Do I need a TV License?

coolkidirish

Hey everyone

I received a notice in the door yesterday at my new address from the TV License inspector in the area saying they called to the house but nobody was home.

They also ticked a box saying they saw an aerial/dish (there is none on the front of the house), but an old dish out the back from previous owners which can't even be seen from the front of the house.

We also don't have the correct aerial for Saorview so he definitely didn't see that.

Anyway, we have a TV in the house and just have an Apple TV hooked up and only use it for Netflix in the evening as we are out of the house working most of the day.

Since we don't use RTE's services or watch TV channels do we need to have a TV License?

€180 a year seems like a rip off for just watching Netflix!!

NomadicGray

You do

coolkidirish

NomadicGray wrote: »

You do

Ok thanks, and what is the reason? Is it because I still own a TV, or because I watch Netflix, or what is the reasoning behind it?

Atlantic Dawn

coolkidirish wrote: »

Hey everyone

Anyway, we have a TV in the house and just have an Apple TV hooked up and only use it for Netflix in the evening as we are out of the house working most of the day.

Once you have a device able to receive TV you have to pay it regardless of what you watch.

runawaybishop

coolkidirish wrote: »

Do I need a TV License?

Anyway, we have a TV in the house a!

Yes. Doesn't matter what you do with it. If you do not wish to be liable then get rid of the TV and get a monitor.

coolkidirish

Ok perfect, thanks for the responses. Talk about a rip off! I had one last year but since have removed our SKY subscription as we don't watch the TV due to working.

Thanks anyway guys

Lombardo86

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Once you have a device able to receive TV you have to pay it regardless of what you watch.

And actually what is going to happen is the are changing it from "TV" license to "communications" license soon enough..

Meaning the wi-fi you use for streaming etc. is subject to it and so you* need to have one.

*I dont pay, but i'm just saying technically you do :-)

newbie2

coolkidirish wrote: »

Hey everyone...
€180 a year seems like a rip off for just watching Netflix!!

it's €180 for owning a TV

runawaybishop

Lombardo86 wrote: »

And actually what is going to happen is the are changing it from "TV" license to "communications" license soon enough..

Meaning the wi-fi you use for streaming etc. is subject to it and so you* need to have one.

*I dont pay, but i'm just saying technically you do :-)

They have been saying that for a while.

dancingchicken

What if you didn't have any aerials installed and only ever used your tv to play Playstation? Can they somehow know when there's a tv in your house?

runawaybishop

dancingchicken wrote: »

What if you didn't have any aerials installed and only ever used your tv to play Playstation? Can they somehow know when there's a tv in your house?

They assume by default that everyone has one and will request that you make a statement specifically saying that you do not possess a TV.

Ciaran_B

Was your name on the notice?

runawaybishop

Ciaran_B wrote: »

Was your name on the notice?

Irrelevant.

NSAman

newbie2 wrote: »

it's €180 for owning a TV

Yeah TV tax....

Bob24

coolkidirish wrote: »

Hey everyone

I received a notice in the door yesterday at my new address from the TV License inspector in the area saying they called to the house but nobody was home.

They also ticked a box saying they saw an aerial/dish (there is none on the front of the house), but an old dish out the back from previous owners which can't even be seen from the front of the house.

We also don't have the correct aerial for Saorview so he definitely didn't see that.

Anyway, we have a TV in the house and just have an Apple TV hooked up and only use it for Netflix in the evening as we are out of the house working most of the day.

Since we don't use RTE's services or watch TV channels do we need to have a TV License?

€180 a year seems like a rip off for just watching Netflix!!

The key is: do you have equipment that is capable of or was originally designed for receiving TV signal?

In you case the answer is yes (even if the TV was broken or was not capable ore receiving digital signal you would have to pay).

If you don't need a very large display, replace the TV by a large Full HD computer monitor and no need for a TV license anymore. This is what I have - told TV license inspector I had no TV and he was find with it.

Maximum size you will find is probably 32" and it will cost a bit more that a similar sized TV, but the cost will be recovered within a year with the saving on the TV license.

coolkidirish

Bob24 wrote: »

The key is: do you have equipment that is capable of or was originally designed for receiving TV signal?

In you case the answer is yes (even if the TV was broken or was not capable ore receiving digital signal you would have to pay).

If you don't need a very large display, replace the TV by a large Full HD computer monitor and no need for a TV license anymore. This is what I have - told TV license inspector I had no TV and he was find with it.

