# BBC iPlayer abroad.



## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

Has anyone seen anything regarding watching BBC iPlayer when abroad of late? I'm getting worried now that the new rules are coming into play. :surprise:


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Previously couldn't access it as it sussed I was out of the U.K. 

This year I know someone who signed up for a VPN, Tunnel Bear, works fine for Iplayer and Sky Go and ITV apps on iPad. He just download Poldark for some browny points :-D

Poor connection speed can impact viewing and cause buffering.

Not sure if new checks will block VPNs.

Terry


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## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

Yes - the BBC have applied a blanket ban on VPN for iPlayer. AFAIK it has not been announce how they can recognise VPN connections but it is suspected that they compile a list of VPN ip addresses. Therefore some VPN providers may have escaped some ip addresses being listed and some may be lucky to still give access.

Paul


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

baldlygo said:


> Yes - the BBC have applied a blanket ban on VPN for iPlayer. AFAIK it has not been announce how they can recognise VPN connections but it is suspected that they compile a list of VPN ip addresses. Therefore some VPN providers may have escaped some ip addresses being listed and some may be lucky to still give access.
> 
> Paul


 It's not the VPN I'm worried about as mine seams to get round that quite well but the fact they talk about checking the validity of you license, we have a license but can they check that when you are using a VPN?
As I said I am very worried about this as the only thing I miss about the festive TV is Hoot n Annie and I like to see it on iPlayer..........mind you, didn't think it so good last year.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Sometimes stuff like that appears on youtube or other streaming sites.

Hopefully the VPN companies will find a way around the new restrictions. Ive always found a way to find most stuff online when abroad but it sometimes takes a while. If its a popular series like Downton or something it appears on streaming sites usually within hours of it being aired.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I don't believe there is any way at the moment that the BBC or anyone else is able to block "private" VPN's - I have one on my home server that works extremely well as as I have 27Mbps at home so as long as my local connection is fast enough it works well. Also the BBC currently has no plans to check the use of iPlayer against the TV licence database. I do though believe that I read that the BBC was looking at unblocking the use of iPlayer abroad for some content.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

greygit said:


> It's not the VPN I'm worried about as mine seams to get round that quite well but the fact they talk about checking the validity of you license, we have a license but can they check that when you are using a VPN?
> As I said I am very worried about this as the only thing I miss about the festive TV is Hoot n Annie and I like to see it on iPlayer..........mind you, didn't think it so good last year.


If you are getting iPlayer via a VPN then carry on and don't worry about it. A UK TV licence on!y covers you in the UK, so even if you didn't have a licence you couldn't be prosecuted for watching abroad. It's impossible to target individuals who are using VPN's which is why the BBC are targetting certain VPN providers.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

peribro said:


> I don't believe there is any way at the moment that the BBC or anyone else is able to block "private" VPN's - I have one on my home server that works extremely well as as I have 27Mbps at home so as long as my local connection is fast enough it works well. Also the BBC currently has no plans to check the use of iPlayer against the TV licence database. I do though believe that I read that the BBC was looking at unblocking the use of iPlayer abroad for some content.


Hi Peter, what exactly is a private VPN? I have spent the last few days looking at various options for watching TV when abroad in the van. I can't justify the cost of satellite so have come to the conclusion that investing in the equipment to get a reliable internet connection and then watching TV on the laptop is the way to go. The biggest stumbling block seems to be actually getting access to BBC's iPlayer and ITV's Hub due to the broadcasting restrictions abroad. I have obviously been looking at VPN's as a way of getting round the problem so hence my question.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Ill let Peter explain about his connection via his private server but dont forget that you do indeed need a good reliable signal abroad for streaming. It can be a frustrating art VPN or not. I would say the majority of time we are connected via Fon or whatever the number of times we can get trouble free streaming is not that many. Its getting better but mostly its ok for emails and browsing but streaming is another matter. Filmon for live tv is ok (ish) but again you have to be on a signal of -70db or less which in none tech terms without an antenna means within 20 metres of the wifi signal or with an antenna maybe 100 metres or so.

Not had much experience of campsite wifi but the ones I have used are not always any more reliable. Its very hit and miss. What I have done in the past is wait until I find a super fast connection and download stuff in bulk while parked up or overnight.

