[DarrenHill]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/bbc-ipl...locks-vpn/

The above for example details what they've done (and are continuing to do I believe). It's just one example, search "iplayer VPN crackdown" or something similar for a ton of variations on the theme.

They are preventing the IP addresses of the VPNs from accessing the iPlayer servers (selectively so it seems), hence the issues. But as the same VPNs may be being used by people within the UK (for privacy reasons or whatever) as well as those outside the UK who just want to fake a UK IP address for access, then all are getting hit and blocked from access.

"Legally" you have to be in the UK to watch iPlayer content, as per the BBC's terms and conditions of usage. I think it's at least partly due to the license fee requirements, but also due to the agreements with the original providers/distributors of some of the materials being shown for copyright and distribution etc. It's fundamentally the same reason why some of the broadcast BBC material is not included at all on iPlayer (e.g. the Family Guy episodes shown on BBC2 are never on iPlayer).

Why the hell would using a VPN make any difference to the colours or audio unless it's allowing access to a different/better stream source?

Editted to add - oh, and don't take this as an endorsement of the policy - personally I think it's crazy too both that I have to pay again to obtain access to programmes that my license fee helped to fund the making of originally, and also that when I go overseas on business that I can't access iPlayer to watch stuff (ok actually I can as I have a personal VPN server at home so I can link via my home IP address, but we're talking the general commercial public VPN case here)

[primaeval]

This is going off topic again.
But reading between the lines the Tories keep threatening to reduce or scrap the license fee for the BBC. The BBC has to make more money and has brought out their Store. To force anyone outside the UK to use their Store or BBC America they are blocking access via VPNs. If you are in the UK and use a VPN use must be a dirty pirate or a terrorist, by their logic. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Just ask Theresa May and her Snoopers Charter.

[speedwell68]

This is going off topic again.
But reading between the lines the Tories keep threatening to reduce or scrap the license fee for the BBC. The BBC has to make more money and has brought out their Store. To force anyone outside the UK to use their Store or BBC America they are blocking access via VPNs. If you are in the UK and use a VPN use must be a dirty pirate or a terrorist, by their logic. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Just ask Theresa May and her Snoopers Charter.

In the last Budget statement that George Osbourne made he said they wanted to make the iPlayer licensable.

[primaeval]

The BBC are trying to find £550 Million by next year. They are talking about charging a license fee if you only use iPlayer too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34851369

I guess the BBC doesn't fund the Tory party as well as Murdoch's Sky.

@speedwell68 snap

[speedwell68]

I have to say that I am guilty here. About 18 months ago my Sky Box failed, as Sky wanted ME to buy a new one I thought stuff it and cancelled Sky (which yielded me a spare 500GB HDD that now lives on my media server). We watched very little on Sky anyway. Then we realised that because of our live styles we weren't actually watching much broadcast TV so we ditched the licence too. If the made the iPlayer licensed I wouldn't bother, we don't watch that much BBC stuff anyway. If they do make the iPlayer licensable then I imagine that piracy of BBC shows will rise.

[primaeval]

off topic:
It would be interesting to see what people would actually pay for on iPlayer. For me its just the kids programmes and maybe the odd documentary. Doctor Who is no fun now its not scary anymore.

[speedwell68]

off topic:
It would be interesting to see what people would actually pay for on iPlayer. For me its just the kids programmes and maybe the odd documentary. Doctor Who is no fun now its not scary anymore.

Probably about £5 a month, so £60 a year.

If I didn't have it then the wife would probably miss Holby and Casualty and the kids would miss a few shows. But not much.

[Grand Total]

Probably about £5 a month, so £60 a year.

I'd be happy to pay that too even though I live in a part of the U.K. where my aerial won't pick up the BBC and iPlayer works better through a proxy server.

[speedwell68]

Probably about £5 a month, so £60 a year.

I'd be happy to pay that too even though I live in a part of the U.K. where my aerial won't pick up the BBC and iPlayer works better through a proxy server.

Where I am I don't get good aerial reception, not all the Freeview channels are available. Luckily the fibre broadband here is excellent.

[Piers]

Please don't spam the add-on thread, keep things on-topic.