30,000 people in the UK still watch TV in black and white - Polidicks

[quote][b]Thousands shun colour television[/b] Almost 30,000 people across the UK still tune into their favourite programmes on black and white TV sets. The figures were released by TV Licensing to mark the 40th anniversary of the first colour transmissions on BBC1 and ITV. The 28,000 black and white licence holders included 1,950 in Scotland. The figures showed the black and white sets have not yet been consigned to history despite the rise of flat-screens and the iPlayer. While the figures show there is still life in the oldest TV equipment, BBC statistics show that emerging technologies are changing the way many of us watch TV. In September, the BBC iPlayer attracted more than one million unique users a day, who watched a total of 60.8 million TV programmes on the internet using computers, smart phones and games consoles, as well as on televisions equipped with the Virgin Media set-top boxes. "These figures show TV has never been more popular across the spectrum" Fergus Reid TV Licensing Yet despite the increasingly divergent ways to watch, leaning back on the sofa in front of your TV set is still the most popular - with sales of flat-screen televisions almost trebling in the past three years. TV Licensing spokesman Fergus Reid said: "These figures show TV has never been more popular across the spectrum, and with so many ways to watch TV now available, it is important people are aware of their legal responsibilities. "Whether you watch in black and white on a 40-year-old TV set or in colour on a brand new 37in LCD flatscreen, you need to be covered by a TV Licence if watching or recording programmes as they are broadcast. "The same is true if you access programmes via the internet as they are being shown on TV - if you're using a laptop, mobile phone, games console or any other device." The first colour TV broadcasts began in 1967 on BBC2 and on 15 November 1969 on BBC1 and ITV. The first colour pictures were seen on BBC1 in Scotland in December 1969. Comedy classic Dad's Army was among the first programmes to receive a colour makeover. 'Technological breakthrough' Ian Lavender, who played Private Pike in the series, recalled: "I remember we bought our first colour television set to watch the 3rd series of Dad's Army, which had been recorded in colour. "I was also the first actor to be killed by a colour TV set on colour TV in Z Cars when a robbery went wrong and the TV set was dropped on me from a great height by Nicholas Jones". Iain Logie Baird, curator of television at the National Media Museum in Bradford and a grandson of John Logie Baird, the inventor of the first television, said he believed the arrival of colour TV had an enormous social impact in the UK. "The arrival of mass colour television was a technological breakthrough," he said. "As more viewers made the switch, it gradually altered the effect of television as a medium, changing both programme styles and viewers' perceptions. "The addition of colour enabled viewers to have a greater feeling of actually 'being there' for live events and similarly, an increased sense of involvement in pre-recorded material, which had a major impact on the cultural fabric of the nation." [/quote] [url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8355519.stm[/url]

It did make me giggle when I noticed there was a black and white option when I was paying for my TV license.

[QUOTE=Thomo;18363537]Ah' well. Your not missing much on British TV anyway, except kids drinking ethanol... oh and Top Gear[/QUOTE] We have a phrase for that. It's called 'E4'. [b]You do not add a show when I am quoting you.[/b]

I have a small TV that is in black and white Still hasn't failed

British T.V is not worth watching anyway. Except Top Gear

[QUOTE=Saxon;18363650]British T.V is not worth watching anyway. Except Top Gear[/QUOTE] And Doctor Who.

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;18363679]And Doctor Who.[/QUOTE] Dammit I always forget about that show in between those long season breaks

I wonder how many of those are using colour tvs but just felt like saving a bit of money.

[QUOTE=Saxon;18363650]British T.V is not worth watching anyway. Except Top Gear[/QUOTE] And countdown.

[QUOTE=Thomo;18363537]Ah' well. Your not missing much on British TV anyway, except kids drinking ethanol... oh and Top Gear[/QUOTE] And Gadget Show

and have i got news for you

and The IT Crowd

and mock the week

and any BBC documentary

30 [b]million[/b] people in Ukraine watch TV in black and white Big whoop

I watched black and white tv up until a few years ago, out of choice too. I had one of those tvs where you had to turn a knob to find the station, like you have to on a radio.

TV is shit in England without virgin media or sky.

All terrestrial TV is superior to Cable television, all British comedy is worth watching. Other than Mock the Week.

I still laugh at how you have to have a license to have a TV in your house where everywhere else on the planet you can take one right off the street and never end up being fined $1500 because you don't have a license.

Little Britain

[QUOTE=R4iden;18363996]and mock the week[/QUOTE] Not anymore, Frankie Boyle quit. but Peep Show, That Mitchell & Webb Look, The Armstrong & Miller show

Top gear in black and white might be cool.

[QUOTE=windwakr;18364912]If you brits own a TV without a license, how would they find out?[/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw[/media]

[QUOTE=pentium;18364727]I still laugh at how you have to have a license to have a TV in your house where everywhere else on the planet you can take one right off the street and never end up being fined $1500 because you don't have a license.[/QUOTE] It's very important that everyone has a TV license because without proper training TVs can be very dangerous

[QUOTE=PulpedFiction;18364301]I watched black and white tv up until a few years ago, out of choice too. I had one of those tvs where you had to turn a knob to find the station, like you have to on a radio.[/QUOTE] Not on new radios.

[QUOTE=pentium;18364727]I still laugh at how you have to have a license to have a TV in your house where everywhere else on the planet you can take one right off the street and never end up being fined $1500 because you don't have a license.[/QUOTE] Wrong [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_license[/url]

BBC does a really good job, if you consider how much you pay, you get 4 quality channels (ignoring CBBC and news channels and that crap) without any adverts and original shows throughout the day. Granted some of the shows like Eastenders are crap, but add in Scrubs, South-Park and Mythbusters and I'd never watch a none-BBC channel other than the Music channels. I also love how they even report negative stories about the BBC on their own news show. The quality of the BBC is amazing compared to shit like Fox.

[QUOTE=SGorilla;18365101]BBC does a really good job, if you consider how much you pay, you get 4 quality channels (ignoring CBBC and news channels and that crap) without any adverts and original shows throughout the day. Granted some of the shows like Eastenders are crap, but add in Scrubs, South-Park and Mythbusters and I'd never watch a none-BBC channel other than the Music channels. I also love how they even report negative stories about the BBC on their own news show. The quality of the BBC is amazing compared to shit like Fox.[/QUOTE] Agreed. And you didn't mention they also do radio, free educational stuff like Bitesize, iPlayer, regional TV news and regional radio stations, this shit ain't cheap. [editline]04:48PM[/editline] RATINGS POLL: The TV license - good or bad? Agree if you support the license, disagree if you don't.

I love the documentaries. They're all so amazing, i'd pay £180 just for them

[QUOTE=pentium;18364727]I still laugh at how you have to have a license to have a TV in your house where everywhere else on the planet you can take one right off the street and never end up being fined $1500 because you don't have a license.[/QUOTE] I laugh at how you have adverts on all of your channels.