How to access region-blocked videos without a VPN
Wherever you are, there is always a reason to want to bypass a regional lockdown. For example, Internet users outside the US may want to access Netflix or Hulu; those in the US may need a British version of the BBC iPlayer.
VPNs are popular to counter this, but they are not the best solution. Here's how to watch geo-blocked videos without VPN software.
Because VPNs are not suitable for bypassing regional blocking
When you connect to a virtual private network (VPN), your internet traffic is relayed through the VPN server. So, if you are in the UK and connect to a VPN in the US, the websites will see that you are browsing from the US. The VPN server acts as an intermediary.
This allows a VPN to be used to access US streaming services such as:
Netflix USA
Hulu
bandura
... And many other region-limited multimedia sites.
While VPNs have many other uses , they are not ideal for bypassing regional blockages.
Although VPNs are faster than ever, they are slower than connecting directly to a website. You are not connecting directly to Netflix - the data is sent through the VPN server. This slows things down.
When connected to a VPN, all network traffic will be sent over the VPN. This slows down other internet traffic on your device.
We recommend leaving the VPN disabled as it slows down your connection. If you want to watch the video, you will need to connect to a VPN. When you're done, we recommend that you log out.
More importantly, Netflix is winning the war against VPN. It's time to find a new way to access all Netflix content that you can manage without relying on a VPN.
Why Standard DNS Can't Help
Until relatively recently, you could change your router's DNS server to access streaming video without relying on a VPN. Although the effect was the same for streaming - it looks like you're looking from somewhere else - there was no encryption.
However, as with VPNs, Netflix and other streaming giants have been wise with this tactic. Thus, standard DNS providers are no longer suitable.
Fortunately, there are several new ways to get around the regional blockade.
Use browser extensions
Use a dedicated DNS
Use a third party bootloader
Use DNS provided by VPN
Here's what you need to know about how to watch regionally blocked videos without DNS or VPN.
1. Use a proxy browser extension.
If you want to quickly and easily access region-restricted websites, a proxy is a good option.
Proxy servers can be accessed through the website, but it's easier to use a browser extension.
To access Netflix, consider Weechee, a browser extension for Google Chrome. It's designed to unblock Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer wherever you are.
Download: Wachee for Google Chrome (Free)
Proxy servers are a great option for US residents looking to access BBC iPlayer in the UK. See our guide to watching BBC iPlayer through a proxy server for more details.
Have you encountered blocked YouTube videos? Use this blocking checker tool to find out which countries the video is available in and then install the appropriate proxy extension.
Relying on a proxy browser extension is smarter than just visiting a standard proxy site.
2. Unblock us
Wondering how to watch geo-locked videos? Changing your device's DNS may help. While this is not the number one solution and largely outperforms streaming services, it remains an option.
You'll need something awesome for this to work, and this is where Unblock-Us comes in. Unblock-Us is a $ 4.99 monthly subscription solution that offers a seven-day free trial. It aims to provide more internet security, better speed and freedom to avoid blocking the region.
Should you rely on this advanced DNS solution? This is definitely an option; The free trial is well worth it to see if it works for you. Unblock-Us includes detailed installation instructions and works on computers, consoles, mobile devices, TVs, and set-top boxes.
Check out our guide to changing your DNS settings for more information on what is required.
3. Download blocked YouTube videos
Region-locked content can be frustrating. If the proxy browser extension is not working and the dedicated DNS service shows an empty space, consider downloading a video. While this probably won't work with Netflix, it's a good YouTube solution.
To get around regional blocking in YouTube videos, a downloader can help. An example is ssyoutube.com. To use this:
Copy the URL of the region-blocked YouTube video
Paste it into the address bar of your browser.
Click or tap so that the insertion point is between www. and "YouTube"
Add "ss" to the URL (for example, "Www.ssyoutube.com").
Press Enter on your keyboard or press OK on your device.
The video will then be downloaded to your device via ssyoutube.com, bypassing regional blocking.
Please note that downloading YouTube videos is a violation of the platform's terms of use.
4. Use Smart DNS for regionally blocked video streams.
While using a VPN to access streaming services blocked in the region is not the fastest option, some VPN services provide an alternative. Smart DNS can be thought of as a kind of "VPN lite" solution, allowing you to access region-blocked content (like all Netflix you can watch) without the encryption and IP masking that VPN offers.
How can you use smart DNS? One option is to find a specialized provider such as www.smartdnsproxy.com . However, if you are already using a VPN, you may have smart DNS access without even knowing it.
For example, ExpressVPN (MakeUseOf readers can get 40% off our best VPN) offers DNS MediaStreamer service as part of their VPN subscription. It's a great way to watch region-locked videos from all streaming services. Like other smart DNS solutions, it can be used on almost any platform, including game consoles and smart TVs.
Please be aware that other VPN providers offer smart DNS.
Bypass Regional Blocks and Access All Netflix Content
Accessing blocked content isn't as easy as it used to be. You can no longer visit the proxy server and watch all your favorite Netflix content.
Solutions like UnoDNS, Tunlr and MediaHint have faded into the background. Nowadays, you need smarter regional blocking solutions, tools that give you reliable access to Netflix and other regional streaming blocking services.
