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BBC iPlayer - 'Not available in your area.' Is there a workaround?

Dinarius · 2011-02-14 15:42:41

First off, not sure if this is the right forum. Maybe tv? But, it is a tech question. I want to watch a programme I missed on BBC4 via iPlayer. I'm getting a 'Not available in your area' message. Any way of circumventing this? Thanks. D.

14-02-2011 4:42pm

#1

Dinarius

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First off, not sure if this is the right forum. Maybe tv? But, it is a tech question.

I want to watch a programme I missed on BBC4 via iPlayer.

I'm getting a 'Not available in your area' message.

Any way of circumventing this?

Thanks.

D.

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#2 14-02-2011 5:00pm

Abelloid

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Mgeni.

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#3 14-02-2011 5:02pm

_Whimsical_

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Easy and free : http://expatshield.com/

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#4 14-02-2011 5:11pm

mike65

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hotspot shield works.

http://www.anchorfree.com/

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#5 14-02-2011 5:13pm

bonzodog2

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See my other thread re ToR

ExpatShield affects all internet traffic, Tor/FF uses proxies while other browsers are unaffected.

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#6 14-02-2011 5:18pm

Dinarius

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Guys,

As always, thanks for the extremely prompt replies!

I'm just a tad confused by the choice. I don't want to affect any aspect of my internet use. This is the first time I've ever wanted to download something and I may not want to do it again for a long time.

So, which of the above is the least invasive?

I use Firefox. Is the workaround incorporated into it, or is it a standalone?

Thanks.

D.

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#7 14-02-2011 5:27pm

Abelloid

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Mgeni is a separate browser and can be used just for iPlayer.

http://code.google.com/p/mgeni/

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#8 14-02-2011 6:13pm

Dinarius

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Thanks guys.

Installed Tor and it opened Firefox automatically.

After a couple of attempts (and discovering from my mGeni installation - which I couldn't get to work at all - that I needed a password for Tor) I am now downloading the doc I missed the other evening.

But, it is staggeringly slowwwwwwwwww!

I presume the speed issue is a Tor issue? My connection is pretty good.

D.

Update: I returned to find that Firefox/Tor had stopped downloading after 7%. So, I configured mGeni and it's now downloading the file - much faster too. Here's hoping!

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#9 14-02-2011 9:02pm

Dinarius

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Ok, I have a problem.

On both Firefox and mGeni, the file stopped downloading after exactly 7%.

Any idea what the problem might be?

Thanks.

D.

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#10 14-02-2011 9:16pm

whoopdedoo

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how about for macs? I know expat is win only!!

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#11 14-02-2011 9:33pm

Abelloid

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Mgeni is OSX too.

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#12 14-02-2011 9:43pm

mike65

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Dinarius try hotspot shield I had no problems with it.

http://www.anchorfree.com/

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#13 15-02-2011 8:59am

Dinarius

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Mike,

Thanks.

I tried it and got the 'Not available in your area' message.

Did you have to tweak it to make it work?

Thanks.

D.

ps. One common feature to all three of the browsers I've tried is that they slow down the internet connection - or appear to.

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#14 15-02-2011 11:41am

mike65

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Odd. I just started to download the installer file and it worked fine. (the anchorfree site recognised I'm in Ireland), give it another go failing that google hotspot shield and try another link.

Or do you mean you got a BBC 'not available in your area' message? If so post the link and I'll give it a go.

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#15 15-02-2011 11:45am

enda1

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I find TOR with FoxyProxy is currently the best (free) option for BBCiPlayer recorded streaming. Its great cause you can just set the wildcards to pick up specific string and not all your internet traffic making browsing easy and unaffected.

Haven't managed to get it working for live BBV tv streaming though. Anyone managed?

How does Mgeni compare to this for live streaming?

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#16 15-02-2011 12:04pm

Cuddlesworth

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Do none of you feel bad using Tor for iplayer?

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#17 15-02-2011 1:33pm

enda1

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Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Do none of you feel bad using Tor for iplayer?

Huh?

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#18 15-02-2011 1:49pm

Cuddlesworth

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enda1 wrote: »

Huh?

Better question, have any of you read up on what Tor was created for, what it actually does and how it actually works?

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#19 15-02-2011 2:05pm

enda1

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Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Better question, have any of you read up on what Tor was created for, what it actually does and how it actually works?

