Reue's TV Licensing FAQ

You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, digital box, DVD or video recorder, PC, laptop or mobile phone to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV.

I know you need a TV license if you have a TV in halls (obviously) althgough what really confuses me is the laptop bit.



I can watch BBCi player but never tried to watch live TV on it. How do I find this out or know if I can watch it live and thus need a license?

Also is it true that if I apply for one in Oct I can claim it back for a 1/4 of the year as I wouldn't be in halls after June?

Thanks

There is no live TV on BBC iPlayer.

How do I know if I can watch live TV on my laptop and thus need a license?

Do you intend to watch live TV on your laptop, or do you just want to know if you can? Your post makes it sound like the latter. If you don't intend to use it to watch live TV, you don't need a licence.

No, I don't want to watch it on my laptop but wanted to know how I find out if it is capable of recieveing live TV as if it is, I presume I need a license.

Ifit has a built in tv tuner then you need a license, if it doesn't then you don't.

Sorry for my stupidity but I've never even heard of that. How do I find out if my laptop has one?

What laptop do you have? The chances are your laptop doesn't have one.

It's a Compaq Notebook with Windows XP and is 2 years old.

Whats the model number?

It's a Compaq Notebook with Windows XP and is 2 years old.

The use of television sets, video cassette recorders, set-top boxes or DVD recorders to receive or record television programme services must be covered by an appropriate TV Licence (A video cassette recorder, DVD recorder or colour television, whether used separately or together, will require a colour TV Licence, if used in this way). A licence is also required if a TV-enabled personal computer is used to record or receive television programmes.

The use of a television solely as a monitor for video games or watching pre-recorded DVDs or videos does not need licensing. It is advisable to modify the equipment in such a way that it cannot be used as a television receiver.

If your television receiving equipment is used to watch or record television services, you should buy a TV Licence at once. However, if your equipment is not used for these purposes, please let me know. I will then make sure our records are changed to show you do not need a licence for your address.

I should inform you that a Visiting Officer will visit your property in due course to confirm the situation.

A television licence is required if you use television receiving equipment to record and/or receive television programme services. Television receiving equipment could be a television, video recorder, DVD recorder/player, PCTV (computer with facility to receive television programmes), or a television card for a computer. If your lap top computer is capable of receiving live broadcasts, whether on-line, or through an aerial or satellite dish, then it is classed as television receiving equipment. This means a licence is needed to receive BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, digital television, other terrestrial services, satellite television and cable television.

If you receive programme services (as defined above), live via the Internet, BBC Online for example (Newsnight is one such broadcast), then a television licence is required. If you are using the Internet to browse archived programme services websites, then a television licence is not required.

If you are using your laptop powered solely by its own internal batteries to receive programmes, a licence held for your main address will cover its use in other places. However, if you use an external power source then a separate licence will be required.

If your equipment is not used to receive or record television programmes, please let me know your address. I will then make sure our records are changed to show you do not need a television licence.

Concerning laptops, is it legal to connect your laptop to the mains and not pay for a TV licence so long as you are not watching live TV during the time in which the laptop is connected to the mains?

So if you wanted to watch live TV, you could run your laptop on its battery only for the period of watching, and you wouldn't have to pay for a TV license?

Yes! It's been said so often in this thread. Even in the post above yours.

Sorry. I just didn't realise that to avoid having a TV licence, but watch TV on your laptop, all you needed to do was unplug your laptop power cable from the mains. Hardly seems worth it for the TVLA, not that I'm complaining.

Just one more thing: in the email Celifein received, it said that Celifein had to inform the TVLA that he wouldn't be using TV services, but I remember Reue saying not to bother. What's the way to go?

If I can contact them for free (i.e. via e-mail), then I probably will. If I'm required to spend money to contact them (i.e. phone, letter), then I'll just wait for them to turn up on my doorstep and tell them then.

I think it's worth the minute it takes to e-mail them to avoid twenty demanding letters.