can I remove the tuner from a TV?

[mortos360]

To answer the first logical question, "why would you even want that" is that here in Austria, if you own a device that can recieve the public television signal, you have to pay 25 euros//month... no matter if you watch it or not. Now there are so called Public Viewing devices that have no tuner in them, with such a device you dont need to pay that tax but since I dont have such a device, I was wondering if I can just remove the Tuner from my plasma without disturbing the HDMI port?

It seems that the Tuner is just 1 of this metalic boxes with a few pins soldered, which I can remove easily. Here is a schematic from the service manual: [url=http://oi59.tinypic.com/2jz8kl.jpg]http://oi59.tinypic.com/2jz8kl.jpg[/url]

My first idea was to just desolder that thing and try it... but can this damage other electronics in the device, or will it just realise that something is missing and shut off?

In case I cant remove that thing and keep the TV working, ill have to sell it.

[grumpydoc]

While technically possible you might find that the authorities will charge you anyway as you still own a "TV"

It will probably be less aggrivation to sell the TV and buy a monitor with HDMI input (unless it is a gargantuan TV, of course).

[mortos360]

its a 50" plasma and the authorities don't charge you if you have a broken TV... which technically this would be since it cant receive the signal! The whole argument is really about the ability of getting the signal or not. For example, if I have an DVD player with a Tuner, but no TV... i still have to pay since I can receive the signal, no matter if I can watch it or not.

[digsys]

First I'd definitely try to find out what constitutes "No tuner". ie What if the P/Supply to it were disabled (fuse?), or the output coupling cap(?)
was removed? rendering the Tuner incapable of working. Disabling it, may be quite safe and easily restored.
It may just be that simple. I don't see it being any different to removing the whole tuner module, as EITHER can be re-inserted.

[opty]

Are you sure that is how the law works in Austria?

Ie. As far I a know in Ireland self removing/destroying tuner from a device that was originally sold capable of receiving TV does not automatically relieve you from paying for TV licence.

There was a nice article on the web about it, can't find it now ;(.

[mortos360]

Are you sure that is how the law works in Austria?

Ie. As far I a know in Ireland self removing/destroying tuner from a device that was originally sold capable of receiving TV does not automatically relieve you from paying for TV licence.

There was a nice article on the web about it, can't find it now ;(.

not 100%.. its really hard to find clean informations about this. what I know for sure is that you dont pay for broken TVs or Radios.. and for TVs with no tuners (public viewing devices).
There is too many strange informations about that Company here in Austria, and it seems they will tell you anything just to make you pay. For example, the law here clearly say that if you have
internet you dont have to pay taxes for radio... even tho you can stream radio. Still, this company which is really a company and not the government itself... tho they work with government... says the opposite. They want you to pay for radio if you have internet. There is enough cases where people did fight with them about the internet and radio argument and they won.
The easiest would be to call that company and ask, but I really cant relay on the informations they tell me, and paying a lawyer just to get me that information is more expensive then buying a new TV with no tuner :/

[janoc]

I second the view of better checking what the law says *exactly*. Otherwise you could end up messing up your TV for no gain.

E.g. here in France you are taxed for simply having the possibility to receive the signal - whether by air or over internet, watching it on a TV or a PC or a tablet - all irrelevant. As long you could conceivably view it somehow, you have to pay.

When I lived in Denmark, it was pretty much similar - you could declare you don't have a TV, but then they would dispatch an "inspector" to your place to actually check! As long as you had something with a screen at home, you had to pay. Later they changed the law and it was enough to have internet access - whether wired or wireless and you were liable to pay.

[mortos360]

I second the view of better checking what the law says *exactly*. Otherwise you could end up messing up your TV for no gain.

E.g. here in France you are taxed for simply having the possibility to receive the signal - whether by air or over internet, watching it on a TV or a PC or a tablet - all irrelevant. As long you could conceivably view it somehow, you have to pay.

When I lived in Denmark, it was pretty much similar - you could declare you don't have a TV, but then they would dispatch an "inspector" to your place to actually check! As long as you had something with a screen at home, you had to pay. Later they changed the law and it was enough to have internet access - whether wired or wireless and you were liable to pay.

Austria is better    https://www.bvwg.gv.at/entscheidungen/Internethaushalt___GIS-Gebuehren.pdf
This is german but if you translate it in english it will be more clear. We dont pay for devices that stream. In fact you dont even pay for the TV or Radio... you pay for the being abel to receive the AIR signal. All the devices that are not abel to receive the AIR signal do not need to be resigtered and therefor you dont need to pay for them. You do pay for your PC//Laptop if you own a USB Tuner!!
I am not a lawyer, but thats what I can understand from this text!

[bktemp]

In Germany it is probably worst: Here everybody has to pay regardless of you have a TV or radio or computer or not.

If you remove the tuner, some TVs refuse to work completely when communication with the tuner fails during power on test. Others work fine with hdmi. It depends on how the software handles errors.

