What in the name of bloody blue blazes is a Payment Wall?
Psychophysiological entity
Thread Starter
What in the name of bloody blue blazes is a Payment Wall?
It's been a bad day. Nothing but nothing will go right. All I wanted to do was watch BBC iPlayer in a comfy chair. Not too much to ask. After all, I pay my UK license and then leave it unrequited in an empty house while I'm in the heat of Texas. I just wanted to see the Ipcress file. (I know. Sad) My office has the expat thing, and the morals are covered by the fact I've paid, and paid, and paid, for 50 plus years, now please let me see Q#$%#$ BBC iplayer.
I can, but only on my office PC. This lump of metal I have puts out a fantastic picture on my 50" telly box. But iplayer quickly falls foul of a screen wanting money. Payment wall is in the tab. Hotspot shield is what it's called. I would watch them all slide into a sinkhole rather than pay the 4.99 the %!$ want. per month to do what this PC does for free.
I've reloaded Expat Shield. Killed the bar. Loaded and run Malware Bytes OH, and here's a thing. It found 98 things marked with a green bug and PUP. What's PUP? Is it a generic term, or did I have 98 infestations? On the free version, I had to pick 98 #@%$^&##%^&#%& boxes to rid myself of them. There was no way to select all. anyway, I did. And they're gone. But the damnable screen with a demand for $4.99 is still there.
Well, I guess I'm defeated. Nearly nine PM and dinner's on fire, and I still have no idea how technology could force me to sit in an office chair while I have an $80 charity shop recliner in front of a big telly.
I can, but only on my office PC. This lump of metal I have puts out a fantastic picture on my 50" telly box. But iplayer quickly falls foul of a screen wanting money. Payment wall is in the tab. Hotspot shield is what it's called. I would watch them all slide into a sinkhole rather than pay the 4.99 the %!$ want. per month to do what this PC does for free.
I've reloaded Expat Shield. Killed the bar. Loaded and run Malware Bytes OH, and here's a thing. It found 98 things marked with a green bug and PUP. What's PUP? Is it a generic term, or did I have 98 infestations? On the free version, I had to pick 98 #@%$^&##%^&#%& boxes to rid myself of them. There was no way to select all. anyway, I did. And they're gone. But the damnable screen with a demand for $4.99 is still there.
Well, I guess I'm defeated. Nearly nine PM and dinner's on fire, and I still have no idea how technology could force me to sit in an office chair while I have an $80 charity shop recliner in front of a big telly.
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LR - A Payment Wall is just a reminder that nothing comes free in the commercial world. Media Moguls have empires that need continuous funding, ya know. 
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The free version of Hotsport Shield doesn't let you watch Hulu, iPlayer etc.: it throws up the "payment wall". The elite (paid) version does let you watch video sites. Also, the free version gives you a US IP address, so you wouldn't be able to watch iPlayer with it anyway.
A "PUP" is a "potentially unwanted program".
Since you stoically refuse to pay for the VPN software you download, why not use one that is totally free anyway? SoftEther/VPN Gate is open source, robust, and was developed as a university project.
A "PUP" is a "potentially unwanted program".
Since you stoically refuse to pay for the VPN software you download, why not use one that is totally free anyway? SoftEther/VPN Gate is open source, robust, and was developed as a university project.
Psychophysiological entity
Thread Starter
Right, drunken rant removed. Pity in a way, it was one of my better ones.
Now, the whole point is, I have never asked for Hotspot Shield, I don't want it, I can't see it on any part of my installation, yet it steadfastly jumps over Expat Shield and obliterates it.
There is nothing to uninstall, and I have removed EXpat and FireFox and run a registry cleaner. No mention of fining anything in there.
Clean reload of FF and ExPat, but it's just the same.
The thing is, I imagined I saw the Anchor Free Logo while I was loading FF or was it XPat? I've just realized they're the same company.
Anyway, I'm normally careful where I get software from so perhaps I'm making the same mistake every time.
I've run Malwarebytes and my AVG is up to date. Nothing in the Start Menu list.
Any ideas? I've written in ExPat's box as they're wanting to know why I'm uninstalling. I wonder if they'll care.
