# VPN that works for ITV Hub and BBC iplayer?



## Glynb (Oct 6, 2016)

Anyone have a VPN that works for ITV Player and BBC iplayer currently from Spain?

My current subscription has expired and I'm looking for a new one.

If you prefer not to make it public (so they can be blocked by the aforementioned ITV and BBC) please PM me, thanks.


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## Exeter (Jan 19, 2020)

Glynb said:


> Anyone have a VPN that works for ITV Player and BBC iplayer currently from Spain?
> 
> My current subscription has expired and I'm looking for a new one.
> 
> If you prefer not to make it public (so they can be blocked by the aforementioned ITV and BBC) please PM me, thanks.


I would use a DNS changer as much more reliable and doesn't affect your connection speed. Google smart dns


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I don't use a VPN but I subscribe to TV Mucho which gives you access to all UK channels (including 7 day catch-up) for €4 a month. It was a bit flaky to start with but seems pretty reliable now.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

I use Express VPN and is reliable, but have fibre broadband.


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## Gardenofengland (Mar 2, 2017)

We use NordVPN. It works OK most of the time. Sometimes the BBC stops bit then they go to another server..It costs roughly €30 annually.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

SmartDNSproxy


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## trotter58 (Feb 8, 2017)

Glynb said:


> Anyone have a VPN that works for ITV Player and BBC iplayer currently from Spain?
> 
> My current subscription has expired and I'm looking for a new one.
> 
> If you prefer not to make it public (so they can be blocked by the aforementioned ITV and BBC) please PM me, thanks.


Smart DNS ..... https://www.smartdnsproxy.com/

They also offer a VPN if you really need it but the cheaper DNS proxy server is faster with iplayer, TV Hub etc.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> I don't use a VPN but I subscribe to TV Mucho which gives you access to all UK channels (including 7 day catch-up) for €4 a month. It was a bit flaky to start with but seems pretty reliable now.


I also subscribe to TV Mucho. It's an excellent service and saves all the hassle of finding a decent VPN.

Steve


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

I understand the problem with VPN for BBC ITV etc is that the broadcaster identifies unusual high use from servers and then blocks them

I have a lifetime subscription with Hotspot Shield. It is ok sometimes. 

I also use TV Mucho with my iPhone with Apple TV box. That is usually pretty good too

I think one takes a chance when choosing a service


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## Glynb (Oct 6, 2016)

Gardenofengland said:


> We use NordVPN. It works OK most of the time. Sometimes the BBC stops bit then they go to another server..It costs roughly €30 annually.


I went on some comparison sites and this one tended to be well rated so we went with NORDVPN. So far it's working really well, much better than the previous SaferVPN which was often hanging, freezing, having to reboot.

My other half is very happy, binged on Coronation Street catchup yesterday 

It was slightly more expensive than the previous one, but I guess you get what you pay for in life.

Found a Daily Mail discount code site which actually worked (usually they don't for me) and got a bit off.

Thanks for the replies.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

I think I paid about 100€ for lifetime subscription with hotspotshield


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## Matthew01 (Feb 10, 2020)

Glynb said:


> Anyone have a VPN that works for ITV Player and BBC iplayer currently from Spain?
> 
> My current subscription has expired and I'm looking for a new one.
> 
> If you prefer not to make it public (so they can be blocked by the aforementioned ITV and BBC) please PM me, thanks.


I recommend you to go with those VPNs which has specific server for Europe. Like Surfshark


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Is it illegal to watch BBC in Europe? I can only watch SKY go on my iPad when there.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

Isobella said:


> Is it illegal to watch BBC in Europe? I can only watch SKY go on my iPad when there.


No. Perfectly legal to watch BBC via satellite in Europe, 
And perfectly legal to watch via the internet via iPlayer...although using a VPN / Smart DNS service...but may be against the T&Cs of use.

