TV Licence {MEGAMERGE}

gbee

In fact, one needs a license for any receiving equipment, be that, TV, Radio, Phone, Computer, Laptop but an Post's portion is all encompassing and all devices come under one licence and unless you want to operate a HAM radio, no further licence is required.

RTE, however, had been threatening to look for additional licenses for you laptop, phone etc, just like your holiday home, even if you carry your TV with you.

The radio licence for private listening is incorporated into the TV licence. All this is for just owning the capability, no one gives a rat's if it is used for the purpose or not.

IMO, and in light of other factors in RTE, AND free satellite reception with no RTE content at all on the feed, this licence should be rescinded, but that's a vote for the future if we push it hard enough. but for now just owning any receiving device is mandated to be licensed.

kilkennyuser

frozenfrozen wrote: »

It's costing more to run because they've become bigger. The few people on ridiculously high money is only the tip of the ice berg for the costs of running RTE.
Lots of programs so lots of sets, cameras and other equipment, and then paying people to operate it all. The programs may be ****e but it's better than there being no national tv stations.

frozenfrozen are u really tryin to agrue that point that thay hav gotten bigger?shouldn't they surly start getting smaller an doing it very fast?what has every other company in ireland (actually probably the world)hav to hav done since the recession...cut there overheads an downgraded where possible(even the biscuits we got in for the xmas downgraded to cardboard boxes:mad:)surly all them people could be offered an internship instead see how many would wait around...look obviosly running costs are expensive but at least been serious an actually tryin to cut there overheads and startin with the massive wages been given out....

kilkennyuser

frozenfrozen wrote: »

Well if he doesn't have a television he doesn't need a television license now.. i'd say a friendly call to whoever in charge just explaining that he bought the tv just for the playstation, and that it has been since sold and replaced with a monitor which can't receive a tv signal

WATCH this space....i'll pass on your advice an i'll update with the reponse from the friendly face in charge:0:D

nuac

If this goes to Court, DJ will be required to apply the law.

On a busy morning, an attempt to make a speech from the dock along the lines of your post will not be well received.

Victor

kilkennyuser wrote: »

even the biscuits we got in for the xmas downgraded to cardboard boxes:mad:

:eek: They made you eat cardboard boxes? :eek:

Procrastastudy

I'm not sure RTE et al can downgrade the quality of programming much further...

I use a monitor and Netflix - job done. Pleased the wife no end we had to get rid of the 42" plasma

brandnewaward

never had one , never will , not with the ****e that rte air anyway

slimjimmc

gbee wrote: »

In fact, one needs a license for any receiving equipment, be that, TV, Radio, Phone, Computer, Laptop but an Post's portion is all encompassing and all devices come under one licence and unless you want to operate a HAM radio, no further licence is required.

RTE, however, had been threatening to look for additional licenses for you laptop, phone etc, just like your holiday home, even if you carry your TV with you.

The radio licence for private listening is incorporated into the TV licence. All this is for just owning the capability, no one gives a rat's if it is used for the purpose or not.

IMO, and in light of other factors in RTE, AND free satellite reception with no RTE content at all on the feed, this licence should be rescinded, but that's a vote for the future if we push it hard enough. but for now just owning any receiving device is mandated to be licensed.

Sorry but you are so wrong there. A TV licence is only for an apparatus capable of receiving and displaying simultaneous or near-simultaneous broadcasts. A licence is not needed for a radio receiver, phone, or computer unless it can do all of the above. The radio receiver licence was abandoned decades ago, you can legally have a radio receiver and not require a licence. Portable TVs (screen area under 160sq cm ) and devices which display broadcasts received from the public internet are specifically exempt from the TV licence.

A new household broadcasting charge which does what you say was proposed last year but this is not in place yet. Even then it's not intended to be an extra charge on top of the current TV licence, but does widen the scope of what requires a licence.

danthefan

Hope it's ok to bump an old thread, have a question on TV licenses:

I currently have a PC hooked up to my TV, but I don't have any Sky/UPC/Saorview in my apartment. There is a Sky dish on the apartment from the previous tennant. Under these circumstances do I still have to pay the TV license?

