Prevent TV reception, but retain radio reception

ericmark said:

I think however even if ITV catch-up is broadcast to get caught watching one program a week you would need to be very unlucky.

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With the intrusion of the Internet into the system how do we know that the TV doesn't check with TV Licence Database that it is licensed and then if not licensed the TV notifies the authorities of any illegal viewing.

ericmark said:

I know some catch up is more like the +1 option in that it is broadcast at set intervals and when you request it you are connected to next slot, so technically broadcast but seems like peer to peer. I think it is unlikely you would get done for watching some thing broadcast in that way, but it is a risk.

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No, that's not catch-up at all.

Catch-up has no alloted time slots. The whole point of catch-up is that it's TV on demand, delivered via the Internet. I start it when I want. It's like watching a YouTube video or streaming a song I chose from Spotify.

If I want to watch yesterday's / last week's episode of whatever - say Countdown* - at 03:41 one morning then I just select it. I don't have to wait for the next time some P2P file sharer is streaming a live broadcast of the repeat.

(* no idea if Countdown is on the catch-up service)

If you're watching via Peer-to-Peer,and the programming is fixed to some schedule, then I would suggest that it sounds a lot like piracy.


Also, just because a channel carries a +1 service, that isn't catch-up either. It's simply a later scheduled run. It's still a live broadcast in the same way that a repeat of a programme at a later date is still a live broadcast.

ericmark said:

I know when I try to watch a lot of catch up programs they don't start as soon as I click start, but there is a delay, I would assume waiting for next broadcast,

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Not at all. It's simply the delay in waiting for enough of the file to download to the player device's memory to begin watching on demand.

With modern broadband and with higher efficiency file compression algorithms, it's reasonably easy to deliver a video file faster than it required for it to play out once the buffer memory has sufficient stored data. That's how YouTube works, and how much of Catch-up / On-demand works. You select the programme, the file starts to download and playback begins once there's enough stored to cover any minor breaks in the download or Wi-Fi connection.

ericmark said:

...with a PC if using a web browser you are reasonable sure it is peer to peer, but with any plug in device be it a sky box, firestick or any other device you really don't know what it is doing.

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A Sky box or similar PVR is simply a computer dedicated to a specific task. For that reason, it doesn't need keyboard monitor and mouse. Nor does it need a disc tray. The remote control replaces the keyboard and mouse. The TV replaces the monitor. An aerial connection or satellite feed sockets replace the disc drive. The onscreen menu replaces the desktop and program GUIs etc etc.

When you say Peer-to-Peer, I imagine file sharing from PC to PC via (in this case, at least) the Internet. It doesn't involve a server. That's not really the way that on-demand/catch-up is delivered; or certainly not my understanding of it at least.

When you're using catch-up, the files are being delivered via a server that is effectively reading the same file as X number of people all viewing but at different start times.