Viewing Thread:
"The Future of Gaming is free!"

Firstly, sorry to anyone who has read this message in the General Forum. This topic is very close to my heart and in order for this message to reach everyone, I'm posting this message on the most popular forum. That is the Future of Gaming forum. Please reply if you feel strongly about any issues, this will help the moderator decide what new forums need to be opened. Thanks for reading:


When the European Human Rights Law becomes British Law next month, Article 10 - Freedom of expression, may mean that the BBC license fee/ Television License is unlawful on the basis that it infringes the rights of people to receive information freely. For years gamers have been frustrated that they need a TV license in order to play their Amigas, playstation, N64 or Dreamcast.
The TV license also discriminates against poorer people who may not have the money to pay for a TV license, Article 14 - Prohibition of discrimination, may now mean that I'll be able to use the internet through my Dreamcast for free.
Not to mention the obvious breach of privacy by the BBC in detecting TV's in private homes (see BBC/ TV licensing website see http://www.tv-l.co.uk/ )… Article 8 - Right to respect for private and family life, may make this illegal. Did you know the TV license detector can, I quote:

"Not only will we be able to see where the television is and what's being watched on it, we'll know on the spot whether it's licensed."

For a full list of your Human Rights see

http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/Treaties/html/005.htm

Europe has finally done something good for a change!, now we finally have the right to be innocent until proven guilty! See the website, know your Human rights. A prisoner in Austria has already won a court case in Europe, and is now entitled to TV in his cell, and a Newspaper everyday. Should we have to pay to surf the internet on our Dreamcasts, play a video on our videorecorders or pay for the BBC when we only watch Sky sports. See the website, know your rights.. The Future is Free!

me too Fantasymeister, but lets just put them where they belong shall we?

There's a general forum?!?!

It's kinda relevant though, seeing as most of us use TV's to play games on with a console, but again I have to agree with you Damo, this should be in the General Forum, so I won't respond to this line of conversation in this forum from henceforth, I promise. (I do love a good argument though.)

Can somebody please tell me if this is a TV forum or a Future of Gaming forum?

Jimmy, if I may paraphrase the quote in your first above regarding the BBC "able to see where the TV is and what is being watched on it" this refers to the signal that they are detecting. The detector van only detects BBC signals, (it is capable of scanning the whole frequency but THIS would be an invasion of privacy), and therefore can place (by triangulation) the location of a receiving unit (TV etc.,) and by working out what channel (BBC1/2) and the time of day they can thereby work out what you are watching, they cannot actually SEE it unless it is a BBC channel. I agree that the BBC system of revenue gathering is antiquated, however, they provide an excellent service to many loyal watchers (of which I am not one) who still are willing to pay this way.
I think personlly that Europe has gone a bit too far, and as usual they do not have all the facts to hand, therefore it will interesting to see how the BBC fare in the forthcoming case. Stay tuned?

Then What do you think of the BBC looking at the video your watching? It could be a family home video, with you and your partner? is that right arent they invading our privacy.

How many of you have checked out the webpages above, know the law

The official ruling on the Licence debate, not that I really care, is that a licence has to be purchased for any equipment "capable of receiving BBC stations, including radio licences for radios that can receive BBC radio stations." The loophole is that if you can prove that your equipment cannot receive BBC transmissions you therefore do not have to get a licence. Check you local TV dealer if you want your TV altered, it can be done. Personally I never bother with a licence fee, but then I always was a rebel.

Fantasimeiser.. you have to pay for a TV license if you use the TV to recieve any channels, ditto the videorecorder. And the BBC doesnt care a bit about the Royal Family, they didnt show the Queen mothers 100th Birthday. Plus there is tonnes of revenue in advertising, why do you think ITV gets more football matches...its got more money to spend.

1) To Ozzy, I already won, now I just write crap posts.
2) Milo, see above.

Yeah FantasyMeister, where do you get off writing posts with substance, you should just stop being so pretentious and write donkey doo with the rest of us.

(sarcasm, in case anyone was unclear)

Maybe we should all just start writing crap posts to prove that we aren't really just trying to win the competition.