Do I need a TV licence

OTG

Hi, just moved into my parents home, both are in a home now and I'm care taking/ living there for the foreseeable future.
I don't watch TV, can't stand the obvious programming and the constant repetition to do with same. I've lived 1/2 my life without a TV and see no value in having one.
I consume all media through my laptop (music/podcasts/bitchute) but never TV and no way would I ever sink as low to stream anything from the RTE website.
OK so all that BS out of the way, the house has a Sky Dish with 2 boxes in the house, I'm going to take the dish down and strip the cabling out and get out of the house.
Then there are 2 TV's, I have a soldering gun so I'm looking at taking the scart and coaxial off the board and reassembling. This will leave me with one of those card slots (don't have a card) and 2 HDMI ports on the board in question. Both TV's are a number of years old so there is no internal SAORview encoder/decoder.
Do I need to get a TV licence once I've completed the above or will I be forced to sell the TV's and buy an over priced monitor.
Thanks for listening and any helpful advice is greatly appreciated.

Karlos77

OTG wrote: »

Hi, just moved into my parents home, both are in a home now and I'm care taking/ living there for the foreseeable future.
I don't watch TV, can't stand the obvious programming and the constant repetition to do with same. I've lived 1/2 my life without a TV and see no value in having one.
I consume all media through my laptop (music/podcasts/bitchute) but never TV and no way would I ever sink as low to stream anything from the RTE website.
OK so all that BS out of the way, the house has a Sky Dish with 2 boxes in the house, I'm going to take the dish down and strip the cabling out and get out of the house.
Then there are 2 TV's, I have a soldering gun so I'm looking at taking the scart and coaxial off the board and reassembling. This will leave me with one of those card slots (don't have a card) and 2 HDMI ports on the board in question. Both TV's are a number of years old so there is no internal SAORview encoder/decoder.
Do I need to get a TV licence once I've completed the above or will I be forced to sell the TV's and buy an over priced monitor.
Thanks for listening and any helpful advice is greatly appreciated.

You say you don't watch TV so why do you still have 2 tvs in the house?

silverharp

I dont think you need to sell the TV's, take the plugs off and stick them in the attic or a shed

StevenToast

No...you dont need to pay Ryan Tubridys wages

323

I stopped paying license last year, not paying through the nose for a pathetic service I've not looked at or listened to in years.

Out at a friends last night, this conversation came up, he stopped paying 8 years ago, had a few threatening letters in the post first few years, nothing in the last 3 or 4 years. Reckoned he's saved much more than the fine if it ever comes.

OTG

Thanks for the replies, in the process of getting Dish off the wall and will go and sell the TV's, freeview and sky boxes, I get the point on soldering off the connectors as the tuner card will still be on board and I'll need that for the HDMI connector. Shame I'll have to go through all this junk and sell them all just to make enough back to buy one monitor. Can't stand the Television Programming.

From TVLicence.ie FAQs

I only watch TV content on a monitor, Do I need a TV Licence?
You require a TV Licence in the following circumstances:

Connecting a SKY/Virgin Media/Saorview or any type of Digital TV Receiver to your monitor
Viewing any TV Programmes broadcast for general reception over broadband (e.g. Eir TV/Vodafone TV) on your monitor requires a TV Licence.

silverharp

the UK seems to have a situation where you can have a tv so long as its not connected to an aerial/cable service and it sounded like you could be running an xbox with internet though your tv

Vic_08

If you are living in your parents house, assuming they are over 65, they are able, if they don't already, to get a free tv licence. Sounds like a much simpler solution than what you are proposing.

Capt'n Midnight

silverharp wrote: »

the UK seems to have a situation where you can have a tv so long as its not connected to an aerial/cable service and it sounded like you could be running an xbox with internet though your tv

Yeah nah.


Anyway not so much here because as far back as the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926 most of those loopholes were closed. Long before there was any practical TV service.

