Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Licence fee for computers?

  • 10-09-2006 4:49pm
    #1
    Chillwithcian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 751 ✭✭✭


    I am enraged to read a article in this weeks sunday tribune business section by richard dervlan that the proposed broadcasting bill will lap a €158 fee onto our computers because we may be able to view telivison programmes on them. Is this a joke???


Comments

  • #2
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    A further fee? TV cards are already covered by the television license. How can there be any further charge?


  • #3
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,968 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    to quote
    DAFT BROADCASTING BILL
    Can we just say that the proposal contained in the draft Broadcasting Bill to tax PCs with the dread 158 licence fee because they may be displaying TV programming is just about the dumbest thing we've heard in some time. All we can say is, they can take my laptop when they prise it from my cold, dead fingers.

    I would'nt worry.

    Mike.


  • #4
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,562 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    Currently you require a TV license if you have any piece of equipment that is capable of receiving a TV signal. This includes a PC with a TV tuner installed. The current requirement is one license for each house with one or more peices of equipment so most PC's are already covered at the moment anyway.

    The requirements for paying the TV license won't change. They'll just end up trying to find new ways to enforce it.


  • #5
    Zapho
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,268 ✭✭✭Zapho


    God I hope it doesn't change. Well, considering PCs without TV cards. I mean what about portable DVD players then? They can't receive a TV signal but they can technically play TV programs on them....

    Essentially, if this thing did go ahead, you could basically say its a bittorrent/P2P licence.Its the main way people watch TV programs on PCs without a TV card.


  • #6
    billy the squid
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,811 ✭✭✭✭billy the squid


    They will spin it in such a way that you are able to watch the likes of RTE news online with realplayer etc. The only way they could justify this would be to put RTE 1 2 and TG4 on 24 hour webstreaming. and it would want to be decent quality too.

    Sounds to me like the head bottlewashers in RTE have realised that the Internet is more interesting than repeats of Friends, and people are chosing to listen to podcasts rather than listen to Pat Kenny.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Hobbes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Posted this on the consumer forum a while ago. There is a link to the new revised bill.

    Basically if you own any software or a PC or mobile phone that is able to view TV content (even if it cannot at that time) then you will need a TV license for it.

    At the moment if you own a broken TV you need a tv license for it (as you could repair it at a later point), by that same rule you would need a license for say a CD of Windows Media Player as it could be used to view media content at a later time.

    The bit I had contention with the bill which needs clearing up is that your Car is not classed as your premises (which you only need one license for) so techinically speaking owning a laptop or mobile phone means you need a seperate license for that.

    There is a provision to allow the regulator to preclude computers at a later point but not in the initial wording.

    Personally I think the new rules are inanely stupid and they will have a hard time enforcing them.


Advertisement