Do I need a TV licence if...

[Helen Back]

Okay, so we have Sky TV because there's a bloody great building in between us and the transmitter so everyone in our street has to have satellite TV. We already don't watch much if any TV so I'm thinking about suggesting to the other half that we drop Sky TV altogether and cancel the licence.

I get that you have to have a licence to watch iPlayer whether live or downloaded. The very few programmes I do watch I can download from torrents.

Mini Back watches livestreams on Twitch TV via the PS4.

If I uninstall iPlayer from my PC would we then be okay to safely cancel the licence?

 

[cupid_stunt]

You only need a TV licence to watch or record UK TV channels 'as broadcast', and for using the iPlayer, not for other UK or overseas streaming or catch-up services,

 

[Helen Back]

You only need a TV licence to watch or record UK TV channels 'as broadcast', and for using the iPlayer, not for other UK or overseas streaming or catch-up services,

Thanks, that confirms what I thought. Has anyone actually done it / is doing it?

 

[cupid_stunt]

Thanks, that confirms what I thought. Has anyone actually done it / is doing it?

Not me, there's stuff on the BBC I enjoy, and I like the various news channels, and some other stuff on other channels, so I am happy to pay under £3 pw for that.

But, plenty of people have cancelled their TV licences, and just gone with services like Netflix.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Thanks, that confirms what I thought. Has anyone actually done it / is doing it?

I don't have a tv licence, haven't for years, never had any trouble. You can fill in a declaration form online. They say they may send someone round but they don't.

 

[blossie33]

I don't have a tv licence, haven't for years, never had any trouble. You can fill in a declaration form online. They say they may send someone round but they don't.

Same for me, they usually just ask you to confirm you still watch no TV / iPlayer - every 3 years I think?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Same for me, they usually just ask you to confirm you still watch no TV / iPlayer - every 3 years I think?

Looking at the email they sent me last time it says "almost two years" which is not really very helpful. But not very often, certainly.

 

[Helen Back]

So they put practically zero effort into confirming that? Just tick a box and you're good to go?

 

[DexterTCN]

Pretty sure you need one to watch Sky.

 

[Helen Back]

Pretty sure you need one to watch Sky.

We already don't watch much if any TV so I'm thinking about suggesting to the other half that we drop Sky TV altogether and cancel the licence.

 

[pug]

One other option you have is to dump the sky subscription, you can watch freesat for nothing, just get a freesat box and plug it in, you'd just keep the tv licence then.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

So they put practically zero effort into confirming that? Just tick a box and you're good to go?

Not really much they can do to verify that you aren't watching broadcast TV.