[mortos360]

If you remove the tuner, some TVs refuse to work completely when communication with the tuner fails during power on test. Others work fine with hdmi. It depends on how the software handles errors.

Can I damage the other electronics just by powering the TV without Tuner?

[wraper]

While technically possible you might find that the authorities will charge you anyway as you still own a "TV"

It will probably be less aggrivation to sell the TV and buy a monitor with HDMI input (unless it is a gargantuan TV, of course).

My sister lives in UK and don't pay anything. She was able to prove that don't use a TV for watching broadcast.

[wraper]

First I'd definitely try to find out what constitutes "No tuner". ie What if the P/Supply to it were disabled (fuse?), or the output coupling cap(?)
was removed? rendering the Tuner incapable of working. Disabling it, may be quite safe and easily restored.
It may just be that simple. I don't see it being any different to removing the whole tuner module, as EITHER can be re-inserted.

What if glue some piece of plastic from the inside to cover the hole? You can say that there is no TV input  .

[bktemp]

Can I damage the other electronics just by powering the TV without Tuner?

It is unlikely that the tv gets damaged when operated with a missing tuner.
On a modern tv it can be difficult to remove the tuner without damaging the pcb. If the tuner has exposed leads, I would start by cutting them. If the tv refuses to work, you can simply solder them together to make the tv work again.

[wraper]

Probably you can disable the tuner from the service menu.

[tszaboo]

Wouldn't it be easier if you remove the antenna? Does it need an external antenna or does it have it built in?

[mortos360]

you guys answer too slow    

jk... thanks for all your feedback guys.. I just tryed it and worked!!
Selfcheck doesnt pass anymore because its missing the tuner, but the TV itself works perfectly fine!!
here are some pics from it.

[grumpydoc]

While technically possible you might find that the authorities will charge you anyway as you still own a "TV"

It will probably be less aggrivation to sell the TV and buy a monitor with HDMI input (unless it is a gargantuan TV, of course).

My sister lives in UK and don't pay anything. She was able to prove that don't use a TV for watching broadcast.

Yes, it's easy in the UK - if you don't pay the licence they will (eventually) send someone round to check. If you can prove you can't receive broadcast TV you don't have to pay.

If you don't have an aerial then they generally accept you can't watch TV - BUT it might become harder because you actually need a licence to watch live streamed TV so if you don't already you might soon have to prove you don't have a computer either 

[vk6zgo]

They cut out Radio & TV receiving licences in Oz back in the 1970s--they said it cost more to police the rule than they made from it.

The ABC  (Govt financed network) is financed out of general taxes,the Commercials from Advertising revenue,& The SBS half & half!

[digsys]

They cut out Radio & TV receiving licences in Oz back in the 1970s--they said it cost more to police the rule than they made from it.

Ahhhhhhh fond  memories of "Jimmy, quicka hida da televishun, the govment is in da streit" :-) Then the false panel in the
entertainment cabinet ... then detectors, jammers .... those were the days

[dadsarmy1]

Hi, I hope it is ok to continue this thread because I want to do exactly the same as the original poster. I will need to buy a TV say up to 25" but am wondering what to buy. I need one that will work for playing dvds if tuner is removed. However which model to buy?  It looks like some tuners can be removed and some can not.

[BMack]

Hi, I hope it is ok to continue this thread because I want to do exactly the same as the original poster. I will need to buy a TV say up to 25" but am wondering what to buy. I need one that will work for playing dvds if tuner is removed. However which model to buy?  It looks like some tuners can be removed and some can not.

I presume removing the F connector is enough for your needs, in this case, they're all removable. There are some lower end TVs where the tuner section is on the board and the f connector is attached to a shielding can that has no electronics attached but I don't think anyone will disassemble the TV to check. If you really don't care about the tuner and will never reattach it, you can just grab the f connector and break it off, they're made to break off.

[stj]

what is actually needed is a europe-wide lawsuit over being forced to fund a service you dont want or use.
let the state propaganda bullhorn's like RTE,BBC,TFx,ORF etc fund themselves through advertising.
the shakeup may actually make them broadcast some decent material!! 

[xrunner]

Hi, I hope it is ok to continue this thread because I want to do exactly the same as the original poster. I will need to buy a TV say up to 25" but am wondering what to buy. I need one that will work for playing dvds if tuner is removed. However which model to buy?  It looks like some tuners can be removed and some can not.

Ok I'm gonna bite.

I live in the US so I have no idea about this, are you saying if you buy a TV that can tune channels you have to pay a fee? Then, if you take a part out that disables that ability you don't have to pay a fee?

How do you report that you took out the tuner, who is it that gets your report, how do they verify it ... 

This reminds me of that old question - how many parts can you take out of a new car before it cant be called a car anymore.

[stj]

in general terms, if you have a tv then you are supposed to pay towards the cost of the state broadcaster.

these bs laws existed prior to private satellite dishes or the internet, so it was pretty simple then - if you had a tv you had to be watching state broadcasts.

[retrolefty]

 Just for us not subject to such a usage tax, what amount do they charge a month? Do they charge per TV set or just per household?