NB Belarc have really taken an interest in the hidden Key issues, so some folk do care. More of that on the appropriate thread.
Now, the whole point is, I have never asked for Hotspot Shield, I don't want it, I can't see it on any part of my installation, yet it steadfastly jumps over Expat Shield and obliterates it.
There is nothing to uninstall, and I have removed EXpat and FireFox and run a registry cleaner. No mention of fining anything in there.
Clean reload of FF and ExPat, but it's just the same.
The thing is, I imagined I saw the Anchor Free Logo while I was loading FF or was it XPat? I've just realized they're the same company.
Anyway, I'm normally careful where I get software from so perhaps I'm making the same mistake every time.
I've run Malwarebytes and my AVG is up to date. Nothing in the Start Menu list.
Any ideas? I've written in ExPat's box as they're wanting to know why I'm uninstalling. I wonder if they'll care.
NB Belarc have really taken an interest in the hidden Key issues, so some folk do care. More of that on the appropriate thread.
Last edited by Loose rivets; 12th Jan 2014 at 07:08.
Psychophysiological entity
Thread Starter
SJ, can you give me a quick overview of how you went about it, por favor. Remember, one is not terribly bright. 
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Hallo, LR. Here goes:
Open Firefox (it also works in Chrome and Safari, so if you use either of them, open up in the browser of your choice). Google Media Hint. You should get a choice on Google for your browser, so click on the appropriate one.
It should look like this on Google:
In the case of FF, click on "Media Hint - add-ons for Firefox". You should get this page:
Now, just click on "Add to Firefox" - and that's it. It's added to Firefox as an add-on instantly. Go the BBC iPlayer, and off you go! Let me know if it works.
Open Firefox (it also works in Chrome and Safari, so if you use either of them, open up in the browser of your choice). Google Media Hint. You should get a choice on Google for your browser, so click on the appropriate one.
It should look like this on Google:
In the case of FF, click on "Media Hint - add-ons for Firefox". You should get this page:
Now, just click on "Add to Firefox" - and that's it. It's added to Firefox as an add-on instantly. Go the BBC iPlayer, and off you go! Let me know if it works.
Psychophysiological entity
Thread Starter
Thanks, Sonny John. When I can feel the periferal limits of my limbs again, I'll have a go at that. I rather think I've burned my bridges with Anchor #%!#$% whatever. They gave me a huge list of things I had to do to join their cowering masses.
I'll not pay them even if it means missing University Challenge.
This is what I said:
No you don't! People watch BBC all around the world every day without paying for the privilege.
I watch BBC, but what I wanted to do was watch it on a different computer. This seems to be 'infected' with something that wants to obtain money from me. What is it that you don't understand about 'I can't afford $4.99 a month for something I have paid - as a BBC license holder - for?
I understand the concept of people being rewarded for writing software. I was in the business. But $ c60 bucks a year to watch a few minutes of BBC, Oh . . .
Since the intending user is in the United States of North America, a fuzzy blob has been pasted over his final words.
Signed, the NSA
I'll not pay them even if it means missing University Challenge.
This is what I said:
No you don't! People watch BBC all around the world every day without paying for the privilege.
I watch BBC, but what I wanted to do was watch it on a different computer. This seems to be 'infected' with something that wants to obtain money from me. What is it that you don't understand about 'I can't afford $4.99 a month for something I have paid - as a BBC license holder - for?
I understand the concept of people being rewarded for writing software. I was in the business. But $ c60 bucks a year to watch a few minutes of BBC, Oh . . .
Since the intending user is in the United States of North America, a fuzzy blob has been pasted over his final words.
Signed, the NSA
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Following Tolsti's recommendation, I downloaded Media Hint for Firefox and iPlayer works fine, albeit somewhat sluggishly in the evenings. However, I cannot get the download facility on iPlayer to work. I tweaked my preferences as suggested in the Help section and I get as far as the download screen but it doesn't download. Anybody use this facility and know why mine won 't work?
Last edited by Sunnyjohn; 18th Jan 2014 at 15:55. Reason: edit
