No TV and I like it that way (mini rant)

[mrsflibble]

I remember how good HOW was... but then I could be seeing it with a fuzzy glow as it was forbidden. We lived with my grandparents when I was young and all commercial channels (ok, ITV and ch4 were the only ones at that time) were banned as my grandad was a devout communist and commercial chanels aparently bombarded him with capitalism which he did not appreciate in his own home. This meant that everyone else had to live by that rule as well. Also if songs of praise came on he'd roughly switch the telly off shouting "f****** religious nutcases!!!" and claiming to all and sundry that the russians would come and save us.
Mind you, if something he wanted to watch cae on and was on ITV, such as the darling buds of may for instance, he had no problem swallowing his hatred of capitalism for the half hour/45mins/hour whatever he wanted to watch was on.

as citizentwiglet said in another post, you can choose your friends...

[barefootlinzi]

I would give up TV but OH is addicted (as is all his family) and I have a confession.....I'm a Doctor Who fan!!!!

[JR]

I dont watch much TV, only really watch cooking or gardening shows so wouldnt worry to loose one for that reason. However I do like to watch films and have really been lost to the darkside and have an xbox360, since christmas. We both love it and have many new friends from varied walks of life and all over the world. May feel different later in life but the goggle box is staying for us I am afraid.

I can see why you might not want one as we are paying TV Licience, Virgin TV, love film subscription and Xbox Live, then add the electricity in reality it costs a fair bit.

[Wombat]

I could probably give it up but Mrs Wombat couldn't live without her football!

Nev

[Bluemoon]

We didn't have one for five years, during that time I was driven to near madness by TV licensing who simply refuse to accept that you can live without the thing. They are legally entitled to search your house, but even then refuse to believe that you haven't immediately gone out and sneaked one in. I eventually stopped it by saying; 'I don't want to redecorate my home, I've no antiques to sell and I can't stand football, so WHY would I possibly need a TV?' Seems they understand sarcasm because they finally put a note by my address on their system stating there was no set here, but this was 'Subject to annual review' - presumably a yearly search. I don't know if this worked though because a short time later my son returned home, bringing the death-ray with him and we had to buy a license.

What I don't understand is, if their detection equipment is so good that it can find a TV set, know which room it's in, what channel it's tuned to and even find one when switched off, why they didn't just point the thing at our house on a regular basis? It would have proved I didn't have a set without all the hassle of having my cupboards gone through by a total stranger. Or is this super-duper detection equipment a con? Actually I have another theory that TV is the way in which governments control their populations now that formal religion is largely on the decline, the new opium of the masses. Harassment of those who choose not to buy into this then becomes understandable.......fortunately I only believe this in my more paranoid moments.........I'll go and have a lie down now

[ina]

What I don't understand is, if their detection equipment is so good that it can find a TV set, know which room it's in, what channel it's tuned to and even find one when switched off, why they didn't just point the thing at our house on a regular basis? It would have proved I didn't have a set without all the hassle of having my cupboards gone through by a total stranger.

They've never gone that far here... Although I have an aerial on the roof. But it's not my house, and I refuse to climb up there and remove what doesn't belong to me!

[AXJ]

Having done a quick bit of research on the subject, I am sure that TV detector vans can not detect a TV in your house if it is switched off, on stand by yes for sure, as stand by often just switches off the screen, not the receiveer (which is why it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions), same goes for your video recorder, that is just a TV too with out a screen.

Without going into the tedious details of how they alledgelly work here is some useful information.

TV detector vans exist, but they may or may not dectect anything. They are often just for show. TVL have a database of addresses in the UK with or without a licence. It is just assumed that anyone without a TV licence is guilty, and so a campaign of harrassment begins by letters and visits to intimidate people into buying a licence.

Fact 1: Never in court has evidence been used to prosecute people (mainly single mothers) based on 'detector' van evidence.

Fact 2: Although TVL threaten that they might apply for a search warrant if you do not let them in to inspect your house, it is very difficult indeed for them to apply for a warrant. They first need proof that you are receiving live broadcast. Never has 'dectector van' evidence been used to apply for a warrant. Search warrants are very rarely applied for today.

The reason people get prosecuted is that they admit to having a TV and then sign a 'confession' form. They assume a visiting TVL 'officer' has some sort of legal power when they visit. They have no more legal power than if any member of the public came round. Tell them to leave and they must immediately comply else be in breach of law.

__________

I once had a TV to use as a computer monitor for my BBC model B 'micro computer' , I removed the arial, and I did not watch TV.. but it was rented.

I got a letter asking for payment which started (and I bet it still does) with 'On behalf of the Home Sectretary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain...'