Maximum size you will find is probably 32" and it will cost a bit more that a similar sized TV, but the cost will be recovered within a year with the saving on the TV license.

Great bit of information, I might look into doing that in that case.

Did he need to come in to prove it or have you heard anything since?

I was reading online about having to send a registered letter away to let them know you don't have a TV anymore?

Bob24

coolkidirish wrote: »

Did he need to come in to prove it or have you heard anything since?

In this particular case I was home when he first came for inspection, so I was off the hook straight away and didn't need to get un-registered. Another inspector came recently (maybe 2 years after the first one) and didn't even bother coming up (I live in an apartment - he asked through the intercom and when I said I still don't have a TV he was fine).

coolkidirish wrote: »

I was reading online about having to send a registered letter away to let them know you don't have a TV anymore?

Yes at a previous place I lived in there was a TV we never used (no aerial and no cable subscription). The inspector did not take any of it and marked us as having a TV (it was annoying but fair enough as it is the law). I can't remember whether we had to pay the licence for one year or not, but anyway we got rid of the TV and the process to stop paying was to call the TV license office at AnPost who sent a form to return to them and where we declared there was no TV at our address. This was 7 or 8 years ago - maybe nowadays it can be done online.

Mr E

You can pay your TV License by direct debit (€13.33 a month). Takes the sting out of it.

http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/More+from+An+Post/TV+Licence/TV+Licence+Direct+Debit.htm

Bob24

coolkidirish wrote: »

Great bit of information, I might look into doing that in that case.

And I forgot to mention - make sure you get a monitor that does not have a built-in TV tuner, and supports audio signal through HDMI and either has built in speakers or an analog audio jack you can connect speakers to.

MoonCalhoon

I wonder does anyone know how the licence inspector gets people's personal details. A notice arrived today addressed to my other half, even though my name is on the lease and all the utilities. Any other letters we've received previously were addressed to "the occupier", so this seems a bit fishy to me. Any ideas?

Kirby

MoonCalhoon wrote: »

I wonder does anyone know how the licence inspector gets people's personal details. A notice arrived today addressed to my other half, even though my name is on the lease and all the utilities. Any other letters we've received previously were addressed to "the occupier", so this seems a bit fishy to me. Any ideas?

An Post. The same people who have your name and address so they can deliver your mail are also the people providing the TV license service. Before, everyone used to get "to the occupant" letters. Now they have your name.....because they have everyones name and address in a database for the mail and now that database is being used to sent out tv license letters.

Like most things in Ireland, they are actually breaking the law by doing this but nobody has challenged them on it yet so it continues.

MoonCalhoon

Kirby wrote: »

An Post. The same people who have your name and address so they can deliver your mail are also the people providing the TV license service. Before, everyone used to get "to the occupant" letters. Now they have your name.....because they have everyones name and address in a database.

Like most things in Ireland, they are actually breaking the law by doing this but nobody has challenged them on it yet so it continues.

Yeah, I thought that might have been it, but it's such an obvious breach of data protection legislation that I couldn't credit it!

Kirby

Money changed hands. The database is worth a good amount of money and that trumps legislation. Believe me, I've had this argument from both an ethical and legal standpoint with my friends who work in An post. It's simply about the money.

Grab All Association

Case in Galway last year where the Judge threw out a case against a guy who had an old TV but only watched DVD's on it. Trying to find the story. You'd have to be careful though using this as a defence as some Judges are right bastards and would fine you the maximum on the spot.

Frank O. Pinion

Actually, you don't need one at all. I've never paid for one, and I have four TVs. Legally, you have the right to tell them to, "F*ck off".

testicle

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

Actually, you don't need one at all. I've never paid for one, and I have four TVs. Legally, you have the right to tell them to, "F*ck off".

Go on, what law allows you to tell them that?

Frank O. Pinion

testicle wrote: »

Go on, what law allows you to tell them that?

You are allowed to say whatever you like to some moron who knocks at your door, legally.

Legally, you can tell him your dog is actually in charge of the premises, and he'll have to setup a meeting with him.

Legally.

Bob24

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

You are allowed to say whatever you like to some moron who knocks at your door, legally.

Legally, you can tell him your dog is actually in charge of the premises, and he'll have to setup a meeting with him.

Legally.

Yes you can tell him whatever you like. But it doesn't make you less legally liable for the licence or less of a parasite if you don't pay for it.

Frank O. Pinion

Bob24 wrote: »

Yes you can tell him whatever you like. But it doesn't make you less legally liable for the licence or less of a parasite if you don't pay for it.

