People still seeing things in black and white (From Sutton Guardian)

20 households still have black and white TV licences in Sutton

10:50am Friday 11th January 2013 in News

People still seeing things in black and white

With things like high definition, 3D, plasma and other options available, choosing a TV can be confusing - but for some people it's as simple as black and white.

Figures released by TV Licensing show 20 households in Sutton have turned their backs on colour TV and still have black and white licences - almost half a century on from the first colour transmissions.

The 20 black and white households in the borough are among 13,202 black and white licences held nationally - a figure which has been steadily declining.

Black and white licences cost just £49 per year compared to the £145.50 it costs for a colour one.

Television historian John Trenouth said: "The numbers of black and white TV sets in regular use has fallen dramatically over the last few years, hastened by the fact that it's now almost impossible to replace them and by the need to buy a suitable set top box to continue to use them after digital switch over.

"The continued use of black and white TV sets, despite the obstacles, is more likely to be driven by economics than by nostalgia. For low-income households the black and white licence fee is an attractive alternative to the full colour fee."

There are 25million licensed TV viewers in the UK. The first colour transmission was made 46 years ago.