BBC iPlayer
 

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but a friend was telling me that it is possible to still watch BBC iPlayer on my iPad when I am in Calgary.

They said that I can make the iPad think it is in England, and then it can run as normal!?!?

Sorry - I am not very techy at all so if anyone can explain then that would be amazing! (In very simple terms please!!!)

Lou.x

(PS - I am currently in the UK so can change the settings whilst here if that is necessary)

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

You will need to use a DNS or UK VPN service.

UnoTelly is a good one and you can get several free months by posting on Twitter or Facebook each month I think.

I did that for a couple of months before changing to a paid UnoTelly full VPN subscription as I couldn't be bothered with the hassle.

We have the DNS settings in our router so that we can watch iPlayer on our Smart TV as well as other devices around the house.

A full UK VPN service also lets you use sites that normally block you when you are outside the UK (such as National Lottery, Tesco Clubcard, etc etc).

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Yes, you can watch BBCiPlayer on your Pad, I do it every day, but you need to establish what's known as a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to fool BBC into thinking you're in the UK. I pay for my VPN but there are some that are free. Someone will be along, I'm sure, to point you in the "free" direction.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

I'm sorry found sounding very dim, but can someone explain how to use / get a VPN!?

I am not the best with computers so a simple description is best!!! haha!

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

They are either programmes that you sign up to as a member and pay a monthly or yearly sum, or there are some free ones out there, or as computer programme to download and install or as free apps. You turn on your little "gizmo VPN programme" before getting on to the BBC I player which fools the BBC into thinking you have a UK IP computer address and when you have finished watching all the BBC you want, you can turn off little gizmo again until the next time you need it.

Hope that is simple enough. That's pretty much how I understand it anyway. Expat Shield is a free one that many use but not sure if it is in app form.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Thanks guys! Sorry for being so slow!

I will have to wait until I'm back over there to try it out...

Lou.x

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Unblock US costs $5 a month and has pretty comprehensive and non-techy instructions/FAQ on it's website. It's what I use to watch US Netflix and BBC/ITV Iplayer in the UK. You can effectively choose your country on the website once registered and set up.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

There are a whole whack of threads on the forum on this topic - a quick search for VPN or iPlayer should steer you in the right direction. :)

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Expat shield don't appear to have an app for iPhone/iPad unfortunately but I know it works reasonably well

I'm looking into this as well at the moment.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Can anyone recommend an app for iPad to be able to access UK TV. I would prefer a free one rather then paying a subscription but I can't seem to find any apps that are free - looked at hide my ass and that still requires a subscription and hola for iPad is only available on their premium service

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Here is a link to UnoTelly.

They will provide you an address that you just copy and paste in to the DNS setting of your device.

A "smart DNS" will be preferable to a VPN as it does not have an overhead of lost bandwidth, plus its usually cheaper. VPN is overkill for just watching telly.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Highly regiment UnoTelly, but it's not free. $50/year, totally worth it.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Why don't you try ProxyPlayer - Proxy and VPN Services | UK IP Address | UK Proxy UK VPN - I've used them for a while no problems and have used their VPN on my smart phone.
Having said that...there are plenty out there to choose from

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Thanks guys.

I have been reading about Uno Telly (which Kimilseung also mentioned). They seem to do the job - and they have instructions for an iPad.

I wish I had known about this before as it works everywhere so can take away on holiday too.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Just installed hola (Canada, UK and USA settings) and set up some vpn configurations on iPad and just checked by playing a programme on CBC with and without it on and it seems to work - hopefully when I access UK TV from canaada it should work - I'm not prepared to miss Downton when the next series comes out.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Downton Abbey does not play on BBC Television but rather on ITV. So, make sure you have the UK ITV App on your Pad and stay with UK Itunes.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

I've posted quite a lot about UnoTelly - we have it set up, it's a great option for $50USD/year.

I also like that we can set it up either on individual devices, or you can set it up right in your router, which is what we've done, so any devices connected to our wireless automatically go through UnoTelly's setting. Completely freaked my cousin out last week when he was visiting and wanted to watch something on Netflix and couldn't work out why our Netflix was so much better than his! :lol:

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Ah my bad...I forget about ITV sometimes.

Already installed as well 4od and I player so hopefully I am good to go

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Does anyone know if it will work with Sky Go. We have a sky go login but it obviously does not work overseas. Does this service provide a loophole for Sky? That would be great if so!

