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The number of black and white TVs still being watched in Coventry

PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:28 pm
by dutchman
A surprising number of people are still choosing monochrome over HD

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Television has entered something of a golden age once again, with incredible programmes hitting the screens in recent times.

From gripping historical dramas such as Chernobyl, to stunning nature documentaries from the likes of David Attenborough, there is plenty to marvel at from the comfort of your living room.

But while the majority of people across Coventry and Warwickshire are enjoying such programmes in crystal clear HD, there are a few households in the region which are still using black and white televisions to tune in to their favourite programmes.

Mid November marked the 50 year anniversary of colour TV, but in spite of this, there were still 48 black and white TV licenses in place in Coventry as of the end of September.

It is a slight reduction on the 53 from 2018, but a surprising number all the same.

As for Nuneaton, there were just seven black and white licenses issued this year.

Across the UK the number of black and white licences has declined considerably over the years.

There were 6,586 black and white TV licences in force at the end of September 2019 - a fall of 575 compared to the same time last year.

In 2000 this figure stood at 212,000.

Why there are still so many licenses?

There is no obvious answer. It could be the case that it is simple nostalgia.

However, it is no secret that such sets remain popular, with collectors with vintage and portable TV sets regularly traded online.

A licence is still needed to watch live TV and stream BBC programmes on iPlayer on a black and white TV or monitor and costs £52.

But, if they are used to download BBC programmes on iPlayer or to record any live TV, then a colour TV Licence is needed which costs almost triple - £154.50.

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Re: The number of black and white TVs still being watched in Coventry

PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:50 pm
by dutchman
If someone does still have a working black & white TV the chances are the UHF tuner has worn out by now making it virtually unusable even with a digital to UHF adapter. Hardly any were fitted with a video input socket of any kind.