Symbian SlingPlayer makes UK amp leechers criminal

It's always a bit dodgy pulling amps off the mains in the local, now it can land you in jail. Let's say you're out and about in the UK watching TV on your new, Mobile network 3 provided N73 or W960 cellphone mobile with SlingPlayer client. As soon as you jack into the wall to top up the battery -- you're breaking the law if you're watching TV. By plugging in, you invoke the wrath of TV licensing laws since your home license only covers your device outside of the home as long as the battery -- not the mains -- is providing the juice. But wait, it gets worse. You also risk violating the terms and conditions of broadcasters such as BSkyB's Sky satellite television service which forbid the viewing of their content outside the registered address. Of course, this applies to any system that allows you to watch broadcast, streamed, or recorded television outside the home so why is this now, suddenly an issue? Whatevs, with the service set to go hot next week in the UK, you can expect to hear a few "oi, unplug that cellphone mate!" warnings from up on high.

[spike117 @ Nov 23rd 2006 10:57AM]

Wow, that was a very british article. The first sentence alone had me confused with your crazy english slang!

"It's always a bit dodgy pulling amps off the mains in the local"

[Soar @ Nov 23rd 2006 11:48AM]

"It's always a bit dodgy pulling amps off the mains in the local"

I never heard a british person say anything like this, ever.

or "oi, unplug that cellphone mate!"

It's a mobile phone over too...people would look at you funny if you said cellphone..

[John Doe @ Nov 23rd 2006 11:21AM]

Well that is ummm retarded.

[Pauly @ Nov 23rd 2006 11:53AM]

I am English, and I had to read that a few times. Is pulling amps off the mains meant to sound a bit saucy?
Chim-chim-cheroo.

[andy @ Nov 23rd 2006 11:55AM]

whats retarded is our tv licence in the 1st place, if i pay �30 a month for sky satalite, why the fuck should i pay the bbc to have permission to use a tv in my home, and why the fuck cant i watch elsewhere. but ya know what, even if the bbc licence were abolished, the govenment would pick it up anyway, we pay double everything in the UK, on the road we pay both road tax & tolls AND conjestion zone charges as well as all the speed machines etc, usually a country has tolls or tax NOT BOTH, im out of this dump as soon as i can.
-angry brit

[alex @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:03PM]

I don't blame ya Andy. Though I've never lived in London, just visiting, being there on vacation was pretty expensive. I can only imagine what it cost to live there year round. I live in NYC and not in the backwater of the States so I know how expensive it can get. Compare to the Underground, NYC subway is a steal plus you get A/C in the subway cars (carriage)in the summer.

[Kev @ Nov 23rd 2006 8:30PM]

The BBC licence fee is still relatively good value compared to Sky. It's much more 'public service', they actually create original programming on TV and radio rather than importing everything, plus it's ad free.

[OMAC @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:06PM]

That's a right kerfuffel!

[kyler @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:30PM]

but it you plug in your phone to charge it, and don't start watching tv until after it's charged, is that legal?

[Maff Mace @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:33PM]

I'm english too, and had to re-read the first line about 3 times, and still don't understand it. And you won't hear anyone saying "cellphone", just "mobile"

[Josh @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:37PM]

I keep considering getting a tv tuner for my laptop in my uni room and unplugging it from mains to avoid the licence fee...but can't really be bothered. There's a tv downstairs and let's face it, most UK tv is rubbish, imported, or both.

[Hugh Jass @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:53PM]

The first sentence irritated me as well; not because I didn't understand it, but because it's a horrible run on. How about you try using a semicolon or maybe a conjunction after that comma?

[Nick @ Nov 23rd 2006 2:54PM]

Dear uncultured Engadget writers, the following sentences:

"It's always a bit dodgy pulling amps off the mains in the local"

and

"oi, unplug that cellphone mate!"

Don't make sense to anybody here in the UK.

Regards,
Me.

[Pyrofer @ Nov 23rd 2006 3:01PM]

This is actualy wrong anyway.
It doesnt matter if your phone is plugged in to charge.

The important line is in the TV licence own conditions,
"covers your device outside of the home as long as the battery -- not the mains -- is providing the juice" (its worded better in the actual t&c's but i cant be bothered to find them).

Now, plug your phone into the charger and mains, then start watching TV. Now, remove the battery.
Hmmm. Its now gone off, why? Because its RUNNING OFF BATTERY.
At no point is any modern phone EVER running from mains. The power circuit can't charge AND power the phone, so it just charges, therefor this is a total non-issue.

[E71 @ Nov 23rd 2006 3:15PM]

Who cares, let the limeys get fined. They got a stupid law anyway.

[VolatileCompound @ Nov 24th 2006 4:45AM]

Limey? LOL. Ancient USA terminology that matches the antequated USA telecomms industry.

Back to watch TV on my smartphonewhatever the law says.

[Maff Mace @ Nov 24th 2006 8:28AM]

how is the license fee better value than Sky?
if you subscribe to Sky you can choose your package (hundreds of channels compared to the small handful of BBC ones), and, the best bit, if you don't like it, you don't pay for it. With the license fee if you don't like or watch the BBC, like me, you still have to pay.

So please explain how having to pay for something you don't watch good value?

[mopex @ Nov 24th 2006 7:18AM]

This is an exotic law, so let us not watch tv with our mobiles we will be in jail if we are unlucky and get caught watching tv inside our homes.

[jimmyreeve @ Nov 24th 2006 9:01AM]

The UK's TV licence, although unpoplular and expensive is very important in maintaining public service broadcasting. That means no adverts(commercials) or sponsors or bowing to the wishes of political parties or shareholders/owners. Without the licence fee, the only chance Sir David Attenborough would have of going exploring the jungle again would be on "I'm a Celebrity...Get me out of here!"

If anyone out there is happy to line the pockets of Rupert Murdoch and at the same time moan about having to contribute to a service which is used and relied upon by 95% of the population then maybe that does go to show that you need pack your bags.

[Maff Mace @ Nov 24th 2006 9:57AM]

nothing good on any BBC channel (even BBC HD), am therefore fine about watching all the other channels with adverts, sponsors and bowing to the wishes of political parties or shareholders/owners, along with most of the country (since non-BBC channels add up to a hell of a lot more viewers than the BBC does)

why the hell would I want to see Attenborough on the TV?
his shows are just as bad as any other nature programme, and if I wanted to watch those sort of shows I'd watch one of the Discovery Channel

I'm happy to line Murdoch's pockets as I get a choice of channels, but also a choice not to pay if I don't want to.

[Pidman @ Nov 24th 2006 12:46PM]

lol I can't see a British guy saying "oi, unplug that cellphone mate!". We call them "mobile phones" here :o). But the rest of that quote is spot on!

[Dan @ Nov 24th 2006 7:58PM]

And if the BBC wasn't there raising standards, just think how sh*te ITV and Sky would be - oh look, more reality TV/chat shows/game shows/soaps/live curling