Do you have a TV at home?

[Crimson Sunrise]

We can use the word Devil here' it's fine.

These days a smart TV is usually just a TV with a computer in it, though the factory set abilities of that computer may be quite limited

Smart person. Not smart tv.

[Camacha]

Don't know about Ireland, but in the UK I know that every TV set needs a license - it's how they pay for public television, specifically the BBC.

How do they check? Do they make house calls and if so, how can they enter a building without reasonable cause?

[Crimson Sunrise]

How do they check? Do they make house calls and if so, how can they enter a building without reasonable cause?

I'll guess VAT.

[Kryten]

How do they check? Do they make house calls and if so, how can they enter a building without reasonable cause?

They basically assume you have a TV, and send you letters about the licencing law if you haven't paid, but if you don't respond nothing happens. It costs more to send an inspector then they get out of TV licenses, and the few inspectors they do have don't qualify for any kind of search warrant (so can't enter without your permission) rendering them pretty much useless.

[bdito]

I always have the TV on in the background, usually a sports program as I'm a huge sports nut. My wife always likes it on in the background when she's cooking but prefers it off because she loves reading.

[pxi]

Don't know about Ireland, but in the UK I know that every TV set needs a license - it's how they pay for public television, specifically the BBC.

It's much the same here in Ireland, excepting that RTE (our state TV) gets both licence fees and revenue from advertising. Oh and as for tv inspectors, they do occasionally make the rounds, I've dealt with them once. They like to pull a trick where they come armed with a list of subscribers to cable tv - SKY and the like - so if you tell them you don't have a TV, you're liable to be asked why you're paying for a service you're supposedly not using, happened to my dad years ago.

On the other hand, I was fairly into CB radio back in the day when I lived in the north. We used to have the DTI cruising around quite regularly, and that was something that people were genuinely scared of. The legal setup covered 40 channel FM with a max output of 4 watts, and a 1/4 wave antenna. I didn't know a single person who used less than a 5/8 wave antenna, and most had sets that covered AM and sideband, non-standard frequencies, and generally pumped out over 100 watts. This was stuff that could technically have you disappear for up to a week under pre-911 anti-terrorism laws.

Edited January 20, 2015 by pxi

[Slam_Jones]

I live with a roommate and while my comp monitor is technically a TV, we choose to use Netflix instead of, say, cable. Plus, my roomie has a projector, which projects on an entire wall, so yeah. No need for a TV.

[Toastedbuns]

I have a TV and live with parents because I'm not yet old enough to move out

[sashan]

Got a TV back at home where I lived with parents.

No TV in dormitory. When I buy a flat here or get back to Kiev to the second flat where I'll live alone I won't connect any sort of a cable TV. I think I'll use 32 inch TV as a PC monitor or otherwise, but no, never-ever any live-feed always-mumbling nuisance.

And they don't broadcast anything that isn't meant for mentally deficient here

.

[Norpo]

Relevant xkcd (There's always a freaking relevant xkcd, isn't there?)