Proxy servers
 

So the Stanley Cup playoffs are on and being outside Canada, no TV coverage. CBC does have the games online, however, not available outside Canada.

Can someone please help out on the ABCs of proxy servers and make any recommendations for a Canuck server.

Go Canucks Go!!!!

Try Public Proxy Servers

There are a bunch of different proxy configurations. The two types that are relevant for you are HTTP proxies and VPN service.

HTTP proxying is done by your browser, so it sends only browser traffic via the proxy server. Most elements on a web page will be sent via the proxy server, but there is a notable exception - video on the web is usually built on top of adobe flash, and the flash player's video connection bypasses the proxy. The net result is that using a HTTP proxy probably won't work for viewing adobe flash videos (you could try it out to see if it works first).

VPNs work by sending *all* traffic via the "proxying" server. This means that adobe flash video works over VPNs. Many VPN services will work using the built-in PPTP support in Windows/Mac, while other services will require you to install additional software. All public VPN services that I know of are paid services. You can find them by doing a web search for the term "vpn service".

One more thing to note - country-restricted web video services enforce that restriction by checking your IP address against an IP database. Such IP databases usually also include lists of HTTP proxies and VPN services, and the video services may block access from those proxies/services (to... ummm... well, to prevent exactly what you're trying to do). So even with a working proxy setup, you still may not be able to view that video. Again, you will need to try first, and maybe try different providers, as the IP databases usually are far from complete or accurate.

I have sent you a pm with details of a good reliable VPN service which will do the job.

VPN
 

Madjock,

Morning, I am looking for a reliable and recommended VPN to use down-route. I see you PM'd somebody and I wonder if you would mind telling me which VPN provider you use.

kindest regards

EB

From the forum guidelines ....

Take the discussion elsewhere guys before the mods come looking for ya.... :cool:

A VPN is a security feature that every pilot should use when attaching to a network which might not be trusted.

It has many reasons for its use which are more than legal and sensible to use.

Personally I would never do online banking for example on a hotspot or anyother public access network without a VPN to a trusted provider being in use.

So far from being illegal and fly discussing VPN's is perfectly within the rules as any true sysadmin will attest.

mad_jock,

I'm not going to argue this one out, but I think you know very well you're clutching at straws with that "argument". You and I both know very well the context in which the term VPN was being employed in this thread, and it was nothing to do with remote working.

I use a VPN the whole time.... for work and remote email. Using a VPN for circumvention of copyright or other legal restrictions (e.g. buying lottery tickets outside of jurisdiction) is another matter altogether.

I can understand major movies being guarded, but things like the BBCs film archives being restricted to those poor old homesick ex-pats, seems a little hard. Especially as so often we contributed to the cost of making them.

Not that I paid much tax in the war.

Went to show my neighbors here some copies of my 8mm DVD conversions, and was astonished to find I couldn't play them here. Just plain daft. I got out a Cyberhome $18 (yes, really) player, and it ran. No, I felt no guilt at all.

There seems so little generosity in the world these days, but then, my thinking is why I'm poor and canny people are rich.

Mixture, The BBC, in their wisdom, decree that Iplayer is only available to UK IP addresses so that only license payers can watch it. I pay the BBC a license fee therefore I'm entitled to watch what is on Iplayer. If I'm on holiday in Italy and wish to watch a programme on Iplayer and have to use a UK VPN to do so I'm merely exercising my legitimate right to view it, albeit deviously.

Not quite, GG, as you'll find most UK TV content online, whether it is BBC, ITV, or whoever, is blocked overseas and that has nothing to do with the Beeb but is all about Copyright Law. The law says you cannot watch things like UK TV online in, say, Belgium even though I receive BBC 1+2 as part of my TV bundle (and can get BBC 3+4 for a little bit extra cash if I want) and can record anything on these channels if I wish.

If you can see the logic in a law that means I can watch BBC on TV but not via the interweb then you're a better man than me.

av8r76

This site may be able to help you in viewing that game


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I'm baffled by the "no out-of-country stuff. We're in Germany for the week, and herself wants to keep up with her favourites.

Iplayer won't work, but downloading the podcast is just fine. I'm not sure I even know what the difference is. Anyway, she's happy so I'm happy.

You know, these people who jog the fabric of spacetime with their accursed electromagnetic emissions, should be told to go jump if they don't approve of where the waves are interpreted, and indeed by whom.

gg,

You will find the BBC don't "decree". The BBC are almost certainly only merely fulfilling their contractual obligations with the production companies whereby the content is licensed to be broadcast to UK resident license payers. The broadcast of a commissioned programme abroad will likely fall under separate contractual conditions and associated commercial terms.

In order to prevent a breach of contract, the BBC are likely merely taking all reasonable steps avoid such a breach.

And in the case of BBC produced content, they are protecting their rights and abilities to sell the programmes to overseas networks and so maxmise their investment

Similar situation with Sky. Apart from the FTA channels, it is not available outside UK and RoI - in theory. This is not so much Sky's restriction but their fulfilent of an obligation not to broadcast material outsde the area for which it is licensed. So if you use it outside, you have to go through the farce of using a UK address, not letting them know that you're outside the UK if you phone them etc.

