What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[dollywobbler]

SO...... no tv in the house, but consume all available tv on line or catch up, on tablet/pc = no licence needed?

 

 

 

Correct. At the moment. If you watch live, you need a licence. If you use a catch-up service (like we do) then no licence needed. At the moment. This is why we don't have a licence. Would be very interested to see what they'd want payment-wise. Do feel a bit guilty given that most of what we watch is BBC stuff.

[Mr Livered]

It was inevitable that they'd start charging people who only use catch-up services though, wasn't it? After all, the long-term trend appears to be that fewer and fewer people watch live tv, as they realise that there's no point as they can watch the programme whenever it suits them. We do have a TV licence here, but hardly ever watch live TV - in fact it's just the kids, who are in the habit of watching telly for half an hour before breakfast.

 

It's easy to see how the BBC will have a funding crisis as fewer and fewer people bother to buy a licence - unless they discover that they still need one for catch-up services. Thus, that's what they've got to do.

[Richard]

I thought they decided you had to have one if you watch iPlayer live.

 

It's funny how people seem happy to pay several times the licence fee to Sky, who just show repeats with 20 minutes of adverts per house.

[HillmanImp]

Speaking of the BBC I have just been sent this by someone at work. Its from the BBC website:

 

'A Ugandan bodyshop has started modifying cars like on Pimp My Ride.....'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26297365

 

 

LOLZ

[face]

It's funny how people seem happy to pay several times the licence fee to Sky.

 

I never understand this either. I have Sky too.

 

I watch BBC TV, read their websites and listen to their radio stations pretty much every day. I think I get value for money.

I do not like everything they do, but they generally make a pretty decent fist of things

 

Also I can't stand bloody adverts or the general piss-poor short-termism of ITV. Imagine a world where show like 'Splash' were pretty much unavoidable. Their sports coverage is absolutely terrible too.

 

BBC FTW.

[catsinthewelder]

I currently watch TV either on the i-player (not live streaming) or on Netflix, we don't have an aerial or licence. I'd be perfectly happy to pay the licence fee if I had to, but I would want them to put all the programes up as currently you can't watch the US stuff like The Simpsons and Family Guy online.

 

I've sometimes considered paying the licence voluntarily but before I get round to it I either read of politicions/ rich corparations exploiting tax loopholes or the BBC blowing several million pounds on something pointless and think sod it

[Bobthebeard]

I never understand this either. I have Sky too.

 

I watch BBC TV, read their websites and listen to their radio stations pretty much every day. I think I get value for money.

I do not like everything they do, but they generally make a pretty decent fist of things

 

Also I can't stand bloody adverts or the general piss-poor short-termism of ITV. Imagine a world where show like 'Splash' were pretty much unavoidable. Their sports coverage is absolutely terrible too.

 

BBC FTW.

Apart from just having the usual few reasonable channels on Freeview etc, Sky+ is the only realistic option nowadays for choice IMHO. Ok, far too many adverts far too often, but recording stuff on the Sky+ box allows us to fast forward through all the ads. Most of the people I have spoken to that are Sky haterz have never had it. The ones that do tend to agree that it is the best value for variety of choice and reliable recording/playback. We don't watch much TV tbh, but do prefer the choice of channels and the ease of use of the system.

 

(Prepares to be shot down in flames)

[Richard]

I've had Sky, that's why I hate it. When the Sky+ box broke for the second time I binned it and got Freesat+, which I've never regretted.

[beko1987]

We were going to ditch Sky and just get freesat, but where we are moving too is in sky broadband area, so thinking of keeping the tv, and adding phone and bb to that for £45 a month, rather than the £50 we were paying BT cunts for BB and phone, then £40 for sky

[Bobthebeard]

I've had Sky, that's why I hate it. When the Sky+ box broke for the second time I binned it and got Freesat+, which I've never regretted.

In fairness, have no first hand experience of Freesat, but have seen it in action at a relatives house. Ok, it is free, but restrictive IMO. Have had Sky for ten years or so now, and apart from moving house, when you get a new box anyway, have never had one break. Fingers crossed. Guess it is down to personal experience and preference though.

[vulgalour]

Photographic evidence of me in a Swallow Doretti.  Surprisingly comfortable thing it was too, once you'd got your legs into the gap between the gigantic steering wheel and the seat.

 

[RobT]

Annual leave.  I've got tomorrow and Monday off work and it couldn't come at a better time, I need a few days away from this shitehole.  Plans are to potter about tomorrow doing car stuff, cleaning the Metro and an oil change, and then Sunday is Austin Morris day so I'll be taking the old girl to that.  Is anyone off here planning to go?  I'll be in a beige Metro so pop over and say hello.

[hairnet]

details of the austin day thing ta

[fordperv]

im on annual leave from work until the 18th, i spent yesterday welding, one step closer to my mk1 sierra hitting the tarmac, oh and i finally received the correct radiator that i won on ebay for it but they havnt organised collecting the wrong one yet

[dollywobbler]

Phone line fixed. Phew! So good to have full fat internets back again.

[tooSavvy]

This 'TV' section has split.... it seems.... into F*CK EM (don't pay Licence) and go HandHeld... OR... Sky H8rs (don't care either way, meesell..) but you DO [correct me] NEED A T.V. Licence = £145 + SKY bills...

 

Can you get SKY without a licence??? Do TVL call a SkyBox a 'receiver device'????

 

 

TS

[catsinthewelder]

You do need a licence for Sky,  Ms C had great fun when they cold called us offering Sky TV + internet + phone etc,  they were about the same price as our internet + phone was at the time so she asked if they would sign us up without the TV part.  They couldn't understand why we didn't want it so wouldn't.