In the south of France last year I just happened while parked up in a village for half an hour come across an open connection which was something like 100mb super fast. We had a list of stuff we wanted to get and while Michelle was off shopping I bagged the lot for viewing later.

Blimey, makes us sound like telly addicts.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

I was thinking that maybe one of those Huawei devices with a data sim from '3' might be the way to go? Lots of people on here seem to use them. We stay mostly on ACSI sites where WiFi is usually available but in our experience variable at best. Streaming would be impossible on most of the sites that we have stayed on in France.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

The problem you then have is data limits. A movie streamed can be over 1gb and some allowances are just 1 to 3gb a month.

Also the likes of 3 etc throttle bandwidth when your abroad to stop this kind of usage.

There is no easy cheap guaranteed way really. Even on an expensive satellite system where the kit costs £2-4k a £50 a month subscription might be limited to say 10GB. I can bust that in a day or two at home. 

EDIT: best solution I have found is to build up a library of series and the odd film when at home and store them all on the laptop. Series are better for a long trip as a film is 2 hours and thats it and most of them are rubbish anyway. Then just try and catch up with ongoing dramas as and when.

I bought some usb powered sumvision speakers for the laptop so I just bung it on the TV table in the back lounge and away you go.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

By private VPN I mean not one of the public ones that you can connect to for free or by subscription. These are the ones that service providers are starting to block. Also the speeds can be very flaky especially at peak times.

I have a Synology Diskstation that is my home server but it also has a VPN (software) built into it. I can connect to the Diskstation over the internet to view documents, stream music etc - just as if I had my files stored on a cloud server, which effectively this is. On Android devices as well as Windows (and presumably Apple) you can run VPN software / app that creates a VPN directly between your remote device and your VPN server. Once that "tunnel" has been established all my internet traffic is routed through my Diskstation which appears to all service providers as though I'm in the UK. So long as my local connection speed is good then I will have a good end connection as my home connection is fibre. 

I've mentioned a Synology Diskstation as that's what I use but there are a number of other servers and home routers that can do the same thing. If you do do it then you will either need a static IP address for your home connection (which most ISP's can provide) or you will need to use a DDNS service of which there are a number of free ones.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Great fan of filmon.com, watch any uk tv live and for a small sub plan in advance, record and download. Sub can be taken out and cancelled a month at a time. Recordings are available forever even after sub expired.

https://www.filmon.com/group/uk-live-tv

Dick


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Our MH TV has not been on since I got together with Basia:wink2::laugh:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Our MH TV has not been on since I got together with Basia:wink2::laugh:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Two minutes is long enough...

.... Then ZZZZZZZ


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Glandwr said:


> Great fan of filmon.com, watch any uk tv live and for a small sub plan in advance, record and download. Sub can be taken out and cancelled a month at a time. Recordings are available forever even after sub expired.
> 
> https://www.filmon.com/group/uk-live-tv
> 
> Dick


Like the look of the filmon site but if you watch a live programme are you then not going to have the same problem of live streaming needing a really strong internet connection. Also what's the picture and sound quality like abroad?


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

caulkhead said:


> Like the look of the filmon site but if you watch a live programme are you then not going to have the same problem of live streaming needing a really strong internet connection. Also what's the picture and sound quality like abroad?


Seems a slightly lower resolution than bbc proper but quality on a small screen perfect (you can pay for HD) you do need a reasonably fast and stable wifi though. It is possible on good 3g but as Barry said expensive. If I don't have a good signal I use the record and download function. You can have an hour free. But for $9 a month 10 hours. (Once you download an hour to disc you can delete and have that hour again as long as you don't have more than 10 hours on their server at any time. Take up and cancelled the sub as and when you are away in the van on a monthly basis.

Any old wifi connection will do for download, even the old dial up. In France McDonald's car parks are our favourite, other countries the library, campsites, municipal networks etc.

