Board index › Topical Discussion › Computers, Math, Science, and Technology

HTPC and TV streaming....

Page 1 of 1 [ 6 posts ] 

Previous topic | Next topic

Madbones
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2010
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Posts: 777
Location: In the zone

04 Mar 2012, 12:58 pm

Hey!
My family are planning to switch to a HTPC.
I can build the system itself for 135, so it will be better then paying for cable (We do watch the cable channels, but we mostly watch Virgins On Demand service, which doesn't work 80 percent of the time).
Anyway, I was looking at how easy it would be for my family to use all the OD services from BBC,ITV, 4 and 5.
I was very very impressed. So I looked at BBCi and saw that you could watch Live TV through their client which I was amazed at. Seeing how brilliant it was, I thought that 4 might have the same, it didn't , but searching that into Google showed up a result with TVCatchup on it. Wondering what it was, I clicked on it and saw that it offered all the freeview channels and what not, which is perfect. It would save me finding and buying a TV dongle which would work with Linux.
But, is TVCatchup legal? We have a TV License and everything.
But Im just wondering if the service in general is legal.Could my family get in to trouble by using it?
I do have a TV dongle for PC (I bought it years ago for watching TV on a PC I had in my room) but its not compatibile at al with Linux. If I have to buy one I will spend the max of 25 pounds.
Thanks!
PS:
I have looked it up and it says its legal, and other people say so. I just want to make sure.


_________________
?Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.? -Steve Jobs.


Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 69,586
Location: Over there

04 Mar 2012, 3:20 pm

The TV License applies to the viewing of transmitted material as it is transmitted, therefore viewing a recording of transmitted material does not require a license.


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


Madbones
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2010
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Posts: 777
Location: In the zone

04 Mar 2012, 3:28 pm

Cornflake wrote:
The TV License applies to the viewing of transmitted material as it is transmitted, therefore viewing a recording of transmitted material does not require a license.

Sorry, CatchupTV (Weird name to have for something like that but oh well) streams TV live like you have a TV dongle.


_________________
?Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.? -Steve Jobs.


Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 69,586
Location: Over there

04 Mar 2012, 3:49 pm

Ooh yeah, so it does. Could've sworn they only streamed from a recorded source, days after the event...

They're exploiting what appears to be a loophole at the users' risk.

TVCatchup Terms & Conditions wrote:
Use of this website is perfectly lawful provided that members abide by the terms of service, the full details of which are shown below.
(...)
"Licence" means any licence, authority or permit lawfully held by any user, or otherwise required to be held by any User, for the reception of television signals.
(...)
TVCatchup provides an online TV streaming service to users for personal, private and domestic use only, to qualified members who may only access the website from the area from within which the broadcast was intended to be viewed and strictly subject to the Terms and Conditions set out within.
(...)
It is the member's sole responsibility to establish whether the use they put to the service provided require authorization or registration with any third party, whether any fees or licences for the receipt of TV programs or other broadcasting formats apply or whether any copyright royalties are due. Each User acknowledges and agrees that he or she will diligently and expediently comply with such obligations at all times, and continue to do so for so long as they shall continue to use the Service.
(...)
Members shall hold TVCatchup, its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, suppliers, staff, admin, moderators or auxiliary persons harmless from any claims of third parties filed against any or all of the aforementioned parties, arising out of the violation of any of the terms of service and actions of users.
In other words: you're on your own.

I suspect they're "technically" Ok because technically, it's not "live" if they're delaying it before streaming by a minute of so (or whatever), but I doubt if it's been tested in the courts otherwise they would be more forthcoming about it and state emphatically that it is legal.

See also:
Wikipedia wrote:
The service makes it abundantly clear that users should be in possession of a UK TV licence to watch television as it is being broadcast and has tried to introduce strict geographical blocking and encryption measures to prevent direct access by those not entitled to use the service.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVCatchup#2008-present


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


Madbones
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Mar 2010
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Posts: 777
Location: In the zone

04 Mar 2012, 4:10 pm

Cornflake wrote:
Ooh yeah, so it does. Could've sworn they only streamed from a recorded source, days after the event...

They're exploiting what appears to be a loophole at the users' risk.
TVCatchup Terms & Conditions wrote:
Use of this website is perfectly lawful provided that members abide by the terms of service, the full details of which are shown below.
(...)
"Licence" means any licence, authority or permit lawfully held by any user, or otherwise required to be held by any User, for the reception of television signals.
(...)
TVCatchup provides an online TV streaming service to users for personal, private and domestic use only, to qualified members who may only access the website from the area from within which the broadcast was intended to be viewed and strictly subject to the Terms and Conditions set out within.
(...)
It is the member's sole responsibility to establish whether the use they put to the service provided require authorization or registration with any third party, whether any fees or licences for the receipt of TV programs or other broadcasting formats apply or whether any copyright royalties are due. Each User acknowledges and agrees that he or she will diligently and expediently comply with such obligations at all times, and continue to do so for so long as they shall continue to use the Service.
(...)
Members shall hold TVCatchup, its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, suppliers, staff, admin, moderators or auxiliary persons harmless from any claims of third parties filed against any or all of the aforementioned parties, arising out of the violation of any of the terms of service and actions of users.
In other words: you're on your own.

I suspect they're "technically" Ok because technically, it's not "live" if they're delaying it before streaming by a minute of so (or whatever), but I doubt if it's been tested in the courts otherwise they would be more forthcoming about it and state emphatically that it is legal.

See also:
Wikipedia wrote:
The service makes it abundantly clear that users should be in possession of a UK TV licence to watch television as it is being broadcast and has tried to introduce strict geographical blocking and encryption measures to prevent direct access by those not entitled to use the service.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVCatchup#2008-present

Probably best not to risk it then D:
Damn...
I was going to buy an Xbox Original and softmod it and make it a HTPC.
I wonder if there is a TV tuner for the Xbox.........


_________________
?Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.? -Steve Jobs.


Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 69,586
Location: Over there

04 Mar 2012, 4:22 pm

Madbones wrote:
Probably best not to risk it then D:
Damn...
I was going to buy an Xbox Original and softmod it and make it a HTPC.
I wonder if there is a TV tuner for the Xbox.........
Did you know that when you purchase equipment in the UK which is capable of receiving TV transmissions, your details are passed on to the licensing authorities?
I've not ploughed through all the hoops involved with using this service but I wouldn't be surprised to find that your home address is required for registration, for the same reasons.
This would also fit in with the Wikipedia quoted claim that they have "tried to introduce strict geographical blocking", and the most obvious first line of defence would be your stated country of residence - as part of your registration address.


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.