How TV Detector Vans Know If You Have A TV In Your House

[@WhiskyCardinalWes]

I remember back in the early '90's I had a guy knock on my door demanding to see some tv license. I invited the man into the house and told him if he could get the tv to work I would pay 10 times the penalty. He strode over to the tv pushed the power button and nothing happened. Thinking on his feet, he looked behind the tv and saw that it was unplugged, he said "Ah HAH!" reaching down he grabbed the plug and attempted to plug it in. Only one small problem, I was a U.S. Army serviceman and the tv was from America, the plug wouldn't fit in the wall socket. Undaunted, he went out to his van and came back with a US/UK adapter, a big grin on his face. He plugged the tv in and tried to turn it on. Again, nothing. I let this fool mess around with that tv for about an hour before he gave up and left. In hind sight, maybe I should have told him the tv was destroyed in the move from Ft. Lewis to London.

[@shawnmiller4781]

Reminds me of when we moved to rural Alaska. We didn’t have tv in our village so this 19” cabinet TV became the monitor for our Atari 2600. But we had unreliable electricity and one day we had a brownout thY blew the power transformed in it. The very next day our brand new $2000 dollar top loading VCR arrived on the mail plane. It was over a month before the repair parts came in and my dad could repair the TV and our new VCR.

[@williamwilson6499]

Nice story. Needs work, but nice story.

[@el3print]

Well your TV would have been destroyed after pluggin it in on 250 Volt in the UK anyway ;-)

[@shawnmiller4781]

@@el3print Plus don’t you guys run PAL and not NTSC? (Or am I backwards) Which means the US TV can’t pick up the signals anyway

[@misterg1157]

Why did he need to see your TV set if the detector van had proof that you had one which worked and needed a licence? He could just rely on the electronics in the van - they would supposedly give him all the evidence he needed. Why let him into your house, regardless?

[@darrenjones5885]

The TV Licence should only be available to people who have passed a TV test to show that they are capable of operating their TV safely and watching the BBC in a suitably deferential manner.

[@privateinformation2960]

I seem to remember saying 'i dont have a tv sorry" "but i saw-" *door shuts in face*

[@dieseldragon6756]

I don't have a TV licence; Not only do I not own a TV and take especial care to avoid licenceable activities on my laptop...But I don't know how to operate the things safely anyway. Me trying to operate a TV without a licence would be no less irresponsible than if I was to try driving a car without a licence! 😳 And in any case: If I had the choice, I'd much rather have a *TGV* licence... 🚄🇫🇷❤‍🔥💨😋

[@Nick-ew2cb]

I haven’t had a tv licence for a couple of years now. I really don’t miss live tv. Content like this is far superior to anything live tv has to offer

[@volvo09]

I live in the US and I don't even pay for TV, or have one. I say, why would I pay to receive propaganda and garbage.

[@UKRO404]

@ volvo09 I couldn’t agree more with you. I’m a UK-resident Brit btw.

[@Rob2]

@@volvo09 But you ARE paying for TV, even when you are not watching it! Every time you buy a product that is advertised on your commercial TV system, you are paying the companies that produce and sell the product for their advertisement budget.

[@someonebald2022]

@@Rob2 I beg to differ: They'd be spending the money on advertising regardless. Advertising only works if people buy the product BECAUSE of the advertising. People that buy the product anyway don't need advertising; that's why "Brand Loyalty" used to be so important.

[@Rob2]

@@someonebald2022 You think that in a country with only commercial TV paid from advertisements the money to run the TV systems is somehow generated by magic and not ultimately paid by the people who buy the products? And that the advertisement budget of companies would not be lower when the possibility to advertise on TV would not exist?

[@PRAR1966]

In the eighties some folks (Boxhill Sy) organised chasing those vans in cars with mismatched antennas pushing 250w AM on every frequency they could drive until the amps started gassing caps - the vans left the area and immediately returned to base - the address of which was then made very public. Silly - but fun times.

[@eadweard.]

Doesn't sound true.

[@kenmercer2721]

Chasing a detector van with an unlicensed transmitter? That's a recipe for prosecution.

[@richcolour]

I was a bit poor in 2010 so I took a break from paying the licence and decided just to watch iPlayer and other internet streams. 14 years later I must have saved over £2,000. I stopped watching iPlayer when the law changed, but to be honest I don't need that either. There's so much good content here on KZbin, so absolutely no need for a licence. Thanks RM!

[@rafalklepinski7372]

Shhh.. KZbin detector vans in the works ;)

[@privateinformation2960]

i have never met an english person who has done anything but shut the door in the dudes face. i lived in sheffield for a year and a half and for some reason had two visits, we just laughed at the guy and told him we dont have it plugged into an aerial. "I can see the aerial...." "yes? can you see its not plugged into the tv?"

[@gbamck]

Easily one of the best videos you've put out, Lewis. More like a documentary. The research done and time editing must have been huge. Thanks! 👍🏻

[@RingwayManchester]

Yes I’ve been working on this for a while! Thanks!!

[@gbamck]

@RingwayManchester very informative. Never had a clue about the long history of it all. Some absolutely brilliant photos too. Thanks again, Lewis.

[@GWAYGWAY1]

I was in the post office in 1967 and the vans were a panic system for licence collection. We were to drive around an estate to be seen during the day, then after 5.00pm drive around again rotating the false aerial. Had to be seen all over the estate and that week there would be a flood of people in the local sub post office buying their ‘new’ licences.

[@privateinformation2960]

thats funny because in the 2020s victoria police are a panic system for revenue collection.

