Mono. TVs in use in the U.K.

[Skywave]

The continued use of monochrome TVs in the U.K.: I found this quite interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20957218

I see that the BBC is inviting people to write in and tell them if you are using a B & W TV: so if you are, and want to tell the world why, now's your chance!

Al. / Jan. 10, 2013 //

[tiv48]

i dont believe the numbers they would all need a signal source with an rf output!
when i had the shop people would buy BW sets to have somr thing to show the tv licence people .it did not mean they did not have a colour set.
there were a few old people who genuenly had BW only (thorn 1500 rent £1 PW )
rob t

[Joe]

The rules have changed so that you now don't need a colour license for a video. A FreeView box could easily be connected via that. It's certainly what I'd do if I ever felt the urge to get another television, though they'd have to improve what was on it first.

- Joe

[pwdrive]

I always thought you needed a TV licence for anything that can recieve/record broadcasts as they are transmitted.

Lawrence.

[Joe]

So did I. I'm going on what came up in a similar thread on VRF some months ago. It was me who started it as I wondered how you'd go on with an old 405-line set as the Aurora would be receiving in colour. One member replied to say he'd got it in writing that you don't if the colours aren't displayed.

- Joe

[Joe]

You're right Lawrence. It's the RECORDING bit that's critical, see http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ111/

Of course a video recorder can be nobbled to only work in B&W or prevented from recording altogether.

- Joe

[pwdrive]

Thanks Joe, all very interesting, apparently if you watch via catchup sevices such as I Player etc a license is not required, an own goal maybe but for how long?
According to the TV Licensing site the license covers the watching of live broadcast so by that I asume that a license is not required if you are in possesion of the receiving equpement but are not using it.

Lawrence.

[Joe]

Not only that, they have to PROVE it's in use. I've still got a couple of televisions and videos, though none are set-up.

For the few things I do want to watch I use the computer. Waiting until the actual broadcast has finished is no hardship as I used to video most things to watch at a time of my own choosing and to fast forward through the adverts in any case.

- Joe

[pwdrive]

You're right Lawrence. It's the RECORDING bit that's critical, see http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ111/

Of course a video recorder can be nobbled to only work in B&W or prevented from recording altogether.

- Joe

Yes, playing back pre recorded without a license is no problem, recording live broadcasts needs the license.
We had no end of threats from TV Licencing, all the intimidating letters etc, we actually had a valid license in fact two of them one in my wifes name and one for my late Mum when she was living with us, we had recently moved and we officially notified them, still the threatening letters came, I phoned them up and suggested they get some decent merge software for their computers, they never bothered us again, they like doing the intimidating stuff, most of it is just sabre rattling.
Had the same problem with the Council Tax, we bought a second property to do up a few years ago, we visited it once when we bought the property and once when we sold it, we never did it up infact we never did anything to it, when we sold it I went over there to pick up a years worth of post, going through it I came across some council tax demands I opened them up in reverse chronological order, sure enough I owed them the money and sure enough it was a final reminder, so was the one before that and the one before that one also, about four reminders further back I found a court summons with the time and date set for my apperance, it had long expired, in other words they had sent me a court summons for such and such a date, I didn't turn up (as at that point I never knew I had one) and all I got after that date was final reminders etc, not from the bailiffs but from the council so all in all the court summons was just a threat, it wasn't worth the paper it was written on, more sabre rattling. Of course I paid the council tax owed, it was an oversite on my part due to a bereavment at the time.

Lawrence.

[pwdrive]

Whatever your views this site makes an interesting read:

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/index.htm

Lawrence.