GC44

On the subject of needing a licence to access iplayer. If you were to piggy back on a friend or relative in the UK with a current full TV licence then why or indeed how would that person even appear on the radar of the TV licence "detectives"? Surely these guys have enough on there plates investigating residents with either no licence or a black and white licence.

BristolUK

Presumably if the account is signed in 3 or 4 times a week for 52 weeks of the year that might indicate the account holder isn't actually on a fortnight's holiday in Benidorm.

GC44

Surely even the Beeb have heard of staycations!
I may be wrong but as long as a licence number is supplied when accessing iplayer the Beeb won't care how many times there service is used.

R I C H

Of course it'll care, it has licensing agreements that prohibit overseas broadcasts, hence why iplayer is disabled for overseas viewing.

BristolUK

Of course. One might even be accessing iPlayer at the office, factory, pub or whatever.

But access on multiple days 52 weeks of the year might draw attention.

The suggestion in the reports about this upcoming change suggests they are concerned.

GC44

It's fairly obvious it cares about overseas infringement, however the point was how many red flags will it raise if theoretically somebody with a valid tv licence is logging into the iplayer service once or twice a day, 7 days a week. (In this day and age most household have multiple devices) I still believe the main thrust of enforcement is and always will be focused on non licence holders etc.
Things may have changed but when I got my tv licences I don't recall ever being asked either how many people lived in my house and how many devices I owned.

BristolUK

Remembering of course that the technology exists these days to identify where one is logging in from.

As stated elsewhere, even VPN use can be detected.

GC44

I agree, it certainly can be detected. The good news however is that we expats are not the only ones utilizing VPNs. There are statistics that claim up to 16% of internet users in the UK use VPNs.

Gozit

They won't know you are using it outside the UK if you VPN into the UK first before accessing it when using a friends TV license. Just don't sign up to a long term VPN sub so if they detect the VPN provider you are using you can hop onto another one.

BristolUK

Assuming one you move to hasn't already been detected I suppose.

Presumably VPN providers will want to "keep moving" so they can switch their users onto a working alternative as necessary?

But is there a limit?

Honestly, why don't the powers that be just accept the new reality, get together and provide (for a fee) the service themselves.

The music world has adapted and, to a certain extent, the movie world, so why not the broadcast industry?

GC44

There was a BBC Global iplayer, not sure how long it lasted but it closed fairly recently. Not sure why it ceased operation but I have a feeling the uptake was disappointing. After all why pay for a limited iplayer service when subscription to a decent VPN would give you access to the full UK iplayer service.

BristolUK

I don't know what it was called but it does sound like something discussed here previously.

I didn't even know it had been available until I heard of it ending so it likely wasn't well advertised.

Almost as if they did it deliberately so they could claim there wasn't a demand for an overseas service.

Hawkmoon77

Making the Global iPlayer only available on Apple platform certainly limited it's appeal.

Especially to those with Windows PCs

If Auntie could make it global for one platform, why not all ?

Gozit

Yep, the good ones will do that, but sometimes (as in the case with unblockus/unotelly where netflix got the better of them) you need to switch to keep accessing what you want to access.

I agree. I can use my Spotify (music) subscription whilst abroad, and my Netflix to a degree. They need to just offer access to UK iPlayer without a TV license, for a fee.

BristolUK

In the meantime the longer one gets it free (via a couple of reliable streaming sites - within an hour of end of UK broadcast - and FilmOn for something live like rugby or an England football game) the more difficult it will prove to be persuaded to part with cash.