• Number of UK homes with TV falls for first time
    61 replies, posted
[quote] The number of UK homes with a TV has fallen for the first time, as viewers turn to alternatives including tablets and smartphones to watch programmes. Ofcom said that after years of consecutive growth, the number of households with a television set fell from 26.33m at the end of 2012 to 26.02m at the end of last year. The media regulator said that nearly one million homes have a broadband connection, but no TV, indicating that other internet-connected devices are being used to view content. Ofcom said catch-up TV content in particular is growing in importance and being watched on smartphones, tablets, computers and games consoles. In its Infrastructure 2014 report, Ofcom cites BBC figures which show that in July 47% of requests for BBC iPlayer content came from tablets or mobiles, up from just 25% in October 2012. “The way consumers interact with their TV, phone and broadband is changing as fast as technology is evolving,” said Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom. [/quote] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/dec/08/number-uk-homes-tv-falls-first-time-ofcom[/url]
Internet killed the tv star.
I have two TV's but don't use either for live TV.
Wait what? Why would you go from a large TV to a tablet or smartphone?
[QUOTE=Firewarrior;46667978]Wait whaz? Why would you go from a large TV to a tablet or smartphone?[/QUOTE] Simple answer: TV's require cable, cable costs money. Streaming doesn't, and as a bonus, it lacks the 20 minutes of commercials that a 60 minute show has. (And as a bonus, you can hook up the tablet or phone to your TV, and voila. Free shows.)
[QUOTE=Firewarrior;46667978]Wait whaz? Why would you go from a large TV to a tablet or smartphone?[/QUOTE] easier to get more comfortable with a tablet
The only people I know who watch TV anymore are my parents
[QUOTE=Firewarrior;46667978]Wait whaz? Why would you go from a large TV to a tablet or smartphone?[/QUOTE]Portability, is cheaper since it can do much more than a TV. I can use my tablet anywhere in the house for anything, I can't watch my large tv in my bedroom unless I buy a second one.
That's because if you have a TV you have to pay TV License, even if you never watch BBC. You by law have to pay for channels you never watch.
[QUOTE=Firewarrior;46667978]Wait whaz? Why would you go from a large TV to a tablet or smartphone?[/QUOTE] Because it's more convenient to do everything on one device. Really the only benefit of a large TV is that multiple people can watch it at the same time, but even then you can achieve similar results with a decent sized PC screen. [editline]8th December 2014[/editline] I think the only time Ive used my TV was for the very occasional movie night and for when Game of Thrones was on and people would come over to watch it. I even play console games on my PC screen now.
[QUOTE=itisjuly;46667991]Portability, is cheaper since it can do much more than a TV. I can use my tablet anywhere in the house for anything, I can't watch my large tv in my bedroom unless I buy a second one.[/QUOTE] Okay, as a portable addition I could see the use in it, but as a replacement? Not really. I have a 10" tablet and it's just not the same to watch stuff on it, especially not movies Preferences, I guess.
[QUOTE=Viper1204;46667997]That's because if you have a TV you have to pay TV License, even if you never watch BBC. You by law have to pay for channels you never watch.[/QUOTE] You should see the underhanded dirty scare tactics the Licensing Authority uses. Honestly walks a very fine line between intimidation and unrelenting spam. I was getting misleading letters stamped with "£1000 FINE IN COURT" in a massive font size on the front. They really try and strongarm you into getting a TV license, even if you don't watch TV like a normal human I don't want my license fee paying for pro royal bias and Jimmy Saville's necrophillia budget thank you very much.
[QUOTE=NorthernFall;46668070]You should see the underhanded dirty scare tactics the Licensing Authority uses. Honestly walks a very fine line between intimidation and unrelenting spam. I was getting misleading letters stamped with "£1000 FINE IN COURT" in a massive font size on the front. They really try and strongarm you into getting a TV license, even if you don't watch TV like a normal human I don't want my license fee paying for pro royal bias and Jimmy Saville's necrophillia budget thank you very much.[/QUOTE] I am literally holding in my hands a letter from the licencing authority that reads: "You have not responded to our previous letters. We want to ensure you have the information you may need before a hearing is set at your local court. Please read the information carefully and keep for your records. You will be allowed to take it into court with you." This is the first letter we've recieved from them since moving in. It's all sorted now fortunately, all I had to do was fill in an online form. Gave me a proper fright when I opened it though.
Yeah I don't watch TV, everything I need is on the internet and I can choose what I want to watch without any ad inserts.
If I was I paying for a shitty channel package and a TV tax that will fuck me over if I'm caught with an "illegal television set", yeah, I'd drop TV too in favor of streaming services, even if they shuffle their available programming every few months.
