The BBC

[Danny Ocean]

If you want you can jump through a ton of hoops to prove you can't get a signal but really it's not worth it, and chances are you do anyway.

Lol, I don't have a TV, and no you don't have to go through a lot of hoops (don't watch any live TV, so as a bonus, yes I'm being legal lol). In fact, not even seen one of their spurious, empty 'detector' vans either.

Don't have much opinion on TV any more, seeing as I don't watch it any more, lol.

Yes you do need to go through hoops.

You need to jump through hoops to prove that the TV you have receives a signal. You don't have a TV at all, so no hoops.

It's intended to allow people to have big displays in public places and shop windows using TV screens without having to pay a licence for each screen, I imagine. Also stops you having to pay for your computer monitor or any other screen you care to think of, because it doesn't receive a TV signal.

 

[Sun Flash]

Lol, I don't have a TV, and no you don't have to go through a lot of hoops (don't watch any live TV, so as a bonus, yes I'm being legal lol). In fact, not even seen one of their spurious, empty 'detector' vans either.

Don't have much opinion on TV any more, seeing as I don't watch it any more, lol.

Yeah but that's because you don't have a TV. That's like saying my dog was really easy to train because it doesn't exist.
If I didn't watch TV yet still needed one to play my Xbox, It would be a helluva rigmarole to prove I only use it for gaming.

It's quite funny come freshers week at university, all the first year students terrify themselves when they get a letter through the door telling them there is a TV on their premises without a valid licence. You could try and get away with owning a TV without a licence, but if you get caught out it's a £1000 fine I think, so not worth it in the long run.

 

[tharglet]

You need to jump through hoops to prove that the TV you have receives a signal. You don't have a TV at all, so no hoops.

Actually there is a TV in the house - that's used for consoles, server and DVD player. And yes, we did tell them it's there - it's perfectly legal to have it there, as long as it isn't used for receiving live broadcasts (which it isn't - there isn't even an aerial socket in the house any more lol).
They were forced to revise the wording of the licensing some time ago, due to the growing number of people using a TV for a console and not using them for live broadcasts.

You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. This includes the use of devices such as a TV, computer, mobile phone, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

They threaten to send someone round to inspect, but do they heck as like

 

[tigermilk]

Hi! This is for anyone and everyone to share their views and ask any questions about the BBC, anyone is welcom, not just British People.

If I have a TV can't pick up a BBC signal (living in UK) but don't pay for my licence I can be imprisoned!?

It also fucks me off the fact I have spent abot £1,000 on BBC DVD's of shows that are cut to fit on single DVD's, have shocking picture quality (they claim restoration isn't viable but they manage it for 60's Doctor Who) and huge amounts of TV are not available as they lost/wiped the epsiodes. Oh it's Xmas we've found a missing episode time to re-issue the DVD as part of a boxset.

I hate how "archive programming" has the logo of 'BBC Four' (for example) burnt on to the footage and subsequently my retinas!

On the other hand it has produced a vast majority of the best of british TV over the past 60 odd years.

 

[F'Angus]

I prefer the BBC to Channel 4 which tends to make crap, and ITV which has ruined the football (soccer) on more than one occassion for me (still never forgetting that FA Merseyside Derby advert fiasco).

At least the BBC has Top Gear and QI.

Still If had a choice I'd always go for Dave.

 

[FinalDream]

The BBC is awesome! Top Gear, Doctor Who, QI, Bargain Hunt, Sherlock, Wallace and Gromit and all the classic shows from yesteryears and no adverts!

 

[Cpt Corallis]

BBC is great, except they never gave BBCA the go to air K9 in the state. Assholes. Otherwise, they have great TV.

Channel 5 make that I think, and really, you didn't miss anything good. As far as I know BBC america actually broadcasts a lot of original stuff from Channel 4 as well, its more British TV, rather than BBC programming.

I prefer the BBC to Channel 4 which tends to make crap, and ITV which has ruined the football (soccer) on more than one occassion for me (still never forgetting that FA Merseyside Derby advert fiasco).

At least the BBC has Top Gear and QI.

Still If had a choice I'd always go for Dave.

but, doesn't the BBC provide the majority of Dave's programming in the first place ?;P



Also, because every discussion on the BBC inevitably devolves into "Is the license fee worth it?" This is absolutely necessary and ilustrates my position on the BBC.

 

[The Funslinger]

In fairness they do produce a lot of quality programming specifically in nature,history(A History of Celtic Britain which was on for the last 4 weeks was excellent),drama and comedy.Some of there sports coverage too is very good(football coverage is a bit bland though).No advertising too is a massive plus

However they also produce their fair share of shit too.The majority of the programmes on BBC3 are pure shite

To be fair, that's probably the reason it's on BBC Three. I'm relatively sure the majority of BBC Three's hits are people using the tv as background noise during sex.

 

[The Funslinger]

You need to jump through hoops to prove that the TV you have receives a signal. You don't have a TV at all, so no hoops.

Actually there is a TV in the house - that's used for consoles, server and DVD player. And yes, we did tell them it's there - it's perfectly legal to have it there, as long as it isn't used for receiving live broadcasts (which it isn't - there isn't even an aerial socket in the house any more lol).
They were forced to revise the wording of the licensing some time ago, due to the growing number of people using a TV for a console and not using them for live broadcasts.

