Be Excellent To Each Other

For all my TV watching needs I use the xbox 360 which plays downloaded stuff from my iMac running connect360.

I'd like a similar setup to go in the bedroom, but I'd prefer something a bit cheaper / quieter and lower power consumption than another 360.

Can anyone recommend me something like that? Considered an Apple TV but they don't play DVDs. An older Mac Mini would do but they're still too expensive. Original Xbox maybe?

Without wanting to sound like an arse - Apple TV and a £10 DVD player?

A PC designed for media use would certainly do it. One that's been specifically designed as a cool and quite effort.

Well, I might end up with that, just wondered if there was anything a bit more elegant and in one box

I considered the PC idea, an old laptop maybe.. Would be nice to have something that switches on and off as quickly as a console or DVD player though.

I was going to say "why would you want it to turn off?" - then I remembered who I was talking to :0)

I might try XBMC live distribution USB stick on an old laptop. Would need to rig up a remote control of some sort but it sounds feasible and low cost.

edit: no wait, an actual xbox seems more sensible and less hassle.

Just watch a bit of telly and then get up.

Why would anyone specifically design something to be quite effort?

How bizarre. That was supposed to be 'quiet'.

I don't have telly reception (or a license) though.

Hmm - do you not need a license just for owning a TV, though?

Not if it's detuned.

what about a western digital media player, doesnt stream though but it can do HD.

Thanks, but I don't have an HD telly anyway, and streaming is the whole point.

@Grim... : no

Doesn't even need to be detuned. As long as you don't use it for receiving broadcasts, you're fine. I think they changed this recently (about 5 years or so ago) as it used to be that it DID need to be detuned.

Then they realised that was impractical.

Really? So basically you can lie when they come round and say you never use it for proper telly. That—doesn't seem right.

I do the same all the time (and understood what you meant, as apparently did everyone else (or they've just got you on ignore)).

Nor does them badgering people with letters threatening intrusion by their Licence Enforcement Officers when in actual fact they have less power than a Police Community Support Officer.

Swings and roundabouts

Quote from TVL:

The license is required if you have a device capable of receiving TV broadcasts. They've always tried to interpret that as "...so if you've got a telly in your house you need one", which is why retailers are supposed to take your name and address when you buy one.

Pedants have excellently successfully argued that not having an aerial, putting glue in the RF socket and most recently simply not having it tuned (and not having it connected to an aerial or satellite dish, obviously) is enough in these days of DVD players and consoles; a TV's primary function is no longer necessarily as a broadcast receiver.

If you feel the need to prove it in order to get the TV licensing nazis off your back, then not having it tuned in when they randomly inspect you will help. Otherwise they won't believe you (and frankly I wouldn't either!)

I believe it used to be that the TV or VCR "should not be capable of" receiving broadcast TV. That would mean disabling the tuner (which is normally a fairly easy process of pulling out the tuner module or mangling the aerial socket - the TV will still work and accept video signals). Which I would have been quite happy to do, but when I was in correspondance with them about it (about 5 years ago actually), at that time they totally backed away from the suggestion.

I guess it's possible someone got electrocuted from attempting the above at some stage.

It's not just what pedants argue, it's what the licensing people will actually say themselves if put on the spot.

Are they allowed to 'not believe you', though? Where is the burden of proof?

The boiled down legislation says:

Part 4 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to install or use a television receiver to watch or record any television programmes as they're being shown on television without a valid TV Licence. [..] It also makes it an offence for anyone to have any television receiver in their possession or under their control who intends to install or use it in contravention of the main offence (above),


So I think you'd be pretty clearly in breach of the "intent" bit if you have it tuned in, but IR not lawyerz.


[edit] I'm disagreeing with GazChap, basically

In my experience even chewing up the the aerial bit with a pair of pliers doesn't stop them pestering you, but the good thing is they're like vampires. They can't enter your home unless you invite them in or they have a warrant.

programmes as they're being shown on television without a valid TV

does this mean tha d/l is perfectly acceptable without a license? (assuming it has already been shown on British (terrestrial) TV?)

Yes.

Is that fair? Not sure. Is it always going to be like that? Not sure either.

You don't need a license to watch non-live stuff on the iPlayer, as an example.

Depends how you read it, I guess - at some point someone recorded it off live TV...

You won't fall foul of TV Licensing laws, but you will fall foul of copyright laws if caught.

Except for legally licensed services like the iPlayer, natch.

Kalmar, do you ever use the iPlayer?

Quite often, yes. (I watch 1 or 2 things per week from iplayer, on average)

I actually thought you had to have a licence to use the iPlayer, but apparently not—at the moment, anyway.

Unless you're watching something that's live, yes. Like I said on the last page :0)

As Craster says, No. But as Gazchap says, "ah, if you downloaded it, illegal anyway". I downloaded it.