The BBC iPlayer has some really cool features members located in The UK. TV catch-up is used to watch series from the beginning – so you don’t come in half way and not know what’s going on. iPlayer Desktop means that you don’t even have to be connected to the Internet to watch services (it automatically downloads them and stores them for 7 days), and series record will automatically download new episodes of your favorite series as soon as they’re available. Along with a huge library of dramas, documentaries, comedies, classics, and new shows, these are the reasons that BBC iPlayer is one of the most popular ways to watch British TV overseas. But you can’t access BBC iPlayer outside The UK without a little help.
BBC iPlayer, as well as many other TV streaming sites in The UK and The US block users without a local IP address. That means that even paying members who are located outside The UK are denied access. Paying members on holiday away from The UK feel scammed, and those living outside The UK for a long period of time think its unfair. But the very well known way around this restriction is with a virtual private network. VPNs are popular online tools that can change your IP address. A VPN is certainly not limited to changing your IP address to a British IP (you can choose any country in the world), but this is what BBC iPlayer fans are using it for.
VPNs have a number of uses that are related to security, privacy, and access to restricted material. They’re commonly used in countries that censor the Internet (to bypass local ISP restrictions), and by businesses who want to use foreign/local IP addresses for more convenient and secure communications. Americans outside The US who want to access Hulu and Netflix are also able to make use of this technology, as well as Internet users around the world who want to access these sites, regardless of their national identity.
There are many types of VPNs, but in general, you’ll run into PPTP and L2TP being used for iOS and Android systems, while these, as well as OpenVPN are able to be used on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Depending on your current location and type of operating system, your VPN provider may recommend something different.
Though you’ll have to pay a VPN membership fee on top of the normal BBC iPlayer fee, in comparison, its quite small. $5-$10 USD per month for exceptional speed and service is not unheard of. Even Europeans are finding that they’re new-found access to BBC iPlayer outside The UK isn’t as great the original version, and still using this technique. On top of that, only iPhone users are able to access this service. This means that Mac, PC, and Android users still need to use a VPN to get a UK IP address and watch British TV overseas.