Black and white tv Licence holders

[electronicskip]

Just a thought,
Does anyone here have a Black and White tv licence?

Seems they are still going strong ,

[HamishBoxer]

The most are up Scotland.I had a letter in a national Scottish paper stating in my opinion they must be darn reliable sets plus there are no analogue transmissions and left the readers to work it themselves.

IE someone telling porkies!

[paulsherwin]

That is certainly what TV Licensing assume, and anyone who has a B&W licence can expect a visit. This is of course very unfair on the few people who genuinely only watch B&W TV. (Most of them are probably members of this forum).

[HamishBoxer]

I agree that most who indeed watch b/white are going to be technical folks in order to keep the old sets going.

Got a feeling we had a discussion on the forum a while back re all this.

[electronicskip]

Originally Posted by HamishBoxer

IE someone telling porkies!

I just found an article published in 2015 which states there are about 9,000 b/w licences issued in that year, and in fact the highest proportion is in the outer Hebrides.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...white-TVs.html

[HamishBoxer]

I rest my case! Still I dont think many will get caught out up there. If it is "genuine" all those b/white sets, then perhaps there are plenty of pre war and interesting 50s sets hidden away in attics and old crofts.

I like the quote a smell and a high pitched whine, used to get that on colour sets when the loptx and line transistor failed.

PS I lived up in Scotland for 10 years but yes I had a colour licence.

[brianc]

Originally Posted by HamishBoxer

If it is "genuine" all those b/white sets, then perhaps there are plenty of pre war and interesting 50s sets hidden away in attics and old crofts.

I don't think that many pre-war sets would have reached the Outer Hebrides - a rather long way (or not far enough for ionospheric reflections) for thAlly Pally to reach! I tried to find out when TV did reach them via Google but drew a blank.

[HamishBoxer]

Totally agree as I doubt in reality any would have got that far north. In fact I wonder how many sets were even there for the Coronation.

[Radio Wrangler]

Do they now do a black-and-white version of iPlayer for people with only a black and white licence?

David

[Clydeuk]

There must still be a large number of B/W portable sets from the 70's and 80's around. I still have mine, the first TV I had, still working with only a minor dry joint repair needed since 1980. I no longer use it though.

I would imagine most non technical people still using a black and white set will be using one of these.

[Nuvistor]

Originally Posted by brianc

I don't think that many pre-war sets would have reached the Outer Hebrides - a rather long way (or not far enough for ionospheric reflections) for thAlly Pally to reach! I tried to find out when TV did reach them via Google but drew a blank.

I found this, plans to have BBC transmitters on Skye and Lewis in 1962 and be in service with many other low power stations throughout the UK by 1963/4

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...ld-1962-05.pdf page 210

Frank

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by Clydeuk

There must still be a large number of B/W portable sets from the 70's and 80's around. I still have mine.

Myself likewise, been in occasional use continually since 1983 and has never needed attention. It was invaluable during a house move when it was the only TV I could watch until the removal men arrived. Kept my spirits up by playing Busby Berkeley musicals on a laserdisc player with a built-in UHF modulator.

[Brigham]

I take out a B&W licence every year for the reception at work, where we have a Defiant console set. I send for it the week before Wimbledon, and send it back for a refund the week after.
This year, with the Olympics, I thought I might as well keep it. It's proved popular.

[camtechman]

In Beds, Herts & Bucks (inc Milton Keynes) 134 are watching B&W:

http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/2...e-tv-1-5790888

[Welsh Anorak]

Technically speaking, as all black and white TVs require a digibox, then the signal will be decoded to provide colour, even if you don't use it. I know this was something of a moot point when videos were used with a black and white television.
I wonder how long the black and white anachronism will continue - especially as I believe blind users have a special dispensation.

Technically speaking, as all black and white TVs require a digibox, then the signal will be decoded to provide colour, even if you don't use it.

I think the license conditions state something on the lines of 'displaying' a picture this is the deciding factor, colour or B/W.

I did ask TV licensing if I needed one for my set top box that I use for radio, I didn't need one to use it but if I connected it to a telly to set it up it would need a B/W or colour license where I set it up. They said taking it next door for the setup would be fine (assuming they had a license). Rather academic in the end as we do have the "premium" colour license, mainly for SHMBO, personally I would be happy without a TV or in just a simple 12" B/W job.

I did live in a house without a telly, the amount of hassle they give you is unbelievable. On the other side of the coin I also lived in a shared housing co-op house for 10 people, only I bought a license, no problems at all. To cover my housemates we decided to declare them as 'unpaid members of my staff' (who, in the conditions of the license in 1986, where exempt).

[dragonser]

Hi,
well the small Hitachi black and white portable I brought along to the event at Dulwich worked apart from a few crackles.
regards Peter B

[pastyboy]

There was an article in the Cornish guardian paper (I think) they claimed something like 19 in St Austell and 14 in Newquay had a BW licence. Its likely some of the folks down here are unaware that colour has even reached these parts !

[vidjoman]

According to the back of my new licence that arrived today - "Even if you have a black & white set, you need a colour licence to record programmes. This is because DVD, VHS and digital box recorders record in colour. A black & white licence is only valid if you use a digital box that can't record TV programmes"

[ntscuser]

A black & white licence is only valid if you use a digital box that can't record TV programmes

So where would I stand with a box that can record if a USB drive is connected to it but cannot record if it is removed?

In theory any digital box can record if you attach a suitable external device to it. Even my Goodman's has a "VCR recording socket" as they call it.