Hi everybody, a few months or so ago there was a thread regarding the Goodmans Smarttalk freeview box, and whether or not a licence was required if someone was using the box for sound only, with no TV plugged into it, just speakers. The general consensus was that a licence wouldn't be required. Checking on the RNIB website seemed to confirm that. As that applies to me I rang the TV licensing authority today to cancel my direct debit. I explained the situation to them, and told them what the RNIB had to say on the matter, and the guy, having gone away to check came back and said that since the box could receive a tv signal at time of broadcast I would require a licence, whether a TV was connected to the box or not. Further to that he said that if I had a computer in my home I'd require a TV licence, since a computer has the potential of receiving TV broadcasts. Since this was completely at odds with what the RNIB said, and what posters to this list had said I rang the RNIB to check. I haven't heard back from them yet, but it will be interesting to see what they say. According to the guy at TV licensing the only circumstance in which a license isn't required would be if the box wasn't able to receive a picture, and was a sound only receiver. Mind you, given what the guy said about the need for a licence if there was a computer at the address it sounds as if everyone needs one, since if computers do so would mobiles, since they also have the potential to receive a TV signal.
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