[@SeanBZA]

South Africa with an 87% non compliance rate, where the vast majority of people do not pay, and have no intention to ever pay. the standard way they used to detect was to simply have a list of valid licenses by street, and simply see which ones had more than 5% of houses without one, and drive past at peak viewing time, and knock on the doors, to see if there was the tell tale flickering light and the sound. But now those are no longer done, mostly because the ones doing that knock are sort of becoming an endangered species, and doing it in most areas will result in them becoming very unhealthy very rapidly.

[@simonh6371]

Honestly in the UK they also don't go everywhere. I've been living on a small council estate in London and getting these letters since mid 2018, but they never ever come to my door. Instead they go to quiet suburbs where timid grannies will open the door.

[@johnnylongfeather3086]

Coded Message received. ☑️

[@privateinformation2960]

they gave up entirely in australia in the 60s. but see the thing is, abc,bbc,cbc the whole idea was that that was what paid for those channels.... that are now full commercial channels... that still think youre going to pay for them. even if you never did before...

[@peterh9238]

I'm on 'threat letter' 47 from TV licencing 🤣🤣🤣 I'ts laughable tbh. Every single month i get one, Sometimes in a solid RED envelope😃 Had one visit with a note put through the door (didnt even knock, just posted the note saying he had 'attended') Pure desperation by the BBC carried out by Capita

[@MagicRat]

Same here - letter every month, usually in a red envelope with a window so my postie can view my ‘crimes’. Been licence free for 5 years and their extensive investigations still haven’t come up with the name of the occupier…..

[@BeatboxNorwich]

Same happened to me last year. Saw him on my CCTV just post it and walk off. I wasn't in at the time but if I was I I'd have let him look at my total mess of a PC running 2 TVs and 2 monitors and they'd probably just give up 😆

[@bobeyes3284]

I'll tell you a little trick I learned as a postman. Pop it back in the postbox with RTS then black out the return address. That item is then shipped to N.I. where the letter has to be opened and the return address found. This is chargable to the BBC so costs them money for you to return their own letter. Have fun.

[@BedsitBob]

I've just received letter number 141. 😊

[@colmhauser9532]

As a dog ower, my monthly love-letters from them are extremely useful, and reduce the number of plastic bags I need for when me and Rover go for our morning walk, thanks BBC!

[@respectbossmon]

While stationed in the UK with the USAF I paid my TV License twice. The two certificates are now in my scrapbook. I intercepted a detector van once and when they realized I actually knew how TVs at that time worked, they explained how their equipment worked. It was basically as you described here, Lewis. There were, in the pre-digital days, common frequencies generated by all radio and television equipment. That's what the vans detected. Then I asked them, "How does the Cat Detector van work?" One said, "Not tellin'." And, the other said, "You don't need a bloody Cat License, Eric!" I was pretty sure that was true then.

[@cdev2117]

Germany has the same system managed by the "contribution service" formerly GEZ. You have to pay a fee for every household, no matter if you can even receive public broadcasting, oh and if you are deaf or blind or both you only have to pay 1/3 of the regular fee. EDIT: And it's around 182£ a year.

[@someonebald2022]

The BBC gives a similarly pathetic rebate to blind people who have a TV licence.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I was about to look-up the German equivalent, which I understood was payable on the basis of _can_ watch TV broadcasts, rather than the _does_ basis used in the UK. For comparison; a UK license is presently 169,50£ (57,-£ S/W) and a 50% discount is available for the blind, elderly and those in higher needs care. 🏥 I don't watch broadcast TV or employ any other qualifying broadcast media so - Being in the UK - I'm legally without a TV licence. This saves me 182,-£ compared to what I'd be expected to pay in Germany, but even with that in mind I'd *much* sooner live in Germany than be stuck in this Brexithole for the rest of my life... ♿🇬🇧💩😣

[@richardnewall8909]

I saw one parked up in a pub car park and I got chatting to the driver..the external aerials were not connected to anything and all the radio equipment looked dated and he admitted that he was paid to just sit in prominent areas for a few hours then move on..

[@privateinformation2960]

i know people who do that kind of crap for real but they will swear to you they get personal broadcasts via teeth fillings. i think its the alcohol.

[@davelowe1977]

1 decade licence free.

[@BedsitBob]

15 years here.

[@Daniel-S1]

I raise that to two and half decades.

[@davelowe1977]

@Daniel-S1 there's always a bigger fish.

[@markiangooley]

I think of the Monty Python sketch with the guy who believed in a cat detector van…

[@lemmy6782]

Remember bk in the 80s seeing a detector van leaving a real bad part of town . Every window smashed house bricks wedged in the detection gear. It's a wonder no1 was hurt inside .

[@jonjohnson2844]

Could any other company have a special envelope with a window specifically saying a person is breaking the law, even if they aren't? No, it's absolutely disgusting - I've been legally license free since 2013, but I've never contacted TVL, why should I?

[@prime1971]

In Summary - in days gone by detection may have been possible , now with modern LCD/OLED TV's theoretically plausable but only from a few feet or less away so very very very unlikely, if they knoock at the door say no thankyou , close the door goodbye and no more will happen

[@mattwoodford1820]

The issue is that they cannot tell if that screen is being used for live broadcast TV or KZbin or gaming

[@confuseatronica]

you could probably do "optical tempest" style and record the flickering glow from the screen and try to correlate it with a database of what shows are playing on BBC channels or whatever. Kinda like Shazam or whatever, where you dont need very much target signal to pick between a bunch of known signals.

[@privateinformation2960]

"Now with mordern lcd oled tvs..." couldnt have less to do with it if it tried. its the transmission the detector vans can triangulate, not tell whether you have a real samsung or not.