So I wrote to the Home Secretary explaining my situation, and got a letter back from the Home secretary which I was to show any callers from the TVLA, it basically accepted what I was doing, and excempted me from a licence. From my point of view what was important is that I was telling the truth. Even in those days I was a radio 4 listener, couldn't stand TV, and there were only three chanels.

________________

Many years later, I had moved house (about two hundred yards from my last abode), had a knock on the door from the TVLA man. I was entertaining several alternative friends, the smoke hung thick in the air. I answered the door, and although I did have a TV in the bedroom it was not switched on and had been bought second hand.

My guests were having a loud laugh in the sitting room, I invited the man in... sniffing the air and hearing the hearty male laughter he chose to say that as I had invited him in, he guessed that I had nothing to hide, thanked me for my time, ticked a box on his clip board and I never heard from them again.

so moral of the stories:

1. of course the obvious thing is, just don't answer the fricking door unless you know who it is, that also seems to work rather well and is the best line of defence.

2. Don't write to the TVLA write to the Home Secretary if you really are being hasseled for no good reason, the Home Sectretary HAS to answer your letter, just keep hasselling him/her, they will want to get you off their back, and I doubt if will involve sending Mi5 round.

3. When the TVLA man comes, make him feel that (although you are being very friendly) he is probably only going to leave your house chopped up in a bin liner, after being the happless victim to a bunch of sadists in a Quentin Tarentino movie, they are only human after all.

Have a great Sunday one and all.

[mrsflibble]

there IS NO DETECTION EQUIPMENT, it's all a con.

[AXJ]

there IS NO DETECTION EQUIPMENT, it's all a con.

I wish that were true, and maybe it is the case with TVLA, but I sincerely do know someone who operated such equipment in the 1970's so if it existed then it is reasonable to assume that it exists now.

For what it is worth, the authorities can do more than that, they can see what is on your computer screen from a van outside your house, unless you have full electromagnetic shielding. It is actually a real problem for companies and other organisations who wish to protect the otherwise secure data they have displaid on their screens.

I'll post a link later to a 'How do they do that' type page

[Thurston Garden]

there IS NO DETECTION EQUIPMENT, it's all a con.

I wish that were true, and maybe it is the case with TVLA, but I sincerely do know someone who operated such equipment in the 1970's so if it existed then it is reasonable to assume that it exists now.

For what it is worth, the authorities can do more than that, they can see what is on your computer screen from a van outside your house, unless you have full electromagnetic shielding. It is actually a real problem for companies and other organisations who wish to protect the otherwise secure data they have displaid on their screens.

I'll post a link later to a 'How do they do that' type page

This is quite correct. When I was in the Navy I operated a piece of kit which works on the same principle as the TV detector van. Everything electrical emits a signal of some sort. You just require the right equipment to receive it. If you know what you want to receive, then you can have the best receiving equipment and it's utterly amazing what you can pick up. Now whether the detector vans have any kit in the back, or just have a nice soft sofa is a different matter. The receiver is entierly passive and that it where it wins every time. Nobody knows

Annually RN ships do whats called a mutual interference trial. It is a very boring trial where every piece of electrical equipment is switched on in endless combinations to make sure that they don't interfere with each other. Believe me, the RN would look pretty stupid if the microwave in the galley accidentally set of a seadart missile! Certain areas of ships have the all important electromagnetic shielding so the enemy cannot use sensitive kit to see what is on the screens in that compartment. It's passive remember.

Back to Annpan's original post, we have been TV less for 3 years now and yes, you do get looks when people say "did you see such and such last night" I have stopped saying we don't have a TV, I now just say sorry, I didn't!

OH is still hooked on the Magic Lantern, it's TV on his laptop now though instead of a normal TV

[Millymollymandy]

I love telly and I wouldn't know what to do with myself without it. Yes really.

[Wombat]

We've just cut back on our Foxtel, my fiendish plan is working!

Nev

[Fizzy Izzy]

I haven't had a TV for a year now and I don't intend to go back to having one! I'm a secondary school teacher and I once made the mistake of mentioning to my pupils that I didn't have a TV... they were all completely shocked!

I have a confession.....I'm a Doctor Who fan!!!!

Me too! But I figured that since Doctor Who was the ONLY thing I wanted to watch it wasn't worth the TV license. I've been downloading it from BBC iPlayer. That does mean however that I usually have to wait until the next day at least before it's available to download... An excrutiating wait! But now it's finished, no more TV until the Christmas Special. :)

[old tree man]

I would love to get rid of the telly but Jane does like her crime programs, csi,foyles war dexter ect