28064212

danthefan wrote: »

Hope it's ok to bump an old thread, have a question on TV licenses:

I currently have a PC hooked up to my TV, but I don't have any Sky/UPC/Saorview in my apartment. There is a Sky dish on the apartment from the previous tennant. Under these circumstances do I still have to pay the TV license?

You have a TV which is capable of receiving a broadcast signal, means you need a licence. Doesn't matter that you don't currently have anything hooked up to it (otherwise everyone would just disconnect their setup anytime the inspector called around)

danthefan

28064212 wrote: »

You have a TV which is capable of receiving a broadcast signal, means you need a licence. Doesn't matter that you don't currently have anything hooked up to it (otherwise everyone would just disconnect their setup anytime the inspector called around)

Alright thanks.

macannrb

Hi

I received a letter this week stating they were starting legal proceedings. Which I find very annoying as when the inspector last called to the apartment he never even asked about a tv, or tv licence. He just asked loads of questions about my boyfriend who he spoke to previously. If he did I would have informed him that there is no TV. As he asked a lot of questions about my boyfriend, I per-summed he already knew that there was no tv and was just asking these questions for the sake of it, and thinking back a lot which were quite personal, were he was, what job and company he worked for.

If he had asked about the tv, I would have informed him there was none, and even offered him the opportunity to look around the apartment.

I rang the number on the letter and they gave me an email address to write to, has anyone else had any luck with getting them off your back this way or have they still taken you court.

Flimbos

Hi.

I've looked through the various threads on this here, but can't find a definitive answer.

I've received a letter to renew my TV licence recently. I don't have a TV, I got rid of it earlier this year, and cancelled my UPC TV contract. So I don't think I need a licence.

My question is: do I need a licence for any of the following:

- My laptop, which I suppose is capable of receiving TV via websites such as AerTV?

- The UPC port in my living room, I cancelled the TV contract, but the port remains capable of transmitting TV signals.

- My internet connection, also UPC.

- An old DVD/VCR combo, which I haven't used in a while, but which I would have only used to play CDs through a speaker system.

I found the exemptions to the legislation here, this states that:

This order does not exempt from the television licensing requirements devices (e.g. personal computers or laptops) with a display size of more than 160 cm2, capable of displaying television channels (e.g. RTÉ Two, TV3, TG4, BBC One, 3e) distributed by conventional broadcast networks (e.g. cable, satellite, IPTV, analogue terrestrial, digital terrestrial or MMDS) using a television tuner card or related device (whether or not such devices are also capable of accessing the Internet or television-like services streamed via websites).

Am I reading this wrong, or does that include any laptop? Because even if I don't have a television tuner card or a related device, the laptop is "capable of displaying television channels".

I don't think I should need a TV licence if I don't have a TV, but I want to be sure. Thanks for your help.

the world wonders

Flimbos wrote: »

Am I reading this wrong, or does that include any laptop? Because even if I don't have a television tuner card or a related device, the laptop is "capable of displaying television channels".

But those TV channels it displays are not being "distributed by conventional broadcast networks" or received "using a television tuner card or related device".

You do not need a TV license, write them a letter explaining this and they will stop hassling you.

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Broadcasting/Frequently+Asked+Questions/Television+Licence+FAQ.htm#ComputerLicenceQ. Do I require a television licence for a computer which can access television-like services (e.g. the RTÉ Player or streaming services) over the Internet?
A. No. So long as the computer is unable to display television channels distributed by conventional television broadcasting networks (i.e cable, satillite, IPTV, analogue terrestrial, digital terrestrial or MMDS) e.g. using a television tuner card or similar device, then there is no requirement to hold a television licence.

Steve

Agree with the world wonders post, however, our great and awesome government are changing it soon so you will need what will effectively be an 'internet license' instead of a TV license.

Flimbos

Thanks guys.

If I got a large screen monitor for my laptop, does that require a licence?