[@jagmarc]

Yes before applying for a TV licence the candidate should first pass a test to ensure they are aware how a viewer's judgement is susceptible by biased news, distorted reporting and wokism.

[@dieseldragon6756]

As well as the highly dangerous voltages and charge levels present, if operating a pre-2000s set... 📺⚡😋

[@muckspreader1able]

Shame the bbc didn’t out this much effort in catching sex offenders🤮

[@col.cottonhill6655]

Why would they go after themselves?

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

They only need to look within their organisation. Wonder how much of the licence fee they use to fund court cases or pay compensation from

[@disband_thebbc5933]

It wouldn't take much a short trip down the hall to HR for a copy of their employee records would have a high yield.

[@SlyerFox666]

Catching ... They paid them a wage funded from the TV licence... Oh Now Then Now Then 😱

[@binky_bun]

They'd have no staff left

[@Drew-mr6tr]

It seems that my previous comment has been filtered. However you can watch as much TV as you like without a licence in the UK , provided that you don't watch it live or on BBC iPlayer.

[@el3print]

But probably not allowed to tape it or record it on an other way, so probably only from abroad and commercial stations (when recorded with adds)

[@eadweard.]

​@@el3printCannot tell what you are trying to say.

[@mpol701]

That's incorrect u can't watch any TV live be it cnn or other foreign tv, on tv of a device it means sky, BT, Virgin and freesat, freeview need the licence, live TV broadcast on KZbin, live events on Netflix amazon, itvx and similar ie all classed as live broadcast

[@dieseldragon6756]

@@mpol701 My understanding parallels MPol701's: The licence is required to watch *any* media as it is broadcast (So that's broadcast TV, broadcast online channels e.g. NoTV, freeview, and live streams on online platforms e.g. KZbin, TikTok) but is _not_ required if what you're watching is time-shifted and being played back on your request e.g. _Non_ -live KZbin content, TikToks post-upload. The requirement to have a TV licence to access iPlayer is likely applied as a part of iPlayers own T&Cs, which is why you still need a licence to watch catch-up content on iPlayer when not requiring it for other channels. I was also going to say that you don't need a licence to watch a _pre-recorded_ video cassette or other medium (e.g; DVR recording, CV disc)...But _recording_ a broadcast to watch later on still requires a licence. 📼💸💁 tl,dr: Whether you need a licence mainly hinges on if you're pulling something from a live broadcast - Something that's being transmitted or streamed to many people simultaneously (Includes streams where personally targeted ads are dropped into ad breaks) - Or if (Like a YT video) it isn't being _broadcast_ but is being played for you upon your request. 😇

[@mpol701]

Just had tvl letter 3 data ago asking me if I still class as unlicensed and did it online, normally I call, online gets a bit more confusing and kept making errors, with them saying I need licence, then I saw where I was going wrong, and made my answes correct for no licence needed Then after that I made an error aboiut no one living at this address, again eventually got it right and tvl later confirmed my no licence status and number again

[@AdamPrtn]

I cancelled my license in 2013 and I never plan to get another one.

[@matambale]

We do not have TV licenses here, because of some tea dumped in a harbor long ago. Instead, we have endless commercials for shit we'll never purchase.

[@dieseldragon6756]

You live in the Untied States, I presume? 😇

[@bretty453]

They keep writing to someone called "The Legal Occupier" at my address. I've never heard of him/her. 5 years and still they haven't had a reply, they should know by now that this person doesn't live here. 😂

[@AZREDFERN]

I swear England is the most dystopian country on earth…

[@Peter_S_]

Not even close. russia is in the lead and America is trying hard to catch up.

[@toddclayton]

"The old trick eh? Eat the telly before I get a chance to nick ya!"

[@PunkTiger]

It's a toaster.

[@someonebald2022]

@@PunkTiger "Toaster or telly, it's private property!"

[@nozhki-busha]

@@PunkTiger Its a telly, you yobo! 🤣

[@KeystoneInvestigations]

Excellent presentation! I still maintain that all signals in the air should be free to receive!

[@veuzou]

in France it's been suppressed in 2022. In the past you were supposed to have a TV at home and you had to pay the tax unless you indicated the contrary on a special claim form. In this case, you could have a visit of the inspectors at your home, checking whether you had in fact a TV installed or not.

[@Rob2]

So now it is paid from general tax just like here in the Netherlands? Was there any specific increase of tax rate for that?

[@dieseldragon6756]

Sounds much like the UK approach, though we've never been _obliged_ to have television sets. I would've thought that up to 2012 any _requirement_ to have a TV would've been obviated by every home having Minitel, through which any messages of the State could be delivered in a reliable and verifiable fashion? 😇 I've been completing those claim forms for the past 18 years (I've never had TV here because I've never wanted it) and not once have I had an inspector visit. I am also well known for having a very liberal approach to the carrying and use of very heavy hammers, mind you... ⚒📺😉

[@CoolAEW]

Here in Norway we used to have to pay a TV license as well, we had to pay a license for each TV. This license was abolished a few years ago. I was working at a TV repair shop one year and we had TVs come in to be sealed, this meant that the owner would be exempt from having to pay the license for that TV. The funny thing was that all we did was grab a pair of needlenose pliers and rip the coax connector off the back of the TV and put on some tape over the missing conenctor, that was all that was needed. We then signed some papers and handed the customer the document and a bill to pay. Easy money.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I wonder what the legal position was if the customer „sealed“ the TV by themselves? 😇 Back in 2012 - When the UK turned off analogue TV and went all digital - They missed a _massive_ opportunity for simpler licence enforcement. Had every set been sold with a standardised removeable tuner that was supplied at purchase *if* the customer presented their TV licence at that point (Or if they got one later, they could order tuners from TV licencing) then those unlicenced folks wanting TVs just as computer and console monitors would simply be allowed to buy them without the tuner. 💡 No licence -> No tuner -> No TV, but you can still play your EggBox. What's not to like? 🎮🥚😁

[@carlsgarage2023]

So many people are cancelling the TV Licence this year.