[QUOTE=Viper1204;46667997]That's because if you have a TV you have to pay TV License, even if you never watch BBC. You by law have to pay for channels you never watch.[/QUOTE] What the hell is a TV license? Does that apply if you have a TV or what? What if you use TV to play consoles on it? Do you still have to pay?
[QUOTE=itisjuly;46668167]What the hell is a TV license? Does that apply if you have a TV or what? What if you use TV to play consoles on it? Do you still have to pay?[/QUOTE] basically you buy a tv license or they send you a bunch of threatening letters saying they'll take you to court unless you prove you don't need one they're full of shit though and if they turn up at your door you can just not let them in afaik
[QUOTE=Mellowbloom;46668199]basically you buy a tv license or they send you a bunch of threatening letters saying they'll take you to court unless you prove you don't need one they're full of shit though and if they turn up at your door you can just not let them in afaik[/QUOTE] Oh so it's not relevant to the actual device?
[QUOTE=itisjuly;46668209]Oh so it's not relevant to the actual device?[/QUOTE] [quote]A television licence is required for each household where television programmes are watched as they are broadcast, irrespective of the signal method (terrestrial, satellite, cable or the Internet). A licence is not required, however, if a television is only used to watch DVDs or play video games, or programmes are watched via catch-up services such as BBC iPlayer or 4oD on a computer after they have been shown on TV.[/quote] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence#United_Kingdom[/url]
We have a nice TV, but it's not even plugged into the cable network. We just use it for our consoles, watching movies on DVD/Blu ray or streaming. The classic model of watching TV has been made obsolete by the internet, imo. Not that there would be anything good on TV anyways, it's all just casting shows and scripted reality crap these days. We haven't watched TV for years.
The BBC have always been pricks when its come to something like TV Licenses, there are thousands of videos online where the BBC have tired to charge somebody watching Live Transmissions they are not even watching.
In Denmark we have what is called a "media license", which you have to pay if you own a TV OR a smartphone OR a computer OR any other device capable of receiving an internet connection at speeds greater than 56k. So yeah, pretty much obligatory. However, I wouldn't drop my TV in favor of disregarding this. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but I'd much fucking rather watch shows and movies on it through HDMI or streaming, than I'd eat my food in front of my computer. So yeah. I don't get why that number is going down. [editline]8th December 2014[/editline] I guess it could also be that people are more attracted to streaming these days, and decide to NOT pay the TV license, and hence "don't own a TV".
I like the content that the BBC produces, and I don't personally mind paying a licence fee, but I fucking hate how the licensing authorities try to weasel money out of people. I wouldn't mind the BBC having a subscription-based channel that had a optional licence fee, with the rest of the people getting a channel similar to BBC around the rest of the world, with adverts and such. I imagine it would wreak havoc with programmes like Doctor Who, though. [editline]8th December 2014[/editline] I think that, like the radio, the TV will never really die out. It will just become more niche- something you only use to watch stuff with the rest of your family, whilst you all watch your own shows on your laptop or something.
legitimately baffled that there are countries that do this sort of shit
[QUOTE=itisjuly;46668167]What the hell is a TV license? Does that apply if you have a TV or what? What if you use TV to play consoles on it? Do you still have to pay?[/QUOTE] depends on who you ask, we dont pay it because we were told you only had to pay it if you watch bbc television or view bbc shows *live* on the internet. But a friend of mine made the mistake of letting the goon they send around into his house, and the guy went around counting television sets/monitors that could be used as such, and then tried to convince him he had to pay a monthly fee for each one.
Nah people just don't want to pay tv licence
Fuck the TV License. the BBC is only for Top Gear and thats it.
I have a TV and a license and i use it only for Sky Sports HD.
[QUOTE=NotMeh;46668380]legitimately baffled that there are countries that do this sort of shit[/QUOTE] It's because the BBC runs ad-free and I believe is paid for by this TV license.
Just be glad you guys can still avoid paying for TV licence. Our government discontinued the licence in favor of everyone paying with the YLE-tax (YLE being a Finnish national television/radio network). The fucking licence system was a mess though, they'd go to ridiculous lengths to find out if you secretly watched TV without a licence....like they could listen through your mail slot, or call you for surveys like "What TV programs do you commonly watch", and if you went and confessed they'd say "our data seems to indicate you don't have a licence".....the fines for getting caught were pretty brutal too. I had a TV for old consoles and computers but no digital converter, I actually had to invite the agent guy inside and show him to get them "off my case".
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