50 mb Service - What are you allowed to stream?

[davey99]

Afternoon All,

Just a quick question, I was just told by a VM operator that if I stream TV on my service I run the risk of being disconnected surely this cannot be true?

I mean what else do you want internet for? I pay my tv license so thats covered.

I cant seem to find anything on the net that says you cannot stream TV.

Surely If I streamed Freeview as there are a few sites that do this its not against the T&C's?

Any clarification would be welcomed.

Cheers

Davey

[canveyboy · Accepted solution]

Looks like another idiot VM advisor giving out bum information.

One of the braggs from VM's advertising campain for the 50Mb/s service was the ability to stream TV and high definition stuff as well cos there are no restrictions to this level of service.

[davey99]

cheers I though as much but always better to get 2nd opinion!

[socks]

there are legit services, such as http://tvcatchup.com/ , which stream live tv legally for those that can't be bothered with the fluctuating quality of freeview reception

i suggest you use them, but you DO (absolutely do) need a tv license to watch it

[vader]

Good point about the TV license. 

No matter what device you use to receive live broadcasts - even it it is an ipod touch in your home, you must have a TV licnese.  If you had no TV, no PC/Mac and just had a braodband and an ipod, if you are watching live TV on that device, no matter where its streamed from - even overseas TV in a foreign language - you need a British TV license.  I have been down this read loads in my job.  If asll you did was just watch youtube then this is not "live" TV and this is a grey ared at the moment.

I'd venture to suggest this method of licnesign TV is gettign ridiculous this day and age.

Vader

[socks]

Like Vader said, as long as you have a TV license you can watch live streaming TV. However, if you are only watching 4 On Demand or iPlayer or another catch-up service that isn't showing you what is on TV right this moment (or with a slight delay like the website I linked) then you don't need a TV license.

[horseman]

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vader wrote:

Good point about the TV license. 

.....

I'd venture to suggest this method of licnesign TV is gettign ridiculous this day and age.

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Agreed.....and without using the Services Independent Interception feature on my local Cisco VXR chassis or cView exactly how are the DTI going to detect that I'm receiving  a licensable streamed "live" transmission on my laptop if there's no TV IF to detect emanating from my house?    

Since I no longer have to sit in a Faraday caged office on a Tempested PC I've no doubt using Miltary grade interception of microprocessor RF with some serious CPU muscle of their own that could be achieved but this is several magnitudes more complex/expensive than our good 'ol  Detector Van.....

With laptop mobility and possibility of several laptops in close proximity that RF type detection doesn't seem feasable or cost effective.

[vader]

Indeed how the heck they could ever tell I have no idea - other than get every ISP to keep detailed records of who streamed what and when, hardly likely, and probably an infringement of liberties to boot.  I suppose they could capture your IP address if you visited BBC iPlayer and then back reference it to licnese fees.  This would be a mammoth undertaking and thats just for BBC channels.  WHat about channels from round the world? Are they goign to keep records for legacy fee (aka tax) systems like teh UK TV licnese??

Yep, impossible nigh on.  Taken on trust I suppose....

Cisco VXR eh...????  Installed a few of them in my time.....

Vader

[spongeblunt]

And thus Ladies and Gentlemen we have the Digital Economy Bill. Darth Mandelson realised there was a gap in the market so instead of facilitating a shift to a new digital distribution model he has pandered to the demands of the prehistoric companies known as record labels and film distributors and put forward his idea to monitor people more closely so we can all be charged more money for what we do by a company who then don't pass that money onto the original artists.

Good thing the Lords recently rejected it Finally doing a better job than the Commons

[socks]

That's why I intend on putting heavy encryption on my browsing habbits jsut so they have to spend resources, especially time, just to see i'm on this forum complaining about my cruddy connection lol