Geoblocking and accessing content online

Have you tried to access something online recently and been geoblocked? What was it? How do you deal with geoblocking when it stops you accessing the content you want? Share tips and ideas here.

I tried to view a BBC documentary episode (sorry I can’t remember what it was) that I missed seeing when it was broadcast on ABC TV. It wasn’t on iView, so I went to the documentary maker, the BBC to view it on their catch-up site.

To my great surprise I was geo-blocked by the BBC! No explanation was provided why I would not be permitted to watch it based on my location.

Annoyed at this apparently arbitrary decision, I Googled the programme & episode & found multiple copies floating around on-line. I ended up viewing a good copy uploaded onto YouTube.

This has happened to me with other English documentaries I have seen on SBS as well. They too were available on YouTube.

A BIG raspberry to geo-blocking!

5 Likes

There are free DNS changers out there but normally they aren’t as safe as paid ones. In fact some have even been caught selling your information to advertisers. I use an Australian company called dns4me. It only costs about $25 a year & lets you un-block the net nice & easy.

1 Like

thank you @wombats-hollow. I had heard about DNS changers, but

  1. I have a fixed IP address & I suspect that DNS changers may cause problems with other apps which use my IP address.
  2. I object to geo-blocking for no good reason (which in my opinion is most of the time) apart from market segmentation. Also,
  3. I don’t want load more stuff onto my computer over and above what I already use just to get around it.
1 Like

You don’t have to change all of your IP addresses. For example if you only want your laptop to use it then you only use that laptops settings. You can put it individually on or off any of your systems. I run mine straight through my modem/router that way it is easier for me. But I can set everything back to normal & only have my desktop as a different DNS.
I hope that sounds straight.

1 Like

I tried to access the Killing - a Danish drama on Netflix. For some reason it is Geoblocked. I believe it used to be on SBS but has since been removed from their SBS on demand site. I successfully used Getflix to unlock the content from Netflix. However, they are currently engaged in an arms race and have had to update their systems several times in the last 6 months. As of today only US Netflix is available through Getflix and the Killing happens to be only available on UK Netflx (AFAIK)

1 Like

I can access BBC IPlayer using the PIA VPN (Southhampton) and can play other programmes but IPlayer says THE KILLING is no longer available on their site.

I’ve had this a number of times, most recently when I was in Iceland for more than two months and couldn’t watch things on ABC iView or BBC.

In general though I think it’s really just a commercially motivated ripoff. the price differences in some IT products according to region are well documented, and given that many of these things are delivered electronically it beggars belief that this difference is justified by physical location of the buyer.

Something that seems to me to be related is the region arrangement for DVDs and Bluerays. What is the justification for this? I used to live overseas, and of course would have had to re-buy anything I wanted to watch when I returned to Australia, had I not been able to source a region-free DVD player at the time.

Many of my friends and acquaintances are IT types who know how to get around all of these limitations. For most people though, they are a cost burden.

1 Like

Netflix have been in a massive arms race with proxy/VPN providers stopping them from allowing access to shows and movies where they have a license only in certain regions, but all they can really do is block IP addresses - most of the time all these places have to do is change what IP address Netflix sees and they’re back in business, until Netflix notices and blocks them again. We recently signed back up for Unotelly only to find that most of their regions were blocked, and their test region only briefly allowed before it got blocked again.

Rolling your own is possible, but it is quite difficult to put together since you’re essentially on your own. If the community gods have no problem, I would like to put together a step-by-step HOWTO on doing this. This will be especially important if you use something like a Google Chromecast, which talks directly to Google DNS, effectively side-stepping any DNS-related geo-unblocking measures.

8 Likes

+1 to Getflix and successful use.

Hi @kvignehsa
all I can see on @wfallen’s 2x posts is [quote=“wfallen, post:9, topic:64, full:true”]
translation missing: en.js.post.deleted_by_author
[/quote]
As it appears they have been deleted, does this need to appear?

I quite often watch BBC documentaries on Youtube. Quality broadcasts!

We’re looking into this @meltam. Thanks for pointing it out.

You are welcome …@Julie

Also, could you please re-consider and reduce the 20 character minimumum to maybe 10?

Thanks for that @Julie. And to @meltam for alerting us to it.

A step-by-step guide on how to roll your own unblocker? That sounds brilliant.

2 Likes

Since I started using the Tor Browser I didn’t have any problems with Geo-blocking anymore.
I experienced two little issues with it:

  1. It is slower then other browsers and takes a bit longer to start up.
  2. Some websites do not accept Tor browser.

Give it a go. More info and download here: https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en

3 Likes

Use a VPN. It’s safer anyhow, but fixes geo blocking. Try Hideme.

I’ve used Getflix for a couple of years, so as to access US and UK versions of Netflix.

The battle between Netflix and geoblockers over the past 6 months has been frustrating. Getflix is doing its best to keep up, but it varies from week to week and between devices as well. Mostly I can still get US Netflix on my computers but only Australian on my Amazon Firestick (plugged into TV).

I confess, when I’m part-way through a movie or TV show using Netflix, I might resort to Putlocker (with a browser adblocker, as their ads are horrendous.) And if this battle continues, I suspect some folks will drop their Netflix subscription and use free sites like Putlocker and similar instead.

1 Like

Hi Guys, I use PureVPN. This is a paid VPN. I have found it to be generally very good. I am able to watch BBC iPlayer any time as well as ITV and Channel 4. With these channels I can also watch live TV. I have combined this with Google ChromeCast attached to the TV and by adding the Casting App to Google Chrome browser you can “cast” these overseas channels to the TV. So if you want to watch BBC Breakfast and ITV Good Morning Britain as well as many other shows this is a good way to go.

1 Like