Do I need a TV Licence?

atat23

There is another thread about TV licences but I don't want to disturb the nice argument flow they've got going.


So this thread is basically just confirming some doubts I have about this as the answer to the original question is most likely a resounding YES!

I'm a first time home owner so I should get this sorted asap but my TV is used soley for gaming and never will be used for anything else. The internet provides me with the rest of my multimedia entertainment needs.

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.

Going by the above I take it it isn't enough to physically remove the TV cable from the wall and remove it from the premises. The fact that my TV is capable of recieving a TV signal is enough?

I've seen a few contradictory answers about this but I'd like to know for defininite, though I'm afraid I may know the answer already

IrishEmperor

swap your TV for a big monitor with a HDMI input for your xbox/ps3

& you'll be able to hook up your pc/laptop via VGA/DVI to watch RTEonline & not be obliged to pay for it
http://siliconrepublic.com/news/article/12982/comms/government-says-no-tv-licence-needed-for-rte-online

aidan_walsh

The fact that my TV is capable of recieving a TV signal is enough?

Precisely correct. The same would apply if you have a TV tuner card in your laptop or HTPC/Media Centre for example.

watty

atat23 wrote: »

Going by the above I take it it isn't enough to physically remove the TV cable from the wall and remove it from the premises. The fact that my TV is capable of receiving a TV signal is enough?

Fill the aerial socket with epoxy resin/araldite might be enough. You probably need to have the tuner software disabled and tuner actually removed for it to count as a monitor.

atat23

So the fact that there is an aerial socket is a moot point it's the tuner that the licence actually aplies to, got it.

The tuner is apparently included in one of the chips in the TV so it seems quite a task to disable it, plus proving it's disabled might be hard.

The monitor is a kinda crappy option since I'm trying to avoid spending more money and they don't come in large enough sizes. But it would also be an option to remove the TV altogether and use my laptop since it has HDMI ports

Elmo

This should be stickied.

Also just because you have a broken tuner doesn't exempt you, I would have thought.

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

This should be stickied.

Also just because you have a broken tuner doesn't exempt you, I wouldn't have thought.

In Ireland, working or not, a TV that could, if working, receive a TV transmission, requires a licence. In the UK, it needs to be operational, even operating. That now applies to TV tuners cards in computers, etc.

atat23

wow they're really having a laugh with that one.....well feck them I begrudge paying for something I'm never going to use so a monitor it is




edit:

Sam Russell wrote: »

In Ireland, working or not, a TV that could, if working, receive a TV transmission, requires a licence. In the UK, it needs to be operational, even operating. That now applies to TV tuners cards in computers, etc.

thinking about it though a TV with a broken tuner is basically a monitor and the same amount effort would be involved in fixing the TV than it would just buying a tuner for a monitor, it's just plain stupid......that's if it is 100% that you don't need a license for a monitor that is

watty

Elmo wrote: »

Also just because you have a broken tuner doesn't exempt you, I would have thought.

Broken doesn't count. It might have broken today. It has to be a monitor or a TV that is so converted to a monitor that there is no question of it being a TV.

Mike 1972

Wasnt there some guy on here a while back who was told by a licence inspector that a HDMI capable monitor is covered under new legislation since it could be used as part of a TV system (Then again so can a PC, a mains plug, a coathanger.........) ?

watty wrote: »

Broken doesn't count. It might have broken today.

Surely by that logic not having a TV at all shouldnt count either since one might have had one yesterday ?

watty wrote: »

Fill the aerial socket with epoxy resin/araldite might be enough.

Not if the socket can be repaired/replaced going by what youre saying elsewhere*

* Not trying to pick a fight with yourself Watty just highlighting how ridiculous and unworkable the TV licence law in Ireland has become.

watty

An HDMI monitor with no tuner is a monitor. It doesn't need a licence. You can have SCART based monitors for CCTV or games consoles. I have one actually.

But a USB dongle or DVD recorder with tuner does need a licence.

Sponge Bob

Watty is absolutely correct. The test in Ireland is whether a premises contains a device that COULD receive a broadcast signal.

If so....home or business....it needs to have a licence.