Peregrinus

Only if your monitor is attached to a computer which is able to display television channels distributed by conventional television broadcasting networks (i.e cable, satillite, IPTV, analogue terrestrial, digital terrestrial or MMDS) e.g. using a television tuner card or similar device.

In which case you would need a licence, even if the monitor was of conventional size.

Flimbos

Cheers. I have a laptop, which is probably capable of receiving TV signals if connected to a tuner/aerial ... but I don't have an tuner or aerial.

Does the fact that the laptop is capable of being connected to devices which I currently don't own mean it needs a licence?

Or if it's commonly accepted that laptops without tuners/aerials are exempt, that's fine, I'm probably over thinking this!

Maura74

Flimbos wrote: »

Cheers. I have a laptop, which is probably capable of receiving TV signals if connected to a tuner/aerial ... but I don't have an tuner or aerial.

Does the fact that the laptop is capable of being connected to devices which I currently don't own mean it needs a licence?

Or if it's commonly accepted that laptops without tuners/aerials are exempt, that's fine, I'm probably over thinking this!

I use a laptop for my TV, but I cannot watch live TV live on laptop, this can be watched about 5 minutes after the live program has been on on TV.

However, sometimes I have to wait for a hr or so before I can get it on catchup on my computer.
As far as I am aware as long as your TV is not connect to an outside aerial then you should be OK. Well, that is how it is in the UK.

I like to see how they can make people get an TV license for computer especially since you can wi-fi on transport and different parts of the country. Also people can watch TV on phones and all sorts of hand held tablets in different parts of the country, how are they going to monitor it.

Sam Kade

From next even if you have no tv, laptop, internet, radio etc you still have to pay as the radio waves are passing over your house :mad:

Saint Sonner

Just moved in to apartment in Dublin.

TV License have left card saying we called - you weren't in pay your tv license.

Then we received a letter to same effect and more recently we received a letter saying something about this is a search warrant.

Can they really enter your place without your consent - they're tv license authorities!!!

Plus what evidence do they need to obtain to prove your watching TV?

Paulw

If they get a search warrant, then yes, they can enter without your permission.

If you have a TV then you are required, by law, to have a TV license.

Easiest option - buy a TV license.

dharma200

Did the letters have your own name on them.

FreudianSlippers

FYI:


Direct Debit Payment Options

There are four payment options.
Annual - One annual instalment of the Full TV Licence fee (€160)
Bi-Annual - Two six monthly instalments of €80
Quarterly - Four equal quarterly instalments of €40
Monthly - Spread the cost of the TV Licence fee over twelve months. Pay €13.33 per month

Saint Sonner

dharma200 wrote: »

Did the letters have your own name on them.

No my name is not on any correspondence.

Saint Sonner

Paulw wrote: »

If they get a search warrant, then yes, they can enter without your permission.

If you have a TV then you are required, by law, to have a TV license.

Easiest option - buy a TV license.

Why would I buy a TV license if we only watch DVD's?

Grolschevik

Saint Sonner wrote: »

Why would I buy a TV license if we only watch DVD's?

Because you're legally obliged to. It's not about whether you actually watch TV (which we'd have to take your word for), it's about your ownership of a device capable of receiving a TV signal.

frag420

Saint Sonner wrote: »

Why would I buy a TV license if we only watch DVD's?

If you watch DVDs on a tv then you are legally obliged to have a licence.

My housemate was in a similar position previously. She ended up selling her TV and buying a large computer monitor instead to watch movies on. As it does not receive or transmit signals they couldn't do anything to her.

frag420

Saint Sonner wrote: »

Why would I buy a TV license if we only watch DVD's?

If you watch DVDs on a tv then you are legally obliged to have a licence.

My housemate was in a similar position previously. She ended up selling her TV and buying a large computer monitor instead to watch movies on. As it does not receive or transmit signals they couldn't do anything to her.

Saint Sonner

Grolschevik wrote: »

Because you're legally obliged to. It's not about whether you actually watch TV (which we'd have to take your word for), it's about your ownership of a device capable of receiving a TV signal.

So what evidence do they need and how can they obtain it?