[@edwardbyard6540]

All TV Licensing have is a database of every UK address (the Royal Mail database available to anyone who wants to pay) and their own database of license holders. Cross reference the two and you have a list of all addresses without a license - that's where all the threatening letters are sent.

[@Rob2]

I heard they also use information about logons on their own internet sites and a database of e-mail addresses to street addresses as obtained from internet providers. So when you have no license and are accessing the BBC website to view material, they have proof against you. (I am not in the UK)

[@RealIllumin]

@@Rob2 There is no database of e-mail addresses to street addresses. To use the BBC iPlayer you can put in any email address.

[@UKRO404]

@ RealIllumin Can IP addresses be linked to street addresses though? (Sorry if this is a stupid question but I’m no technical expert.)

[@Rob2]

@@RealIllumin It will probably not work with independent e-mail addresses like gmail or hotmail (I mean they would not have a street address then), but sure there exists data that links name@provider e-mail addresses to their address. The only question is whether the BBC gets access to that data for this purpose.

[@SlyerFox666]

​@@Rob2 You are correct if the email is linked to the way the licence was paid for, then you stop paying and then log back in to iPlayer with the same email address there is a new letter which is sent saying they have seen you log into the iPlayer and as a reminder to use iPlayer you need a licence and how to pay for one.

[@markh5210]

Within a week I had two letters from TV licencing: The first was confirming my licence, and the second was warning me that I needed to get licenced. My flat is on address databases in two different formats: [building number] ([floor number]F[flat number]), used by the local council and electoral roll & [building number]/[flat number]* used by everybody else such as Royal Mail. I kept getting warning letters to the other version of the address for months after getting the license until I contacted them. *This is the version I normally use, however not all retailers can cope with the "/" in the address so run the building and flat number together giving different property up the street.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I was using a similar addressing scheme to that for a while, often exploiting my diverse ability in languages. I had to stop when a letter from the Inland Revenue arrived - Three months late - Having reached me via two return trips to incorrectly targeted addresses in Germany... 😋

[@andrewjhood]

I used to maintain a TV van as a engineer, and did work as you said it was based on LO reception. This was early 90s

[@michaelhole4894]

And you believe it ? Hilarious. 😂🤣😂

[@irreverend_]

I haven't had a TV licence in 20 odd years, and I've not had a TV either. I'm don't think I've ever had a TV licence actually. Left home at 16 in 2000, didn't have a TV then either just my PC. Shared a house for a couple of years when I was 21 and we had a TV, but it wasn't mine so I wasn't the one paying the licence.

[@nozhki-busha]

The TV licence should be scrapped! I dont watch TV/cable or live shows, but the law is purposefully grey to keep people from cancelling.

[@mattwoodford1820]

If they ditch the license fee, you will have to pay for the BBC through tax. The license gives people a choice

[@Daniel-S1]

@@mattwoodford1820 No, because then ITV would want some of the tax revenue, the BBC would simply have to have adverts like everyone else.

[@nozhki-busha]

@@mattwoodford1820 the BBC should be made to go subscription or paid through by adverts. It might even make them care more about the quality of their shows and viewer ratings if they have to earn their keep.

[@MrBlueBurd0451]

@@mattwoodford1820 Or just don't fund the BBC. They don't deserve it.

[@Simon_Rafferty]

Once there was a detector van parked amongst our Outside Broadcast vehicles at BBC TV Centre. I wondered over to chat to the guy in the van - interested in how they work (being a Radio Amateur and BBC Engineer at the time). The guy in the van was totally hostile as if the van was some sort of national security secret. I was somewhat surprised! It left me wondering if the equipment in the van was in fact real - or maybe just a Special Effect! Up close the vans did look like a Dr Who prop! I do have a TV Licence then and now. I support the BBC but the licence fee feels increasingly rediculous.

[@iNfAInGu]

Could be the same thing as security staff in a shopping centre who think they're at the forefront of whichever terrorist threat is present "can't comment mate, its all hush-hush". If these vans still exist, how come nobody ever sees one or hears of someone being prosecuted based on their "evidence"? How come all the pics you see are ancient and look like PR shots? I reckon they did exist but haven't for some years and the public aren't interested any more. TVL has had its day.

[@MultiPetercool]

Jimmy Saville killed the TV License. 😂

[@confuseatronica]

i thought that was trevor horn

[@binky_bun]

And Stuart Hall, Rolf Harris, Mark Page, Peter Rowell, Ben Thomas, Duncan Bartlett, Tim Westwood, Huw Edwards and I'm sure there's plenty more

[@d.j.wiendels6572]

In a democracy no one should be witheld information to form ones opinion. Therefore I concider paying for any information whatsoever, undemocratic.

[@aarong9378]

I always wondered how a television *receiver* could be detected. Very informative.

[@michaelhole4894]

And very untruthful.

[@adamjmacrae2715]

Just using the theory of TEMPEST for this to work

[@Daniel-S1]

I had hoped that would come up in the clip but it didn't.

