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The TV Detector Van of the 1970s(?) is a classic 'real' example of this sort of thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvritKhT3j8 https://www.youtube.com/watch

The TV Detector Van of the 1970s(?) is a classic 'real' example of this sort of thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvritKhT3j8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvritKhT3j8 And if anyone thinks this is a joke, I remember watching these adverts as a child and thinking they really could work out what you were watching on the telly.

TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
TV Detector Vans were a legendary hoax. A very small fleet of real vans existed, but they were completely useless and the electronics were just a movie prop. This has never been admitted officially: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ73 http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ73 Which is all extremely weird - because it means the BBC spent real money buying a few vans and kitting them out with fake buttons, lights, and switches. And then more real money driving them around the UK and parking them in random locations. To frighten people. As for Scarfolk - found it a few years ago, thought it was hilarious. Technically it's an example of hauntology, which is borrowed from Derrida[1], but only really makes sense in the grimmer parts of the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hauntology_artists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hauntology_artists [1] Obviously...
- lewiscollard 11y ago
  This explanation is fascinating. Got further reading for the "detector vans were a hoax" thing? (I may be misremembering but I'm sure those ads were around in the mid-80s too.)
- jdietrich 11y ago
  Detecting a CRT television isn't remotely difficult - any decent radio amateur could do it with the equipment they have at hand. The intermediate frequency and the CRT deflection signal are emitted at detectable levels, particularly on cheap sets. Frankly, I think it's implausible that detector vans were a complete hoax. The BBC undoubtedly had the technological capability to reliably and quickly locate TV sets. I do think it's plausible that the actual use of detector vans was overstated for PR purposes.
  - TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
    There are exactly zero records of prosecutions obtained using evidence collected by a detector van. It would be one thing to detect an analog TV IF signal, another to triangulate its position precisely enough to identify a specific house in a street or room in a block - given that every other TV in the area would be generating exactly the same IF oscillator signal - and a third to prove the TV was tuned into a program and not being used for pong, a computer, or watching a video. And it would be unnecessary. The licensing enforcers have always kept a record of addresses without a license. If - like me - you don't have a TV, you get a regular stream of letters threatening prosecution anyway, and an occasional knock on the door. If you're an enforcer, the easiest way to check if someone has a TV is to look at a house after dark. Most living rooms in the UK are visible from the street.
    - DanBC 11y ago
      > There are exactly zero records of prosecutions obtained using evidence collected by a detector van. How did you check?
    - jdietrich 11y ago
      >There are exactly zero records of prosecutions obtained using evidence collected by a detector van. TVL say they use detector van evidence as grounds for a search warrant, which seems perfectly reasonable. Why argue the technicalities of RF triangulation in court when you can just get a warrant, search the house and collect incontrovertible evidence?
- scrumper 11y ago
  They were even used as trig examples in maths lessons! "Here's how a detector van triangulates on a license evader's house..."
chiph 11y ago
Well, in theory, yes they could see what you watching (no great stretch, as Britain only had a few channels to choose from at the time), via TEMPEST techniques. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(codename) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(codename)
jaxb 11y ago
apparently they can now (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_People_Meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_People_Meter)

TheOtherHobbes 11y ago

TV Detector Vans were a legendary hoax. A very small fleet of real vans existed, but they were completely useless and the electronics were just a movie prop. This has never been admitted officially: http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ73 http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ73 Which is all extremely weird - because it means the BBC spent real money buying a few vans and kitting them out with fake buttons, lights, and switches. And then more real money driving them around the UK and parking them in random locations. To frighten people. As for Scarfolk - found it a few years ago, thought it was hilarious. Technically it's an example of hauntology, which is borrowed from Derrida[1], but only really makes sense in the grimmer parts of the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hauntology_artists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hauntology_artists [1] Obviously...

lewiscollard 11y ago
This explanation is fascinating. Got further reading for the "detector vans were a hoax" thing? (I may be misremembering but I'm sure those ads were around in the mid-80s too.)
jdietrich 11y ago
Detecting a CRT television isn't remotely difficult - any decent radio amateur could do it with the equipment they have at hand. The intermediate frequency and the CRT deflection signal are emitted at detectable levels, particularly on cheap sets. Frankly, I think it's implausible that detector vans were a complete hoax. The BBC undoubtedly had the technological capability to reliably and quickly locate TV sets. I do think it's plausible that the actual use of detector vans was overstated for PR purposes.
- TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
  There are exactly zero records of prosecutions obtained using evidence collected by a detector van. It would be one thing to detect an analog TV IF signal, another to triangulate its position precisely enough to identify a specific house in a street or room in a block - given that every other TV in the area would be generating exactly the same IF oscillator signal - and a third to prove the TV was tuned into a program and not being used for pong, a computer, or watching a video. And it would be unnecessary. The licensing enforcers have always kept a record of addresses without a license. If - like me - you don't have a TV, you get a regular stream of letters threatening prosecution anyway, and an occasional knock on the door. If you're an enforcer, the easiest way to check if someone has a TV is to look at a house after dark. Most living rooms in the UK are visible from the street.
  - DanBC 11y ago
    > There are exactly zero records of prosecutions obtained using evidence collected by a detector van. How did you check?
  - jdietrich 11y ago
    >There are exactly zero records of prosecutions obtained using evidence collected by a detector van. TVL say they use detector van evidence as grounds for a search warrant, which seems perfectly reasonable. Why argue the technicalities of RF triangulation in court when you can just get a warrant, search the house and collect incontrovertible evidence?
scrumper 11y ago
They were even used as trig examples in maths lessons! "Here's how a detector van triangulates on a license evader's house..."

chiph 11y ago

Well, in theory, yes they could see what you watching (no great stretch, as Britain only had a few channels to choose from at the time), via TEMPEST techniques. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(codename) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(codename)

jaxb 11y ago

apparently they can now (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_People_Meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_People_Meter)