From colour to black and white TV ?

[Greenbear]

I am considering changing over from colour TV to black and white. Main reason being I don't watch TV enough to warrant the high charges for a colour licence.

 

However, I am wondering what to do with my colour TVs. One large, one portable, once I obtain a black and white. Do they need to be handed in somewhere ? as in the future I might decide to revert back to colour. Though this is rather doubtful as I can always watch various progs in colour on the internet free of charge.

 

However, suppose one day I want to watch a particular programme in colour on the TV. Could this rare event get me into trouble if picked up by those TV radars ? when 99 percent of the time I'm watching quizzes and talk shows ( my usual viewing ) in black and white, where colour, I have come to the conclusion simply isn't neccessary. I do not wish to end up with a huge fine for my endeavours to save using a black and white set.

 

Anyone have any experiences to share ?

[Conniff]

No you don't need to hand them to anyone and you are not obliged to let anyone know either.

 

Yes using the colour just once for even five minutes could get you into trouble, but you have to be caught first.

 

If it is on such rare occasions that you will watch a colour programme, then use the iplayer available on the internet for both BBC and ITV.

 

Have a read of this thread - it's not about changing from colour to black and white, but has all the information you will require:

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-knowledge/78646-tv-license-question-just.html

Edited June 10, 2009 by Conniff

[Greenbear]

Thank you so much for the info, Conniff, very much appreciated. I am finding the thread you have advised of great interest and most useful. I had absolutely no idea there was so much contention about having ( or indeed NOT having, a TV !! ) The BBC, it seems, employs a lot of legalised ( if you can call it ' legal ', heavies ! , a lot of gangsters really.

 

I shouldn't be surprised by this, learning what I have about this world in general. Yet, I am still in shock. The nastiness of the system which surrounds, the corruption of big companies and so forth. How very deeply depressing ....

[Guest Happy Contrails]

Could this rare event get me into trouble if picked up by those TV radars

 

I have it on good authority those TV detectors have never worked and its never been possible to 'detect' analogue receivers in this way. Its all part of a mind machine to get you to pay your TV license.

 

If such a technology existed, it would enable criminals and terrorists to detect the presence of a police car by its radio receiver and aircraft transponder signals and interfere with them with simple handheld radio jammers.

[Conniff]

Sorry Contrails but your information is wrong. The television receiver emits an rf field which can be picked up and viewed by another receiver.

 

This emmission doesn't extend over a large area, so the relevence to detecting police is nil. You will be able to see the police car before you could pick up the rf from it's receiver.

 

Whoever told you that owes you a pint.

[buzby]

Yep - as Conniff says. For info, there were a fleet on 36 vans covering the UK. 22 of them were actually fully operational, one was used for spares, and the rest were 'decoys' with aerials but nothing else inside. This was normally used to drop off then pick up enquiry agents when a town or village was targetted.

 

The REAL detector van could not tell whether the viewer was watching colout or B&W, but by looking and the intermediate frequency of the RF interference emanating from the set, they could tell which of the 4 channels were being watched. The vans were retired before CH5 started.

[pompeyfaith]

Just one question where are you going to get a black and white set from.

 

Do they still sell them ?

 

PF

[buzby]

Not that I'm aware of - and after the big switch-over con, there will be no B&W sets working at all.... so the discount off the full licence will finally disappear.

[Greenbear]

Thanks , all , for your comments. I seem to remember that Argos used to sell small portable B/W TV's with an inbuilt video player, which I thought would be rather useful. I notice, however, they no longer appear to be selling them.

So I suppose I will have to purchase second hand.

 

I am somewhat wary, however, of altering my viewing to black and white. As this might cause TV snoops to start pestering me as well as receiving a lot of threatening letters from these TV licencing

mobsters ! Makes me wonder if its worth all the hassle.......

[buzby]

If you buy ANY TV-capable of recieving broadcasts or PVR, VCR your details will be sent to the TVLRO and the letters will start. At this stage, they dom't care about your Colour/B&W issue, only that your postcode and address is shown as unlicenced. Of couse, you could give the shop ANY old address as there's no requirement for you to be accurate....

[andydd]

Yep - as Conniff says. For info, there were a fleet on 36 vans covering the UK. 22 of them were actually fully operational, one was used for spares, and the rest were 'decoys' with aerials but nothing else inside. This was normally used to drop off then pick up enquiry agents when a town or village was targetted.

