In Part 2, I explored the various options available for Canadian cord-cutters to access the same television content they had through their Canadian cable or satellite provider, for little to no long-term costs. While cord-cutters can now access content through the websites of major Canadian broadcasters, this still leaves another problem that is unique to Canadians. One of the major complaints among Canadian television viewers is our selection of content. In a nutshell, the selection is poor. While Canadian’s have access to some of the most popular American content through our major broadcasters, their are a lot of high quality programs that either never make it to Canada or are behind by a few seasons. One such example is the hit British television series Misfits, which is available in the United States exclusively on Hulu.
For cord cutter’s, this is particularly frustrating. Canadians are typically geo-blocked from accessing television content online through American broadcasters such as CBS and the CW, or through online streaming services such as Hulu. In practice, this means that Canadians are typically met with arrogant black screens, that often includes a message such as “The video you have requested is not available in your geographical region”. This diagram demonstrates our limitations.
Of course, we have a way around this. A tool called the Virtual Private Network (VPN). Simply put, a VPN creates a tunnel between your computer and a server in another location (e.g: the US). Once logged on, you can surf the web as if your a computer based in the United States. I am currently working out of my computer here in Ottawa, but with my VPN the internet basically thinks that I am based out of Manhattan, New York, which is the location of my VPN server. This opens up a whole new world for cord cutters who stream content online, as the diagram below demonstrates.
For anybody who has subscribed to Netflix Canada, its no secret that the selection of content for Canadian’s is disappointing, unless of course your a fan of indie films or B-horror. For those who have not given Netflix Canada a try, here is a short review. Have a short attention span? Here is a witty 25 sec video review. A VPN connection gives you access to the better stocked Netflix US.
It also gives you access to Hulu, which is basically a one-shop-stop for all your television viewing content. It doesn’t have the same movie selection as Netflix, but it has deals with nearly all the major US networks. It also carries exclusive content such as Misfits. For $7.99, you can upgrade to Hulu Plus, which gives you access to entire seasons and even entire series (such as the all 6 seasons of Lost) as well as HD content. Alternately, for fans of British drama such as the EastEnders, a VPN IP based in the UK will give you access to the BBC iPlayer.
Sports fans, you can use the VPN to get around local blackout restrictions on your online streaming subscription. Just make sure that the use of the VPN doesn’t violate the terms and conditions of your subscription and\or the league.
How-to-steps:
1) To get started with a VPN, first Find a VPN service provider that providers a US-based server. I currently use StrongVPN.com and pay approximately $55 annually. You can buy a three month package to try for approximately $7 per month. As stated in Part 1, I encourage you to shop around for other service providers. I’d stick with the most reputable providers to prevent blackouts. I’ve had my current service for 6 months and have had no problems. Another reputable company is Hide My Ass!
2) Once you’ve subscribed, your VPN service provider should provide you with three pieces of information
- Host Name – This could be an IP address such as 192.168.0.1 or a server name such as wnxx.reliablehosting.com
- Username – Typically the user name used to set up your account.
- Password – Typically the password used to set up your account.
3) Once you have all your information in order, setting it up is fairly simple. StrongVPN actually provides step-by-step instructions on how to set it up. It should be as easy as connecting your computer to a Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop.
Here are the screen-by-screen instructions by Operating System:
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
- Mac OSX
- iPhone
- Android (Ice Cream Sandwich)
- Android (Gingerbread/Froyo)
- Ubuntu Linux
great blog! Just wondering about the VPN use. If I set one up, does that mean I get that access through all my devices (Ipad, laptop, PS3 and Apple TV)? Or is it only for when I connect through my laptop? Thanks
While this is a great walk through and very informative, VPN use to watch foreign content is illegal. You are circumventing copyright protection measures in order to access content outside of the licensed territory.
In the case of the iPlayer it is illegal not only for copyright infringement but non-payment of a license fee. To access the iPlayer in the UK you need to be a registered television license holder (kind of like a tv tax) that pays for your viewing of all BBC channels for the year.
I know people are going to do it anyway and I’m not trying to scare anyone, I’m just pointing it out because you mentioned on your main page you would talk about the legalities surrounding VPN use but you haven’t.
I will correct that in the article, I must have lost sight of it while writing this article on the train. To address your claim that it is “illegal”, I have two things to say to that. 1) It is a legal quagmire fore sure, but “illegal” is too strong of a word. I think the term you are looking for is “breach of contract. 2) The primary party who could potentially be subject to a breach of contract law suit is not the viewer, but the online distributor of the content.
For example, CBS sells the rights to “Grey’s Anatomy” to CTV in Canada. CTV pays for these rights and therefore have the right to stream to Canada. The legal onus is on CBS to ensure that CTV has exclusive rights, hence why CBS geo-blocks Canadians from streaming the show on CBS, forcing Canadians to watch it on CTV.
If enough Canadians (say 20% of viewers) circumvent the geo-blocked website by using a VPN to access CBS, and CBS does nothing to prevent this, this may be construed as a breach of contract. The onus of proof is on CTV. Right now, CTV isn’t losing enough market share to warrant a law-suit, but CBS has the right to go further to prevent Canadians from accessing CBS streaming.
For example, Amazon Prime video streaming is not available in Canada. However, when you try to access it through a VPN, it requires that you register with a credit card. Canadian credit cards are automatically blocked. The two layers of security prevent people from circumventing geographic restrictions. They do this to prevent liability to their company from international broadcasters that hold broadcast rights for the content that Amazon sells.
As a viewer, it is not illegal. I am not breaking any specific laws by using a VPN. VPN is used widely in large corporations. IBM for example allow employees to access company servers at home through a VPN. This can also occur for cross-border employees. That is Canadians who work
for companies based in the US, but work from home in Canada.
While you can check emails remotely from Canada via your work email in the US, the unintended consequence is that your computer also has access to whatever the server in the US office has access to.
If you live in Iran, VPN to the US is also used by critics and opposition members to avoid being tracked by Government. No laws are being broken as a result.
Again I highly recommend Roku boxes in Canada because of the content available and Netflix and a number of channels are great on these hd boxes .
Hello! Very nice articles! I am planning to cut once my contract ends in May 2013. Any chance you’ll be writing the 4th part soon? Not sure if I want to stick with Rogers (limited but FAST speeds) or move to Teksavvy (unlimited). Anybody else in Toronto who cut the cord?
Hi, Thanks for all the info. I am in the process of trying a few options prior to the final cut!
When do you plan to issue part 4?
Hotspot shield is also a free VPN provider so you can cut costs further. You can also purchase American Visa gift cards to circumvent and further restrictions regarding geography.