Not another TV licence thread

Krieg

Yep.

A point was raised in this thread regarding the use of a computer as a television and whether it is subject to a tv licence. Main post being -

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Get a tuner card for your pc/laptop and ditch the TV. As if they'd ever catch on...:)

Hypothetical:
Joe blogg's does not own a televison or subscribed to any channel provider, but Joe has a computer and the internet. Does Joe have to get a tv licence?


Ive had a quick look through the tv licence site but I couldn't find anything mentioned about computers. As a disclaimer, I am not looking for a way to evade the tv licence, I have a tv and computer and always will, but I think its a very good question. Especially since more and more people are watching their favourite shows online.

aidan_walsh

Regarding tuner cards:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/consumer-affairs/media/tv_licences/

If your household, business or institution possesses a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal, you are required by law to have a television licence.

Emphasis mine.

congo_90

According to the 4OD terms and conditions/ FAQ, you don't need a T.V licence because it is not broadcast on air or something like that. AFAIK that means no, though i'm sure in the future governmemts will try....

I wait to stand to be corrected on this..

aidan_walsh

The 4OD website may not be the best way to judge this, as it is a British website and likely only citing their law on the matter.

If you don't have a tuner card and are watching television shows via the web, then it does not seem likely that you need to have a license. However, there is still the copyright issue

congo_90

@aidin.
didnt see your post above. That is why i said i wait to be corrected just in case.
Technically a TV tuner card put into a computer makes the computer nothing more than a smart TV. So it could be regarded as a tv now that I think about it..

Krieg

Thanks for the replys.

Yeah that sounds about right with the tuner cards.
Although if poor Joe did end up in court im not sure how well he would be able to argue his case, even if there wasn't a tuner card present.

Also the fact that there are 'Online tv channels' that you can subscribe too and gain streaming content.

congo_90 wrote:

i'm sure in the future governmemts will try....

Yeah, Im willing to bet there will be something within the next 3 years if not less.

seamus

The point of the TV licence is to fund the television network in this country. The ability to download data which happens to be in a video format is irrelevant - it's not a "television signal". Thnink of a portable DVD player - the data is read digitally from the DVD and displayed on the screen. An internet connection works in an identical manner except that the format of the media and the method of transmission is different. Ultimately however, you're reading digital data directly and deliberately from a medium and using software to convert that into images.

Television differs mainly because it is broadcast. That is, neither the sender nor receiver have to specifically request the signal - once the equipment is there in the form of a coax connection, the television is receiving a signal, whether or not you're looking at it.

The line is quite blurry but I have no doubt there'll be measures to make sure that you don't get an Irish TV channel through any medium without a TV licence. It'll probably be implemented about 10 years too late and be a shambles.

Overheal

Every household, business or institution in Ireland with a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal (using an aerial, satellite dish, cable or other means) must have a television licence.

160 euros! **** me...