Monitors have no tuners, cannot receive a broadcast, and require no licence.

zilog_jones

atat23 wrote: »

But it would also be an option to remove the TV altogether and use my laptop since it has HDMI ports

I highly doubt your laptop has an HDMI input.

Tomk1

watty wrote: »

An HDMI monitor with no tuner is a monitor. It doesn't need a licence. You can have SCART based monitors for CCTV or games consoles. I have one actually.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Watty is absolutely correct. The test in Ireland is whether a premises contains a device that COULD receive a broadcast signal.

If so....home or business....it needs to have a licence.

Monitors have no tuners, cannot receive a broadcast, and require no licence.

So you need a licence for a Satelite receiver then? as you can connect it to a monitor.

zilog_jones

As RTÉ is only freely available terrestrially, one would assume you don't need a licence for an FTA sat receiver...

Sam Russell

zilog_jones wrote: »

As RTÉ is only freely available terrestrially, one would assume you don't need a licence for an FTA sat receiver...

It has nothing to do with RTE. If you can receive TV broadcasts, you must have a TV licence. If your equipment can only get Russian TV, you still can get TV, so you need a licence.

Mike 1972

Sam Russell wrote: »

It has nothing to do with RTE. If you can receive TV broadcasts, you must have a TV licence. If your equipment can only get Russian TV, you still can get TV, so you need a licence.

Wonder where the law stands if one had an old 405 line only set (no broadcasts anywhere in the world since Jan 1985) ?

Theyd probably say you needed a licence because it was designed for recieving television broadcasts (and could still do so if used with a line standards convertor).

There was a case in the UK involving a wireless museum. Eventually it was ruled that they were exempt but the law in Ireland is probably different :rolleyes:

Sam Russell

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Wonder where the law stands if one had an old 405 line only set (no broadcasts anywhere in the world since Jan 1985) ?

Theyd probably say you needed a licence because it was designed for recieving television broadcasts (and could still do so if used with a line standards convertor).

There was a case in the UK involving a wireless museum. Eventually it was ruled that they were exempt but the law in Ireland is probably different :rolleyes:

Yes it is. In the UK, you have to be caught using it. Here you just have to have it, working or not.

watty

A 405 set is effectively now a wierd kind of video monitor, so you might get off

But a VHF/UHF Tuner and Standards converter (Tuner needed as the 405 Line set tuner is no use either) is a receiver and like a DVD recorder or VHS feeding a Monitor, would need a TV licence.

One licence covers all your TVs.

Originally in UK, if you proved you were only watching non-UK TV there was no licence to pay, that may be different now.

Since we actually introduced TV licence before Irish TV started (1960 vs 31st Dec 1961), obviously here the criteria has always only been reception , Not Foreign TV

docentore

I've got a letter from An Post with my name on it, before I was getting "An Occupier" letters.
Also few days ago there was tv inspector, no one was home so he left the note.

We have a LCD TV, but we don't watch tv at all. We don't even have any aerial connected, we use it purely as a monitor. It is connected with my appe tv, xbox and HD-DVD player.

I don't feel like I should pay the fee, so this is what I'm going to do:
1. I have spare semi working main board for the tv. I'm going to desolder the tuner out of it.
2. If it works I will do the same with the proper board.
3. The castrated TV set will became one feckin big monitor, I will take my chance in court if I will have to.

watty

Fill the aerial socket hole with epoxy putty too.

steveoracle

I don't mind paying my licence but I do think the rules are archaic, unforunatley if you've got a TV then you need to pay the licence... seems weird to me...

S

STB

What that most people use TVs to watch television ?

The man who is going to desolder boards off his TV (good luck with that by the way - high voltages!) is in a tiny minority.

I dont think the spirit of the licensing regime is catch people out. It is to pay for PSB TV. If the device can receive TV then it needs a licence. The legislation is written for the majority. In Greece you dont get the option, it comes off your ESB bill.

Sam Kade

zilog_jones wrote: »

I highly doubt your laptop has an HDMI input.

Let me clear your doubt. There is one on my laptop a dell inspiron 1525.

axer

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Watty is absolutely correct. The test in Ireland is whether a premises contains a device that COULD receive a broadcast signal.

If so....home or business....it needs to have a licence.

Monitors have no tuners, cannot receive a broadcast, and require no licence.

