BBC iPlayer starts to block UK VPN server access

[abaxas]

I don't understand why they haven't implemented fixed logins for iPlayer, in the same way that Sky have for Sky Go. Surely that would go a long way to ensure that only people with valid TV licences (i.e. living in the UK) have access to the content?

But for expats and internationals wanting access, it seems stupid not to make a paid subscription available.

That becasue sky is an advertising company who occasionally show content.
The BBC is s content provider who occasionally advertises.

[PorcupineTime]

But for expats and internationals wanting access, it seems stupid not to make a paid subscription available.

But aren't some of them already paying the licence fee, which is a subscription of sorts? I don't see why, as someone said above, you couldn't add in an element where you 'sign in' with your licence fee number. All ITV wanted from me to watch the rugby online was an email address, which they'd had for ages. It can't be that hard for the boffins at the beeb to put a similar system in place. I'm sure they will do, when they finally lock down iPlayer to only those who have payed a licence fee.

[big_hairy_rob]

I really hope that the TV License comes to an end forcing the beeb to adopt the current subscription model. At present there is so little programming tailored for me on these channels that I would almost certainly not subscribe. They would need to significantly up their game to compete with the early adopters.

[crossy]

i don't about everyone else but stopped watching tv many years ago and i don't pay tv license. that's not to say i don't watch serials like game of thrones etc but there is nothing that interests me on bbc . like mentioned earlier all the decent sport has gone and you can normally purchase streaming subscriptions for btsport and the others.
oh and bbc news is the most bias crap i have ever seen

Didn't think that GoT was on the Beeb . And I don't think they can be blamed for the greed of the FA etc, and there's always the golf and tennis etc that IS covered. News is "biased" - to left wing/socialist side, but for foaming at the mouth while being useless you can't beat Sky News or its US equivalent, Fox. The fact that Sky, and especially Fox, call themselves "news" I find offensive.

Back to the iPlayer thing, the Beeb has always handled this badly. I find it so unusable that for anything other than EastEnders I use get_iplayer instead. Anything more exciting than EE means more stutter than a rap artist, even on my TiVo that has a dedicated 10mb connection.

Got to agree with others that some simple way to accommodate ex-pats or holiday users should surely be possible, and I've little faith that the blocks put in place will not be quickly bypassed.

[emmalopez]

Yes there are many UK VPN service that have servers in UK and other countries and have great protocols that help to encrypt data so its not easy for BBC to block all VPNs and their UK Servers. http://www.bestvpnprovider.com/purevpn-review/ PureVPN is the best option and hope still not blocked by BBC iPlayer.

[Corky34]

News is "biased" - to left wing/socialist side....

Yet research shows it actually has a slight right wing bias, i guess no matter what they do they're going be accused of bias from both sides,

[spacein_vader]

i guess no matter what they do they're going be accused of bias from both sides,

Surely that's a sign that they're not biased at all.

I refuse to believe any organisation as large and ungainly as the Beeb has the ability, never mind the intention, to be deliberately biased.

[shaithis]

I personally have no issue with this but as others have pointed out they need to add some kind of authentication to work around it or replace it.

But, I would just prefer an end to the TV license. It's so out of date, most people do not watch live TV any more and the Beeb have lost so much exclusive content and I left wondering what the hell we are actually paying for now.....and the answer is dancing shows, terrible sitcoms and eastenders.

[sayer]

Why don't they set up a VPN service (or just open up to non UK residents as a paid for service) which undercuts the current providers and the money contributes to the same pot the TV Licence does. In an ideal world it could only improve the BBC....

[spacein_vader]

I personally have no issue with this but as others have pointed out they need to add some kind of authentication to work around it or replace it.

But, I would just prefer an end to the TV license. It's so out of date, most people do not watch live TV any more and the Beeb have lost so much exclusive content and I left wondering what the hell we are actually paying for now.....and the answer is dancing shows, terrible sitcoms and eastenders.

And a 24 hour news TV channel, a dedicated Parliament TV channel, 2 dedicated childrens TV channels, a TV channel dedicated to the type of documentaries & Arts programming that is too niche to garner mainstream audiences, A Welsh language TV station, 3 national popular music radio stations, 1 national classical music radio station, 1 national news radio station, 1 national sport radio station, 2 national spoken word radio stations, 1 national Asian radio station, 40 local radio stations, the 85th most popular website in the world, the iPlayer and the World Service.

