As we pay more than GBP 110 (US $220 and SG$ 330) a year for a TV license, when the TV dies it is a major problem. Technically we do not have to pay the license if we don’t have a working TV, but we really need a new one. So, we’re off to Curry’s this morning to look at TVs.
This TV is one that I think we could live with. HWMBO, of course, feels it’s too expensive and perhaps too big for the living room. I think it’s more likely that it will fit (as there’s nothing much at that end of the room anyway) and it will be enough TV for all the innovations that we will be needing in the future. High definition, digital, with all the connectors one needs. The Samsung (RIP) only had a SCART lead and an antenna lead, as life was simpler then. HDTV was only a gleam in someone’s eye, if that, as was the DVD player. VCRs were about as sophisticated as it gets.
This TV is also attractive, but with the GBP 50 surcharge for a large product it is pricier than the previous one.
As we don’t watch much TV, we don’t want to spend TOO much on this one, but I think it’s important not to spend too little and have a dinky TV that doesn’t do everything that we will want it to do and, worse, will have to be replaced later on when new things come out that we might want. So, it’s off to Curry’s we go. More later when we’ve finally agreed on something.
Oh dear, I’ll have to clean up the living room, too…
Nice choice of TVs. I’m sure it’s better to get something decent assuming you’re goign to use it for years to come. I’m surviving on something like this 28 inches Toshiba Widescreen (purchased few years ago for around
I’ve got a really dumb question…
Once upon a time, defining a television a television was easy… but today, there are HD computer monitors that have digital inputs.
If you purchase a “COMPUTER MONITOR” and only have a computer hooked up to it, is it taxed (under television tax?), if not…
If the computor had a CD/DVD-ROM drive so you could watch a DVR/VCR/DVD player, would that be taxed? if not…
What about watching movies from AVI files on your monitor from your computer? Would that be taxed? if not…
How about if the computer had a television tuner card?
What if the monitor had an analogue input so you could watch television from rabbit ears or a cable hook-up?
There are so many subtle differences in computers and television now days…
Damn — those televisions are pricy!
Have you looked on FROOGLE ( http://froogle.google.com/ ) for better deals?
I hit a key and somehow lost the entire reply I had painstakingly composed. Drat!
My understanding is that any device with a tuner capable of receiving TV transmissions over the air or on cable is subject to the license fee. So a computer that has no tuner is not subject to a fee. A computer with a tuner is. A while back the BBC flew a trial balloon of getting all those who have a computer that can show TV programs (from the internet) to pay the license fee, but that balloon fell like the lead it was made out of. In fact, I’ll bet that in 7 years when the license fee is up again for renewal there will be very serious consideration of scrapping it. People watch lots of non-BBC programs nowadays and the BBC has gotten quite fat and complacent on the fee. Better they learn to compete for funding with the rest of the broadcasting world.
I prefer to go and see for myself. We went to Curry’s. See my next post for details.
Right.
Stores are great for LOOKING, the internet is better for SHOPPING.
Find the make/model you want at the store, then comparison shop.
If you REALLY want to leverage things, bring in a print-out to the local store and ask if they will match the offer (or at least come close.)
That’s kind of howe I thought it worked — but if you never watch live television, and have a television set with a DVD built in, they COULD try to charge you.
Do they still have the television detector vans that troll the streets for unlicenced television sets?
I’m “up in the air” about licencing fees — I really think the day is done, and the BBC should simply get a flat-rate grant from the government, of which, the funds are to specificially go to programming — not executive salaries!
Time will tell…