[@thejoneseys]

No licence for a few years now. So many are cancelling it's pretty much game over. Shout out to ChilliJonCarne ... he'll love this video 😁

[@poliisi5]

These scare tactics have allways been funny to me

[@SnabbKassa]

Most of Europe has a license fee, including for TV-less households. Just having an internet connection is enough. It can't last, when broadcast TV is dying anyway.

[@shawnmiller4781]

One the the smartest things I did was drop my cable subscription when I went back for my masters ten years ago. Haven’t had a tv hooked up to an antenna since then

[@Rob2]

We had a similar system in the Netherlands, but from 2000 it is no longer used and the public broadcast system is financed from general income tax. However, the tax rate was increased for that (by 1.1 %). Similar scare tactics were used to convince people to pay the fee before 2000.

[@el3print]

I thought it was already longer then that...

[@simonmason8582]

In 1983, I had a cheaper B+W licence, but used a colour TV. Saved me a few quid over the years.

[@el3print]

Carefull.... the van will come to you soon! ;0-

[@dieseldragon6756]

As a kid, I found that twiddling one of the knobs on the back of my parents TV set could switch it from colour to black and white modes. I then learned the B&W licence fee was a lot cheaper than the colour one, so advised my parents if they turned the TV to B&W mode they could save a bit of money...Conveniently missing the fact they would've paid a _lot_ more to have a colour set! 🤣 Mind you: TV showrooms and Radio Rentals must've made a fair few bob buying B&W TV sets cheap and then turning them to the colour mode before selling/renting them off at „colour“ prices... 📺🌈😉

[@Ncfc-ek8il]

This must have took a lot of research mate.Excellent video & very interesting..... Thanks...

[@ceismulcastle]

I understand that evidence from a detector van has never been used in a court case, according to an foi request made by a youtuber of the bbc, make of that what you will

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

I think people now get caught through chance. Either letting these idiots into your house, phoning you and listening to background noise or seeing through a window or downloading the BBC iPlayer app and confirming wether or not you have a licence when it asks you to No tv licence here. Got rid of it a year ago Loved when Big Clive use to read out his threat mail from Capita.

[@yz250ftony]

Land of snitches, overreaching government, snitches, and loicenses.

[@gr4y_gh0st91]

In Morocco, TV fees is being included in your electricity bills. You don’t have a choice actually. The funny part is that over 99% of ppl don’t even knows that

[@arcticradio]

I could tell what channel my neighbour was watching due to the interference from the old tv sets. As the picture transitioned to another scene the buzz went higher or lower. You just compared it using the tv sound on a scanner or tv set. Detection was possible at close range

[@simplestuff3895]

The Tale of the Detector Van Temp In the soggy backstreets of Northern England, where drizzle was constant and optimism in short supply, a hapless chap named Barry signed up with “TempWorkz: Jobs with a Zed” in a fit of desperation. “Do you want to be part of a proud British institution?” asked the chirpy recruiter, Polly. “We’re hiring operatives for TV Licensing’s elite field team. Six months, solid pay, and a chance to work in the world-famous detector vans.” Barry frowned. “Aren’t those detector vans an old wives’ tale? Like bogeymen, or decent train service?” Polly smiled mysteriously. “Oh no. They’re very real. Very technical. You’ll be working with advanced detection systems to identify those… individuals who think they’re above the law.” Barry wasn’t sure if Polly meant unlicensed viewers or the people running Parliament, but he signed on the dotted line anyway.

[@simplestuff3895]

Welcome to the Van On his first day, Barry was greeted by his team lead, Malcolm, a wiry man with steely eyes and an intimidating habit of saying everything as if it were classified. “Welcome to Operation GOAT: General Observation and Analysis of Televisions.” He gestured proudly to the detector van, a white Ford Transit bristling with aerials and satellite dishes that looked like they’d been nicked off a decommissioned submarine. “This baby’s fitted with the latest in detection tech,” Malcolm said, patting the side. “Inside, we use the proprietary REACTOR system: Radiation Emissions and Covert Televisual Oscillation Reader.” Barry nodded like he understood.

[@simplestuff3895]

Inside, the van looked like a cross between a NASA control room and a student flatshare. Banks of screens displayed flickering green lines that jittered ominously. An array of knobs and dials was accompanied by ominous acronyms-DRONE (Direct Radiowave Oscillation and Node Extraction), BLUFF (Broadcast Location Universal Frequency Finder), and BOGUS (Band Oscillation General Utility System). Barry asked about these systems, and Malcolm grunted, “We don’t discuss BOGUS with new hires.” Detection in Action Their mission was simple: locate and report unlicensed TV viewers. According to Malcolm, every television emitted a unique “televisual harmonic” when tuned to live broadcasts. “We’re talking about minuscule gamma-wave modulations. You can’t see them, but REACTOR picks them up like bloodhounds sniffing steak.” Barry asked why no one ever noticed this technology elsewhere. Malcolm fixed him with a stare. “Because it’s classified. Above your clearance level.” Their first target was a terraced street in Hartlepool. Malcolm expertly turned dials, muttering things like “harmonic jitterband adjustment” and “phase-shift cancellation.” The screens twitched. Barry swore he could see vague squiggles. “There,” Malcolm whispered, pointing at a house with a suspiciously large aerial. “Someone’s watching Cash in the Attic. Unlicensed.” “How can you tell?” Barry asked. Malcolm tapped a screen solemnly. “That’s the telltale amplitude spike of David Dickinson. Unique signal signature. Let’s log it.”