I'm a parasite for not wanting to keep RTE in business? Calm down, will you. I don't pay any "tax" that is easily avoidable, that I never get in trouble for not paying, and nothing bad at all has ever happened to me in not paying.

engol

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

I'm a parasite for not wanting to keep RTE in business? Calm down, will you. I don't pay any "tax" that is easily avoidable, that I never get in trouble for not paying, and nothing bad at all has ever happened to me in not paying.

Oh that's ok then. The rest of us eejits will just keep looking after you for free (to you)

Frank O. Pinion

engol wrote: »

Oh that's ok then. The rest of us eejits will just keep looking after you for free (to you)

Cheers.

Captain Chaos

engol wrote: »

Oh that's ok then. The rest of us eejits will just keep looking after you for free (to you)

Makes no odds, as everyone is charged the same regardless of who pays or not. The only eejits are us who agree to pay to pay for the eejits in RTE their wages.
People march over water charges yet we use it as a service. But we pay a tv tax for RTE even if we don't use it directly.

We should be marching over TV licences as you can own a TV and not use RTE, like people with private wells not having to pay for water. We pay UPC/Sky /freeview and that should be the end of it.

engol

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Makes no odd, as everyone is charfed the same regardless of who pays or not. The only eejits are us who agree to pay to pay for the eejits in RTE their wages.

It was more that he will avoid any tax he can get away with avoiding really. I think the likes of himself should be charfed regularly, it sounds painful.

Bobby Jones

It's "only" €160, not €180...

Spook_ie

Bob24 wrote: »

The key is: do you have equipment that is capable of or was originally designed for receiving TV signal?

In you case the answer is yes (even if the TV was broken or was not capable ore receiving digital signal you would have to pay).

If you don't need a very large display, replace the TV by a large Full HD computer monitor and no need for a TV license anymore. This is what I have - told TV license inspector I had no TV and he was find with it.

Maximum size you will find is probably 32" and it will cost a bit more that a similar sized TV, but the cost will be recovered within a year with the saving on the TV license.

That's not actually true if you read the FAQ for TV licenses

Do I need a licence if my television set has not been "upgraded" to receive digital signals?

An analogue television set, with or without a set-top box, will still require a Television Licence.

The definition of a Television set (Section 140 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009)

"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.

So surely as your computer would be capable of receiving RTE player, Netflix etc ( unless you are totally off grid, which seeing as you're posting here you're not ) you then becom liable whether you receive them or not

Nino Brown

Spook_ie wrote: »

So surely as your computer would be capable of receiving RTE player, Netflix etc ( unless you are totally off grid, which seeing as you're posting here you're not ) you then becom liable whether you receive them or not

A standard computer is not capable of receiving a broadcast signal. Streaming uses IP, so information is requested and sent from a server to a specific IP address, that is not broadcast.

Spook_ie

Nino Brown wrote: »

A standard computer is not capable of receiving a broadcast signal. Streaming uses IP, so information is requested and sent from a server to a specific IP address, that is not broadcast.

Have to diagree there, the programming is being broadcast over the internet, a broadcast does not per se have to be via the ether, otherwise we'd all just be using cable TV

logically

License fee isn't just about TV output. There's radio, online, outreach and education, valuable national archives, orchestras as well. Look at the societal impact RTE investigative reports have for example - Aras Attracta being the latest I can think of. The much parodied Liveline gives a voice to the powerless day in, day out. Morning Ireland often sets the political agenda. I could go on. 160 euro a year for all of that? Jeez. If you don't see the value, that's pretty pathetic.

And no, I don't work for and nor do I know anyone in RTE, before the smart arses jump in....

Bob24

Spook_ie wrote: »

That's not actually true if you read the FAQ for TV licenses


So surely as your computer would be capable of receiving RTE player, Netflix etc ( unless you are totally off grid, which seeing as you're posting here you're not ) you then becom liable whether you receive them or not

This has been discussed before and it is pretty clear that "television broadcasting" in the legislation doesn't include Internet video streaming. As long as the computer doesn't have a TV tuner and isn't connected to a cable/satellite receiver no licence is required.

See here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/media/tv_licences.html

"You do not require a television licence to watch television on your computer or mobile phone. However, the computer must not be able to receive a signal distributed by conventional television broadcasting networks, for example, cable, satellite or aerial."

