tv licence

[woolleysheep]

do you need a tv licence to watch tv on a computor

[craft1948]

Not in your car..............

[woolleysheep]

computer

[ChuckFickens]

If you watch it "live" yes.

If you only watch things on catchup (iplayer and the like) then no.

[danchip]

what about cars with tv's

[craft1948]

Not if it's a fast car dan............

[deggers316]

any product that can receive "live" tv not bbc iplayer and the like you need a licence.even if its a mobile phone

[deggers316]

of course if you have a tv licence for a home tv thats ok
but if a mobile or a computer is all you watch tv on yes you need one

[ChuckFickens]

Though there is a slightly strange exception where you don't need a TV license if you watch TV on a battery powered device (running from the batteries) as long as your parents have a license (so if I got a huge battery pack that would run my 50" plasma TV I wouldn't need a license despite me being nearly 40 and not having lived with my parents for nearly 20 years!)

[EDDIE51]

Chuck, I remember that exception but it only applied to students who were temporarily living away from home to attend an educational establishment.

[Bedsit-Bob]

deggers316 says "any product that can receive "live" tv not bbc iplayer and the like you need a licence.even if its a mobile phone"

Only if it is being USED for watching/recording live TV.

[Celticv11]

I watch tvcatchup on pc, it has a 40 second delay so is not live, it gives you all the freeview channels

[daffy654]

Not true bedsit bob. If the device is capable of receiving live TV then you need a licence regardless of whether you actually use it for that purpose.

[Bedsit-Bob]

Not true daffy654.

From the TV Licensing website:-


The law states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes, on any device, as they're being shown on TV. This includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorders.

You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch ‘catch up’ services like BBC iPlayer or 4oD.