[Pillock]

Right. You need a TV licence if you receive live broadcasts - this includes recording them onto your own equipment to watch later, on stuff like Sky+, V+ or Betamax. You need a TV licence regardless of what channels you watch/record. Recording is still receiving and working with a live signal even if you're not actually watching it at the time (ak Timeshifting).

 

If you only watch Catchup TV online, currently you do not need a licence. However if you watch the live broadcast on iplayer, you do need a licence. If you watch the live broadcast, and hit pause, then technically you need a licence since your equipment (PC or tablet or whatever) is receiving it live, and then it's storing it in memory until you hit play - just like a Sky+ box does with the hard drive. You can just choose from the selection of saved programmes that are on there for 7 days or whatever.

 

If you own equipment capable of receiving live TV signals but don't use it for that purpose (TV, set top box, betamax with tuner, PC TV card etc etc) then you should fill out a form on the TV Licencing website saying that you don't use it to view live TV. If you buy any of that equipment then you can be asked to provide name and address information - the retailer is required by law to ask and can be fined if they fail to submit the information. This lead to a rather amusing conversation when I sold a TV Tuner card in Maplin

 

Me: That'll be £69.99 please, and I just need to take a name and address for the records

Customer: Why?

Me: We need to, it's for the TV licence people. So it's Mister.....?

Customer: I don't have to. I don't want you to give them my details.

Me: I'm afraid I need to take a name and address otherwise I can't sell you this

Customer: Blah blah blah infringement of privacy blah blah armchair lawyer bollocks

Me: I need to take A NAME and AN ADDRESS please.

Customer: rant rave daily mail hitler immigrants wasn't like this in the old days

Me: I just need to put SOMEONE'S NAME and SOMEONE'S ADDRESS in this little box

Customer: rant continues since I just started talking over him

Me: I don't know who you are, and you're paying cash. Give me a name and address.

Customer: Screw you, you can put Micky Fucking Mouse in there for all I care. Disneyland.

Me: FINALLY!! God day to you, Mr Mouse. Enjoy your TV card.

 

There is another getout clause which is that a TV doesn't need a licence if it's powered by it's own internal batteries - so something like a Casio Handheld TV circa 1988, or a GameGear with TV Tuner doesn't need one. A new Samsung F8000 46" LED TV uses 124W of power, so just knock up a great big bank of batteries which get charged overnight and laugh your tits off at the enforcement geezer.

[tooSavvy]

So then, a 55" Flat TV stylishly 'glassed to the roof of a Prius (..they all come with them now Sir!... yes, the TV has its OWN Batteries)..

 

..park it at the bottom of the lawn & leave the curtains open.

 

FTW

 

 

TS

[Cavcraft]

Sky is bollocks. We got it because my father-in-law very kindly paid for it to be installed when we moved here 19 odd years ago. I'd happily go without it, I do like a very, very few channels (most notably Sky Sports news on a Saturday with the brilliant Jeff Stelling and Chris kamara etc) but the whole shebang is stupidly expensive. 

I don't argue too much at home though because my wife loves it and so do the kids: I have my shit cars and cycles so I can't argue if they enjoy the telly.

[Ghosty]

I've been mithering my Mother Ghosty and Old Man to get Freesat+ for ages, or even a Freeview HD box, but they're not really having it. A major dealbraker is that Dave, Drama and all the UKTV channels aren't available. Otherwise, they'd have got it by now I think.

As a result at least once a week MG will whinge 'oh, it's cut the end off again...' about our Freeview recorder.

 

Also: for what it costs for me to insure an XJ40 for a year, I could insure a 175cc BSA Bantam for ten! 

It's making me really want to get a bike licence.

[Pillock]

I get half price Virgin and it's still borderline too expensive, only trouble is the Sky bloke that knocks at the door loses all enthusiasm when I tell him what deal I'm on so I know I won't get it cheaper from them.

 

I've got an aerial, and a satellite dish; my TV has both freeview and freesat built in but I can't see that the range of channels would keep the little beings quiet. And don't get me started on businesses that won't do broadband without some ancient phone-tied-to-the-wall concept also being charged for. Technically, it's not required. The cable is needed, the phone service is not.

[RobT]

details of the austin day thing ta

It's at Brooklands, starts at 10am and the place will be chock full of old tat and assorted BMC/BL nutters. Admission price is a bit steep, 12 or 15 quid I think, but is a day out. Turning up in an Austin or Morris gets you a pound off the price, woopee do.

[vulgalour]

I won't be there this year, I had planned to attend so I could do the convoy in with the other Princesses and Ambassadors, but getting up at 4am and finding £60 for fuel are not high on my list of priorities for next weekend.

[cort1977]

Do you get netflix on t'interweb in the UK?   It's $6 a month here and has enough old shite to keep me happy on the rare occasions i watch TV.   Amazon also have stuff that we get free due to my wife's massive Amazon shopping habit.

 

Now that I have lived out of the UK for a while the whole TV license thing seems like a bit of a palaver, why not just fund it from central government i.e. direct taxation rather than fanny about with all these letters, forms, detector vans etc?

[Ghosty]

Yep, we have online Netflix through the internet on computers, games consoles, iDevices etc.

[cort16]

Car Sales Memes

https://www.facebook.com/carsalesmemes

[Wagon]

Went with a couple of pals last night to see Limehouse Lizzy. It was an ace night. Did not sleep well afterwards due to Thin Lizzy songs buzzing in my head.

[fordperv]

i was driving onto tesco earlier, i saw a lovely L reg rover 214si with an old boy driving i said to the mrs "look at that, thats bloody lovely, oh his bonnet isnt closed properly" she came back as quick as a flash with this belter "oh yeah hes probably just filled his water up, you know what they are like" i creased up laughing

[DVee8]

I saw Thin Lizzy last year supporting Guns'n'Roses.Very good