How's that in any way relevant? You know a lot of scientific advances over the years have been created to increase the efficiency of the mass killing of humans, doesn't mean they were not worthy achievements. The V2 rocket comes to mind, pioneering space rocket design.

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#20 15-02-2011 2:16pm

flanree

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Installed anchor free, ran it, tried this link in Firefox but got 'not available in your area'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ymwfn/Top_Gear_Series_16_Episode_4/

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#21 15-02-2011 2:38pm

mike65

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Hmmm same here, tried it again to see if IP is different, 3 different ones tried no success. Looks like the BBC have figured it out.

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#22 15-02-2011 3:22pm

noshankus

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Where does this say you are:

http://www.whatismyip.com/tools/ip-address-lookup.asp

?

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#23 15-02-2011 4:03pm

mp22

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flanree wrote: »

Installed anchor free, ran it, tried this link in Firefox but got 'not available in your area'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ymwfn/Top_Gear_Series_16_Episode_4/

that link works fine here,have you turned on the expat shield after installing the software?

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#24 15-02-2011 4:56pm

Dinarius

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Sorted........sort of. :rolleyes:

I couldn't get Tor/mGeni/Hotspot Shield to work.

Then, I downloaded Expat Shield and it installed like a dream. (It detected that Hotspot Shield was already installed, so I had to uninstall that first - in fact I did a system restore to yesterday morning before I started out on this)

The link is here>

http://www.expatshield.com/

The file is called DM - 232.

Then I went back to the BBC link and it downloaded the 1Gb file in about 10 minutes. No loss of speed. Fantastic!

Then the problems started........

I chose the Windows Media Player download option on the BBC site. Now, when I double click on the file to play it, WMP opens and then says, "The file you are trying to use requires a component of WMP to be upgraded. Click Upgrade to download and install the required component.'

I click Upgrade and, after a few seconds, I get this message: 'WMP must connect to the internet to verify the file's media usage rights. Connect to the internet, and then try again.'

I then get the message: 'The component could not be upgraded.'

What's the problem? Should I have downloaded one of the other two options from the BBC site? (portable media device download or BBC iPlayer)

Thanks.

D.

Update: Just downloaded the BBC iPlayer file. If I play it I have to watch it in the next seven days, which I don't want to do. So, I'll return to it next week. Valid for a month, apparently.

Just goes to show the importance of watching TV listings and recording programmes straight onto the Sky Box. ;-)

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#25 28-02-2011 4:25am

MASTER...of the bra

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So for those that have used it, is expatshield definitely safe to use?

BBC moved Outcasts to a Sunday night slot and I missed it.

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#26 01-03-2011 1:19am

MASTER...of the bra

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bump

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#27 01-03-2011 2:15pm

mp22

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Avast kicks up a warning when you start the download,after installing i scanned with malwarebytes and super anti spyware nothing found.just so you are aware i have it installed on a old xp p4 desktop and not on my main one.

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#28 01-03-2011 8:54pm

MASTER...of the bra

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mp22 wrote: »

Avast kicks up a warning when you start the download,after installing i scanned with malwarebytes and super anti spyware nothing found.just so you are aware i have it installed on a old xp p4 desktop and not on my main one.

I read a few dodgy reviews about it containing spyware alright, don't have the option of putting it on an old machine at the minute.

I think I'll look at Tor.

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#29 01-03-2011 9:02pm

InTheTrees

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How much does a limey tv licence cost anyway?

They must spend a fortune trying to keep the rest of the world out.

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#30 01-03-2011 9:21pm

InTheTrees

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Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Better question, have any of you read up on what Tor was created for, what it actually does and how it actually works?

From the wiki it seems harmless enough. It was sponsored by the us navy. But its endorsed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation so that cant be bad.

"According to CNet, Tor's anonymity function is "endorsed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other civil liberties groups as a method for whistleblowers and human rights workers to communicate with journalists"."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_%28anonymity_network%29

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#31 02-03-2011 2:52am

mw3guc

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I've been using ExpatShield for a few months now to catch the occasional BBC programme I've missed on Iplayer. Apart from a few hiccups last week with the connection, I find it good and very straightforward.
I've also scanned my PC with Malwarebytes and found nothing, so I'm hoping it's ok. 4OD won't work with it, but you can get this via another UK site through ExPat - I think it was called seesaw or something similar?

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