Your use of SkyGO is due to an EU rule that says you must be allows to access your paid / subscription digital online content when travelling in the EU. This is for short term travel and not for permanent / expats use. As SkyGo is a paid service, that is why you can access it in the EU without a VPN/SDNS service, although only for approx 30 days before the device must be logging in to a UK IP address, to prove you are a short term traveler and not an expat. As iPlayer is not a paid / subscription service, this rule does not apply. This rule will also not apply anyway to paid / subscription services from the UK after Brexit, just like mobile data roaming and calls, and it will be up to the individual companies to decide if they want to continue with it or not


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## Glynb (Oct 6, 2016)

sat said:


> No. Perfectly legal to watch BBC via satellite in Europe,
> And perfectly legal to watch via the internet via iPlayer...although using a VPN / Smart DNS service...but may be against the T&Cs of use.
> 
> Your use of SkyGO is due to an EU rule that says you must be allows to access your paid / subscription digital online content when travelling in the EU. This is for short term travel and not for permanent / expats use. As SkyGo is a paid service, that is why you can access it in the EU without a VPN/SDNS service, although only for approx 30 days before the device must be logging in to a UK IP address, to prove you are a short term traveler and not an expat. As iPlayer is not a paid / subscription service, this rule does not apply. This rule will also not apply anyway to paid / subscription services from the UK after Brexit, just like mobile data roaming and calls, and it will be up to the individual companies to decide if they want to continue with it or not


If legal, how come they say it's due to a rights issue? 

Presumably if the rights are limited to watching in the UK, and they take measures to block access from outside, there's something dubious about getting around their protections and watching from outside the UK? If not illegal would it be a civil matter?


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

*What about BritBox ?* - the so called joint venture created by the BBC and ITV ( and now with
Channel 4 & 5 onboard ) to setup a Netflix style service abroad with what they call the best of
British programs.

I see that despite the hype over BritBox, it's only been rolled out to the United States and
Canada so far.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

The definition of 'illegal' is contrary to (a) law so I challenge anyone who claims is illegal to watch Sky TV outside of the UK to name that law.

Not holding my breath!


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

Glynb said:


> If legal, how come they say it's due to a rights issue?
> 
> Presumably if the rights are limited to watching in the UK, and they take measures to block access from outside, there's something dubious about getting around their protections and watching from outside the UK? If not illegal would it be a civil matter?


Being legal to watch by someone outside the UK, and being able to transmit by the broadcasters outside the UK are two completely different things. Hence it is totally legal to watch UK TV in outside the UK, but due to rights issues the Uk broadcasters are under no obligation to transmit to areas they dont own the rights to...


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

Williams2 said:


> *What about BritBox ?* - the so called joint venture created by the BBC and ITV ( and now with
> Channel 4 & 5 onboard ) to setup a Netflix style service abroad with what they call the best of
> British programs.
> 
> ...


The UK version is up and running, and has been since mid 2019. The US version has been running much longer in some other areas. 
But obviously content offered on the UK version will differ to other countries versions, due to who has the rights in those other countries.
Can see it being rolled out around Europe and the world, but again, content will differ on a country by country basis.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

MataMata said:


> The definition of 'illegal' is contrary to (a) law so I challenge anyone who claims is illegal to watch Sky TV outside of the UK to name that law.
> 
> Not holding my breath!


Via satellite, or via the internet direct from the broadcaster not illegal. So you can keep breathing.

Via a third party, with equipment to "circumnavigate" encryption methods employed by the broadcaster (eg cardsharing, streaming / iptv) , is illegal...various rules and laws for this EU and nationally.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

sat said:


> The UK version is up and running, and has been since mid 2019. The US version has been running much longer in some other areas.
> But obviously content offered on the UK version will differ to other countries versions, due to who has the rights in those other countries.
> Can see it being rolled out around Europe and the world, but again, content will differ on a country by country basis.


I have watched BBC America many times and overall it is rubbish.


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## Matthew01 (Feb 10, 2020)

Glynb said:


> Anyone have a VPN that works for ITV Player and BBC iplayer currently from Spain?
> 
> My current subscription has expired and I'm looking for a new one.
> 
> If you prefer not to make it public (so they can be blocked by the aforementioned ITV and BBC) please PM me, thanks.


Do not have much knowledge about this however surfshark sounds good for Apple tv


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Hotspot Shield works. I download in spain from BBC Iplayer and then watch particular progs or when I have nothing better on the U.K. tv I get from my fibre optic supplier.

I have a life membership with hotspot


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## Glynb (Oct 6, 2016)

I started this thread, just an update as I notice there's been a couple of recent replies. I'm still using NORDVPN and very happy with it so far. Does exactly what I wanted, able to view BBC Iplayer and ITV Player reliably. Been a godsend during lockdown especially. Also able to access netflix UK.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Glynb said:


> I started this thread, just an update as I notice there's been a couple of recent replies. I'm still using NORDVPN and very happy with it so far. Does exactly what I wanted, able to view BBC Iplayer and ITV Player reliably. Been a godsend during lockdown especially. Also able to access netflix UK.


