Argos TV - Licence - Big Brother

[polygonum]

Even if it didn't - please define "foreign" in that context with particular reference to satellite broadcasts?

[Java Jive]

Sounds like a large parcel, I wonder what the chances of getting it undamaged at the other end would be ...

Oh, er :-), >

[charles]

I don't need to. A licence is needed to receive ANY tv broadcasts.

Interestingly, Ireland had a tv licence nearly 2 years befoe they started their own tv service.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I read that as rifles, first time.

I had my rucksack completely emptied out on one occasion, and they were obviously looking for something very specific, which they couldn't find. I then got questioned about this thing they couldn't find, which they wouldn't tell me what it was, and I had no idea either. Eventually, they showed me the X-ray screen, and there was something which looked like a magazine of bullets.

It was actually USB hub with a long row of USB thumb drives plugged in to it, which had gone right down to the bottom of the rucksack with their frantic rummaging through it. I used it to present some live demos of ZFS on a storage array, but not wanting to carry a storage array around, I used a USB hub with loads of thumb drives instead.

I stopped taking it through airports after that, although it had previously gone through several without anyone batting an eyelid.

[Scott M]

It has always been thus. It used to be (when I last looked a few years ago) quite specifically stated that a colour licence was needed by B&W TV owners with a VCR - the VCR being a "colour receiver."

Scott

[Andrew Gabriel]

It was part of an advertising campaign which ran on local bus shelter adverts in some areas of suspected high license avoidance.

"4 houses in Albert Street don't have TV licenses"

I remember thinking that if my street ever came up, I was going to add my house number to the advert, with a caption something like "so go and break in to a different one if you're looking for a TV"...

[Scott M]

They did used to have handheld detectors that were good for blocks of flats, apparently, but its been a mostly paper exercise for a long, long time.

Bought a new house in 1997 and, IIRC, even before we'd moved in there was a red demand from TVLicensing.

I've known two people without TVs and, over 10 years ago now, it was a never ending battle with them in charge to persuade them that you don't have a set. And even if you did manage to persuade them you didn't have one, they'd be back the next year just as insistent. The problem is, of course, that traditionally it's almost unthinkable that people might have better things to do with their time that watch TV, although that may well be changing with mass adoption of t'interweb.

Scott

[Andrew Gabriel]

Lots of students in halls of residence. They're always easy targets because they instantly admit what they were doing to the license inspectors, under the misapprehension that it wasn't illegal.

[D.M.Chapman]

Tbf, it's probably not the poor sod who is sitting on the till that's cocked up at tesco.

A few (5?) years back I was in the queue at Tesco behind someone buying a DVD player. As John says, the wanted the guys address for TV licence bods - the till wouldn't complete the transaction until it was entered. The guy on the till knew this was rubbish and a mistake on the system, but couldn't override the till.

Eventually the manager was called who also claimed not to be able to override it and the customer ended up showing the manager what appeared to be a business card and whispered (well, spoke quietly so I couldn't hear anyway :-)) something to him. Big change of attitude, till guy told to enter store postcode and big apology to the customer.

I've always wondered what was on the business card. Till guy was also in the dark. I'd love to know what was said - maybe he was a highup bod from Tesco? Anyway sounds from Johns experience they still do it so nothing was fixed :-(

Darren

[polygonum]

I was referring to what charles wrote. I agree a licence is needed but thought it worth considering the question of what would be held to be a foreign broadcast. In days gone by, someone in Kent picking up a French transmission could easily be argued to be foreign. I don't think many easy cases remain.

[Sam Plusnet]

Even earlier.

TV Licence introduced on 1st June 1946.

[Sam Plusnet]

Retailers are required to take details from anyone buying equipment capable of receiving broadcast TV - generally anything which contains a TV tuner - so that could be a PVR, some DVD players, one of those USB TV tuner dongles etc... Oh! and a TV.

Like most people, I live in an area where there are now only digital TV transmissions. I wonder if the TVLA would try to 'do' me if I own an analogue tuner? i.e. a tuner which _could_ receive broadcast TV, if only someone could be bothered to transmit an analogue signal.