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

SkyGo UK is listed on UnoTelly's listed of supported channels. https://www2.unotelly.com/channels#channel-sky_go_uk

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Ooooooh, this is super helpful info - thanks SchnookoLoly :goodpost:

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

:goodpost:
I have been wanting to watch a bit of stuff recently and this sounds like the best way to do it.
Thanks!

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

I use www.privateinternetaccess.com, it was $40 for the year. I use it for all the UK catch services. I also switch my location through my VPN on my iPad to get US netflix - much better than Canadian netflix. They have a step by step guide to setting the VPN up and its really easy, if you get stuck they have an online chat help service. I got rid of my cable TV last year, too expensive and shockingly bad!!!!!

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Oh and you can get a connector from apple so that you can watch the catch up service on your TV, but 4OD won't let you do that for some reason.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Not just Apple I believe, but several other gizmos too.

How about ITV? Might it be ad related?

Just thinking that to get ITV and 4OD on my laptop (courtesy of free MediaHint) I need to disable adblocker - which is no big deal.

If it is just 4OD and not ITV that is a bit weird, but might suggest they find some way to block these things.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

There are a number of solutions to your TV problems. Some are complicated others are simple but ultimately rely on a reasonable Internet connect.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

As I've only recently joined this forum and don't want to upset the mods then please PM me for details. Or wait and once I've gone through all the T&C's and found my feet I'll either post the details or place them in the classified section.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

If you're just posting a suggestion to a service you use or have experience with, then feel free to post it here.

If you are advertising for a company you own or profit from, then posting in the classifieds is a better option.

:)

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Not sure I'd trust what you have to say, what with you "missing TV" and all.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Hi SchnookoLoly and kimilseung,

I'll post the details in the classified section and if possible provide a link in this thread. Yes I used to miss TV then came up with a solution. Now I don't miss anything and enjoy all the UK TV I like and 7 day catch up. If anyone wants to know more before I sort the classified section out let me know.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

After reading the rules I'm unable to post in the classified section, 'member services' until I've made 50 posts or been a member for 3 months. So for now I will have to say that if anyone is interested then feel free to contact me. :-)

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Just a heads up...you cannot use the forums to advertise your goods or services.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

The above has now been banned. Thought it may save some the time and trouble of reporting him.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

No ITV player and the channel 5 catch service are fine, it's just seems to be 4OD

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

So another example of what works for some doesn't work for everyone.
MediaHint gives me ITV and 4OD no problem, but BBC live keeps stopping for 5 secs every 30, while the catch up works fine.

Others get BBC no problem and some not at all.

ExpatShield works for some but doesn't do a thing for others.

Stealthy did bugger all for me but was okay with others.

Subscription services - everyone has their favourites but every one mentioned has been problematic for another at another time.

And now there's a new(ish) gadget specifically designed for this purpose and one of the three UK channels you'd most want, you can't get. :blink:

A previous poster had either the Apple thing or one of the others and 4OD didn't appear to be a problem for him. But maybe something else was. :unsure:

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

Pretty much this. Small changes with technologies, internet connections, internet speeds, compatibility, operating systems, etc... it all factors in, so it's a question of working out what works best.

I use MediaHint at work as it's the only service that my work computer doesn't freak out over. Works fine as I like listening to episodes of shows I've already seen sometimes, so US Netflix is often on in the background. Works well for me.

I used Hola at home for awhile on my Android devices, which mostly worked but was a bit cumbersome. My work computer freaked out over Hola.

Stealthy didn't work at all for me.

We used ExpatShield for awhile at home, but I think it's not a paid service... or at least stopped working for us as a free service. The connection was also not quite good enough for iPlayer - lots of skipping. Worked fine to download episodes from iPlayer, though, so we often did that instead. Still, cumbersome.

Then we tried the 7-day free trial of UnoTelly, and that worked brilliantly, so we decided the $40 was worth it for a service that worked reliably. We use it mainly for US Netflix and iPlayer, so I can't comment on how wel it works with 4OD, but UnoTelly does have 4OD listed in their list of compatible channels.

So lots of options, just a question of finding the one that works best for you. :)

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

For ITV try STV. Channel 4 seems to be working fine right now.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

I think you need Adobe Flash Player to play channel 4/4od on the iPad and, as you know, it's not installable on Apple hardware.

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

ITV works well enough for me It was the other fella I was asking.

But it's a good point and takes me back to the 70s when I used to be able to get HTV Wales as well as the Bristol one.

I used to watch UFO and then watch the last half hour again on HTV Wales. :lol:

Re: BBC iPlayer
 

The following mightbe the answer.