cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

I only need YouTube, No other channels required, HELP PLEASE,

Laurafiel
Tuning in

I am paying for a TV bundle that I never watch. All I need is YouTube, I live alone it is enough for me. How do I stop paying for all these unwatched channels and get TV Licensing off my back? Good People, Help Please!

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

nodrogd
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

The bad news is:

1) Virgin is a pay TV service. You rent the box & that includes channels, even those that are free elsewhere.

2) Because it is a pay TV service a TV licence is mandatory.

Most modern Smart TVs & streaming sticks have YouTube apps installed as standard. So if you only want this there is no point in paying Virgin for a TV box. Just get yourself a Fire TV stick, plug it in, set up the WiFi & away you go.

VM 350BB 2xV6 & Landline. Freeview/Freesat HD, ASDA/Tesco PAYG Mobile. Cable customer since 1993

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more

Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks

See where this Helpful Answer was posted

8 REPLIES 8

nodrogd
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

The bad news is:

1) Virgin is a pay TV service. You rent the box & that includes channels, even those that are free elsewhere.

2) Because it is a pay TV service a TV licence is mandatory.

Most modern Smart TVs & streaming sticks have YouTube apps installed as standard. So if you only want this there is no point in paying Virgin for a TV box. Just get yourself a Fire TV stick, plug it in, set up the WiFi & away you go.

VM 350BB 2xV6 & Landline. Freeview/Freesat HD, ASDA/Tesco PAYG Mobile. Cable customer since 1993

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more

Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks

I have not watched the TV in years, Forgotton how to use the Doofer too! TV Licencing have done me twice in my lifetime, kinda guessed they'd target me. Paid dutifully to watch fav' Scottish Comedy but must now reduce silly costs same as everyone else. Well, trying to. Such a prompt reply from you, THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I am 62yrs old. Unfimiliar, as yet, with all the ways and gadgets. Please: What is a Fire TV Stick ? ( am I going to sack the TV?) and where do I purchase one (Amazon)? Have an old but great sized TV Monitor Screen ~ NOT a Smart TV.  Do I plug this stick into my Laptop or my TV or both?  I have to obtain codes from Amazon Prime so that I may see my Prime stuff as an App on the telly, very occaisionally usually with company. Same channeI but a 2nd Fav App changes it back to YouTube. I'm a small-time Creator too so the larger screen is very useful.  I believe that myYouTube comes from within this laptop, there is even an 'Option' to 'cast to tv' but it's never done anything, neither have I ever needed it to before.

There is a Virgin Wi-Fi Only selection of deals that I have found, at a fraction of the cost  (">)

If this truly works and with no lengthy glitches setting it all up, then I shall start on this plan of operation - at Daybreak! ( heheh, used to watch Frasier Crane 6 times daily & The Big Bang and Dad's Army.... Faulty Towers... Meldrew ~ the list of Repeats goes on and on and... heheh. Music is my Life) . THANK YOU AGAIN and use kiddies' lingo for me to follow. please.

nodrogd
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

Fire stick plugs into the HDMI socket of any TV or monitor. The only other thing you need is a WiFi connection. There are several versions on Amazon, so have a look at what they do & take your pick:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=fire+tv+stick&adgrpid=53315259255&hvadid=259039678505&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=... 

VM 350BB 2xV6 & Landline. Freeview/Freesat HD, ASDA/Tesco PAYG Mobile. Cable customer since 1993

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more

Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks

Hello again, VIP

I have been studying Amazon's Fire Sticks and Boxes but do not understand any of it. Most use Alexa ( Heavens to Betsy! Not in my home). The rest continually refer to TV Streaming which is exactly what I want get rid of. Simplified I guess I'm looking for something that will remove all TV Channels minus one- one that I can send over my YouTube to from my kitchen laptop. I have no need for _ANY_ TV programs at all, zero . I do not understand what these Fire Sticks actually do. As for Wi-Fi, I can change down to a Virgin Wi-Fi only deal. Sorry to be a bother but I ask because I know nothing about computors  and have only just recently purchased my 1st Smart Phone- under pressure from Society's changing ways niether do I like it at all. Use it for texts, phonecalls and... YouTube., and for taking into hospital instead of my CD Walkman ( I am old, my dear). Thank you, I shall endeavour not to pester you again.

