Also, the rules apply even if you don`t watch the shows on a real TV – for example, if you watch live streamed shows on a PC, laptop, tablet, or phone. Ministers officially suspended plans to decriminalise non-payment of the annual television fee. A TV licence costs £159 a year, but not everyone needs it and others may qualify for a discount depending on their situation. Four groups of people could save money by cancelling their BBC licences and asking for a refund. A spokesperson for TV Licensing said there are cases where a TV license is not required. You said, “You don`t need a TV license if you only use Netflix or other online TV services to watch on-demand or catch-up programmes, unless you watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer.” If you are blind or have a severe visual impairment, you will receive a 50% discount on your driver`s license. The report warned that revenue from licensing fees could decline further in the coming years as more people turn to streaming services. But when the license changes were announced, 28 Lords Beeb boss Tim Davie sent a letter saying the TV licensing threats had caused stress among the elderly. The TV Licensing website states: “Please check that you no longer need your license before it expires. However, you will need a TV license to use the BBC`s ad-free iPlayer catch-up service. In this case, you pay the BBC because you consume BBC content. However, if you plug your device into an outlet outside your home, this website will need its own TV license. In other words, if you bring your laptop to a friend`s house and plug it into the power grid to watch live TV, it`s not covered by your home`s TV license.
Your friend`s house also requires a license. If you watch BBC programmes, whether live, streamed or downloaded on demand, including on BBC iPlayer, you must automatically pay the fee. As mentioned above, it doesn`t matter what type of device you use to watch live TV or how you collect and process the signal. You will continue to watch live TV if you receive the stream from an antenna, cable network, satellite dish, Wi-Fi access point, or other Internet server. These include live battles on Sky Sports Box Office, ice hockey games from Canada`s NHL, ATP tennis on Amazon Prime and so on, even if you pay separately to watch them. Logically, it should also include all live TV streams on Facebook or Twitter. Fortunately, there are ways to legally watch your favorite shows without having to pay the license fee. The price increase has also been another blow to some OAPs, as driving licences are no longer automatically free for people over 75 and are now means-tested. People can watch Youtube, Netflix and other streaming services without a license as long as they don`t watch live TV on any channel.
This rule means that users of Netflix, YouTube, Disney Plus, and Britbox are exempt from purchasing a TV license as long as they stay away from other apps that stream live TV. Amazon Prime consumers can also be included in this group, unless they choose to watch live sports shows on the site. In this case, they have to pay. “If we approve your refund, your license will be automatically cancelled.” “If you only watch on-demand on Netflix and you`re not watching live on a TV or streaming service and you`re not watching BBC iPlayer, you can cancel your TV license if you no longer need it before it expires.” A Briton was followed by the BBC with a “threatening” TV license letter after paying just 3 pence too much. Viewers started paying £1.50 more when the cost of a TV licence was increased in April this year. Pensioners aged 75 who receive pension assets are entitled to a free TV licence Finally, you can add a blacklist to your router or your computer`s hosts file to prevent access to the content of selected BBC Internet addresses. It published a list in June 2018. However, you don`t need a TV license to use BBC websites or listen to BBC radio.
I have a TV to stream videos from my NAS, but I gave up the BBC, and I never watch ITV, Channel 4, and certainly not 5. What exactly do I have to do to stop paying a TV fee? Is this enough to unplug my antenna? Steve Technically, this should also be true if you plug in your device to watch TV in a café or on a train, or BBC iPlayer, etc., although this is a bit difficult to control. However, companies that do not have TV licenses should be aware that they may be breaking the law if one of their employees watches or records live TV or uses BBC iPlayer in the office. This is only legal if they are using a device that is not connected to the mains and they are covered by their home license. In the age of Netflix, iPlayer, smartphones and streaming, the situation with TV content has never been more complicated than it is today. For several years, the TV license was only reserved for live TV – iPlayer was exempt – but this gap is now filled. You don`t need a TV license to watch shows on catch-up TV services, with the exception of the BBC`s iPlayer. You can watch anything stored on services like ITV Hub, All 4, and My5 as long as you`re not watching live TV. These services are ultimately paid for by advertising.
However, The Express reports that Brits don`t need a valid TV license if they`re watching catch-up episodes that aren`t broadcast live – with the exception of BBC iPlayer, for which customers need a license anyway. Let`s say a viewer wants to see a box set on All 4 or ITV Hub – they don`t need a license until it`s broadcast live. So when do you need a TV license? Well, the answer is that you almost always do it when you`re watching TV, unless you can just watch Netflix and Prime for a year and you can`t watch TV channels or iPlayer all year round. According to the BBC`s NLNP (No Licence Needed Policy), you can expect your entitlement to expire after two years. The NLNP says: “The BBC is of the opinion that two years is a reasonable period for custodians, as housing conditions change frequently. For example, residents can move or change their viewing habits to require a permit. If someone cancels their TV licence but has been found for watching live TV, they could potentially be fined up to £1,000. In short, if you start streaming a TV show just before it ends, you need a license.
If you start streaming it soon after it ends, you don`t need a license. The app asks for the name on the TV license, license number, a person`s address, and zip code. You always watch live TV when you see the stream projected on a TV, computer screen, smartphone, tablet or laptop, on a VR headset or on a wall. I don`t care. The rule of thumb is that you need to have a TV license when watching, recording, or consuming live TV. It doesn`t matter what TV channels you watch or how you watch them. You still need to purchase a license if you only watch live streams from Mongolian TV channel Eagle. You can easily pretend that you don`t watch TV, but keep in mind that you may need to convince a licensing officer with a search warrant. So if you don`t have a driver`s license, it`s a good idea to unplug your antenna.
You should also delete BBC iPlayer apps from all your devices and clear all BBC cookies and caches. Individuals must also indicate the date from which the licence is no longer required. These days, people are less likely to watch live TV, as many Brits rely on catch-up TV, Netflix and YouTube. For example, you don`t need a TV license to watch movies and TV shows on DVD or Blu-ray, or to stream from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Now TV, YouTube, and similar services. unless they broadcast live TV. The licence fee is not a subscription to BBC programmes, but is required by law. The Communications Act 2003 requires the BBC, as the licensing authority, to grant television licences and to collect licence fees. If you don`t, you`ll have to pay in full or risk prosecution as soon as possible, plus a fine of up to £1,000 (£2,000 in Guernsey or £500 in Jersey). For those who rely on streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix, a TV license for £13.25 a month might be unnecessary. The BBC says that when contacted, it finds that about a sixth of NLN applicants need a licence. The definition of “live” is flexible because there may be delays in transmission, and many set-top boxes and recorders allow you to pause or record TV programs.
In fact, recording, capturing, and storing live TV also counts as live TV. You can`t help but pay for a license by recording programs and watching them later. If you watch live TV – including ITV, Channel 4 or Sky channels – you need a license. If you`re using BBC iPlayer on a TV, phone, laptop or other device, you need a license. The following services are always openly (and legally) available to you – as long as you don`t use them to watch or stream live TV: The application process asks for the licensee`s name, license number, home address, and zip code – and also requires you to specify the date from which the license is no longer needed.
