A television licence is only required for equipment used to receive or record television signals as they are concurrently broadcast to the wider public via the airwaves.
It therefore follows that a licence is not required if you are only using a television set to view prerecorded videos, DVDs or other electronically stored data.
Likewise, you do not require a licence if you are only using a television set as a monitor for your games console, CCTV system or PC (see post about Online Viewing).
However, should an Enforcement Officer visit an unlicensed property it may prove difficult to convince them the equipment wasn't used to receive or record television signals unless it was clearly uninstalled.
You can uninstall your television equipment by ensuring the following:
It therefore follows that a licence is not required if you are only using a television set to view prerecorded videos, DVDs or other electronically stored data.
Likewise, you do not require a licence if you are only using a television set as a monitor for your games console, CCTV system or PC (see post about Online Viewing).
However, should an Enforcement Officer visit an unlicensed property it may prove difficult to convince them the equipment wasn't used to receive or record television signals unless it was clearly uninstalled.
You can uninstall your television equipment by ensuring the following:
- The equipment in question is disconnected from any external aerial lead.
- The equipment is also detuned, so it can't easily (at the press of a button) show any broadcast television picture.
Contrary to what TV Licensing would have you believe, you are under no obligation to inform them if you are only using uninstalled television equipment to view prerecorded material.
Related posts:
Online Viewing
No TV Licence Required
Related posts:
Online Viewing
No TV Licence Required
PLEASE NOTE: You are not under any obligation at all to do anything to your television set (or any other broadcast-receiving equipment) to 'prove' you are not using it for receiving broadcasts. It is not up to you to prove that you are "innocent" but up to the BBC/Capita or whatever company to prove that you are "guilty" - that's English law.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely no reason to damage or risk damaging your television set/equipment and lower its value. It is not possible to prove that you are not using it to receive "live" broadcasts as there is always a workround (and TV Licensing won't believe you anyway - I know this from my own experience), so don't do it.
If TV Licensing bother you with demands and/or visits, ignore them. Throw the letters in the bin, tell their operatives to remove themselves from your premises. Anything else is a waste of your time.