[@simplestuff3895]

A Day in the Van Barry quickly got used to the van’s strange rhythms. Malcolm operated the equipment with all the gravitas of an air-traffic controller, though his constant requests for tea suggested otherwise. They’d sit outside houses for hours, recording “oscillometric patterns” and typing reports into their system, the FEAR database (Frequency Evaluation and Analysis Register). Occasionally, things got tense. In one incident, they parked outside a council flat where the screens started spiking wildly. “We’ve got a signal bleed,” Malcolm growled. “They’re streaming Antiques Roadshow and switching to ITV adverts during the breaks. It’s chaos in there.” He slammed a button on the control panel. “What does that do?” Barry asked, wide-eyed. “Deploys passive field dampers,” Malcolm muttered. “Subtle stuff. They’ll think it’s buffering.” Trouble on the Job Over time, Barry began to notice things didn’t always add up. Once, the van parked outside a dog grooming salon and Malcolm claimed the readings indicated someone was secretly watching BBC Parliament. Another time, they “detected” illegal TV activity from a house that turned out to be boarded up. “Must be residual waveforms bouncing off the boards,” Malcolm explained with a straight face. Things reached a peak when they stopped outside a caravan park. Malcolm spent two hours adjusting dials, then announced they had detected a “multi-screen offender.” “That’s a family watching EastEnders on multiple devices,” he explained. “Textbook.”

[@simplestuff3895]

Barry peered into the van’s side mirror and saw the reflection of a cow grazing nearby. “Are we sure it’s not just that cow again?” Malcolm gave him a withering look. “Do you want to explain signal triangulation to Bessie, or do you want to file the report?”

[@simplestuff3895]

The End of an Era Barry lasted his six months, absorbing acronyms and learning to keep a straight face while Malcolm announced findings like “illicit Pointless viewing” or “spurious Match of the Day waveforms.” By the end, he could operate the van’s systems confidently, though he still wasn’t entirely sure if the BLUFF module did anything other than blink. As Barry walked away on his last day, Malcolm handed him a card. “If anyone asks what you did here, just tell them you were part of TEAM: Tactical Electromagnetic Analysis and Monitoring. They’ll know.” Barry never quite figured out what was real and what was just an elaborate game of bureaucracy. But he did leave with one valuable lesson: if you see a van with too many antennae parked outside, just pay your licence fee. It’s easier that way. Moral If you ever get a job involving suspicious acronyms, never ask too many questions-and always keep a straight face when someone talks about signal triangulation.

[@jasbindersingh2441]

Same story in the polish people's Republic. Here you have to pay the post office a yearly tv licence. Only way you can get out of it is by not owning a tv or radio. Having a radio in your car is enuf to make you liable....unless it's a non working radio

[@MartySulls]

Mr Sheen?

[@mpol701]

Not same in uk, radio broadcast u don't neeed licence and we can have tv but it's watching live TV that means we need licence and I don't so don't have a licence

[@philsharp758]

Underestimating demand is not new. Mercedez Benz estimated ( circa 1900 ) that the total market for cars in the Uk was about 7,000 as this was the number of households that could afford a chauffeur. Thanks again for a well researched and informative video. Have a Merry Christmas Ringway All the best Phil Sharp

[@ve2vfd]

Canada here and TV/Radio licenses have not existed since 1953. We had a licensing system similar to the UK but it was abolished and replaced with our national broadcaster - the CBC in english and Radio Canada in french - being funded by our taxes.

[@davidl.4408]

I also live in Canada. I decided to check to see how much money the CBC gets from taxes. 1.24 Billion dollars per year. With Canada having a population of 40.1 Million, that is roughly $32 per person in taxes goes to the CBC per year. My household of 4 I guess pays $128/year in taxes for the CBC.

[@Borderman47]

I noticed alot of the poor postmasters that ended up in court and some in jail were prosecuted by ex licence salesmen. Call themselves inspectors but they are salesmen on a commission

[@MastaBlasta242]

What a dystopia

[@Ixquick979]

Here in Croatia we also have to pay a fee if we own any device that can receive our national Tv and radio network whether trough the radio waves or the internet. In 2014 a poor granny was fined for not paying a fee for her radio alarm clock.

[@stco2426]

Cool video. So much great content here and very detailed. Many thanks!

[@supposeppo8856]

We in Finland changed from TV licence to the "national broadcast tax" which everyone pays... even if you don't consume national broadcast materials. Even companies has to pay. And this is a disgrace.

[@richardmillican7733]

Those damn Buzzbies 😂

[@glenjarnold]

CB days eh? 😂

[@associatedblacksheepandmisfits]

Never had a TV or a license, the little I saw at other places did not inspire, a govt mouthpiece and arrogant with it.

[@simonmason8582]

Yes - Farage has appeared on BBC QT 38 times and I'm paying the Licence fee to watch his lies.

[@dennisjones8991]

I understand a license to transmit, but to receive........just NO!

[@kensmith5694]

It was how they funded ad free TV broadcasts.

[@Ralphs-House]

Stopped watching TV over 35 years ago. Letters go in the bin. They do tend to describe those without a licence as 'evaders' but the world has changed and so must the BBC.

[@ScraggyDogg]

I (when there was such a job) was a t.v. engineer, in in early 80's and one guy said that some were "dummy vans" and had fake aerials, I'll never know if it was true, but certainly wouldn't surprise me if some were. some people don't think that when they get tv delivered, your details go from shop...next is the t.v. license man, I'd say that catches way more. And yep I've given up bothering watching it so I've opted out. And thanks just what I thought, be difficult today with no coils.

[@fsstickman1]

in my opinion if its being put out in the air anyone who can revive it should b allowed to

[@marcrhsn]

Years ago, I received a letter from tv licensing, adressed to "the current inhabitant" (or something like that) within a week of staying in a holiday home in wales (near brecon) :-) I'm living in Germany, receiving british TV without a licence via satellite but pay for my German licence. At the location, between two villages, there was no clear reception possible and there was noone in the house at that moment. We forwarded the letter to the landlord of that house.

