Here’s an example of this in action – (we’re using NordVPN here but some others work too)Īs you can see it’s relatively straight forward, just connect to a UK based server from your VPN list before you visit the site and you’ll be fine. You can then access whatever you like – watch BBC news live online just like you were in the UK. This is the version of the site all Non-UK traffic is redirected to.įortunately there is a way to get round this, it involves hiding your real IP address when you connect. It involves connecting via an intermediary either a proxy or VPN server. This is basically a computer which sits between you and the web site you visit, hiding your real location. If that server is based in the UK, then you’ll effectively have a UK IP address as only the servers address will be visible. Indeed you may have trouble even accessing the main BBC iPlayer site as you’ll be redirected to the ‘International’ version of the BBC – the one without any of the TV channels or multimedia content. So if you connect from the USA then you’ll have an IP address from a US registered range.īasically because your IP address is registered outside the UK, you’ll not be able to access anything on the iPlayer site for example except some of the Radio Channels. Most websites will know where you are located from the network address assigned to your internet connection. It’s called geotargeting or geolocation and is used by nearly every large entertainment site on the internet. If your address is based outside the UK, you will get this message or something similar. These are all allocated and assigned to countries, so it’s simple to check your location. The blocks all work in the same way, when you try and visit the web site, your location is checked by referencing your IP address. The reasons are probably due to license issues for the BBC at least, probably something to do with copyright for the other British commercial channels – ITV Hub, 4 on Demand and Channel 5. It’s sort of confusing, the one real time you’d need BBC iPlayer for example is when you’re travelling and away from the UK, but it’s the one time you’ll be unable to access it. Unfortunately this is not the case, the sad reality is that although the majority of UK shows are indeed broadcast online – they’re only available for UK based surfers. Of course, all the major UK TV stations also now broadcast most of their stuff online, many people expect to be able to access via BBC iPlayer abroad or ITV player as normally from their computers. We all complain about the license fee and the number of repeats, but when you actually compare it with other English language broadcasting – you’ll normally appreciate just how good the quality of our television actually is. It’s not some favorite food or drink, and of course not the weather – it’s watching UK Television. When you move abroad from the UK for any length of time, there’s usually one thing that nearly all British people miss. You will then be able to connect to all the UK TV sites like BBC iPlayer with a British IP address. To watch UK TV in USA, you simply need to connect to a VPN service with a UK server. Disconnect VPN after finishing or switch to a server in your actual location to maintain security.
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