea Kayak Introduction Course next weekend.

Still have laptop so will have DVD and net.

 

[sharp88]

Dude don't knock the Simpsons

I do agree about the Sky, I usually linger around the Documentary channels, mainly when ever the Missus is in bed having done a night shift and I'm guarding the quiet, whilst making the most noise shhhing the kids, or when she's doing evenings and I'm locked up guarding the kids, I get told off if I call it baby sitting my own kidsI

All that said, the kids have been out front playing in the rain all day and I've zonked in front of the History Channel watching Whickers War which I thought was very interesting and quite moving at times and very poingnant.

Pib

Yeah thas one of the good things, but trouble is while im glued to the sofa, watching: the world at war, how its made or wildlife SOS, im not getting any work done .

 

[Emma]

I've had the TV licence guys come round twice, once each year I've been out of Halls. Guess they know it's a student house! Both guys appeared quite surprised that they got invited in and no one was behaving suspiciously...

 

[pibbleb]

See that surprises me, I'd be suspicious if I aw Students behaving normally!
Pib

 

[lardbloke]

I used to think the old detector vans were a load of bunckem untill one of my mates got a job doing the said dreaded deed. Inside the van is an array of signal detecting equipment and a couple of computers. They know from the database which houses
have a licence or not. So they then drive to the said property and see if the main antenna can pick up a signal inside the van on the equipment. To confirm the signal is being recieved inside the said house (obviously on a street picking up individual signals is more tricky), one guy has to take a portable unit with him. This is where they can get you. I have seen the guy hiding under the window ledge waving a mini arial about, this is in turn picked up by the van and the wavelengths and actual picture is recorded for evidence. When they have got thier evidence they then bang on the door.

After seeing this, I was told that it was probably just one van in one area with the rest of the fleet having nothing in them and are used as decoys to simply worry people into getting a licence.

My spell at University and within the Royal Air Force has seen the old vans and officers appearing on the premises, (we had plenty of notice via the grapevine) but on the occassions they did catch people they were told to get a licence a.s.a.p and given a form to fill in and that was that. People had moved on by the time the officer came around again.

On the same note, I have lived here in this lovely village for near on six years and havent had a whiff of a detector van up here.
I do find modern TV very boring but end up watching a couple of hours after staggering back fom work. After eight hours of shifting earth all day (archaeology) the old TV seems quite a pleasing prospect at the end of the day, but can easily do without it.

 

[Doc]

TV detector vans are an interesting idea. My understanding is that the majority of enforcement work is done simply by calling on households who do not appear on the database of licenceholders, and asking to come in (they do not have right of entry). If the official sees a TV in use, or if the householder admits using one, prosecution follows.

I know of a number of people who choose not to have a TV who continue to get reminders/requests for information from the licensing people. This would not happen if enforcement was purely by detector van.

According to the tv licensing website, TV detection technology is so secret and high tech, that not even their own research staff know how it all works. http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/tvdetectorvans.jsp

I don't believe this. TV is not a new technology, and the component technology - superhet receivers, CRTs etc are very old technology. Sure it is possible to detect the local oscillator or timebase oscillator from a short distance away - although I doubt this would be good enough evidence in court. The reality is that the high-technology is a man knocking on doors.

I have a TV and a TV licence, partly because I'm pretty law abiding, and partly because, if there is something watching (wildlife programs, for example), it is usually on licence funded BBC. Purely commercial television means that there is a constant diet of popular-but-cheap programs that is entirely ratings-driven. You only have to look at the piles of dire reality TV on the box just now. So I am generally in favour of the TV licence. I don't like to see genuine non-TV-owners harrassed to buy a licence though.

 

[Tony]

I’ve had them on my doorstep asking to come in, I say no, they ask if I own a TV, I say yes, they say that I’m breaking the law, I say no I’m not, it’s not connected to an Arial, it’s unconnectable because I cut the cable and therefore I don’t need a licence just because I own a TV, they say, yes you do, we’re going to prosecute you because you’ve admitted to owning a TV and you don’t have a licence, I say go for your life mate, you don’t know what you’re on about…..Bye bye.

What gets me is that he was an official representative and he was wrong, if I’d not known that I was in the right I’d have been scared stiff and I’d have gone running for a license. I’ve had the same conversation on the phone and I do think it’s well out of order that they would use what I call a bully tactic.

 

[gregorach]

It's not unique to TV licence inspectors... Given that a reasonable propotion of people in every job don't actually know what they're doing, there's always a potential for problems when you give them any authority. Add in the obvious personality factors that tend to attract people to positions of petty authority, and you have a recipie for unbridled stupidity. Whether it's actually a "bully tactic" depends on whether they really think they're right or not...

 

[Ahjno]

I’ve had them on my doorstep asking to come in, I say no, they ask if I own a TV, I say yes, they say that I’m breaking the law, I say no I’m not, it’s not connected to an Arial, it’s unconnectable because I cut the cable and therefore I don’t need a licence just because I own a TV, they say, yes you do, we’re going to prosecute you because you’ve admitted to owning a TV and you don’t have a licence, I say go for your life mate, you don’t know what you’re on about…..Bye bye.

What gets me is that he was an official representative and he was wrong, if I’d not known that I was in the right I’d have been scared stiff and I’d have gone running for a license. I’ve had the same conversation on the phone and I do think it’s well out of order that they would use what I call a bully tactic.

Interesting thread ... TV license ...
Overhere we had about the same thing, but it got ditched years ago because nobody paid for their licence (well, not actually a licence - but it was recorded in some shape or form), and it wasn't really worth the effort to 'hunt' people down and make them pay the bill.

IIRC TV's, radios and the lot got a bit more expensive for a short while - but sales dropped and companies where complaining. In the end we were 'saved' by commercial television

I can see some of you guys sitting in the attic, in front of the telly - in all secrecy. Someone at the door, your heart ends up in your throat ... "Whose that?" Whilst eyes are spying from left to right, end the telly is quickly switched off and hidden behind some olden wooden panels.
You open the door: "Goodday Sir" ... "Do you own a television?"
"Nah sorry mate" you say "Think you confuse me with the neighbours, they do own one".
:yelrotflm

 

[sam_acw]

I just have a laptop and have been without a TV whenever I've lived away from my family. The only thing I'm interested in wathcing is sport which is usually on in the pub.
I'm meant to have cable in my flat (free with my job) which i'm none too happy about but it is a bit hard to explain why I don't want to pay for it. Also i'm meant to have a flatmate which is unlucky for whoever the poor soul is

 

[EdS]

Tony - strictly if you do own any TV, rather than one of the commercial video only player (they have no socket for an aerial & every thing is internally wired) you do neefd a TV license as you own equipment that can be used to pick up TV. Whether you choose to make use of this facility is up to the owner.

Bit stupid really.

 

[Tengu]

Go to your TV repair man and have it detuned...make sure he gives you written evidence hes done this.

They cant argue with that.