“wireless telegraphy” means and includes any system of communicating messages, spoken words, music, images, pictures, prints, or other communications, sounds, signs, or signals by means of radiated electro-magnetic waves originating in an apparatus or device constructed for the purpose of originating such communications, sounds, signs, or signals;
...
“apparatus for wireless telegraphy” means apparatus for sending and receiving or for sending only or for receiving only messages, spoken words, music, images, pictures, prints, or other communications, sounds, signs, or signals by wireless telegraphy and includes any part of such apparatus and any article primarily designed for use as part of such apparatus and not capable of being conveniently used for any other purpose;
...
3.—(1) Subject to the exceptions hereinafter mentioned, no person shall keep or have in his possession anywhere in Saorstát Eireann or in any ship or aircraft to which this section applies any apparatus for wireless telegraphy save in so far as such keeping or possession is authorised by a licence granted under this Act and for the time being in force.

TheW1zard

Not your house so no

MarkR

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Yeah nah.


Anyway not so much here because as far back as the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926 most of those loopholes were closed. Long before there was any practical TV service.

“ 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;

Looks like as your monitor is capable of receiving and exhibition of content, RTE streaming etc, then you need to have a licence.

Nigel Fairservice

Vic_08 wrote: »

If you are living in your parents house, assuming they are over 65, they are able, if they don't already, to get a free tv licence. Sounds like a much simpler solution than what you are proposing.

I think it's 70 to qualify for the free TV licence now.

I Am The Law

Yes.

silverharp

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Yeah nah.

that doesnt contradict what I said, The UK system doesnt seem to be about having a device capable of watching stuff you need to pay for, its about what you actually do. It seems like once you dont have the apps downloaded so you can look them straight in the eye as it were you are good to go.


https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/televisions/article/tv-licence-explained-a4ROt3S92d24

Yes

You watch TV at the time it's broadcast through Freeview, Freesat or a pay-TV service. This includes all channels not just the BBC's.

You need a license regardless of whether you rent or own your home.

You use BBC iPlayer on any device, including smartphones, laptops and tablets.

No

You exclusively use other catch-up services, such as ITV Hub and All 4.

You only use streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Video.

You only use your TV to watch media from connected devices, such as a Blu-ray player or games console.

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/televisions/article/tv-licence-explained-a4ROt3S92d24 - Which?

Capt'n Midnight

silverharp wrote: »

that doesnt contradict what I said, The UK system doesnt seem to be about having a device capable of watching stuff you need to pay for, its about what you actually do. It seems like once you dont have the apps downloaded so you can look them straight in the eye as it were you are good to go.

There used to be a bit where you could watch TV on portable device in the UK, but not if it was plugged in and not if the screen was bigger than IIRC 7 inches.


The whole point of bringing up the 1926 law is because we diverged from them that far back so UK rules don't apply, and our law covered parts like tuners.

AFAIK in the UK a deactivated TV is OK, here it's treated as repairable so it's not OK.

And that included TV's with old analogue tuners because after Ireland went digital it could have been possible to watch channels on cable TV. And I suspect if you went to court you'd lose because even if there aren't analogue transmissions it's still an unlicensed receiver.

OTG

Took some doing but sold both TV's, Dish and Tuners. Don't think I'll even bother with a monitor as it just ties you to a spot and doing nothing. I've a few ultrabooks with decent battery life, so now media follows me about. Had a conversation with a friend yesterday, said the news was 80% Rona, 10% Racist Death in Dub and 10% Pascal Finance Guy warning us that we'll all have to pay for this mess some day. Frankly I don't need all that fear and threat in my life. Spent the last week or so learning all about the lost Civilization of Tartaria , mud flood, red brick star forts and deep dove into the Cross of Hendaye. Even though the cross tells of a cyclical wiping out of civilisation every half great year, I somehow feel less fearful for not having a functioning television in my house.

GerardKeating

MarkR wrote: »

Looks like as your monitor is capable of receiving and exhibition of content, RTE streaming etc, then you need to have a licence.

Reread the section you quoted, it cleared states "broadcast", steaming is not the same as broadcast

Qwertyminger

We have a laptop and tablet but no tv set. Is that ok not to have a tv licence? I'm not buying one or anything if it's required, but I'd like to know my rights anyway.

God I hate rte so much.

Nozebleed

question you should be asking is : Does Ryan Turbidy need to be paid €550,000 a year? or ray darcy,claire byrne,miriam o'callaghan. etc.

ari101

Nigel Fairservice wrote: »

I think it's 70 to qualify for the free TV licence now.

Household benefits package is available to 66+ with conditions, I believe they've relaxed the rules on living with others.

OP: If the gas/electric is in one of your parents names they may be entitled to a payment towards the cost each month. To apply they need to go online to Welfare and apply for Household Benefits Package.