You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. This includes the use of devices such as a TV, computer, mobile phone, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

They threaten to send someone round to inspect, but do they heck as like

I could be wrong, but doesn't the digital changeover render all of this moot? (I'm probably wrong, but I just wondered.)

 

[Cpt Corallis]

You need to jump through hoops to prove that the TV you have receives a signal. You don't have a TV at all, so no hoops.

Actually there is a TV in the house - that's used for consoles, server and DVD player. And yes, we did tell them it's there - it's perfectly legal to have it there, as long as it isn't used for receiving live broadcasts (which it isn't - there isn't even an aerial socket in the house any more lol).
They were forced to revise the wording of the licensing some time ago, due to the growing number of people using a TV for a console and not using them for live broadcasts.

You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. This includes the use of devices such as a TV, computer, mobile phone, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

They threaten to send someone round to inspect, but do they heck as like

I could be wrong, but doesn't the digital changeover render all of this moot? (I'm probably wrong, but I just wondered.)

Not so much. The switchover process is in part paid by the license fee, and even afterwards, the license fee will probably be the same, just maintaining the digital signal instead of the analogue.

 

[thylasos]

One of the best things the British government has done in the last century, under the NHS.

 

[TimeLord]

Eh, they show Top Gear, Dr. Who and Russell Howards Good News.
I quite like them for that, personally.

I have still never watched Russell Howards Good News, is it worth it?

 

[tahrey]

<3

that is all.

though i wish they wouldn't keep trying to court people over from ITN and Sky News by dragging their own coverage down to their level

 

[Plurralbles]

BBC > world wide programming.
Sure, we have to pay tax for it, but that's why it's so good.

well, I appreciate it and I'm from the US.

 

[tahrey]

Eh, they show Top Gear, Dr. Who and Russell Howards Good News.
I quite like them for that, personally.

I have still never watched Russell Howards Good News, is it worth it?

Well, if you like his style of humour and think you can stand it for a full 30 minutes, then yes.
I quite enjoy it but I'd say it's an acquired taste. Much the same as how I can't stand Ricky Gervais, but it doesn't seem to have dented his wider popularity, your mileage might vary.

There's an awful lot of good quality material on the beeb, just check out the full iplayer TV and radio listings some time if you have opportunity. if you can't find enough properly stimulating, non-intelligence- / -taste-insulting material (inc plenty of teh funnay) inamongst said virtual schedules to fill up all of a normal person's leisure time, either you're doing something wrong or your standards are unreasonably high. i have a downloader thing where i just click things that seem interesting and off it toddles to save them to my hdd. I can't possibly watch/listen to even a quarter of what comes down the line, in the end. and that's completely ignoring all soaps, daytime shows, stuff like Doctors, White Van Man / 2 Pints / almost any other sitcom, etc.

and if truly none of it is to your taste (what, not even Spiral, possibly the best french import since Taxi, or pain au chocolat?), well, nob off to ITVplayer and 4oD already.

I'll be perfectly happy paying my £9ish a month for a while to come, given the wealth of material then freely available via Freeview and broadcast radio as well as the online services (and remember that C4 is partly subsidised by the license fee too). There are few satellite or non-freeview-only cable services that can offer similar for that price... and they all end up festooned with ... ugh ... advertising... anyway.

Would you believe I didn't know who Kerry Katona was, or why I should presumably know of her and what the "brood mother" jokes were all about until I googled her?

 

[pejhmon]

However they also produce their fair share of shit too.The majority of the programmes on BBC3 are pure shite

That's why it only airs from 7pm onwards . I think Three is aimed at upper teens/lower twenties with all the Essex and such programmes (or is that ITV2? I forget) but Russell Howard is pretty good.

Channel 4 is winning on the comedy front atm though, can't beat the line up of 10 O'clock live, although historically what the BBC makes is better, they just don't make it often enough. What they lack is a good comedy sitcom/series, the only one that exists atm is "The Inbetweeners" which is no where near as good as people make it out to be but is the best around (due to lack of competition). BBC haven't made anything like that since Fool's and Horse's (although that was brillant) and Faulty Towers (also brillant)

News wise I most prefer BBC over Sky purely due to the lack of ads and the fact that I like the white-based background of the BBC more than the blue of Sky, but mainly the ads.

Shame the online stuff doesn't work abroad

 

[pejhmon]

I have still never watched Russell Howards Good News, is it worth it?

Well, if you like his style of humour and think you can stand it for a full 30 minutes, then yes.
I quite enjoy it but I'd say it's an acquired taste. Much the same as how I can't stand Ricky Gervais, but it doesn't seem to have dented his wider popularity, your mileage might vary.

It seems that his target audience is in the regions of late teens (students) to late twenties (basically his own age), which is more noticeable if you look at the audience themselves. I'm not saying that if you're outside that bracket you wont find anything funny, it's just that I find it hilarious whereas the one time my dad watched it he missed half of the jokes. But yeah, tahrey is right, acquired taste. It can be a source of knowledge, though. How else would I have known about that guy who made a dildo bomb?

 

[GenericAmerican]

Top Gear is freaking awesome...that's all I have to contribute.

 

[Anarchemitis]

No.

I once did the exact thing you just did.

I was banned seven days for it.