I’m not renewing my TV licence - any pitfalls?

[P. G. Tipps]

I'm now convinced I lost my way in life ... I should have been a TV Detector Man ...

[Serial_Apologist]

At least he had a knock at the door!

Another acquantance was investigated on suspicion of being an IRA sympathiser. The police raided his house, looking up chimneys, prizing up floorboards etc. Two officers went out into the garden, where one of them discovered a small patch of ground dug the previous day in preparation for planting some annuals, only to be interrupted by rain. Quick as a flash the posse was off back to the station, returning minutes later equipped with spades and forks etc., and within an hour the entire garden had been dug over, much to the satisfaction of my acquaintance!

[teamsaint]

I’m struggling to get my head around this. It is clear to me that having stopped watching TV and therefore not renewing my licence for the first time in almost 30 consecutive years of having one in my name, I am now guilty of watching TV without a licence and must immediately set about proving my innocence..

(I am going to remove it to a spare room today, because it seems incredibly stupid to put myself at risk, but I really resent being told by the state where in my house I’m allowed to have my TV).

It is outrageous. Keep it where you wish to, and see them in court, is my advice.
Probably bad advice though.

Incidentally, I do have a licence, as mentioned up thread, but keep the big screen telly that we own ( my mum was going to chuck it out so we took it off her) behind the sofa*, which might look a bit dodgy, if they come to the wrong house, or something.

* It occurred to me the other day that this might be very convenient for scary episodes of Dr Who, so I might start watching that again.

[teamsaint]

Another acquantance was investigated on suspicion of being an IRA sympathiser. The police raided his house, looking up chimneys, prizing up floorboards etc. Two officers went out into the garden, where one of them discovered a small patch of ground dug the previous day in preparation for planting some annuals, only to be interrupted by rain. Quick as a flash the posse was off back to the station, returning minutes later equipped with spades and forks etc., and within an hour the entire garden had been dug over, much to the satisfaction of my acquaintance!

( Wish you'd told that story three weeks ago, might have saved us a job......)

[Lat-Literal]

Another acquantance was investigated on suspicion of being an IRA sympathiser. The police raided his house, looking up chimneys, prizing up floorboards etc. Two officers went out into the garden, where one of them discovered a small patch of ground dug the previous day in preparation for planting some annuals, only to be interrupted by rain. Quick as a flash the posse was off back to the station, returning minutes later equipped with spades and forks etc., and within an hour the entire garden had been dug over, much to the satisfaction of my acquaintance!

You obviously know more people who have come under scrutiny than I do but most I know aren't political. Baroness Jenny Jones complains like mad in the Lords about being on a list because of her past environmental activism but if you were to look at her description of herself on her Twitter page she could appear to revel in the notoriety. I don't have those angles. I recognise as others do that I am someone who seems to "acquire" situations more than many inadvertently, normally with a mixture of the serious and the ludicrous.

[Beef Oven!]

It is outrageous. Keep it where you wish to, and see them in court, is my advice.
Probably bad advice though.

Incidentally, I do have a licence, as mentioned up thread, but keep the big screen telly that we own ( my mum was going to chuck it out so we took it off her) behind the sofa*, which might look a bit dodgy, if they come to the wrong house, or something.

* It occurred to me the other day that this might be very convenient for scary episodes of Dr Who, so I might start watching that again.

I think that’s bad advice and will give me a problem!

Regarding Dr Who, I never hid behind the sofa, I went in the cupboard under the stairs in the hall! (honestly). It was the Cybermen that scared me most.

[teamsaint]

I think that’s bad advice and will give me a problem!

Regarding Dr Who, I never hid behind the sofa, I went in the cupboard under the stairs in the hall! (honestly). It was the Cybermen that scared me most.

Hmm, yes, not too confident about my legal advice, but I DO have 100% success rate defending myself in court.....

Agree about the Cybermen.Terrifying.

We didn't have a cupboard under the stairs in the hall, so options a bit limited there.

[Beef Oven!]

Hmm, yes, not too confident about my legal advice, but I DO have 100% success rate defending myself in court.....

Gonna tell us more? Sounds intriguing.

Agree about the cybermen.Terrifying.

Trouble was, in those days the hall was communal, so there was a risk that another kid could get there before you!

[Beresford]

You’ve highlighted the one thing that concerns me. I don’t want a situation where some berk turns up at my house and notes that I own a TV and on the basis of that, I end up in court.

A few years ago you had to have a licence if you possessed equipment capable of receiving any live television. The advent of the iplayer on computers rendered that rule ridiculous; it was dropped when the rules were changed to require a licence to watch live tv or BBC on-demand. So now you can have a tv in any room; as long as you don't use it for watching live tv, perhaps instead using the tv solely as a computer monitor, you don't need a licence.

[Beef Oven!]

A few years ago you had to have a licence if you possessed equipment capable of receiving any live television. The advent of the iplayer on computers rendered that rule ridiculous; it was dropped when the rules were changed to require a licence to watch live tv or BBC on-demand. So now you can have a tv in any room; as long as you don't use it for watching live tv, perhaps instead using the tv solely as a computer monitor, you don't need a licence.

Thanks for that, maybe I don’t need to move it from the living room.

Funny enough, I went over to the TV half an hour ago to move it and I saw some DVDs on the stand. The usual stuff, Barenboim’s Ring, Horst Stein’s Parsifal, some BBC DVDs. Is it legal to have the TV in your living room for use with DVDs?

Anyone know the answer to that?

[Beresford]

Thanks for that, maybe I don’t need to move it from the living room.

Funny enough, I went over to the TV half an hour ago to move it and I saw some DVDs on the stand. The usual stuff, Barenboim’s Ring, Horst Stein’s Parsifal, some BBC DVDs. Is it legal to have the TV in your living room for use with DVDs?

Anyone know the answer to that?

Yes it is ok to use the tv for DVD's without a licence. There is a box to be ticked on you annual submission, paper or online.

[Beef Oven!]

Yes it is ok to use the tv for DVD's without a licence. There is a box to be ticked on you annual submission, paper or online.

Thanks. So far I’ve only spoken with TV Licensing. I need to get that form.

I may not remove the TV now because I may want to watch some DVDs and I hadn’t taken that into account until earlier this afternoon.

[ahinton]

Thanks. So far I’ve only spoken with TV Licensing. I need to get that form.

I may not remove the TV now because I may want to watch some DVDs and I hadn’t taken that into account until earlier this afternoon.

I don't think that your usage could be detected unless the aerial was connected during it and you'll not be needing that to watch DVDs anyway.

On a quite different topic, will you be able to make it to Jonathan Powell's OC in Oxford a fortnight tomorrow? It would be great to see you there if so!

[Beef Oven!]

I don't think that your usage could be detected unless the aerial was connected during it and you'll not be needing that to watch DVDs anyway.

On a quite different topic, will you be able to make it to Jonathan Powell's OC in Oxford a fortnight tomorrow? It would be great to see you there if so!

I hope to. I’ll PM you.

[ahinton]

I hope to. I’ll PM you.

Great! I'll look forward to it.