Netflix Blocking VPNs Annoying A Lot of People

[soulcougher73]

What do yall think? Another case of consumer entitlement run amuck, or yet another example of why region restrictions for media don't work?

Im going with the latter. Really no reason to restrict certain content based on location in the world.

 

[Ns1]

Im going with the latter. Really no reason to restrict certain content based on location in the world.

For the end user sure, but there are LOTS of business impacts and reasons why the world is carved up into various territories/rights.

 

[SP33Demon]

Mind boggling that people that go to the trouble of the VPN route cannot find the content they want elsewhere on the net. If I use a VPN it's just to increase my surfing speed by anti-throttling, nothing more nothing less.

 

[Sonikku]

I use a VPN for reasons.

 

[Ichinisan]

For the end user sure, but there are LOTS of business impacts and reasons why the world is carved up into various territories/rights.

Yeah. Just be glad we aren't forced to watch versions that are severely edited so they can be shown in countries with heavy censorship (like Germany).

 

[Ns1]

Yeah. Just be glad we aren't forced to watch versions that are severely edited so they can be shown in countries with heavy censorship (like Germany).

for sure - the international version of "Ex Machina" is no where as good as the domestic version...because reasons.

 

[sdifox]

Yeah. Just be glad we aren't forced to watch versions that are severely edited so they can be shown in countries with heavy censorship (like Germany).

Imagine being forced to watch german pron :shudder:

 

[Newbian]

Region restrictions suck but they have to follow the rules and until they are removed people need to get after the networks and not netflix for being legally obligated to do this.

 

[zCypher]

Region restrictions suck but they have to follow the rules and until they are removed people need to get after the networks and not netflix for being legally obligated to do this.

Yep.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

please, you know theft of content is illegal.

I know it, but this presents something interesting. A few years back I rode on a vanpool. Among the folks on the van were a couple of programmers. At the time, I would download copies of operating systems I didn't own to experiment with. Some were really edited M$ versions.

One of the programmers ask if I could make them a hard copy of one particular vsub-version of Windows 7 I had downloaded and I did. On the morning ride that i presented her the DVD-R the other programmer, much senior in their office than the one I made the DVD-R for, bitched about piracy.

This was like two after the senior programmer ranted and raved about having 'borrowed' eight DVD movies from a friend in their workplace that were rented. I asked him how was that not piracy as he sought to avoid the rental fee. He looked at what he was doing as perfectly legal, but what someone else was doing as bad.

It just goes to show, though, how for some it is self-approved, and this psychological behavior isn't limited to consumers, but corporations as well. With that said, I am tired of hearing corporate America saying their outsourcing abroad is part of the Global economy that I evidently can't participate in. Example: DVD/Blu-ray region codding.

I;'ve literally bought DVD and BD's from overseas because they were not allowed or licensed for distribution in NA. It is OK to sale the foreign region coded content to me, but not the hardware. I had to get creative, and by that buying a Best Buy house brand BD player, going to the OEM manufacturer's website and download the original firmware thus making my player region free.

I paid the piper in more ways than one. What I didn't do is play their f-ing Global Economic Restricting game.

 

[JSt0rm]

 

[Red Squirrel]

This whole thing is retarded. The companies complain because people pirate, so they make the content easier to get to, but then they limit who can get what... guess what, those people are still going to pirate... or they'll use VPNs and still pay for the service... but now they block VPNs. Guess what, those people are just going to go back to pirating. There is absolutely no financial advantage to limiting who can view content. Those people are still going to find a way to get it, and it will probably involve them not paying for it.

Stop making it hard for people to pay for content if you want them to stop pirating. This is not just specifically Netflix, but it seems a lot of content providers are nazi about who can actually get content. Netflix is probably just being forced to do this by the content providers.

With any other product you can buy online from any country and it does not matter. Why is it such a huge deal with media?

