Everyone loves Netflix.
Its subscribers rave about the thousands of top TV shows and movies they can access at the press of a button, and the high quality of new content like The Crown. Streaming this to a TV, tablet or smartphone is so simple and enjoyable. One thing they may complain about, though, is that the US Netflix service is a notch above what they have access to in the UK. In the States, subscribers can watch many more shows and films compared to what’s available this side of the Atlantic.
There are around 6,700 to choose from in the US but only about 4,000 in the UK. The number drops even further to around 2,500 for Germany, France and Italy. The US version of Amazon Instant Prime is also only available to viewers in America, prohibiting Europeans from binging on its enhanced offering. Even accessing the BBC iPlayer is not possible outside the UK. That’s frustrating for a licence fee-paying Brit on holiday who wishes to catch up on, say, the excellent Planet Earth series or the satirical masterpiece Have I Got News For You.
What’s the solution? Short of popping over to New York every evening, routing your broadband through a VPN (virtual private network) could be the answer. A VPN acts to hide your traffic and location by, potentially, sending the data you give out through multiple servers which could be based anywhere in the world. If you choose a server in America, this effectively tricks Netflix, Amazon or the BBC into thinking that you’re in that country and therefore able to log in to your account and watch what’s available in that country. A British business person who spends many weeks abroad each year, but still dishes out £145.50 to the Beeb, may argue that this is perfectly acceptable.
A good VPN for your broadband needs to have servers based in lots of locations and boast speeds which will handle your streaming needs. Companies like ExpressVPN, which has servers in 78 countries, and the Hungary-based service Buffered, which uses 33 servers around the world, are the market leaders. Monthly subscriptions to a VPN service like this will cost between £4 to £6 per month. Set up is simple with no need to be a tech whizkid and most offer a 30-day money back guarantee, which should help convince you to dip your toe in the VPN waters. For a full list of VPN providers, visit BestVPN.com.
Many companies, like Private Internet Access (PIA) will support up to five devices, which is handy for a whole family’s streaming demands. It’s also worth pointing that using a VPN for your home and portable devices is the right thing to do anyway, regardless of any streaming issues you have, because masking your internet info makes you less open to cyber-attacks and government snooping.
Viewers who want to make use of a VPN on their tablet or smartphone can easily search for a reliable service through their app store. If you, or even your kids, are big NOW TV fans, you may already be aware that this is a UK-only service. But under the cloak of a VPN, you could be sunning it on holiday in the south of France, route your iPad through a British server via your VPN provider and keep the children happy with a live feed to Nicktoons or Boomerang. Happy days and happy holiday.
Obviously the bods at Netflix and Amazon are aware of these tricks and, in a game of cat and mouse, they are constantly trying to stay ahead of the VPN crowd. It may take you a few tries to be successful, and indeed you may need to take advantage of a few free VPN trials in order to bust any geoblocking in place. Netflix’s terms and conditions state that you can only view content that it makes available to you in your territory. They may consider closing your account if you are seen to be changing your whereabouts, so consider this before you attempt to switch locations.
Will Netflix really take action against individuals keen to stream another country’s TV and movies? Who knows. With fantastic shows like Ripper Street, Parks & Recreation and the US Office currently available for streaming in America and not the UK, more and more VPN-savvy users could soon find out. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all bad news in Britain – Only Fools & Horses is on Netflix UK and not in the US.