The law states:

“ television set ” means any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction with it) and any software or assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus;

I don't think that a tv with a broken tuner is capable of receiving a broadcast until it is fixed.

watty

Sam Kade wrote: »

Let me clear your doubt. There is one on my laptop a dell inspiron 1525.

LCD Display: 15.4" widescreen with a 1280 × 800 resolution, or 15.4" widescreen with a 1280 × 800 resolution and TrueLife.

1 HDMI output Not an Input


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Inspiron_1525
http://www.cnet.com.au/dell-inspiron-1525_specs-339285699.htm
http://www.lapspecs.com/wiki/dell+inspiron+1525

It has NO video in of any kind. A very few Laptops have integrated TV Tuner (analogue and/or Digital) and a very few have Composite and/or Y/C (S-Video) in. It's a pretty useless machine even for audio recording with no line in or SPDIF in, only Mic in.

The only quality input method for video on any laptop other than Off Air RF Digital (DTT) is DV (from digital camera or media bridge), via IEEE1394/iLink/Firewire

Only displays or switch boxes or optical/Cat5 extenders have HDMI input.

zilog_jones

Sam Kade wrote: »

Let me clear your doubt. There is one on my laptop a dell inspiron 1525.

I assembled those laptops for several months when I was working on the line in Dell, I know there's an HDMI port on them but as Watty and I said it ain't no input!

Sam Kade

zilog_jones wrote: »

I assembled those laptops for several months when I was working on the line in Dell, I know there's an HDMI port on them but as Watty and I said it ain't no input!

What exactly would the advantage of an HDMI input when you would need HD tv or sky+ HD box to watch tv on your laptop? If you had either of those you would still need to pay a tv license. Also why would you watch tv on your laptop if you already had a HD tv?

watty

I don't think any HDTV *OUTPUTS* on HDMI, only inputs.

A SkyHD box can feed a monitor with HDMI in. While the Monitor doesn't need a Licence, the SKYHD box does.

I can't imagine what the OP thinks this does, though actually it doesn't anyway...

axer

watty wrote: »

A SkyHD box can feed a monitor with HDMI in. While the Monitor doesn't need a Licence, the SKYHD box does.

I think technically it is having an appartatus or apparatuses combined which result in being able to receive and exhibit television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception.

So technically the Monitor or Sky box by themselves do not need a license but because combining them has the end result of being able to receive and exhibit television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception means a license is needed. So for example having a dreambox and then using your laptop to view the output over your LAN requires a tv license (although it would be harder to prove etc).

It is interesting that under the "BROADCASTING ACT 2009"

(3) An officer of an issuing agent may enter at any reasonable time any premises or specified place for the purposes of ascertaining whether there is a television set there and a television licence is for the time being in force in respect of the premises or specified place authorising the keeping of a television set at the premises or specified place.

I would have thought that would need a search warrant? I presume you can just say no to them at which point they would need to come back with a Garda Officer?

watty

No search warrent needed here or UK for suspected Customs or Telecoms offences, traditionally, though thinks may have changed.

watty

Seems you might need a licence for a 405 line TV after all!

http://www.405-line.tv/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=501&p=7519#p7519

But don't tell anyone

As we understand it, the purpose of Ofcom’s ‘no publicity’ request for ‘test and development’ licensing is to prevent such a licence being used by the holder:
(a) to build up a customer base – or in our case ‘viewing audience’ - from the general public for the product or service being tested and developed; and/or
(b) as a marketing tool to increase the public profile of the organisation behind the licence.
The BHTG seeks neither of these things at this stage in our operations.

We’ve said (on the BHTG forum):
“It is a condition of our test licence that we must not seek to attract a viewing audience of members of the general public to our transmissions.”
In other words, the BHTG and its members mustn’t approach the media to gain publicity for its tests, and if the media approaches the BHTG, we should explain the situation, ask that they refrain from publishing anything about our licence or activities, and then make no further comment.

We contend that discussion and awareness in the two engineering-based forums (this one and the BHTG forum) is necessary to the success of the prospective tests, especially with regard to:
(a) obtaining a useful number of reception reports (to ascertain our likely ‘service area’); and
(b) gathering sufficient information about the effects of present-day interference in the band on the reception of our signal.