[Sam Plusnet]

I think a defence of "Well, everyone's at it so why should I get done?" is unlikely to get very far in court.

There was clear evidence against the woman, so obviously she was fined. As the man refused to let them in (he didn't have to issue threats, just refuse them entry) then there's no evidence against him & no prosecution.

[Sam Plusnet]

It's only illegal if they're watching something which is being broadcast (near) simultaneously.

[John Rumm]

In my case it was quite a few years ago...

[John Rumm]

I found that when we had an empty property for some time, we allowed the license to lapse. We got the standard snottygram letters. So the first couple of times I either sent them a letter, or phoned them to explain that it was intentionally unlicensed due to being unoccupied.

There seemed to be no way to actually shut off the stream of letter for more than three months at a time though, and they were written in a way that was both intimidating and also presumed guilt. At which point I though sod em, and just binned all further communications unopened!

[Steve Firth]

Argos are wrong. They are only required to notify TV licensing if the purchase is of a television receiver. I've had this argument with Asda before. I ended up talking to an officious and stupid manager who insisted that he "knew all about the law" and that I needed a TV License to buy a DVD player.

It took a letter to their head office to get an apology and a promise that the manager would be "retrained".

[Archibald]

It didn't fifteen years back, so I'm not sure what's changed. I spent many happy periods of letter writing to various christian names that the licencing authourity liked to personalise letters with. We had many discussions on the precise definition of the word colour and what could be considered to be "wireless telegraphy"

I did have it in writing that a domestic licence was not needed for the exclusive reception of foriegn broadcasts. This surprised me, but I think I can see why they do not make it common knowledge.

The amusement wore a bit thin in the end and I bought a colour set, so my annoyance regarding the endless letters insinuating I was watching colour on a monochrome licence dissipated.

Anyone seeking plenty of amusement for the cost of a few stamps will find the time well spent baiting TV licenceing or whatever they call themselves now.

If you can add a few dozen circuit diagrams, queries on tv and aerial faults, complaints about picture geometry and demand a reduced licence fee enclosing photographic evidence of the picture quality supported with copies of the local paper and TV times [for the listings], then it can become a very worthwhile experience.

Everything you send them gets returned, and the more you send the bigger the number of complaints you can make about delays in responding.

Before anyone starts sounding off that this is a waste of licence payers cash, just think of all the money these tosspots waste hounding people that do not have a TV. They are sent threats on a regular basis until they succumb to allowing a bunch of thugs into their home in search of a none existent TV.

AB

[Archibald]

Amateur TV broadcasts only need an amateur licence to both send and receive, therefore if a domestic licence isn't needed by an amateur why should a member of the public need one?

Anyone is legally entitled to monitor amateur transmissions in the UK without a licence incidentally.

Now if a UK amateur transmission can be legally received without a licence, why not French, Russian or Southern Irish?

Things may have been different in the early days. Interference problems would have been rife [VHF and a video polarity that made the spots "whiter than white"] I presume their version of the post office was kept fairly busy.

It may have been the case in the UK too, but when I had my fun with the licenceing people the post office had left the interference scene and I seem to recollect there was a charge of £25-00 for an interference complaint. This along with UHF, AGC and flywheel sync probably only left them needing to raise money for the services of the BBC.

Anyway I still would have found it hard to believe if I had not had it in writing.

Satellites carrying BBC transmissions need a licence BTW.

AB

[Archibald]

You do own an analogue tuner and indeed use it on a regular basis no doubt.

I am not sure what a digital tuner would look like but I would expect someone would have to invent a digital aerial before they had a bash at a digital tuner.

Alas the laws of physics and common sense seem to go out the window when it comes to the sales literature.

Why don't we have colour digital aerials? I the good old days you could sit there happy in the knowledge that you had successfully upgraded your eighteen element bog standard UHF for an eighteen element colour, thus ensuring years of happines until it came time to buy the oxygen free silver plated speaker leads.