BBC iPlayer outside the UK?

[stooney]

Hi,

I live outside the UK, so BBC iPlayer tells me it won't play the videos in my area. Same goes for the ABC Player.

Is there a way around that?

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

The BBC will be releasing an international, subscription-based version of iPlayer later this year - scheduled for the summer. The free iPlayer is only available to UK residents because they have to pay a licence fee to support the BBC and, under the terms of the BBC's charter, they're not allowed to make content available free-of-charge to non UK residents.

Tim

 

[iPad 2 is cool]

Hi,

I live outside the UK, so BBC iPlayer tells me it won't play the videos in my area. Same goes for the ABC Player.

Is there a way around that?

You could use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service, hope that is not wrong to suggest guys.

If it is then sorry. It is just a simple legitimate suggestion.

Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

 

[iPad 2 is cool]

The BBC will be releasing an international, subscription-based version of iPlayer later this year - scheduled for the summer. The free iPlayer is only available to UK residents because they have to pay a licence fee to support the BBC and, under the terms of the BBC's charter, they're not allowed to make content available free-of-charge to non UK residents.

Tim

BBC world news is paid for by British tax/license fee bur is made available free to the world....do not the same rules apply then Tim ? I don't know that's why I am asking.

Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

The BBC will be releasing an international, subscription-based version of iPlayer later this year - scheduled for the summer. The free iPlayer is only available to UK residents because they have to pay a licence fee to support the BBC and, under the terms of the BBC's charter, they're not allowed to make content available free-of-charge to non UK residents.

Tim

BBC world news is paid for by British tax/license fee bur is made available free to the world....do not the same rules apply then Tim ? I don't know that's why I am asking.

Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

The BBC World Service is funded by the Foreign Office. Its funding does not come from the licence fee. So there is no problem there - in the sense that the activities of the World Service are not covered by the BBC Charter.

Yes - there is definitely a grey area here because the BBC web service is available world wide. I think it was simply a political 'hot potato' to make iPlayer available outside the UK.

Tim

 

[iPad 2 is cool]

The BBC World Service is funded by the Foreign Office. Its funding does not come from the licence fee. So there is no problem there - in the sense that the activities of the World Service are not covered by the BBC Charter.

Yes - there is definitely a grey area here because the BBC web service is available world wide. I think it was simply a political 'hot potato' to make iPlayer available outside the UK.

Tim

What about advising the use of a VPN service, that is not breaching the rules is it ? (because this allows certain bypasses....if you know what I mean).

Feel free to moderate the message.

Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I am completely unaware of whether the use of a VPN would breach regulations. However, there's an interesting article here...

Television licensing in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tim

 

[stooney]

And how would I install such a VPN thingie?

 

[iPad 2 is cool]

I am completely unaware of whether the use of a VPN would breach regulations. However, there's an interesting article here...

Television licensing in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tim

Excellent article. I hope it is accurate as it clearly states about 2/3 the way down that a license is NOT required for the use of iPlayer when using it to watch non-live programs. This in a way can legitimise the advice above on using a VPN service to connect to the iPlayer. I mean, I am a British Tax payer and have a TV license, so when I am abroad I have no guilt in logging in via my VPN and accessing all the different UK players. I must confess I have never ventured to the American sites (don't know the rules there either).

Hope this helps the person who posted the thread.

Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

 

[iPad 2 is cool]

And how would I install such a VPN thingie?

Type VPN into a search engine like google. Many will come up.

I use HideMyAss (doesn't work on iPad at the moment - they hope to have a fix in the next week or so), there are many others, mine costs about £10 per month, but with it you can join many servers all around the world and the "Web" thinks you are in that country and can thus access the services available as if you were living there. HideMyAss has servers in over 30 countries, I only use the UK ones, but could easily use the US ones I suppose for things like Hulu.

Hope this helps you.


Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

 

[DM51]

[rant]
The "funded by licence payers" excuse put out by the BBC doesn't hold water.

Even if you are a resident of the UK and a BBC licence-payer, you will find the iPlayer app doesn't work if you try to use it outside the UK. UK residents who have tried to use it overseas will already know this.

Being able to use it when you travel abroad would be one of the three useful features most people would like to see - but the BBC won't let you do that.

The second useful thing it could do would be to give users the ability to download programmes, but...... you guessed it - the BBC doesn't allow that either.

That just leaves its third function, which is to fill the gap in those very rare situations where there is no actual television available, such as during a power outage or if stranded in a car; but in those situations you would be relying on a slow 3G signal, so it probably wouldn't work anyway.

The BBC iPlayer app is therefore pretty much useless, IMO.

[/rant]

 

[iPad 2 is cool]

Wow, that's a little harsh. Using a VPN client, streaming services like The BBC iPlayer can be used abroad.

Sent from my beloved iPad 2 using iPF...... All For One And One For All.

 

[Kaykaykay]

The BBC will be releasing an international, subscription-based version of iPlayer later this year - scheduled for the summer. The free iPlayer is only available to UK residents because they have to pay a licence fee to support the BBC and, under the terms of the BBC's charter, they're not allowed to make content available free-of-charge to non UK residents.

Tim

I'm thrilled to hear this. I hope this means I will get to see new episodes of "Downton Abbey" and other BBC classic productions without delay. Take my money. Just gimme BBC programming!

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

The BBC will be releasing an international, subscription-based version of iPlayer later this year - scheduled for the summer. The free iPlayer is only available to UK residents because they have to pay a licence fee to support the BBC and, under the terms of the BBC's charter, they're not allowed to make content available free-of-charge to non UK residents.

Tim

I'm thrilled to hear this. I hope this means I will get to see new episodes of "Downton Abbey" and other BBC classic productions without delay. Take my money. Just gimme BBC programming!

Possibly not in your country, but I got Downton Abbey from the iTunes TV programmes store. Of course, you have to pay for it....and you wouldn't be able to get it with iPlayer anyway because it wasn't on the BBC but on one of the UK's commercial TV operators, ITV. So have a look in your iTunes TV programmes and see if it's there.

Tim

 

[Kaykaykay]

The BBC will be releasing an international, subscription-based version of iPlayer later this year - scheduled for the summer. The free iPlayer is only available to UK residents because they have to pay a licence fee to support the BBC and, under the terms of the BBC's charter, they're not allowed to make content available free-of-charge to non UK residents.

Tim

I'm thrilled to hear this. I hope this means I will get to see new episodes of "Downton Abbey" and other BBC classic productions without delay. Take my money. Just gimme BBC programming!

Possibly not in your country, but I got Downton Abbey from the iTunes TV programmes store. Of course, you have to pay for it....and you wouldn't be able to get it with iPlayer anyway because it wasn't on the BBC but on one of the UK's commercial TV operators, ITV. So have a look in your iTunes TV programmes and see if it's there.

Tim

I've devoured every episode made so far, via Netflix. I'm waiting for the new episodes, and I'd love not to wait even longer when they come out.