Sirbendy Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 As some of you know, I have no TV. No license, not intending on getting one either. In it's place, I have my dualcore Athlon x2 and a 19" widescreen TFT (Hanns-G HW191D, 1xVGA and 1xDVI-D). This runs Openelec.tv off a USB drive as primary OS, for 'net TV/youtube/DVDs. Second boot drive holds Win7, for work if I need it. Also have a little NAS box running SnakeOS, hosting mediatomb for music on my LAN. Now, upstairs I have the old TV - a 21" CRT Toshiba, with S-Video/Scart - old, but working. Was about to dispose of it. I also have a Wii, and now an R-Pi. The Wii doesn't work with my screen - I bought a Wii>VGA cable, and whilst I can get an image fine, everything is green..not an unknown issue, and down to how the monitor handles the sync. The R-Pi won't work through an HDMI>VGA either. So, the old TV has won a reprieve of sorts. Except it's huge, upstairs, and won't interface with my PC, which is it's main need if it's downstairs. SO...suggestions please. The cheaper the better (Missus is on Mat Leave now for 12 months, after that it'll be 2x nursery fees!)..I need something that ideally will work as a PC monitor, will work with the R-Pi, either over HDMI or composite, and will work with a Wii... I did wonder about a video capture card in the PC, for linking composite upto and showing on the PC, but lag-wise I'm not sure that'd fly...
Jamo Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 As some of you know, I have no TV. No license, not intending on getting one either. In it's place, I have my dualcore Athlon x2 and a 19" widescreen TFT (Hanns-G HW191D, 1xVGA and 1xDVI-D). This runs Openelec.tv off a USB drive as primary OS, for 'net TV/youtube/DVDs. Second boot drive holds Win7, for work if I need it. Also have a little NAS box running SnakeOS, hosting mediatomb for music on my LAN. Now, upstairs I have the old TV - a 21" CRT Toshiba, with S-Video/Scart - old, but working. Was about to dispose of it. I also have a Wii, and now an R-Pi. The Wii doesn't work with my screen - I bought a Wii>VGA cable, and whilst I can get an image fine, everything is green..not an unknown issue, and down to how the monitor handles the sync. The R-Pi won't work through an HDMI>VGA either. So, the old TV has won a reprieve of sorts. Except it's huge, upstairs, and won't interface with my PC, which is it's main need if it's downstairs. SO...suggestions please. The cheaper the better (Missus is on Mat Leave now for 12 months, after that it'll be 2x nursery fees!)..I need something that ideally will work as a PC monitor, will work with the R-Pi, either over HDMI or composite, and will work with a Wii... I did wonder about a video capture card in the PC, for linking composite upto and showing on the PC, but lag-wise I'm not sure that'd fly... Yeah don't go down the capture card route!! The lag is awful I did that originally for my Wii a few years back without realising there was about a 3 second delay!! Rather frustrating!
Oaktech Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 View this document: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/resources/library/BBC/policies/No_Licence_Needed_policy_25Aug2011.pdf "The law states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes, on any device, as they're being shown on TV. This includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorders. You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch ‘catch up’ services like BBC iPlayer or 4oD." Get a TV, remove the tuner module. do this: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/nln/index.aspx
mikkydoos Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 View this document: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/resources/library/BBC/policies/No_Licence_Needed_policy_25Aug2011.pdf "The law states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes, on any device, as they're being shown on TV. This includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorders. You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch ‘catch up’ services like BBC iPlayer or 4oD." Get a TV, remove the tuner module. do this: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/nln/index.aspx ----------------------- Yep. I think you might be in the market for a new telly m8.
sonofsanta Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 A TV?.. Just don't hook up an arial. Doesn't make any difference; if the hardware is capable of receiving a signal, they'll sting you for needing a licence. TV Licensing is the one aspect of British law where "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't apply... if you assert that you don't use a TV for watching TV, they will make half a dozen or so unannounced visits to see what you're doing. They just assume you are lying and try to catch you out on it.
Edu-IT Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 Sirbendy will probably point you to a blog post where his O/H has commented on the very thing you're discussing. I think they've been through all the hoops already, from the rants I remember reading.
mikkydoos Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 They're correct. Even if you have a telly up in your loft with no plug on it, you need a license. Sounds fair enough to me. For the cost of a decent TV I put this rig together about 2 years ago. 3m Motorised projector screen Optoma HD65 Projector Logitech Z5550 500w 5.1 surround HDMI / Optical switch Basically cost me around a grand and gave me a cinema. TV is 167". Got a Virgin box, PS3, Wii, PC and touch monitor on it too for my music and to use as a little TV. THAT was a bugger to spec !!!
