iPlayer & TV Licensing

[MYstIC G]

Nuts to this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26351384

 

[Raven]

I propose we bin the TV license and bin the BBC.

 

[Moriath]

i never watch itv or channel 5.. only decent programs are on the bbc or channel 4 of the traditional channels ... sport channels as well of course. cant stand all this light entertainment crap thats on c5 and itv

 

[DaGaffer]

They're already about to do this in Ireland; replacing the TV licence with a "Universal Broadcasting Charge", which is just another household tax frankly. Its not really surprising, the TV licence itself is an anachronism, but taxing media consumption still makes sense from a government pov.

 

[Embattle]

Personally I don't see the problem.

 

[MYstIC G]

Personally I don't see the problem.

Well, in simple terms, give me £150 for something you don't want and won't use, annually.

 

[Embattle]

I'm perhaps not reading it right, since I keep skim reading it but it looks very much like making sure people who use iPlayer pay instead of just those who watch live broadcasting, which is becoming more common.

 

[Edmond]

If you pay it anyway to watch TV, am I right in thinking they are bringing iPlayer under the same umbrella, not actually charging anymore for it but just including it within what you need the licence for?

It shouldn't really affect most people then should it?

 

[MYstIC G]

I'm perhaps not reading it right, since I keep skim reading it but it looks very much like making sure people who use iPlayer pay instead of just those who watch live broadcasting, which is becoming more common.

You aren't I'm afraid, it's a move to say that you need a TV licence for iPlayer broadcasts that aren't live, as a comparison it would be requiring a licence for Youtube existing whether you use it or not. The obvious solution for iPlayer use would be a subscription service akin to Netflix, which the Beeb are keen to avoid.

If you have a TV licence nothing changes, however if like me you think terrestrial TV is all absolute shit and are happy with a Netflix subscription you could end up being charged for something that's not used.

 

[Embattle]

If you pay it anyway to watch TV, am I right in thinking they are bringing iPlayer under the same umbrella, not actually charging anymore for it but just including it within what you need the licence for?

It shouldn't really affect most people then should it?

It is the way I read it.

 

[Embattle]

You aren't I'm afraid, it's a move to say that you need a TV licence for iPlayer broadcasts that aren't live, as a comparison it would be requiring a licence for Youtube existing whether you use it or not. The obvious solution for iPlayer use would be a subscription service akin to Netflix, which the Beeb are keen to avoid.

If you have a TV licence nothing changes, however if like me you think terrestrial TV is all absolute shit and are happy with a Netflix subscription you could end up being charged for something that's not used.

No I did read it right, in essence it is BBC programming, equipment, bandwidth, etc which is all paid for via the license payer thus I see no issue other than a growing bunch of people who are in essence getting a free ride are now being given some thought to make sure they pay. I personally don't think comparing iPlayer to Youtube a very good comparison either, but either way if such proposals go ahead you are well within your rights not to pay and stick with Youtube

 

[MYstIC G]

Except that logic doesn't encourage the removal of the licence fee for a subscription based model where those who actually use something have to pay for it, which is the normal order of things.

 

[adams901]

The TV licence is a joke. The fact they say you need to pay BBC for a licence if you watch any channel says it all.

I already pay sky to watch their channels, I never watch BBC live and don't see why I should pay BBC in addition to my sky subscribers fee to watch sky channels.

If the BBC are so confident that they produce consistent high quality programmes, they should make the BBC And its catchup mediums a subscriber service like HBO. That way those who are happy with the BBC content can subscribe and pay for it.

 

[Tom]

Except that logic doesn't encourage the removal of the licence fee for a subscription based model where those who actually use something have to pay for it, which is the normal order of things.

As taxpayers, there are lots of things we fund but do not use. Why single out the television licence as being iniquitous? BUPA customers wouldn't get much sympathy if they suggested being able to opt of out paying for the NHS.

 

[MYstIC G]

Because that's an awful comparison TV isn't life and death

 

[Raven]

You don't pay a health tax.

 

[Ormorof]

isnt that what national insurance contributions are for?

they switched from voluntary paying the mandatory (it sounds weird even to say it) licence fee in Finland a few years ago, now everyone who works pays a tax based on income

for now as a part time broke ass student i pay very little

 

[Raven]

National insurance doesn't go to the NHS it is just another general tax.

 

[soze]

I don't see a problem. Change the iPlayer so you need to log in and in the registration process you enter your address and TV Licence. If you don't have one then you pay. I know several people who have given up their TV licence in favour of streaming TV but they still watch iPlayer.

 

[Raven]

If it is a live broadcast then they should really be paying a TV licence regardless of platform. So watching live sports on BT sport or whatever.

I would quite happily get rid of the TV but my wife watches random shit on it.

