I wonder how that worked? I wouldn’t have guessed just watching over-the air tv with an illegal tv & receiving antenna would emit any signals to detect. An antenna on the roof could be spotted and the BBC nabs you that way though.
Years ago – early 1980’s I think – there was a micro-wave pay-per-month tv channel in the SF Bay Area that required a special antenna and receiver. Home-brew electronics types figured out how to make both for less than $100, so they could watch the channel for free. The channel’s owners figured this out and sent trucks looking for the antenna’s through the neighborhoods. Some of the home brew folks got charged in civil court for theft of services. A test court case ensued, the question of whether this being legal never been tested before, with the home brew folks saying “if you don’t want me to watch your station, don’t send me the signal”. I don’t think it was ever resolved. Instead the station moved to cable tv.
I’ve had to do that in the USA on occasion, youth hostels catering to student tourists.
The Germans were able to detect radio signals from the illegal radio sets being used so they were very careful how often and how long they were used. I suspect the same technology. If a TV receiver is getting the signal, it is going through the air. I dunno though beyond me. I think the fine was severe though but don’t know if it included jail time. I’ve toured one of their jails and not a pleasant place.
Reminds me of an episode on the BBC’s Midsomer Murders tv series, the cops organize a huge raid on a house in the country, sirens blazing, swat team tactics, etc, to determine if the murder suspect they are looking for is there, only to find a elderly couple watching tv. They had nothing to do w/the murder and thought all these assault-rifle-carrying cops were after them for watching tv without a license … lol …
Midsomer Murders is a fun show with a nice dollop of humor. And (to toss a bone to this forum’s car theme) viewers get to see cars with the driver’s contols on the starboard side being driven down the left side of the road.
My take on monthly fees is: If they are small enough individually to be deminimus, then they will be small enough in the aggregate to not overwhelm the “miscellaneous” line in my monthly cash flow budget. If I need to be concerned about the five bucks a month that my “Hyundai Connected Car” subscription costs, I need to get more income fast.
Yes I have multiple Arlo cameras, free, and saves video online for 30 days, decided to add the Arlo camera doorbell so everything is in one place. I can be 500 miles away, doorbell rings, it calls my and wifes cellphone and we can talk to whover rings the doorbell. 2.99 a month for the doorbell, like you say it seems so small a price. Turned down Navistar, $16 a month? I don’t need it that bad!
Maybe 3 years ago we had a lift station for sanitary sewer, guy stripped out all the wiring from the building which our wires ran through, He was a little pissed when the basement flooded, but we had no way of knowing the lift pump failed as it was offline. AT&T. we wanted to do the wired connection to the modem, sorry we don’t do that anymore, had to switch to wireless.
Agreed. However, the way these things are being sold is smarmy and, frankly, illegal. “Remote-start!” is not the same as “Remote-start as long as you pay monthly fees!”
Vehicles are being sold as having features without disclosing that those features require recurring payments.