We have been married (unlike Geoff) for 40 plus years so I have to supply a good diet of costume drama and scandy noir :wink2:

Dick


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

We use a VPN for iPlayer and all the ither channels..english, german and eurosport. We connect the iPads directly to the TV and it workd fine.
In the bus we use a Huawei. This also works well. We dont use ut much for the TV, mainly for browsing.
Himself has been in the hospital here in France for the last week and has used his IPad with Huawei to watch iPlayer. The data on the card was not much but when he reached his limit he could easily buy another data package. We have an Orange data card with monthly usage ( forget how much ) which rolls over if not used. Perfectly fine for the bus every year but not for someone with nothing to do for a week !


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Glandwr said:


> Seems a slightly lower resolution than bbc proper but quality on a small screen perfect (you can pay for HD) you do need a reasonably fast and stable wifi though. It is possible on good 3g but as Barry said expensive. If I don't have a good signal I use the record and download function. You can have an hour free. But for $9 a month 10 hours. (Once you download an hour to disc you can delete and have that hour again as long as you don't have more than 10 hours on their server at any time. Take up and cancelled the sub as and when you are away in the van on a monthly basis.
> 
> Any old wifi connection will do for download, even the old dial up. In France McDonald's car parks are our favourite, other countries the library, campsites, municipal networks etc.
> 
> ...


I presume you can download a prog straight after its been broadcast? And by what you are saying, downloading a programme uses much less data than streaming it live?

This is all good stuff! Not that we are big TV watchers but back in May when we spent most of the month in Brittany, there was the odd occasion when we would have liked a bit of mindless TV instead of reading - just for a change!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I dont think it will use much less data but the point is that you can download it at your leisure. Streaming requires a good level of bandwidth but downloading to watch later does not, it just might take longer or less time depending on your connection speed but will be instantly watchable Offline once its downloaded and on your pc. Might take 20 min or 2 hours but once downloaded it will work uninterrupted.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Yep Barrys right once again:smile2:. File is the same size streamed or downloaded but no buffering if you have a slow connection. We have found amazing differences. The wife does the downloading early in the morning. Fastest achieved is 7mins for an hour long programme. On a slow connection at a busy time it can take 2 hours or more for the same programme

Dick


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Glandwr said:


> Yep Barrys right once again:smile2:. File is the same size streamed or downloaded but no buffering if you have a slow connection. We have found amazing differences. * The wife does the downloading early in the morning.* Fastest achieved is 7mins for an hour long programme. On a slow connection at a busy time it can take 2 hours or more for the same programme
> 
> Dick


Bit cruel to kick her out of bed at 0400 to do that.:surprise:

Seriously, is it possible to set the system to download at say 0200?

Geoff


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## haggisbasher (May 1, 2005)

I am currently travelling in Belgium and watched a programme this morning on BBCiPlayer on my i Pad which has VPN 😀😀. Before downloading I was asked if I held a TV Licence and I just clicked the box and hey presto !! My son - who is tech savvy and lives in Switzerland - downloaded onto my iPad the App - FilmOn Television - and you can watch lots of UK tv - we watched BBC Breakfast. Of course everything depends on the strength of wifi signal on campsite and if lots of folk logged on.

Have to say though that we are not too interested in tv but helps on a rainy day in the middle of nowhere. Also helps reduce the amount of episodes you need to watch when you get home after being away for 8 weeks 😄

Haggis


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Bit cruel to kick her out of bed at 0400 to do that.:surprise:
> 
> Seriously, is it possible to set the system to download at say 0200?
> 
> Geoff


Downloading overnight is a good idea and I often do that at home as it can take hours to download an entire series on our connection.

Couple of things to watch out for in the van. Make sure your laptop if it's on battery is set to stay awake and not go to sleep and that if on a site they don't turn the wifi off. Some do. fon will disconnect after a bit as well so the chances of waking up with a full download in the morning are slimmer in the van


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Glandwr said:


> Yep Barrys right once again:smile2:.


When was the previous time Dick - I must have been out:wink2::grin2:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

peribro said:


> When was the previous time Dick - I must have been out:wink2::grin2:


All the Brexit threads of course! No, I am sure you were there.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

barryd said:


> All the Brexit threads of course! No, I am sure you were there.


Yes - it was the Brexit threads that I had in mind!:grin2::grin2::grin2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Has there been a thread about Brexit - I must have missed it.:surprise:


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

nicholsong said:


> Has there been a thread about Brexit - I must have missed it.:surprise:


Move along now, nothing to see here:wink2:


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