Tv license required on digital changeover?

Andy454

According to the wireless act 1972 - a television set is defined as:-

"television set" means any apparatus for wireless telegraphy designed primarily for the purpose of receiving and exhibiting television programmes broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction therewith) and any assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus.

Come 2012 if rte switch off analogue transmissions, my tv's will be unable to recieve rte's digital transmissions, does that mean they are now excempt from the tv license act if i don't have sky, ntl or any other interface capable of recieving a signal?

BeerNut

Not according to what you've quoted: your old telly is designed primarily for the purpose of receiving such broadcasts and will work, dependent on the use of something else [a set-top box, NTL, Sky etc] in conjunction therewith.

Fat_Fingers

hehehe, trust me Andy.. no escape from death and taxes.

TheDriver

what else would you be using it for then? Its just a computer monitor at that stage

watty

If after analogue shut down everywhere you don't have any set set box, then technically you wouldn't need a TV licence.

The Presence of PC USB tuner, PC PCI tuner, Cable, Satellite or DTT setbox would mean you need a licence.

If you can somehow get a live TV signal by any method you need a Licence. If there is no way at all remotely convoluted to watch TV, then you don't need a licence.

You'd have to go to court and PROVE conclusively that you only use the old TV for your Sega Mega System. Very hard and expensive. Easier to take the TV to recycling centre if you REALLY never watch TV, or get a licence if you do.

Antenna

a somewhat similar question asked in the Dail way back in 1975 about the defunct 405 line TV system:

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0280/D.0280.197505140006.html

Q: . Mr. Colley asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether persons who keep 405-line TV sets in their premises after 405-line broadcasts from RTE cease will be obliged to pay TV licences.


A: Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Dr. Cruise-O'Brien): ... There is no statutory provision under which I could assist those who retain their 405-line only sets after RTE cease to transmit on 405-lines and such persons will still be obliged to have a current television licence.

bk

watty wrote: »

If you can somehow get a live TV signal by any method you need a Licence. If there is no way at all remotely convoluted to watch TV, then you don't need a licence.

Interesting question, how about IPTV services like Smart?

It isn't a TV "broadcast" after all, it is streamed via IP over the internet.

watty

It counts as Broadcast. In fact IPTV from via DSL from Exchange can be thought of as a "digital video extender" with a remote virtual setbox at the exchange. To the exchange it's either actual broadcast or IP broadcast. They don't run unicast per person on the backhaul. It also has to be a Live-ish feed of something broadcast somewhere. Technically a VOD unicast serice with no live TV would be Video Rental and the provider would need a Video Rental Retail licence.


YouTube and "web TV" services are unicast and hardly Broadcast quality.