[@m-arky66]

Had a goon at mine this time last year, took Mr JonCarnes advice and said "no thanks, not interested". He replied "youve got an aerial", my reply, "theres a car in my drive but I DONT need a licence to own it". He turned and effed off. Never had one since and the treatening letters dried up. Live content is garbage anyway atm

[@mattwoodford1820]

Nah, you just say no thank you and shut the door

[@daveturnbull7221]

I've had a TV licence for over 30 years although these days I'm considering getting rid of it as currently I watch on average about an hour of TV a week (early morning news/weather) all of which I can get from online sources not needing a licence. I do remember reading an article many years ago where somebody mounted a VCR with a directional aerial to record the screen of a computer in an office in a large block which gave them access to sensitive company data.

[@Tgspartnership]

I'm virtually clueless with radio jargon but your explanation of the early detector circuit helped me get my head round the thing. I bet the detector van workers have had an earful of abuse over the years. Not that they're heavy handed or anything.

[@petewright2283]

Never have never will. I got taken to court for it. It cost them as I present a case of the import documents for how a TV is brought into the UK. It’s not classed as a TV so word go they lost. Long story it was a smart monitor due to a computer being inside of it. I hit them for my days lost earnings as a company director as well. I’ve never been bothered again

[@g0fvt]

I do have a TV licence... ironically with my past career our terrestrial TV aerial is hanging upside down on the roof where the lashing kit has failed... Genuine TV detector vans certainly existed, but predictably the rotating bearings through the roofs of the vehicles were troublesome. As were the electronics, many of the Commers suffered structural rust issues very early in life. I did see an article recently claiming that internet streaming was being tracked but I have no evidence (or belief) that it is being done.

[@dieseldragon6756]

We British have always had issues with Commers... ...And Greengrocer's Apostrophe's. 😉

[@sgtbrown4273]

LMFAO you have to pay for propaganda ????? Oh please tell me your joking 😂

[@EE12CSVT]

Nope. It's hilarious, isn't it.

[@youroldmang]

I smell processed cheese and idiocy

[@TheeMuseumofjunk]

It's propaganda all the way down mate, you think Billionaires run on-demand services like Amazon for the money? You can pirate films all you like but your films are still mostly CIA/MIC propaganda.

[@TheWebstaff]

Yeah, just like they know there is a 3x2 just by the door.

[@jorgepais2876]

During the early 2000s when analog SD cable TV was a thing and homemade boxes were everywhere here in Portugal to decode premium channels, I heard a rumour that they were using this kind of vans to check if from a house without any premium service subscribed were being radiated premium channels.

[@berntandersson3904]

Sweden have the same system. Only difference is that you have to pay for "any device capable of receiving broadcasts". So anything with a receiver is licensed, any device like a Blu-ray player is excempt. They did want to include all streaming devices, since I left Sweden in 2011 I don't know if they did.

[@jorgepais2876]

TV licenses as shown here were a thing in Portugal until early 1990s. I remember that you had to pay one for each TV set (B/W sets paid a cheaper one - my dad ommited that we had a Colour TV set). Then, during the 1990s some smart guy in the government abolished that way of funding public broadcasting television service, but created a new monster: now, every month my electricity bill is added in €3,02 as "audiovisual contribution"! This is especially ridiculous because, if you have a rural property with a well pumped by an electrical engine and you request an electrical extension and a meter to the electrical company, only for that purpose, you will have to pay that contribution included in the monthly invoice!

[@dieseldragon6756]

This is also (IIUC) how it's done in Germany, and someone else here says they do the same thing in Morocco, too. 📺 I wonder if this might be the reason - At least in part - Why so many unaccountable fees have been added to UK electricity bills over the past ten years?... 🤔

[@LarryBlowers]

I think the whole concept of licensing a TV is just crazy in the US we don't have licensing but nearly all TV we don't pay a subscription for has advertising on it,

[@iNfAInGu]

BBC advertises too, just for their own crap. It's a cheek but it isn't "commercial" advertising so that's ok. Do they still tout the radio times on air? I never watch broadcast tv so have no idea.

[@LarryBlowers]

@iNfAInGu I'm not familiar with the radio times here in the US, we have the TV guide you could subscribe to that listed what was on when it's still a thing but mostly done on digital things now

[@TurboTimsWorld]

Great video and just enough info for us to dig out an old TV set out of the loft and SDR to have a play and make our own detector van !

[@philipwelsh1862]

The current license is for broadcasters that means not only you pay for the bbc it’s all channels itv channel 4 itv in fact any live broadcast

[@mbilden]

As a citizen of the USA I find this entire government operation fascinating. Clearly the UK is the world champion of stupid government overreach. Perfect example of why your empire fell.

[@dieseldragon6756]

I don't know if the past tense is appropriate in this case. 😳 We're *still* falling... 🇬🇧📉😉

[@jimf671]

The Norwegians have recently binned the licence fee and NRK if financed out of general taxation on the basis that it is a unique and valuable part of national culture that contributes to national life in a wide range of ways, not all of which relate to television viewing. The BBC easily fits into the same category.

[@mediocreman2]

Thanks for this very informative and unbiased video. I especially like the part at 20:16 where you mentioned exactly what I was thinking, that they could just drive around and look for the people that don't have a license and park outside of their home at the peak viewing hours.

[@haraldlonn898]

We had this in Sweden to but now it is integrated in the tax we pay.

