quiltman

the law was changed recently so that those who said they only watched online catch up TV now have to have a licence. If they do ask for a licence then I'll have to get brother in laws number! BBC - BBC iPlayer law change takes effect - Media Centre

mikelincs

The courts have always taken the view that if you have a TV connected to an aerial or to a satellite dish or cable then you have capability of receiving BBC, therefore you need a license, When 'catch up' started and was available via the internet, then the rules etc had to be changed, so that is why with iPlayer they ask, currently 'do you have a license' and probably soon the license number.

Raffin

I also saw that on the TV licencing website. But the other category is those who "watch or record live TV programmes on any channel and on any device". Any channel amazes me. Have any Americans been summoned yet? I can imagine some of them would have no interest in UK channels. And people using portable devices?

mikelincs

but it's within the UK, and the license is 'to receive broadcasts' not just BBC, but if you are receiving broadcasts in the UK, then you are capable of receiving BBC.

Raffin

As you say Mikelincs it says you need a licence to receive broadcasts within the UK, on any device. Then on their website and forms they added you also need one to use the other facilities of BBC iPlayer. A throwback to earlier times when aerials, then later cables and dishes were used. Then internet connections came in,some through cable then air based.

There are many international TV websites based abroad, admittedly some of poor quality, in addition to BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, TV Catch up etc based in the UK. My question was, why should someone in the UK need a licence to only watch a live foreign channel online? It seems they can only watch on demand or download without one. The original licencing intention was to cover broadcasts from within the UK, but the internet came in. Maybe they have shyed away from making any exceptions as they may hope one day to catch people from simply their ISP record of sites visited? But at present it seems from a quick look at Wikipedia that TV licensing is not one of the bodies with permission to access those records.

Those detector vans etc can't address online evasion, which must be on the rise.

johnwoo

You don't have to have a license to stream ITV, or Channel 4

https://www.itv.com/
http://www.channel4.com/

You do have to sign up and provide a post code, apparently any postcode will suffice. They do come with the commercials. Small price to pay IMO

Also requires VPN, then so does BBC iPlayer

Raffin

Put it this way..you can get away at present with not having a licence and using VPN or DNS if abroad. But in the UK by law you should have one for any live TV broadcast on any device.Just look at the TV licencing website.

Interestingly I couldn't find anything about needing a TV licence to view on the ITV Hub site, but if you look through "Terms and Conditions" on the C4 site you will see it

johnwoo

I think we know streaming Brit TV is of questionable legality, I'm unsure what the consequences might be.

LPR

Unless you're a hermit living in a cave without electricity it seems you need a TV license these days. Not sure they have any power to enforce this in other countries other than trying to block streaming over VPN's.

Gazza-d

As not all of the license fee is passed over to the BBC now it has become a TV tax not license

LPR

Yet another tax!!!

ex reg

I'm in the UK at the moment but usually cancel my license when I'm overseas.

Just clicked on BBC iPlayer and this popped up:

'You’ll soon need to sign in to watch and listen to things on BBC iPlayer and iPlayer Radio. And the same goes for some other parts of the BBC. This is so we can make the BBC more relevant and personal to you.'

That last sentence is crap isn't it?

johnwoo

Sign in to BBC iPlayer just like you have to with ITV, and Channel 4 players now.