Nino Brown

logically wrote: »

License fee isn't just about TV output. There's radio, online, outreach and education, valuable national archives, orchestras as well. Look at the societal impact RTE investigative reports have for example - Aras Attracta being the latest I can think of. The much parodied Liveline gives a voice to the powerless day in, day out. Morning Ireland often sets the political agenda. I could go on. 160 euro a year for all of that? Jeez. If you don't see the value, that's pretty pathetic.

And no, I don't work for and nor do I know anyone in RTE, before the smart arses jump in....

I agree that they all have a value to somebody, without a doubt, but I personally don't use any of those services, so they have no value to me. I couldn't care less if RTE went out of business in the morning.
If somebody wants to go see an Orchestra, good for them, let them pay for it, I prefer the electric picnic myself, should the taxpayer subsidise that?

It's totally unfair to force people to pay for a service they don't use, you are correct that the services have a value to some, so make them subscription based, so that the people who use them, pay for them.

Bob24

Nino Brown wrote: »

I agree that they all have a value to somebody, without a doubt, but I personally don't use any of those services, so they have no value to me. I couldn't care less if RTE went out of business in the morning.
If somebody wants to go see an Orchestra, good for them, let them pay for it, I prefer the electric picnic myself, should the taxpayer subsidise that?

It's totally unfair to force people to pay for a service they don't use, you are correct that the services have a value to some, so make them subscription based, so that the people who use them, pay for them.

I certainly don't think RTE is perfect and don't watch it much myself, but in my view having a national broadcaster that is largely independent from foreign influence/funding is important for a democratic country and benefits to everyone. If you look around us we are far from being the only ones with such system - there must be a reason (and when the Greek national television was about to stop broadcasting due to funding issues the population stepped up - I think it would also be the case here).

Ideally the licence system should also make the broadcaster free from political/business influence as the money comes straight from citizens and not from government budgets or private funds - how well this works in practice is arguable and again I think there are issues, but it could also be much worse if the funding model was different.

Fr Tod Umptious

Nino Brown wrote: »

I agree that they all have a value to somebody, without a doubt, but I personally don't use any of those services, so they have no value to me. I couldn't care less if RTE went out of business in the morning.
If somebody wants to go see an Orchestra, good for them, let them pay for it, I prefer the electric picnic myself, should the taxpayer subsidise that?

It's totally unfair to force people to pay for a service they don't use, you are correct that the services have a value to some, so make them subscription based, so that the people who use them, pay for them.

So you have never watched RTE TV or listened to RTE Radio ?

As the other poster said the output from RTE has a wider impact that is not as visible as just their programming output.

Nino Brown

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

So you have never watched RTE TV or listened to RTE Radio ?

As the other poster said the output from RTE has a wider impact that is not as visible as just their programming output.

No, I don't even own a radio, I have one in my car but only listen to MP3's on it. And no, never watch RTE TV, my TV doesn't have saorview so I couldn't even if I wanted to.
And I'm not alone either, lots of people in my generation are the same. I get all my news online, and stream the TV shows I watch. If RTE disappeared in the morning, not only would I not care, I wouldn't even notice.

logically

Nino Brown wrote: »

No, I don't even own a radio, I have one in my car but only listen to MP3's on it. And no, never watch RTE TV, my TV doesn't have saorview so I couldn't even if I wanted to.
And I'm not alone either, lots of people in my generation are the same. I get all my news online, and stream the TV shows I watch. If RTE disappeared in the morning, not only would I not care, I wouldn't even notice.

Never watched love/hate ?

Nino Brown

logically wrote: »

Never watched love/hate ?

I knew somebody would ask that, I actually did see love hate, but not while it was on TV, only recently on a box set. I never watch any TV show until the season is complete, I don't have the the patience for them, I wait, and binge watch everything. Love Hate was good, the only good show ever to come out of RTE.

Bobby Jones

Nino Brown wrote: »

I knew somebody would ask that, I actually did see love hate, but not while it was on TV, only recently on a box set. I never watch any TV show until the season is complete, I don't have the the patience for them, I wait, and binge watch everything. Love Hate was good, the only good show ever to come out of RTE.

And the licence fee contributes to that.

I would actually prefer to see RTE cease to be such a commercial entity and just do stuff like the news, Prime Time, and fund stuff like Love/Hate.

Why pay clowns €500k a year - Let graduates cut their teeth.

Sell Montrose, pay a dividend to the State and use the rest to fund a lean national broadcaster.

silverharp

I'd agree with that, just collapse RTE down to TG4 and sell off the rest and get rid of the TV tax in the process. The way television has gone stations are pretty meaningless concepts. All of RTE's bought in programmes are available on other stations