Oaktech Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 the thing is here is recieving equipment... if you have nothing capable of recieving a signal then you not have to have a licence, you can have a TV detunered at which point you do not require a licence. I did this quite successfully for my brother in law on a hannsG tele a few years ago. Yes there was some too-ing and fro-ing with tv licensing and a home visit from a technical bod, which involved him saying "you need a licence it's just a tele" being shown the hole in the back and the innability to connect an aerial, and the bit in the menu that says 'no tuner module found' and him then saying "oh right, fair enough" but in the end the license people gave my brother in law some kind of certificate and that device officially does not require a license.
chazzy2501 Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) Doesn't make any difference; if the hardware is capable of receiving a signal, they'll sting you for needing a licence. TV Licensing is the one aspect of British law where "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't apply... if you assert that you don't use a TV for watching TV, they will make half a dozen or so unannounced visits to see what you're doing. They just assume you are lying and try to catch you out on it. Nope, you can declare you have a TV and that you are using it to watch only offline (not over the air content) I've done this. They send you a letter saying that they'll ask you again in 2 years. https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/nln/index.aspx Edited June 18, 2012 by chazzy2501 Seemed impoliite 1
sonofsanta Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) Nope, you can declare you have a TV and that you are using it to watch only offline (not over the air content) I've done this. They send you a letter saying that they'll ask you again in 2 years. https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/nln/index.aspx Good lord, they've gone soft in the last few years then. About time, the Gestapo schtick was wearing thin. Edited June 18, 2012 by sonofsanta updated the quote to the newer version above
Sirbendy Posted June 18, 2012 Author Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) Indeed - I've been there, done that, told them to sling their bully-boy, no basis in enforceable law hook, and the last chap who asked nicely came in, looked, saw, said "Fair enough, we'll stop bugging you then", and nothing since. That included me showing him the TV, fully ready to rock without an aerial and a DVD link to a player on top, and the cut off aerial leads. Just because you own one, doesn't mean you HAVE to pay. In fact, I showed him my old B&W unit too...heh. It's amazing how much misinformation is out there over TVL, but we've plumbed the depths, had the letters, had the visits, refused entry, done the whole lot..it's good fun! What I'm doing is non-license applicable, totally. Heh. It's just the damn interconnections that are throwing me. Edited June 18, 2012 by Sirbendy
Oaktech Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 Ok, so how about... a de tunered TV with VGA for PC, get an HDMI switch if you need to, to deal with Rpi and any dvd/blu ray you use, use the a composite or an RGB for the Wii or perhaps RGB for wii and composite for RPi? My 32" LG will do these things, and is now available on the second hand market for about £100!
Sirbendy Posted June 18, 2012 Author Posted June 18, 2012 Possible... I've just Primed an Amazon delivery for tomorrow of an HDMI>DVI-D lead - to see if HDMI through DVI-D will work for the R-Pi. If so, great. Also ordered a Wii2HDMI, with intent to do the same. Then I can keep my 19" TFT, PC on VGA, R-Pi/Wii on DVI-D and switch as needed. Annoyingly, the Wii>Component>VGA would have worked, except for the Wii's insistence on using Sync on Green. Lovely picture, just green. Ah well, it was a few quid.
mikkydoos Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 Oh, just a last quick one. Best company in the world for adaptors and unusual leads - Startech. Google them and u'll find all the adaptors u'll ever need.
Chris_Cook Posted June 18, 2012 Posted June 18, 2012 I'm using something very similar to this with my raspberry pi http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1080P-HDMI-Male-VGA-Female-Video-Converter-Adapter-Cable-PC-DVD-HDTV-New-/170850801393. It seems to work, even though everything Ive read says it shouldn't. Not sure if it helps with your problem. It didnt work with my set top box, but does seem to work with my xbox 360.
Sirbendy Posted June 19, 2012 Author Posted June 19, 2012 Today should be the day my adapters arrive...fingers crossed. I installed a nightly build of OpenElec on the R-Pi last night, and from what I can see on my old SDTV, it's running fine..as good almost as on my dualcore AMD. This looks promising. Then I can copy over the plugins from my main system to the R-Pi, and it may be able to take over the home entertainment role (although DVD playback isn't there, so I may need to convert them to MKV or similar. Oh well, it stops little fingers playing with the discs..) Would also like to try a second SD with Debian/Chromium installed, and see if it's any good for basic web, Google Docs, and Logmein..if so, it could replace the big PC for 90% of tasks. That'd be a power saving right there... Then in place of the big TV upstairs (assuming all works, wii included), I'm contemplating reversing the screen on my old Inspiron to point outwards, and wallmounting it, using a big USB drive to hold Tiddlers favourite videos, and giving her in effect an embedded PC display, which would take up much less space, and with a wireless mouse and KB, would double as a useable basic computer when she's older... Sad, isn't it...I know....
Sirbendy Posted June 21, 2012 Author Posted June 21, 2012 My adapters arrived last night..hooked the R-Pi up to the HDMI>DVI-D adapter, powered it up, and 20 seconds later, hello OpenELEC, in glorious 1440x900. Hurray! PC still on VGA. Wii with Wii2HDMI produced no image, but I suspect that's a "hitch it back to the SDTV, select HDTV/EDTV mode and try again"ism. Now going to try a different distro..OpenELEC is good, but I can see another I wish to try..heh. 1
Sirbendy Posted June 26, 2012 Author Posted June 26, 2012 Darn Wii>HDMI didn't work. Sigh. So, I've ordered an 18.5" TFT TV/DVD combi unit, with SCART, Component, HDMI, and VGA input, from Tesco for £80. Losing .5 of an inch from my current 19" screen is a nonissue, and that'll take the Wii (either through SD SCART or HD Component cabling), The R-Pi (through HDMI) and the PC through VGA, as well as integrating a DVD player. The R-Pi is now running Raspbmc, as OpenElec has major youtube speed issues on it. It now flies, and has 4OD, 5OD, Iplayer, catchup.TV etc installed and running fine, so the PC has been relieved of that duty now. I can see TVL coming after me again because I've purchased a new TV..heh..bring it on. 1
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