Thats good to know, so does it mean you can just watch with an internet connection on a PC or stream to TV and not muck around wth one of those boxes?


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## Glynb (Oct 6, 2016)

Barriej said:


> Thats good to know, so does it mean you can just watch with an internet connection on a PC or stream to TV and not muck around wth one of those boxes?


Yes exactly. You sign up to a VPN, they usually have plans for 1 yr, 2 yrs, 3yrs, obviously cheeper for longer. Download and install their software to your laptop or PC. You then sign in to their VPN client and choose whatever country you wish to 'appear' to be browsing from (in our case the UK). Most of them have online chat sessions for help if you're not very IT savvy.

In effect you connect to the VPN service based in the UK, which can then access the online TV service on your behalf, as it is based in the UK and the ITV/BBC players are happy to connect to it. 

Another benefit of VPN is anonymous browsing, it masks your own IP address from snoopers, but as I don't do anything naughty it's not something that interests me


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Good stuff!

I'm a bit ignorant to all this, but I do sometimes find myself wanting to use UK Amazon Prime Video instead of the Spain version.

But I (we) would want to watch on various devices. Are there any VPNs which you can use at router level so that all connected devices are "masked"? In my house there are 3 PCs, 4 Android tablets and 2 Android phones, and a Play Station 4. I wouldn't want to have to use individual VPNs on all those!

Failing that, are there any which work on Windows and Android at the same time?


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

Overandout said:


> Good stuff!
> 
> I'm a bit ignorant to all this, but I do sometimes find myself wanting to use UK Amazon Prime Video instead of the Spain version.
> 
> ...


YOu can run VPNs at router level, but you usually need to flash the router with different firmware to enable it to run the VPN. But remember that VPNs do slow traffic down a bit, so be wary of using multiple devices using at at the same time).

Alternatively look at a smart dns service ( https://www.smartdnsproxy.com/ - offers a 2 week free trial), that you can input onto a router without any other firmware, or even just put it on individual devices (if they allow). 

But sometimes, even with a VPN / SDNS service, broadcasters can and still block your access so best do a trial first.

If you want Amazon Prime for WTA and ATP tennis, and you do not live in the UK, then best look at Eurosport player...which has the rights for Europe for these events..


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

sat said:


> YOu can run VPNs at router level, but you usually need to flash the router with different firmware to enable it to run the VPN. But remember that VPNs do slow traffic down a bit, so be wary of using multiple devices using at at the same time).
> 
> Alternatively look at a smart dns service ( https://www.smartdnsproxy.com/ - offers a 2 week free trial), that you can input onto a router without any other firmware, or even just put it on individual devices (if they allow).
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot Sat. That's very useful.


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## Glynb (Oct 6, 2016)

Overandout said:


> Good stuff!
> 
> I'm a bit ignorant to all this, but I do sometimes find myself wanting to use UK Amazon Prime Video instead of the Spain version.
> 
> ...


You simply install the VPN software on any device you want to use (laptop,ipad, phone etc). VPNs then limit the number of connections you can have simultaneously (I think mine is four simultaneously) . Each device then needs to log in to the VPN service using your account details, save the login and you don't need to enter it in future. 

As mentioned by another responder, if four people all log in to the VPN at the same time from your home then they're splitting the bandwidth between them, so you might get slower response if they're all streaming films at the same time. But that would be true even without using a VPN, unless you have Fibre. 

With NORDVPN they seem to have various servers in the UK and vary which one you connect to, so maybe that gets round the issue of the TV providers blocking the VPN servers through them connecting too often.


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## fhanrah (Feb 16, 2017)

I use express vpn, I have used it in China{one of the strictest in the world with internet}, Ireland Spain, USA to give me access the irish and uk tv.


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## Terence-Paul (Nov 4, 2019)

Windscribe is free to an extent, like you can access 2Gbs a month without even using your email address and 10Gbs if you do. It works well and if you only watch the odd program or two it is useful. TV mucho has free one hour a day. Best option at €4 a month you can access UK tv and record seven days catchup etc


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## Miascot (Dec 16, 2018)

I’ve been using CyberGhost in both Thailand and Spain and it has been excellent


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

I have Avatel (https://www.avatel.es/). They provide fast wifi (300 mb) many tv channels in several languages, we have two mobiles with up to 30 mb per month, fixed line telephone with free calls within spain. All for about 42 euro per month including IVA


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