Forum Topic

Watching PC/laptop on your TV

A few months ago I asked on this forum if there was an easy way to connect my laptop to my TV to watch BBC/ITV iplayer, movies and photos. I didnt get an easy answer but a lot of people said they too wanted to do this. (Sorry, I cant find the original post).But last week, I came across a website selling a box called PCtoTV. I ordered it online and was delivered next day. On sale from £49.99 to £29.99. Simply plugs from laptop into the TV. No electrics - USB driven. Now the TV becomes a widescreen monitor. So quick and easy. (Only complaint is the leads could have been longer.) Would make an ideal xmas present for loved ones (or yourself!)Here's the website -http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=223833&C=Brilliant1&U=Xmas%2009%20-%20Computing&T=PC%20TV&gclid=CNSqoOfSoZ4CFZQA4wodcERCmg

David Archer ● 6143d14 Comments

a related but not unconnected question: do you need a TV license to watch (only) i-player?

Jeremy Thorpe-Woods ● 6143d

my understanding is that you only need a licence if you own a tv or watch live tv. if you have a pc or mac and watch tv on  delay then you dont need a licence. (not sure of this has been verified by the bbc or tested in the courts..i heard it on lbc last week). it is not an excuse that you own a tv but never watch bbc.

David Archer ● 6143d

Interesting question and a rather interesting answer, which can be found here:http://bit.ly/7HiDrn It is possible users will be charged for this in future - rather than the license fee being applied to this type of service.  On the link from laptop to TV, does an ordinary VGA cable not do the trick? At work I link my laptop to a monitor using a cable and change the display settings. I just haven't tried it at home.

Hitesh Tailor ● 6143d

wouldn't you feel terribly bad if you didn't - rather like dowloading music for free or buying ripped off DVDs?c

Sara Nathan ● 6143d

What you are trying to do depends on your TV.If it is a recent TV, it may be High Definition capable and come with a suitable connector.An older TV not designed to be connected to a computer is likely to be specifically designed to work with broadcast TV standards, giving a display equivalent to 800 x 600 pixels per picture, 25 pictures per second (50 interlaced frames per second).Computer to TV adapters designed to convert the higher frame  rate to something usable on a standard TV are available locally, although nothing can improve the screen definition. They have a powered box in the connection lead.TV tuners and video converters are also available to supply broadcast TV or video pictures to the computer, although you need a TV license if you have s TV tuner.

Chris Bell ● 6143d

What you are trying to do depends on your TV.If it is a recent TV, it may be High Definition capable and come with a suitable connector.An older TV not designed to be connected to a computer is likely to be specifically designed to work with broadcast TV standards, giving a display equivalent to 800 x 600 pixels per picture, 25 pictures per second (50 interlaced frames per second).Computer to TV adapters designed to convert the higher frame  rate to something usable on a standard TV are available locally, although nothing can improve the screen definition. They have a powered box in the connection lead.TV tuners and video converters are also available to supply broadcast TV or video pictures to the computer, although you need a TV license if you have s TV tuner.

Chris Bell ● 6143d

Sorry, that's not the case. A licence is needed to watch TV on a PC. In fact, when you bought the adaptor, your name and address will, by law,  have been forwarded to the collection authority.

Roy Gillett ● 6143d

Rule One:Make sure you properly read the message you're replying to. I got hold of the idea you had a TV tuner adaptor connected to the PC. My message above relates to one of those. A gadget that simply connects the PC to the TV isn't notifiable of course. Sorry; as you were.

Roy Gillett ● 6143d

from the BBC website -''A question I often get asked is whether you need a TV licence to watch BBC programmes over the internet.At the moment, the legal position is that you don't need a licence to watch TV purely on-demand, but you do if you are watching TV live (through any receiving device in the home).So a live simulcast over the web from the BBC - of, say, the Beijing Olympics - will require a TV licence, but watching an on-demand (non-live) stream or download through the BBC iPlayer will not.The Help section for the iPlayer confirms the position under "Will I need a TV licence to watch programmes on BBC iPlayer?" It states that:You do not need a television licence to watch television programmes on the current version of the BBC iPlayer. You will need to be covered by a TV licence if and when the BBC provides a feature that enables you to watch 'live' TV programmes on any later version of the BBC iPlayer which has this option... A 'live' TV programme is a programme which is watched or recorded at the same time (or virtually the same time) as it is being broadcast... [etc]This raises the next question: "so is the iPlayer undermining the licence fee?". Well, the number of homes that currently have no television licence, but that do have broadband subscription is currently estimated to be infinitesimally small. The chances are if you want to watch BBC TV programmes via catch-up over the web, you are also watching some BBC programmes at other times, live or time-shifted, via a TV set, and will already have a TV licence. If we saw, over time, that some people stopped receiving live broadcasts at all, stopped paying their licence fee, but continued to consume televison programmes, solely on-demand through the iPlayer (or other players), then we might have to consider talking to the Government about Part 4 of the Communications Act 2003 and the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004, so that they can then consider whether on-demand tv viewing might be brought within its aegis. See this document [pdf] for more details.So it's an interesting point, but it's not causing our finance director sleepless nights.Ashley Highfield is Director, BBC Future Media and Technology.''

David Archer ● 6143d

To me all this is just a modern version of copying CDs, cassettes, or video tapes.  I don't remember it being made such a big deal of in the past though.It sounds like a blind eye was turned to something extremely hard to police and low in volume.  However the internet massively boosted the ease and availability leaving those concerned scrambling about chasing their tails trying to curb it.Oops.

Jamie Reeve ● 5926d

Doesn't it remain the fact that you need a licence for TV watched as broadcast but not for TV on demand - ie that you pull down on iplayer or whatever.I don't know what difference project Canvas will make to that though - if any.

Sara Nathan ● 5926d

My understanding is that if you own a TV you have to have a TV licence. Even if you say you dont watch BBC. Even if you say you only use it to watch DVDs. You still need a licence. If you watch live TV on your PC or laptop again you need a TV licence. The BBC have been very interested in all the workers watchning live football on their monitors as the company should by law have a licence.

David Archer ● 5926d

If you would like to watch all the channels you can get on Freeview on your PC or iphone then the free service from TVCatchup is superbhttp://www.tvcatchup.com

David Archer ● 5926d

I couldn't get catchupTV. Can't remember why but it confused me with questions when I tried it, so I gave up. I only watch about 2 hours TV a week, on BBCiplayer.

Becky Bell ● 5925d