I have a parent (not living with) who I was able to assist in applying for the free tv licence and 35/month towards the electricity.

skooterblue2

NEVER EVER get your name on a TV License.
Never interact with the correspondence. That means you recognise them.

Mic 1972

I don't pay TV license as I don't have a TV.
They came a few times to ask about it, I even invited them in but they wouldn't come inside. Now they don't come anymore and haven't sent letters in a while.
it's very common not to have a TV se these days

skooterblue2

Most of it is intimidation, what will happen if you dont pay.
500/1000 fine and a stint in jail?
The cost of taking every evader to court would outstrip the cost of the TV lisence.
They probably only take the people who read them the law back or give them them two fingers publically.
Best go about your business quietly.

Strumms

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/licence-to-bill-tv-licence-cash-could-go-further-1.3973321

An article in the Times about what happens to the money..

timeToLive

Ryan Tubridy needs his money. Pay up!

riclad

My friend had a pc and a monitor,
he got a letter from an post 4 years ago .
ring no .. tv licence office .he had no tv .

he rang the no, he told them i have have no tv .
He has broadband, no sky box, no cable tv.
That was the end of it.he was not asked to get a tv license .
i think an post,tv licence dept, can access a list of sky subscribers and cable
tv subscribers .
of course anyone can watch tv on a tablet or a laptop without using a tv.
i lived in an old house, years ago,
10 people lived there, in bedsits,
i never saw any sign of a tv license inspector.
i can,t see them going after everyone who has just a pc or a laptop,
and thats basically everyone under the age of 30 .
if you do not pay they will take you to court.
If they know you have a tv,or have sky,tv, cable tv subscription .

opening tv s is very dangerous unless you a professional technician
even when unplugged a tv can hold residual elecricity.
which can give you a nasty shock.
put the tv in a shed, or give it away on adverts.ie free .
a secondhand pc monitor with hdmi and vga inputs is quite cheap
on gumtree or www.adverts.ie

the law in ireland is not the same as england or the uk.

If you have a tv set and you don't pay the licence fee Dee Forbes* is likely to come to your address and pull your cable out.

But laptops, tablets, phones, monitors etc are currently exempt. Basically anything that is not a TV.

That is until the "Television Licence Fee* gets changed to the "RTE Household Tax".

Then basically every house / apt etc will be liable to pay.

*( or An Post)

elperello

https://www.tvlicence.ie/home/tv-licence-home.html

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/phone_internet_tv_and_postal_services/tv_licences.html

Two useful sources of information re. the TV licence.

Personally I think they should give up the whole idea of a licence and fund a Public Broadcasting Service from general taxation.

That would mean no collection costs, no evasion and no more hassle.

Scoondal

No, you do not need a tv licence. You should ignore all comunications regarding this scam.

elperello

If you don't have a TV you don't need a licence.

If you do have a TV you need a licence.

This post is the truth.

Scoondal

If you have a large computer monitor, you do not need a licence. If you have a satellite dish on your house, you do not need a licence. If you rent a house and a tv is provided, you do not need a licence. If you don't understand English, you do not need a licence.

Scoondal

I nearly forgot that if you are from an Irish ethnic minority ... you don't need a licence.

elperello

Scoondal wrote: »

If you have a large computer monitor, you do not need a licence. If you have a satellite dish on your house, you do not need a licence. If you rent a house and a tv is provided, you do not need a licence. If you don't understand English, you do not need a licence.

The first two points are correct.

If you rent a house and a TV is provided someone has to pay for a licence ie. either the landlord or the tenant.

If you don't understand English and have a TV you need a licence.

elperello

QUOTE=Scoondal;116146655]I nearly forgot that if you are from an Irish ethnic minority ... you don't need a licence.[/QUOTE]

Wrong

Vic_08

elperello wrote: »

The first two points are correct.

If you rent a house and a TV is provided someone has to pay for a licence ie. either the landlord or the tenant.

Unless the landlord is stupid enough to provide the TV, there is no question that the responsibility is on the tenant/occupier to comply with TV licencing.

If you rent a property where a TV is provided you need to either pay the licence, get the landlord to pay it or get the landlord to remove their TV.

As for your other post; while officially there is no exception, as in so many other areas of Irish law they are granted immunity due to a complete lack of enforcement.