 

[PLightstar]

The only thing I would miss from 'live' BBC is Dr Who, everything else is from other channels which is mainly TiVoed to avoid adverts or we are watching Netflix/Youtube. Still annoy's me that the BBC take ownership of the License fee, as it is essentially a TV tax, it should go to all channels that can broadcast onto your TV.

 

[Tom]

Because that's an awful comparison TV isn't life and death

The NHS pays for all manner of things that have nothing to do with mortality. We don't get a say in whether we pay for those things or not, we just have to pay up.

If you want to watch broadcast television in the UK, you pay a tax, which helps maintain our own industry. Although personally, I think that standards at the BBC have fallen so far and so quickly that I'm beginning to question the licence fee's legitimacy myself.

 

[Mabs]

if the bbc actually did a decent job of producing content, rather than drivel, i might not mind so much, as it is, its a waste of space

 

[Raven]

Cheaper to buy the DVD with the amount of quality produced by the BBC. Perhaps 2-3 decent shows a year.

 

[Athan]

If you have a TV licence nothing changes, however if like me you think terrestrial TV is all absolute shit and are happy with a Netflix subscription you could end up being charged for something that's not used.

So if you only have Netflix then you should be able to show that your equipment isn't set up to receive broadcasts (just unhook the aerial cable) and you're fine. Heck, it's not like the TV License inspectors a) Actually have any legal right to enter a property without a court order, or b) Even bother to try. I had no license from 2007 to 2011 at a previous home, had the warning letters every few months, ignored them for years until they offered a free way to say "sod off, I don't have a TV", no-one ever showed up.

 

[Edmond]

I think they say 'if you have equipment capable of receiving a transmission' we all have computers and an internet connection

Its not enough to say 'oh I wont watch iPlayer, I promise'

 

[Athan]

I think they say 'if you have equipment capable of receiving a transmission' we all have computers and an internet connection

Its not enough to say 'oh I wont watch iPlayer, I promise'

Which is reason enough for a High Court judge to slap it down alone. Anyone with an internet connection would have to pay the license fee? That's not going to be popular. Work places exempt ? How about all those cafes with wifi ?

 

[MYstIC G]

The NHS pays for all manner of things that have nothing to do with mortality. We don't get a say in whether we pay for those things or not, we just have to pay up.

If you want to watch broadcast television in the UK, you pay a tax, which helps maintain our own industry. Although personally, I think that standards at the BBC have fallen so far and so quickly that I'm beginning to question the licence fee's legitimacy myself.

But I don't want to, so why should there be the potential for change along the lines of "your PC could watch iPlayer, so really you should pay the fee and we're going to send you shit letter after shit letter after shit letter until you do or you die"

So if you only have Netflix then you should be able to show that your equipment isn't set up to receive broadcasts (just unhook the aerial cable) and you're fine. Heck, it's not like the TV License inspectors a) Actually have any legal right to enter a property without a court order, or b) Even bother to try. I had no license from 2007 to 2011 at a previous home, had the warning letters every few months, ignored them for years until they offered a free way to say "sod off, I don't have a TV", no-one ever showed up.

I've already done what I'm required to do but again following the "over the top" route, when a retailer sells a TV they send the address to TV licencing, what next, you buy a mobile phone that you might install the iPlayer app on so they are sometime in the future forced send your address to them?

The most pragmatic option here is indeed the put a login on iPlayer, they can then (a) check TV licences, (b) charge foreign connections and do away with this VPN battle, (c) give people like me the option to pay to view one show should the fancy take me which would do away with a chunk of the online downloading battle.

The proposed changes are stupid and just ignore the realities of the world, heck with an iPlayer login you'd finally be able to have favourites move across devices as well, iPlayer is a great platform but the BBC need to wake up and move to the next level, without relying on the pockets of the UK public.

 

[Draylor]

Cant they just upgrade the detector vans to catch unlicenced iplayer users?

 

[DaGaffer]

Said it before and I'll say it again, you'd miss the BBC if it was gone. It doesn't even matter if you like the programming, having an ad-free TV service limits the worst instincts of the commercial broadcasters. While American TV is going through a bit of a renaissance at the moment, actually watching a lot of it in the US (HBO excepted) is a pain in the arse, even with a PVR, you're still skipping all the time.

The other thing the BBC does is actually drive innovation; Channel 4 launched the first online VOD service in the UK, but none of the other broadcasters gave a fuck about copying it until the iPlayer came along. Sky Go, ITVplayer etc. all direct responses to iPlayer and you're better off for it. They've also been much better at red button and programme support stuff than everyone else.

As a broadcast distribution market for customers, the UK is by far the best in the world; the real problem is the quality of UK-created content is falling behind.