Danish TV

TV in Denmark is probably no better or worse than anywhere else in the world when it comes to programming. There is rarely anything on worth watching! The biggest problem with Danish TV is that you need to have a TV license, and it is very expensive. At present it costs 2200 kroner per year to have a license.

Now you may say, “Fine, I don’t want a television license since I won't watch TV." Are you going to listen to the radio instead? You'll need a license for that – a bargain at only 160 per year! Wait – do you use a computer and have online access – or does your phone have internet access, or is it capable of video? Well, you need a TV (or Media) license. So there really is no way to get around the cost of getting a TV license unless you do not own a TV, radio or computer.

The law basically says, “If you have anything that is capable of playing video you need a license – TV, Computer, Game Console, Phone, Ipod, etc." Face it, if you live in the modern world, you need one and they are not cheap.

The next problem is that the license only gives you access to a few stations – DR1, DR2 and TV2. If you want other channels, like TV2 Zulu, TV2 Charlie, Discovery, BBC, etc., then you need to pay extra. You will have to buy a cable package or get satellite. All of a sudden, you are paying over 500 kroner a month for your television viewing priveleges. And guess what – there are still commercials on many of the stations and the basic stations don’t often start programming until the afternoon or early evenings, and then they shut down before midnight.

You don’t get much bang for your buck in this system.

Now I do have an alternative solution which many may find suitable and others may say, “Not for me”. There are a couple of online websites that actually have television shows and the latest movies available for viewing. And best of all – they are FREE.

First, you can always check out You Tube for many great clips and shows. However, I prefer to use a site called "Surf the Channel", which has a list of 1000s of televisions shows, movies, documentaries and even comics. The site is just a portal to a list of sites that host these shows. Sites include MegaVideo, Tudou, Youko, SJNA, Live Video, Google Video, Veoh, Zomganime, Kumby, TV TU, and many more hosts. You can choose where you wish to view them and then just hit "Play".

I love the idea that I can keep up-to-date with shows like Heroes, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Prison Break, Lost, and major blockbuster movies from the comfort of my home!

Now before you decide to view the shows on your computer, you can also use the option of watching them on your TV screen. You just hook up a cable (get a PC RGB cable – make sure your TV has a PC plug) from your computer to your TV, change the viewing mode on your TV to computer/PC and voila!, you can now watch your shows on the TV and whenever you feel like it.

Each site has some restrictions and drawbacks – some limit the time for each session, some have Japanese or Korean translation on the bottom of the screen, some have faulty timelines and the sound and action are a bit out of sync, etc. You will soon discover which sites are best for which shows.

You can also register (for free) with the site and bookmark movies, tv programs, etc., that you may wish to watch at a later date. We often hear of a great movie and say, “Hey, we should watch that”, but soon forget about it. Now I just log on, find the movie, bookmark it, and, next time we want to sit down and watch a movie, we have a few to choose from without having to search through 1000s of listings.

As you play around with the site, you will find which channels work best for you and which ones to avoid. I have found the sites to be safe, virus-free and fairly easy to navigate.

So, if you want more television viewing options without having to fork over more money each month – check out Surf the Channel.

If you need more information about getting a TV license, contact DR License at www.dr.dk or on Tlf: 3520 3040.

Remember if you do not have a license, you are breaking the law and you will be fined.

New News

There are so many different packages available from various companies like TDC, Viasat, Telia and many more. Since these offers change so rapidly, it is hard to give good advice on who is the best. TDC is probably the most popular, but also one of the most unpopular.

The best advise I can give you, is when you get an offer you like, get it in writing and than check your first statement to make sure you got exactly what you asked for and at the right price. Some companies (especially TDC) love to add little additional things for "FREE" for a trial period and than suddenly you are paying a large fee for something you never ordered. (This is just from personal experience and talking with other people.)

There are lots of stealth taxes, which they never tell you about and not sure you can do much about them.

Many of the companies will have packages where you get TV, Internet and phone all in one package. Again, beware and research the best packages. Go to several shops and talk to the various providers.

A good idea is to go to the phone shops and stores that sell TV and see who they recommend. They often know of the best offers around and may even being doing a promotion with one of the providers.

Start with Telia and TDC and than you have an idea of what the main providers are offering and their costs.

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