TV with no aerial?

peterwilson

Hi
Sorry if its been covered before but

If I have a TV thats not capable of picking up a signal (we dont have an aerial or cable or satellite - we just use it for DVDs) do you need a TV license?

Thanks
Peter

marksi

Yes, as it is CAPABLE of receiving broadcast signals. To avoid paying the license fee you'd have to remove the tuner.

DMC

The law is quite clear on this, yes, you do need a TV licence, for the reason marksi quite ccorrectly stated.

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/public_utilities/telecommunications/tv_licences.html

watty

Don't be confused by UK law comments as the UK law is different.

rogue-entity

What does annoy me about this is that if you have for example a broken sattelite receiver, unused and in storage in your attic, but no television equipment of any kind, you still need to fork out 155 yoyos. Outrageous.

watty

No it's not as bad as that. You can even have a TV in the store room As long as it's mains plug is cut off

Ulsterman 1690

There is a lot of bullsh- sorry misinformation on the Oasis site

Even if the television or other equipment is broken and currently unable to receive a signal, it is regarded as capable of being repaired so it can receive a signal

.... contains a television, or equipment capable of receiving a television signal (i.e., satellite dish, aerial), then this household must also have a television licence.

A TV with its plug cut off is still capable of being used (albeit in an eletrically unsafe manner) and there are TV's out there that will work on batteries

byte

So, even if there is an aerial on a house (eg you bought the house and aerial was there), and you have no television set, you're still liable for TV license?

That's mad! :rolleyes:

watty

That oasis site is not correctly quoting law, but cautiously paraphrasing it. It is neither complete nor accurate.

NO. You have to have functional receiving apparatus. They can't bill you for licence just because you have a TV or an Aerial. It must be "functional". If the flex has no bare ends and no plug, or there is no TV or monitor with PC tuner card or VHS tuner, you are not liable,

They arn't unreasonable. If it is a broken or disabled set you will not be billed. I was successfull in having no licence for several years as the TV was not operational.

The equipment is not deemed capable of being used if it is not functional. If a plug was added or a repair was successful, then you would be liable for a licence. After all the TV may not be repairable or worth repairing, in this case to avoid any confusion cut the flex off flush with the cabinet. A TV taken to a recycling centre will get the fex cut off. If you have no licence the main reason to have an unrepaired TV is that you have not yet dumped it.


Oddly that site is not 100% clear or accurate. For example if you rent a room in a house and share kitchen facilities then one domestic licence covers the house. If your room(s) has any cooking facility, then you need your own licence. If the rented room is on the basis of B&B etc (Guest House or Hotel) then a domestic licence does not suffice, more expensive Guest house/Hotel licence is required.

So a "granny flat" even with unused kitchen needs its own TV licence, unless you disable the cooking arrangements so that it is NOT a functional cooking area. Even a separate "granny flat" on same site, with no kitchen at all needs no separate licence, as it is not a complete separate dwelling.

It is only subdivided within the meaning of the act if it has its own cooking facilities!

So obviously any holiday home, even of the Mobile Home variety needs its own TV licence.

I notice on the Oasis site they totally avoid the thorny issue of TVs on pedestrians, cars, campervans and caravans. I'm not too sure how that works here... In UK your "portable" TV must only be used on Batteries when away from home! (Begs question of chargers etc). In UK it used to be a TV powered from car needed its own licence but on batteries not (In both countries a Video screen must not be viewable by the driver).

Ulsterman 1690

Watty Im not saying youre wrong but......

So a "granny flat" even with unused kitchen needs its own TV licence, unless you disable the cooking arrangements so that it is NOT a functional cooking area

So is it a television licence or a cooker licence ?:rolleyes:

Suppose there is no cooker but there is a toaster ?

So, even if there is an aerial on a house (eg you bought the house and aerial was there), and you have no television set, you're still liable for TV license?

Oasis are talking through their @r£;€s No you DONT need a licence for an aerial since the aerial can be used for other things (example recieving FM radio) by their logic you need a TV licence for a coat hanger since a coat hanger can be used as a TV aerial. Actually if the signal is strong enough you might even get a picture by sticking your finger in the aerial socket (DONT TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS :eek: ) so do you need a licence for your finger

watty

It's to do with with definition of a "separate dwelling". Apparently a shared loo doesn't matter, but if you have no cooking arrangements (use a shared kitchen) then it isn't a separate dwelling and needs no licence.

I don't know if there has ever been a legal arguement as to what consitutes "cooking".

If you read the actual licence / TV law conditions rather than the Oasis site, you'll see I'm right, arguing if something is a separate dwelling or not (cooking arrangements), might seem silly, but a good deal less silly than the suggestion that a TV aerial or a broken automatically means you need a licence.

Ulsterman 1690

It's to do with with definition of a "separate dwelling". Apparently a shared loo doesn't matter, but if you have no cooking arrangements (use a shared kitchen) then it isn't a separate dwelling and needs no licence

Like I say youre probably absolutely right I still reckon its ridiculous

The house Im in right now has a garden shed. In said shed is a TV aerial (unused) and a camping gas stove (As a standby in case of power cuts)

Should there be a licence for said garden shed ?

watty

No-one is living in it watching TV

lawhec

Just so slightly off-topic, there used to be a loophole in the UK TV Licencing laws whereby if you did not view broadcasts that were transmitted from the UK, but from abroad only, then you didn't need a TV Licence. This could have, potentially, allowed someone in N.Ireland to have watched RTÉ, TV3 and TG4 until their hearts content while ignoring BBC, UTV, Channel 4 and Five (e.g. detuning them) and not have to pay a licence! This loophole was closed though in 2004.

Ulsterman 1690

I suspect this loophole was in place to allow immigrants with limited or no English to watch foreign satellite channels without a licence. Its removal was probably due to people in Northern Ireland misusing it (i.e. claiming they never watched UK terrestrial channels when they actually did)

depending on model retuning in a "detuned" TV is not diffucult. No problem at all if it has one of those US style rotary tuners