 

The REAL detector van could not tell whether the viewer was watching colout or B&W, but by looking and the intermediate frequency of the RF interference emanating from the set, they could tell which of the 4 channels were being watched. The vans were retired before CH5 started.

 

99% of convictions for not having a tv licence are due to people foolishly admitting they have no licence but they watch live tv. I am unaware of there being any conviction using the detector van technology the general consensus is that it no doubt does or did exist BUT is so expensive to use that they would rather sub contract the process out to capita and employ people just to send you endless threatening letters and occasionally knock at your door.

 

Andy

[Greenbear]

Incidental question, Why does my text come out larger than everyone else's ? I don't do this deliberately .... I suppose THIS one will come out normal now...... this type of thing tends to happen to me !!

[Greenbear]

It DID ! ......

[Conniff]

Incidental question, Why does my text come out larger than everyone else's ? I don't do this deliberately .... I suppose THIS one will come out normal now...... this type of thing tends to happen to me !!

 

You press the keyboard harder than others

[buzby]

99% of convictions for not having a tv licence are due to people foolishly admitting they have no licence but they watch live tv. I am unaware of there being any conviction using the detector van technology the general consensus is that it no doubt does or did exist BUT is so expensive to use that they would rather sub contract the process out to capita and employ people just to send you endless threatening letters and occasionally knock at your door.

 

Andy

 

I would have said 100% - I'm not aware of any Detector Van operative being called to court to bear witness to the operation of an unlicenced reciever. When postcodes were introduced nationally by the Post Office in and around 1972, it permitted a unique reference code to be greated for each flat within an address range, and as such note the absence of a licence at that address.

 

Success then (as now) requires self incrimination by the viewer.

 

To work successfully, the Vans could only provide a useful 'fix' if more than two were used to track the location of a single set, (using triangulation) or a single van doing multiple readings at 60 degree axis to the riginal readings. And if the property was a block of flats - forget it!

[Greenbear]

You press the keyboard harder than others

 

 

I do ? Well ..... that's ok,then....

 

Incidently, Conniff, I like your blue spinning hedgehog !!

[andydd]

I would have said 100% - I'm not aware of any Detector Van operative being called to court to bear witness to the operation of an unlicenced reciever. When postcodes were introduced nationally by the Post Office in and around 1972, it permitted a unique reference code to be greated for each flat within an address range, and as such note the absence of a licence at that address.

 

Success then (as now) requires self incrimination by the viewer.

 

To work successfully, the Vans could only provide a useful 'fix' if more than two were used to track the location of a single set, (using triangulation) or a single van doing multiple readings at 60 degree axis to the riginal readings. And if the property was a block of flats - forget it!

 

Well..yeah..I should of said 100% ....I wonder if there is hidden away in some archive a record of the so called detector vans being used as evidence....I think they are like santa and lepracauns....not very likely to exist

[buzby]

There was a programme on Radio 4 in the last week or so hosted by 'PI Steve Punt' where he went in search of te TV Detector Van and its myths.... it might still be on the iPlayer site....

[Guest Happy Contrails]

The beeb giving out the myths of their own detector vans? Next the taliban might tell us where they are hiding Osama.

[buzby]

You must be a young 'un. The original vans were owned and operated by the Post Office Telephons Division (later BT), under contract to the Postmaster General. The BBC didn't get a look-in!

[borisbeaver]

Do plasma screens emit rf signals?

[buzby]

No, neither do LCD's, but it's all academic - the TV Detector van fleet was retired 22 years ago....

[dx100uk]

Yep - as Conniff says. For info, there were a fleet on 36 vans covering the UK. 22 of them were actually fully operational, one was used for spares, and the rest were 'decoys' with aerials but nothing else inside. This was normally used to drop off then pick up enquiry agents when a town or village was targetted.

 

The REAL detector van could not tell whether the viewer was watching colout or B&W, but by looking and the intermediate frequency of the RF interference emanating from the set, they could tell which of the 4 channels were being watched. The vans were retired before CH5 started.

 

urm , i've been thinking this for a while . i prob know you, or atleast you knew my uncle & p'haps me, does paul sherlock ring any bells? though this would have been the dev centre in enfield

 

small world..

we will have to converse PM sometime

 

dx

[buzby]

Probably not, I don't venture much south of the border! . I do believe the garage/depot PO/ BT used as the 'base' for their fleet of Commer TVL detector vehicles was Enfield/Lee Valley area though!

[dx100uk]

yep i can confirm that one!

 

well when i'm finally up wick & not a part time scotty we must both go to a meet, seems like the tech side is our side!

 

dx