In January of 2016, Netflix shocked its foreign users by announcing that they would start blocking members who use VPNs to watch TV shows and Movies that are banned to stream outside the U.S. this caused major controversy as their foreign subscribers certainly did not appreciate this announcement and have since signed substantially more than 36,000 signatures in an online petition demanding that this directive be nullified at all cost. As it is 2018, Netflix has managed to keep their word to block those using Virtual Private Networks to mask their IP addresses to watch shows that are banned in their specific country or region. For those wondering how to work around this limitation, here are 2 methods that may allow you to continue watching your favorite shows but first, let us all understand what Netflix is and why they are doing this.
What Is The Netflix US Library?
To those who have been living under a rock and do not know what Netflix is, this is an online service that allows subscribers to watch TV programs, movies, and documentaries among others for an unlimited amount of streaming time. What makes this online service so amazing to many is they are able to watch shows without any bothersome commercials or ads. The shows themselves come in HD quality and even have subtitles available for those who really want to better understand the plots of the shows. In addition, the service is compatible with most devices that include:
- + Personal Computers
- + Smart Phones
- + Laptops
- + Tablets
- + Sony PlayStation
- + Nintendo Wii
- + Microsoft Xbox
Best of all, subscribers are offered various pricing plans that play to any budget. Finally, a subscription allows multiple users to watch their favorite shows at once. This feature is suitable for families and other groups living under one IP address.
Why Netflix is Different in Each Country
As most subscribers are aware, Netflix is different in all countries as far as the availability of shows. The regional differences are due to location, purchasing rights, and show popularity. The programming in the service varies in each region because of how TV shows and movies are licensed. The studios and companies that own the rights to the shows license the rights by geography. This means that Netflix must acquire rights by a territory-basis type of deal to the various studios, which explains why what subscribers are able to watch in Australia is different from Canada and the U.K. Furthermore, the service purchases the rights of the shows based on detailed research into what shows subscribers like in each region.
Why Netflix is Blocking VPNs
In 2016, Netflix began a crusade to block all subscribers masking their IP addresses to gain access into the American library of movies and TV shows. This regulatory action is their way of giving in to the demands of studios and companies that own the shows. These studios and content owners want their shows visible in certain regions due to ongoing contracts that they have with local companies that pay heftily for the rights of the shows. The demands of the content owners have gotten so heavy that Netflix had no other choice but to give in and restrict the shows only to the regions that paid to be provided to. By restricting the shows, Netflix is actually doing their subscribers good because they are honoring their obligations according to the deals that they have with all the studios and content owners. Because of this, they are able to continue offering good TV shows and movies to all regions.
How Netflix is effectively able to Block Subscribers Using VPNs
With Netflix blocking VPNs users, a good chunk of their subscribers are wondering how they are able to effectively execute the actual blocking online. For those wondering, Netflix had previously followed the standard method that most media companies employed to enforce their region locks. This method was manually blocking IP addresses and shutting down high-profile
Two Methods of Accessing the American Netflix Library for 2019
As most Netflix subscribers are indeed unhappy with the blocking of VPNs, there are still a few ways how to get around this limitation. These methods are very effective, however, they will require a bit more spending for subscribers. Among these solutions are:
- Smart DNS Proxy. As most
VPN services no longer work at accessing the U.S Netflix library, one effective alternative is to use a Smart Domain Name Server Proxy instead. Utilizing a Smart DNS proxy is effective because it acts to connect the domain and the IP address of people to U.S DNS servers. When this occurs, this allows the non-U.S IP address to access the American Netflix library without affecting the speed of the streaming shows and even allowing a more secure and stable usage for subscribers. There are good options that offer Smart DNS Proxy that you can find at our Homepage which offers subscribers a free trial of 14 days to use.
VPN with Dedicated IP. The second solution to being able to watch U.S Netflix shows is to subscribe to aVPN service that offers Dedicated IP addresses. With aVPN offering this feature, Netflix subscribers from abroad are granted new IP addresses that mimic that of the U.S, making it incredibly difficult to be detected. A website that offers this service today is www.torguard.net.
The TV show and movie industry in the U.S and other countries are really complex in the way that they go about earning a profit. Thankfully, to these two methods, Netflix subscribers abroad can still access Netflix’s U.S library.