Laurafiel

Zoie_P
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Hi @Laurafiel,

Thank you for your post and welcome to our forums  🙌

I am sorry you feel this way. I am glad @nodrogd has been able to help you with your questions. We are unable to make any package changes from here so if you wish to remove any parts of your package please call our team on 150/0345 454 1111 📞

Thanks,

Zoie

nodrogd
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

@Laurafiel wrote:

Hello again, VIP

I have been studying Amazon's Fire Sticks and Boxes but do not understand any of it. Most use Alexa ( Heavens to Betsy! Not in my home). The rest continually refer to TV Streaming which is exactly what I want get rid of. Simplified I guess I'm looking for something that will remove all TV Channels minus one- one that I can send over my YouTube to from my kitchen laptop. I have no need for _ANY_ TV programs at all, zero . I do not understand what these Fire Sticks actually do. As for Wi-Fi, I can change down to a Virgin Wi-Fi only deal. Sorry to be a bother but I ask because I know nothing about computors  and have only just recently purchased my 1st Smart Phone- under pressure from Society's changing ways niether do I like it at all. Use it for texts, phonecalls and... YouTube., and for taking into hospital instead of my CD Walkman ( I am old, my dear). Thank you, I shall endeavour not to pester you again.

Laurafiel


The Fire Stick does not give you any TV channels. It offers TV streaming apps. These all operate on an "On Demand" basis, so you don't have to sign up to any you don't want to use. As there are no live channels apart from those that can be obtained through the apps, you do not need a licence if you don't use them either.

VM 350BB 2xV6 & Landline. Freeview/Freesat HD, ASDA/Tesco PAYG Mobile. Cable customer since 1993

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more

Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks

Marv147
On our wavelength

TV Licensing have only ‘done you’ because you have signed their confession form at the doorstep . Without you signing that, they have no basis for prosecution so by putting your moniker on their form, you’ve literally signed your own death warrant.

I’ve not paid TVL for 15 years now and never will. Once you stop paying them (and reclaim all your payments back via Direct Debit Indemnity Claim) they send you plenty of letters threatening you with all kinds of mischief and maybe if you’re unlucky a doorstep visit. You are not obliged to engage with these people from Capita who try to get you to sign their forms so they get their £20 bonuses. If they knock on your door, close it. They have no power of entry into your house.

After a few months, you’ll start getting letters addressed to ‘The Legal Occupier’. At that point, they are just trying to illicit a response from you but don’t make contact with them. 

As it is illegal to open mail that isn’t addressed to you and I assume that your name isn’t ‘The Legal Occupier’, then how are you supposed to know what said letters say? As time goes by, their letters become less frequent - I get a couple a year at most - and then the battle is won.

On a side note, I have also experienced their legal process after my 18 year old daughter answered the door to a Capita agent and cajoled her into signing their confession form. When I received their letter asking if I wanted to go to court, I said I did and received their disclosure evidence including the agents version of events. 
That evidence said that the agent introduced himself as ‘from TV Licensing’ and as such I asked for him to appear in court for cross-examination on the basis that he’d obtained information by deception as he in fact worked for Capita, not TVL as he said at the door and that if the first words out of his mouth were lies and deception, how can the court accept anything he said as being credible?

I got a letter saying the prosecution was being discontinued ten days later…

PS: I’m not one of those ‘Freeman of the Land’ types either who use strawman mumbo-jumbo ideas, I just refuse to pay a TV tax! My post isn’t legal advice either, for obvious reasons, just my own life experience.

Thank you for your reply, lots of interesting information. Fortunately, I have not signed anything. They are targetting me because I have been 'done' by them in the past and have only just recently stopped their DD payments. As I really never do watch TV - only YouTube - everything I need in one place- this is a good time for me to switch to a Broadband only Provider. Get rid of my redundant Landline too, which used to be necessary for 'dial up'. Showing my age now, heheh!  Again, thank you for your time and attention, much appreciated.  Laurafiel.