TV License required for Freeset only?

[Bugbait]

Sorry for being lazy, but there seem to be many in the know here that already have the answer I seek. Does anyone know if you need a TV License if you only receive Freesat signals? Ie. My house doesn’t not have a TV aerial.

[Stephen C]

"You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone or DVD/video recorder."

"You need a licence if you record TV as it's broadcast, whether that's on a conventional video recorder or digital box."

So yes, you need one.

[oolon]

Yes, you also need one to steam live stuff from iplayer or any other "live" TV service. If you watch "live" TV from any channel in the UK by any means you need a licence. or as Zap says record it "live" and watch it later. I is however fine to let someone else record it and then watch it later, so watching programs on iplayer that are not live is ok, as they did the recording. So watching news clips is ok, as they are not live.

[blueball]

But surely only if it is BBC programmes?

[usxhe190]

No, you need the licence for non BBC programmes.

You need it as long as you are watching it as it is being broadcasted/live or you are recording something as it is being broadcasted/live.

[blueball]

Then if you pay a licence for any live broadcast but only the BBC receive the money then that seems a bit skewed to me!

[Stephen C]

Everything we pay is skewed.

[Bugbait]

Thanks chaps. Thought so and currently have one but was wondering if I could avoid renewing it. Boo hiss.

[peterb]

The licence is to permit you to install equipment for the live reception of broadcast material (to paraphrase) regardless of where it comes from. The government then chooses to pay for the BBC from that revenue.

(It's a bit like Vehicle excise duty (road fund licence) that raises far more than is spent on roads, although I think the net licence revenue does wholly go to the BBC)

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

[usxhe190]

Then if you pay a licence for any live broadcast but only the BBC receive the money then that seems a bit skewed to me!

Yep, definitely skewed. So I treat it as a form of stealth government tax.

[oolon]

The government has started to take a bit off the licence fee, the BBC used to get a grant from the foreign office for the world service, however that money is now coming from the licence fee. So it is getting more like general taxation, I would not mind so much about it if it was not for the enforcement officers. The TV licence is in my partners name every time I buy a TV etc, I get lots of rude letters from them, they seem completely unable to record the fact that two people without the same last name *might* live as a couple. Generally however these days I put her name down when i buy things!

[Funkstar]

The money goes to the BBC, but the BBC then in turn spend some of that on general broadcast infrastructure which other broadcasters make use of. They also invest in R&D, which again, other broadcasters will make use of, all be it perhaps indirectly or with further licensing fees.

The TV licence is in my partners name every time I buy a TV etc, I get lots of rude letters from them, they seem completely unable to record the fact that two people without the same last name *might* live as a couple. Generally however these days I put her name down when i buy things!

I've heard this kind of thing from others, but I have never been asked for my details when buying any TV receiving equipment. How very odd. That includes TVs for me, a TV for work (used for presentations), TV cards, DVD recorders, etc.

[Saracen]

The licence is to permit you to install equipment for the live reception of broadcast material (to paraphrase) regardless of where it comes from. ....

Not quite. It's not the installing of equipment that requires a licence, but the act of receiving.