Hooray, I can get BBC abroad on iplayer!

[earthcapricorn]

Just wanted to share the good news that it is possible to get BBC abroad without spending hours at the computer looking for elusive 'proxies'. I finally stumbled on the very nice people at International Alliance Privacy Services and they have fixed it for me so I can watch BBC iplayer from my home in Sweden. It costs less than £2 per week and we have access to all the children's favourite programmes at last. Just in time for the return of Doctor Who too!

[SavoyCabbage]

I use a VPN through my ipad too. Then use 'airplay' to watch it on the TV.

Also you can get a lot of stuff on YouTube now. I've been watching Saturday Night Takeaway on there as there are no adverts. You can watch YouTube through an ipad too.

We also use Hulu on the ipad to watch American stuff.

[Astelia]

I had a look but found hola only works on Windows, not Macs.

[MercedesKing]

Great news! I have long been blocked as well and had always been digging to get BBC abroad... Thanks!

[chloeb2002]

Not that I have has time to try it yet but here in Aus a recent magazine article suggested a site called hola.org. It allows access to BBc iplayer in full not the edited overseas version... And it's free

[butterfliesinmytummy]

I use a VPN on my ipad, connect to that, use the bbc iplayer / 4od /itv app and plug the ipad into my tv via a hdmi cable. Subscribe to an "expat vpn network" for a few GBP a month (wont mention which one, there are several) and it works brilliantly. Kids love cbbc and I get british bake offs etc

[danmoss]

Only trouble with the Hotspot Shield is that it seems to be bundled with spyware, not too sure Channel 4OD works on it either now.
Best bet I guess is to go for a paid service, but one that's cheap enough.
I saw this one for 2.99

www.watchiplayer.com/trialoffer.html

[danmoss]

Only trouble with the Hotspot Shield is that it seems to be bundled with spyware, not too sure Channel 4OD works on it either now.
Best bet I guess is to go for a paid service, but one that's cheap enough.
I saw this one for 2.99

www.watchiplayer.com/trialoffer.html

[nooka]

None of these services are strictly legal, and a few have been closed down in the last year or so.

[flumperoo]

Do any other mumsnetters use this service? I've just signed up for a free trial but can't get it working despite following their instructions. After following their instructions to change the proxy settings, I was blocked out of the internet all together with a message that read: Proxy Server Refused Connection.

So, is it legit or not? Their help informatieon seems to want me to give them full access to my pc so they can set it up for me.

Has anyone else managed to set-up and use this successfully?

[SuperBunny]

Is there a discount for MNers?

[alipiggie]

Feel like reporting it all over again. Go to the Small Ads Section please. No free advertising.

[SuperBunny]

You should post this in the business section and pay to advertise.

[SirJimmySeville]

I've just got a Slingbox, which means i can watch my home TV on the other side of the Atlantic, which is pretty amazing. It does require you having a TV set/Sky or tame co-operative relative in the UK, but it works really well, I can even Sky+ things so I can watch them at the right time of day.

[earthcapricorn]

Update on Dr Who, for all those mums stationed abroad - it starts today!! (I thought it was later this month)

[earthcapricorn]

We don't all huddle round a computer to watch the BBC iplayer! We are lucky to have a projector and plug the comp in to that but you can also plug it into TV with a monitor cable - that's easy.

[Rosa]

well I for one will be giving this a go.
THANK YOU for the info .
We can't do the sky thing as our dish is pointed in the wrong direction apparently and we cannot put another one up !

[debinaustria]

You can also download tv programmes from the various torrent sites in the UK. Dh does this, then saves them on a USB key which our dvd player accepts. So we get to watch the old Dr who on tv on BBC Prime on a Saturday night and from this weekend we'll be watching the new Dr Who on a Sunday once it's been downloaded.

HI Ernest!!

[ernest]

one final point - watching something as a family huddled around a computer monitor isn't exactly the same ambience as sitting in the comfort fo your front room, in front of a big screen with decent sound. We don't have a big dish, it's just a normal size, you can't see it anyway, unless you go outseide and strain your neck, and yes, in bad weather we can loose the signal, but this isn't very often ime, and we're right on the signla border too. These problems would be even less away from the border. I still wouldn't be tempted to swapp sky for comp.

[earthcapricorn]

So all of the Miss Marples here have gone on to other cases...

[earthcapricorn]

LOL I know what you mean about Dr Who, moving children abroad is difficult enough but the fact that we would still keep up with the latest invasion of earth was the deal clincher with DS.

The only problem with the Sky setup is that you need a big dish and if the weather is bad you lose the signal. We tried this when we first moved to Seden last year and missed a lot of Christmas telly (though luckily the clouds cleared in time for the Dr Who Christmas special!)

BTW, I think you can access ITV and Channel 4 online programmes with the remote server I'm using, I just haven't tried them yet. I will find out and post back here.

I am not a telly addict, but it is a good way for the children to keep up with their own language and culture - that's my excuse anyway

[ernest]

Or you could get freeview from Sky and a satellite dish, then you've got all the usual UK TV for a 1 off cost (decoder & dish, plus about £20 for card) and no on going costs. If you're abroad for years, £100 a year for just BBC would amount to quite a lot. As it is, we already had all the equipment, so only had to pay a one off £20 for the card. Just crossing fingeres it'll all work in Germany when we move in 3 weeks, but am sure it will. Boys will be devastated. We've waited so long for new serioes of dcotor who, think there'll be riots if we can't actaully see past the 1st couple of episodes

[earthcapricorn]

Oh dear, I feel like I'm in the dock now . I am a real British mum, living in Sweden. The tip I left here was genuine and I have no interest in the company itself other than I have been very impressed with how well the service worked and how helpful they have been. I was as surprised as anyone else when they popped up here to thank me, I don't know how they found the post!

The reason I wanted to leave the tip is because I am very glad to have BBC for me and my family after trawling the internet for ways to fix it, only to come across technical threads on getting free UK proxies which take ages to find and are, as I said, pretty dubious. I wanted to share the information so that other mums don't waste their precious time. There are far more important and enjoyable things to be doing when you are a mum like posting on Mumsnet - which I am also glad I have discovered recently. Isn't the internet a marvelous thing...

(Reading back, I can see why you might have been suspicious but there was no point leaving my original post without telling you where to find the service )

[hellish]

we just sorted this last night, you need to get a uK vpn address. We paid $15 for one month, (or $60 6 months).
Now can watch BBC iplayer, itv and haven't tried Sky yet.
BTW very suspicious Angela

[UnderRated]

a little bit