So – even though I have a TV I don’t need to pay the licence fee? Are you talking about “getting away with it” or is that actually legal?
You need the TV licence to watch or record TV as it is broadcast live (even if it’s a non-BBC channel like ITV or Sky 1). That’s it. You do not need a licence if you only ever watch streamed shows (including iPlayer).
The TV licence enforcement people will hound the shit out you if you don’t have one. However, they do not have any special powers without a court order, they have no rights to “just pop in for a quick look” unless you choose to let them, and “detector vans” are a myth.
So if you don’t watch broadcast TV and don’t mind getting threatening letters on a regular basis, you don’t need to buy a licence.
Personally, I do pay for mine. I think the BBC is responsible for some awesome programming and it’s well worth the money.