[@Electronics-Rocks]

Having been in a detection van & working with other staff who operated it, I can only speak up to the end of 80's. Commer & then BL I really liked your video as so many believe FAKE news but they did exist! In the late 80's & 90's it became very hard as electrical noise in the UK became a big issue so sets designed out the radiation so blocking vans to gain evidentiary quality! Flat panel LCD must have been a total loss. Digital TV would require to much processing & time to be evidentiary! Also due to costs on equipment & suitable trained staff was very limited with fake vans carrying canvassers did exist. The IF issue is a reason why sharing an aerial can cause poor reception if not using a suitable splitter with IF harmonics feeding outward! I was told the range of the vans was nearly double of what you quoted if more educated /dedicated engineers! Also the van i have seen did have a bit more equipment to chase down other transmissions but we are in the southwest so the two vans seen might have had dual purpose but not my department!

[@jamespattenden605]

Had a detector van parked for weeks in a place I worked, when I nosed into the van could not see anything in the back except a seat and a table like thing, could not see anything of a electrical piece of equipment, maybe whatever they used was portable LOL, if they had or have such equipment surely they would be able to tell you what channel you was watching and what time, it must have been some piece of equipment to pick up what signal you were recieving from the same signal that was being sent from the sender, if they had such equipment there would be no need to harrass anyone with the letters they send as they would have the proof required and thus save a fortune on postage of the letters. The money saved would plentifull to pay for a hotel to throw a party for the kids they like to do so much for or the money saved could be used to reinstate the free tv licence for the over 75,s, just a thought.

[@ThomasCoryate]

The BBC gave us numerous groundbreaking classics of very high quality, over a period of many decades. The proliferation of non-license-fee channels starting in the 1990s and first bleetings about no license fee gave us Big Brother and endless equally cheap-to-make dross. Programmes that no longer treat us as intelligent people, and the world around us with interest and respect. Today instead of presenting well-researched information in an engaging way so that we can form our own opinions, we are presented with opinions and the most that is expected of us is we decide if we agree or disagree. An unhealthy, reductive binary. I'm off.

[@privateinformation2960]

Of course they did! They had "Minister of HousingE" written on the side. Oh wait no that was the cat detector van. They can pick up a soft purr at 200ft you know...

[@TomSherwood-z5l]

Well you should have licensed your fish like a good boy and then you don't fear the midnight knock on the door.

[@privateinformation2960]

@@TomSherwood-z5l I already did! Eric the 'alibut!

[@osholio]

I cancelled my TV Tax earlier this year, with zero regrets and not missing live TV one iota. The BBC of the past - when it did genuinely inform, educate and entertain - is long gone, and its funding model an archaic remnant of the past. I suppose I better move to a one bed flat now!

[@chrisblay]

The TV licence is a ridiculous antiquated system. Apart from the fact that BBC are a nefarious (that’s being polite) organisation, it should be a matter of choice. A subscription system similar to Sky, should be introduced for BBC channels. Anyone who doesn’t watch their crap, doesn’t pay.

[@DavidUKesb]

I cancelled my licence years ago. I'll never pay the vile BBC another penny.

[@andygozzo72]

in any case you cant tell if someone HAS a tv or not if its not switched on 😉

[@Ironic-Social-Phobia]

I love the fact that Darlington is the most honest town in having licences as every threatogram I get has a Darlington return address.

[@nzxt1234]

In Sweden, we had something similar! Whether your TV worked or not, just having one in your home meant you had to pay a TV license. They even sent out vans and had people knocking on doors to detect TVs! Recently, though, the system changed. Now it’s a TV tax, so everyone pays, even if they don’t own a TV. Before, it was one license fee per household. Stores were even supposed to report if they sold you a TV! But, you know, sometimes people bought TVs as gifts for someone who already had a license. If the inspectors asked, people would just say it wasn’t theirs. 😂 They even aired warnings on TV, listing cities and towns where “extra TV license controls” would happen. Crazy times, right?

[@hymermobiler]

In the 80s they had a TV detector van on show at Woodford Airshow. I had to go and chat with the operator with my mate who eagerly told us that they picked up the oscillator freq from the set and they could direction find the signal to the room even in a block of flats and the freq told them what was being watched. I started to ask techie questions about the range of freqs they looked for and how the "escaped" signals got through the shielding around the oscillator and other anti EMC shielding, through the brick or concrete walls and out to the van yards away in the street with sufficient strength to be detected without causing any problem to the host TV set or a neighbours set or radio etc. He gave up and said OK you got me. Here have a coffee mug and gave us a mug each that they were giving away. It was a con. They had a list of houses with no licence, while the van drove down the street another bloke knocked on the door of those with no licence. Im not saying they didnt get results because the fact they drove down the street was enough to scare enough people into getting a licence.

[@andyalder7910]

Must admit I thought they went from the blue glow seen through the curtains. BTW, license and TV free for 20 years.

[@7tkh]

Since this year, we have a per household fee in Austria. No matter if one even owns any receivers. With todays digital transmissions that could easily be encrypted, this is so outdated and unfair.

[@neilsheppard6673]

All BBC channels should be subscription based. That way those who want it, pay for it. Keeps the die-hards happy (even though they'd have to pay more than for a TVL) , the discontented even happier, and would force the bbc and other providers to improve their output. In a scenario like that I'd give it 5 to 10 years before the bbc either completely collapses or gets absorbed by / becomes a subsidiary of Sky. If YOU want something, YOU should pay for it. If you don't have the means, tough. Life sucks sometimes.

[@michaelturner4457]

Fortunately I live in a country where there's no TV tax or license.