I don't know what percentage of their viewers is outside the UK but I suspect it must be high - just about every English speaking family I know in Europe within their reception footprint (which with a 1m. dish stretches into central Europe and well into Spain and Italy) has Sky.

The BBC said, in the FAQ on the original Iplayer set up (the P2P version) that it was only available to license holders and that by limiting it to the UK those conditions were, most probably met. The reason for that statement/decree/promulgation or whatever you wish to call it is irrelevant. My logic is, I'm a license holder, I'm entitled to view it location is irrelevant. If they only tell half the story then sorry I'm not clairvoyant.

I must admit I never use it so whether they've changed that FAQ I don't know.

Copyright enforcement
 

A slight TD I know but why only the BBC/SKY ?

All the Germans I know here in Spain watch all the German programs on satellite and asking a lawyer about the "Verlagsrecht" or "Urhebericht" on films purchased for legally viewing only in Germany got me a blank look, as did describing "you can't legally have a SKY viewing card in Spain" to him.

Same goes for Spanish films, plenty available for viewing legally "abroad".

OFSO

See here for a current FAQ, although its for mobile the FAQs for the other services are worded similarly.

Erm, you just don't get it.

What you think you are entitled to is irrelevant.

What the law and BBCs contractual relationships with its content providers permit is what you are entitled to.

That entitlement is viewing of broadcasts within UK jurisdiction. Venture outside of the jurisdiction and the BBC is forced to treat you like everyone else on this planet.

The BBC is the content provider much of the time......

No it's you that's not getting my point.

If I rob a bank, knock an old lady over and nick her bag or download a piece of hacked software, then irrespective of the fact I've broken the law I would feel it was morally wrong.

In this case as I'm permitted to see the programme at home as I've paid the licence fee then I don't find it morally wrong to use a proxy if I'm on holiday. I couldn't give a toss about the BBCs contractual relationships, and incidentally being civil law until someone is successfully prosecuted then it's not absolutely certain that it contravenes anything, as the performing rights people have found out to their cost several times.
And before you claim computer misuse is an offence, using a proxy is not an offence and to prove misuse you would have to first bring a successful case in the civil courts.

The real answer is quite simple, make people subscribe to the site and part of the sign in process uses the persons licence number, this could apply to all UK TV channels, that way restrictions would be unnecessary.

When was the last time you looked at the credits ?

Even on good old Radio 4 there are an ever increasing number of programmes that end "this was an X production for Radio 4".

The Communications Act 2003 requires the BBC to independently commission the production of a minimum of 25% of their programming. There is a 50% in-house production guarantee and then the rest is up for grabs ..... and its very unlikely the outside companies are only producing their minimum 25% as they will in all likelihood be a lot more competitive and a lot quicker at delivering the goods as they won't have the internal bureaucracy hoops to jump through.

By the time you remove the news, questiontime and all that jazz from the 50%, you're likely left with less than 25% of original innovative content being produced by the BBC themselves (mostly the big documentaries they're good at doing).

The BBC's internal capacity has also been reduced to align with the 50%, and they have publicly stated that they are committed to treating the independent 25% "as a floor and not as a ceiling".

Sure "50%" might be much of the time. But so is the large percentage of independent productions. And what percentage of your viewing is made up of BBC produced programming ?

Sky is strange in some respects. I live in RoI, and have (legal) Sky. BBC channels are available via EPG, so presumably the BBC have authorised content distribution with no restrictions. Channel 4 and subsiuary channels are also in the main list, although for some programmes you get a blank screen saying that the programme is not available (usually US imported shows). I can also (via freely available information) add ITV regional channels and Channel 5. These are not blocked by the viewing card, so presumably ITV are happy. Yet I not view BBC / ITV players here in the RoI. I belive they can also be seen on free to view satellite - certainly a holiday home I rented in Donegal could see UK television on the free satellite box a few year ago - along with some channels I had to be careful my kids didn't select :E

The reverse situation re RTE is the opposite. UK viewing cards cannot pick up RTE (even via the add channels menu), but RTE player and live viewing IS available via the internet - although the ad breaks are blocked. I believe Sky asked RTE for stupid money to add to the UK cards. Hence the large black market in Irish boxes and viewing cards with the diaspora in the UK.

MD

The situation re BBC/ITV in the RoI was long established back in analog days with some cable networks (especially around Dublin and Cork) relaying the Northern Ireland services
I think the logic was that people near the border were going to be able to get the signal anyway, so the rest of Ireland may as well have it as well if anyone was prepared to transmit it....
Who did the Irish cable service? Was it RTE or a commercial company?

Milo,

Definitely not RTE, definitely a different 3rd party or parties.

SD

Milo

I know that. The point I was making was the inconsistency of approach to Sky (and cable) in allowing access and internet where it is blocked.

Cable is provided by UPC and Magnet.

MD