BBC to broadcast main channels live on web

Good stuff

Hmmm.
No doubt they'll use IP-area filtering, which will detect work's IP as being in Michigan.
They need an override where you can put your TV License number in, even if you're (apparrently) abroad.

Does this mean they will start requiring licenses just to own a computer?

V nice. Though Zattoo is doing this already of course. But yes, one wonders how they are going to police this... Maybe you will have to supply your IP address when you buy a licence in future...

Originally Posted by LungingAtThePope
Does this mean they will start requiring licenses just to own a computer?

i remember reading the splurge on the bbc site and apparantly you now need one to own a tv, pc, mobile phone, dvd player...the list goes on.

personally i say **** off to hte bbc as the only thing worth watching on it is Top Gear and id rather wait until it hits BT about 3 mins after then pay 160 quid or however much it costs a year

What quality, normal or high?

I'd be happier if the BBC went subsription based once the digital switch over occurs instead of requiring you to have a TV Licence just because you've got a TV capable of recieveing BBC.

Surely when you buy a TV licence you will simply also get a username / login for Live Streaming?

It's good stuff, but they need to integrate the live players with the iPlayer site to give a one stop shop instead of me having to have lots of different bookmarks for the differing channels.

What an arse, so if you pay TV license, you let those that dont watch the TV you paid for?

The tv license needs to be abolished, its a joke.

I just wish you could get supscription tv from virgin, but have the bbc channels blocked, and not pay another extra £160 for a tv license. I'd then just watch the bbc i want to on the internet that someone else has paid for!

What would be good would be something like a monthly subscription for iPlayer access, which give you a username and password or something, and a monthly subscription for tv use. Together these two subs cost the same as the license fee, seperately they are cheaper. I only ever use the pc so at the moment I dont have a tv license. If they are going to offer the bbc channels streamed over the pc then I would happily pay for it, but would resent paying full price when I do not use a TV.

Good stuff, long overdue.

pretty good i guess.
I dont own a TV so dont have a TV licence. I dont agree with the tv licence way of funding either.
I shouldn't have to pay the BBC to be able to watch ITV, CHannel 4, sky or even now it seems, youtube.

Whats all this TV licence talk, ive heard about it before but never really understood it

Over here you buy a tv you use it no licence no worries!

Originally Posted by Gremlin
Whats all this TV licence talk, ive heard about it before but never really understood it

Over here you buy a tv you use it no licence no worries!

Basically. We, as a country, like (Enough that only a few people tell them where to stick the license fees) getting stiffed for what most people in other first world countries get for nothing, or next to nothing.

Meh. The TV licence is the only tax I don't mind paying.
Adverts make me really ****ing angry. On any channel.

The fact that the BBC only advertises itself and only in between programs, totally redeems the £130 a year.

Originally Posted by liratheal
Basically. We, as a country, like (Enough that only a few people tell them where to stick the license fees) getting stiffed for what most people in other first world countries get for nothing, or next to nothing.

We are far from the only country to have a tv licence scheme, however we are the one who's public service i'd watch (being an English only speaker doesn't help)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence

Originally Posted by Tyrmot
Zattoo is doing this already of course....

Errr, does Zattoo do area filters?
I don't get any BBC on mine (in Germany)

The Germans and the Dutch pay hefty TV-Licences as well

Originally Posted by steveo_mcg
We are far from the only country to have a tv licence scheme, however we are the one who's public service i'd watch (being an English only speaker doesn't help)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence

Finally someone with sense.

I'm absolutely sick of people whining about having to pay the TV license. If you don't want to pay it then don't. You're not obliged to pay the TV license because you own a TV. It's actually quite simple. If you don't want to pay for it then don't watch the BBC.

But, as we all know you won't actually do that because the BBC is actually quite good. And, just to put things into perspective: we apparently spend 218 minutes a day watching TV. If we paid the BBC minimum wage for the hours we spend watching TV you'd find you actually get quite a good deal.

£139.50 for the television license. £5.73 for minimum wage. (139.50 / 5.73 = 24.34 hours). If you got what you were actually paying for - I say with irony - you'd get TV for less than a week.

While you could argue you don't spend all that time watching the BBC - which would be the case for most people - Channel 4 is almost certain to get a chunk of the license fee in the near future, and you've to compensate for all of the time you spend using the BBC web services and radio.

Go whine about something actually 'decent' like council tax.

I personally wouldn't mind if the BBC started using advertisements at the start of their programming on the iPLAYER. Perhaps, a small ten second video like the Guardian does on its videos. It would more than pay for itself.

Originally Posted by liratheal
Basically. We, as a country, like (Enough that only a few people tell them where to stick the license fees) getting stiffed for what most people in other first world countries get for nothing, or next to nothing.

Poor *******s, while i can understand the value and how the bbc creates such good shows since they have the funds i really dislike the idea of being forced to pay for it imo

Im personally glad we don't have a fee here because i never watch our public stations and i haven't listened to a radio more than 3 times in the past 5 years etc either only time i have was when we lost power and the cricket was on!

Honestly if i moved to the uk for any length of time (plan on spending a year there in 5 years or so) i'd simply not own a tv, i'd watch what i wanted by downloading it off the web really hell i do that now for the most part and the tv is free hahaha!

The fee is just too much if it was half what it currently was then maybe but damn paying that much!

You want a rant?

Originally Posted by evanbraakensiek
You're not obliged to pay the TV license because you own a TV.

Actually, in Germany, we do.
Having acces to (not even owning) a device capable of receiving tv makes you obliged to pay.
172 pound...204 euros per year.
Wether you use it or if it's in the cellar under a rug doesn't matter.

You live together with your girlfriend? well than you pay double!

Devices receiving tv per IP (computers, mobile phones) count as radios and are slightly reduced.
Is your phone WAP capable? but you don't have a contract to use it? doesn't matter, you're obliged to pay anyway.

grmmbl.

Xir

Originally Posted by Xir
You want a rant?




Actually, in Germany, we do.
Having acces to (not even owning) a device capable of receiving tv makes you obliged to pay.
172 pound...204 euros per year.
Wether you use it or if it's in the cellar under a rug doesn't matter.

You live together with your girlfriend? well than you pay double!

Devices receiving tv per IP (computers, mobile phones) count as radios and are slightly reduced.
Is your phone WAP capable? but you don't have a contract to use it? doesn't matter, you're obliged to pay anyway.

grmmbl.

Xir

It's actually the same here too. The TV Licence is not to just to watch BBC but to operate any equipment capable of receiving broadcast television service as live. The Government control the licence and they are the ones who decide how much, who has to pay and where the revenue goes. The revenue does not just go to the BBC, Channel 4 also received funding from the TV Licence. Additionally the Govt also supports other public broadcasting services from general taxation (e.g. Gaelic or International BBC output like the World Service). The BBC also operates as a commercial business internationally through BBC Worldwide.

In terms of who needs a TV licence: you don't need a TV licence to own a TV, VCR, DVD Player, Mobile phone or computer provided you do not receive broadcast television services - you can use your TV to watch films/play games and avoid the licence by not tuning it or plugging in an aerial/satellite dish. You don't need a TV licence to use catch services like iPlayer and its equivalents. However, you do require one to watch these new streams as they are classed as broadcast television services.

So if you don't watch these streams, you don't need a TV licence.