UKC

Any of you fellow expats who use a proxy to access iplayer, having issues since the new iplayer was launched a few days ago?

I am finding that almost nothing will play on the first attempt and have to keep trying to get a programme to play.

In reply to Kimono:

Working ok on viewtvabroad vpn for me

In reply to Kimono:

I tried express vpn to get Iplayer. Waste of time here, too slow by half.

In reply to Kimono:

Yes - watching iplayer using identity cloaker and it's slow. Masterchef was a nightmare last night breaking up every 30 seconds.
Just tried to get CBBC for Little Ent and we keep getting a "try again" window.
Itv player seems fine.

Anyone any ideas?

E

In reply to Kimono:

Oh yes - ours doesn't seem to be working either. Was fine last weekend for The Trip in Italy but no joy this weekend

Happy to hear suggestions as to how to get round this one.

cheers

b

When travelling in China, Japan and Korea I was trying to use a VPN for iPlayer and 4OD.

The problem was speed. Despite a 22mbps symmetric connection in Korea it buffered a lot. Then I found a trick. The apps were doing an IP address check before launching to check I was in the UK, but if I then knocked the VPN off the app continued to stream from the foreign IP. That got around the speed problem.

In reply to Philip:

The apps were doing an IP address check before launching to check I was in the UK, but if I then knocked the VPN off

could you explain this please?

In reply to Kimono:

Using MyPrivateNetwork here in France on both Linux & Win7 and a variety of browsers - Having no problems.

To those that are having a few issues, it's always worth clearing your cache & deleting any BBC cookies after they make major changes - No guarantees, but has sorted some funny issues in the past a couple of times.

In reply to Kimono:



When you try to start an iPlayer program it uses your IP address to try and work out if you are in the UK. If it thinks you are not then it gives you the message about only being available in the UK.

If you have your VPN on, you have an IP address that makes you appear to be in the UK and the program will start.
Many systems often do no further check of your IP address - so if you switch off you VPN after the program has started it will continue to let you watch it.

The benefit being, if your VPN is adding a bit of latency or effectively throttling your bandwidth and your programme is buffering a lot, then by switching off the VPN you go direct to the BBC and get the best speed possible.


Always seems to have worked for 4OD in my experience, shame there's not much worth watching on it.
In the past with the BBC iPlayer, sometimes this has worked and sometimes not - depending upon which sort of programmer has been let loose on the latest version of the player.

I've just tested it now and it is currently letting you do the switch mid stream.

In reply to interdit:

My iplayer is unwatchable at the moment - any advice matey?

E

In reply to interdit:

Argghhhh trying to watch Masterchef from last night - doing my head in.

E

In reply to Enty:
Well, despite saying we were having no problems tonight's programme was stuttering and stopping.

Worked perfectly after we killed the VPN though.

I'm not sure what the problem is, but bandwidth may well be it. Every time ITV on demand / 4OD or BBC iPlayer 'upgrade' their player they look at how fast broadband is in the UK, and they program their system to require something near that level.

If you are abroad and running the telly through a VPN or proxy then things can get bit dire.

They always seem to sort it out though, or maybe France Telecom just up the bandwidth a bit the day before I cancel the contract?



Definitely try clearing the cache on the computer. Delete cookies.

If that doesn't work then check www.speedtest.net both before connecting to your VPN and afterwards.
If there is a big difference then change your VPN.

In reply to Kimono:

clearing cache and cookies has certainly helped me Interdit

thanks for that