£12 a month goes quite a long way.

[Corky34]

Surely that's a sign that they're not biased at all.

I would say it's more a sign of how our perceptions can differ from reality.

[shaithis]

And a 24 hour news TV channel, a dedicated Parliament TV channel, 2 dedicated childrens TV channels, a TV channel dedicated to the type of documentaries & Arts programming that is too niche to garner mainstream audiences, A Welsh language TV station, 3 national popular music radio stations, 1 national classical music radio station, 1 national news radio station, 1 national sport radio station, 2 national spoken word radio stations, 1 national Asian radio station, 40 local radio stations, the 85th most popular website in the world, the iPlayer and the World Service.

All of which most license payers don't care about.

[spacein_vader]

All of which most license payers don't care about.

I suspect that the BBC has little or no content that over 50% of licence payers access, with the possible exception of the website. I also doubt that many don't use any of it. That said, Radio 2, 4 & 1 are the most popular radio stations in the country & BBC Local stations cumulative figures would make it the 5th.

[Sandbox]In my opinion the BBC should be retained but I do agree the current licencing model should be replaced. That said, I don't think it should become a subscription model so that some people are locked out, maybe some tax on the purchase of a TV?

I do think the Beeb could be pruned quite heavily though. In my view it exists to bring to audiences content that is not commercially viable or where there is little competition. For example I'd keep BBC 4, BBC Alba, CBBC, Cbeebies, BBC Parliament, BBC News 24, Radio 3, Radio 4 (+ 4 Extra,) Radio 5 (+ 5 Extra,) 6 Music, World Service, Asian Network & Local stations as they all fit this model IMO. Sell Radio 1 & 2, and most of what is broadcast on BBC 1, 2 & 3, condensing what remains into BBC 1.

Do this, block VPNs and make an overseas sub available for iPlayer and we're getting somewhere. [/Sandbox]

[whatif]

I lived in the UK for years and know about the TV license debacle.
Even had issues with receiving threatening letters and intimidating fellows knocking at the door, at a stage when I did not even have a TV.
As for the law, you only have to pay if you are watching or recording live TV, so if you are watching via a catch up service, no license is required. Therefore they should not be preventing anyone from watching it (as long as it is not live TV). What they need to do is to set up 2 separate sections, 1/ where you can watch live TV only if you log in (as a paid subscriber) and 2/ solely for catch up.
I suppose that the problem for the BBC bosses would be that they would presume everyone would just watch catch up.
One big problem I had with the license was that it is for the BBC (being that it is not a private business, but a a public business due to about 75% of it's funds come from a government controlled TAX), so why do you need one if you watch everything else except the BBC.
I now live in Australia and I find it has just as bad programming (I suppose that would depend on you perception of BAD) but with no license cost, and rarely watch live TV (usually record shows like MotoGP or F1 but also sometimes live). I record everything I watch for 2 reasons. the first is because they have sooo many adds and the second is that they have unsettled times for the programming like the 6 o'clock news will start at 5.50PM and finish at 6.50PM (meaning that programs time slots are not run to the hour or half hour, plus they love to have shows, particularly those "reality shows", overrunning their time slot - all in a attempt to prevent you from changing channels). Plus all the different stations put the good shows on in the same time slot. So I use a HTPC with 2x dual tuners, a dual tuner PVR and my TV has dual tuners and a PVR system and another 2x TV's also have a PVR function, just so I can record all the shows.for viewing at my leisure, at times when they are only showing rubbish. To top it off, I still watch and enjoy British ITV via a VPN (comes though clear with no jarring, et ecetera as we have high speed cable), particularly for certain shows (example BTCC racing is not easily available here) and all these shows I watch are through their catch up service.
In the end, I find most shows are unwatchable rubbish (example - I cannot understand how a show watching other people watching TV ("Gogglebox") could be considered good entertainment - how low is the barrel being scraped to come up with this), but that is only my opinion.

[peterb]

All of which most license payers don't care about.

No, but some people care about some of it some of the time. It is (or set up to be) an inclusive service that has something for everyone some of the time. And at £10 month (how much is a cinema ticket these days?) even if you only watch an hour a week, it's still good value, plus all the free radio services that are provided. Free as in free from commercial advertising that is.

[Sanctimoniocity]

This is a shame as despite living it the UK, I use a UK VPN for privacy, so it sounds like despite being a license fee payer, I'm still going to get blocked out anyway