 

[JSt0rm]

its not that easy. Contracts are signed. Content costs different amounts in different parts of the world.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This whole thing is retarded. The companies complain because people pirate, so they make the content easier to get to, but then they limit who can get what... guess what, those people are still going to pirate... or they'll use VPNs and still pay for the service... but now they block VPNs. Guess what, those people are just going to go back to pirating. There is absolutely no financial advantage to limiting who can view content. Those people are still going to find a way to get it, and it will probably involve them not paying for it.

Stop making it hard for people to pay for content if you want them to stop pirating. This is not just specifically Netflix, but it seems a lot of content providers are nazi about who can actually get content. Netflix is probably just being forced to do this by the content providers.

With any other product you can buy online from any country and it does not matter. Why is it such a huge deal with media?

I think to me the most amazing part is how Netflix can't have its original content on its service in some countries. Going forward with more leverage I expect less of that from them.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

This happened to me and it's annoying, but it's their right to do that if they want. I only really feel bad for unblock-us as I cancelled my subscription with them since I don't need it anymore.

 

[Rakehellion]

please, you know theft of content is illegal.

Yeah, I don't do everything the government tells me to do.


Morally, it's a grey area since no one's being "harmed" by the practice, especially if you tried to purchase a copy in good faith.

 

[Rakehellion]

First you say this:

not mutually exclusive.

Then you say this:

tons of people download shit because it's free, and free > not free.


I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's probably > than the ~9 people who tried to buy GoT but were not able to because they got region locked out.

So is DRM broken or not? No need to make it a phony black-and-white situation.

 

[Phoenix86]

tons of people download shit because it's free, and free > not free.


I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's probably > than the ~9 people who tried to buy GoT but were not able to because they got region locked out.


Anyway, I've been here 15 years, I know how this piracy thread is going to turn out.

Normally I'd agree with you. There will always be a % that will pirate it simply because it's free.

However, in this particular case, you're talking about people currently paying for netflix and getting denied access to content. I pay and can't see things people in another country can see. They pay but can't see things I have access to. We both pay. This case isn't about people pirating netflix content vs. paying for it, and netflix somehow limiting that piracy.

They really need to change the industry so we all have access to the same content from the same provider for the same price. I know that's neither simple nor quick. I can't fault netflix for blocking VPNs because for the most part it's not even their fault.

That being said, even for their own content this is a problem. That's something they can and should address head on.

 

[JSt0rm]

so some guy in Guatemala has to pay the price you pay?

 

[Phoenix86]

so some guy in Guatemala has to pay the price you pay?

There are different packages than what we have here, but similar service it's fairly similar pricing. I want to say it's slightly more expensive outside US in general by maybe $1/mo.

 

[Michael]

I live in the USA and I travel to China for business about 1/2 the time. I generally use a VPN in China to access websites that are otherwise blocked and to give me access to the services I am already paying for - Netflix, Hulu, etc.

When I was living here (and travelling to the USA), I used a VPN on my router to get access to the services I was paying for on my USA credit card with my USA address.

The new policy stops that.

One of the beautiful things about Hulu in particular was that my family could watch home (American) shows while we were all in China on my temporary assignment. I was paying for them.

All of these shows are pretty much available in China via apps and free because they are pirated. The new policy encourages me to stop subscribing and use my VPN to give me a Chinese IP address when I am in the USA.

Michael

 

[xorbe]

Streaming to Poland costs more.

They are streaming to a US VPN. User paid for VPN to Poland service separately.

 

[JSt0rm]

I live in the USA and I travel to China for business about 1/2 the time. I generally use a VPN in China to access websites that are otherwise blocked and to give me access to the services I am already paying for - Netflix, Hulu, etc.

When I was living here (and travelling to the USA), I used a VPN on my router to get access to the services I was paying for on my USA credit card with my USA address.

The new policy stops that.

One of the beautiful things about Hulu in particular was that my family could watch home (American) shows while we were all in China on my temporary assignment. I was paying for them.

All of these shows are pretty much available in China via apps and free because they are pirated. The new policy encourages me to stop subscribing and use my VPN to give me a Chinese IP address when I am in the USA.

Michael

Yeah you are a serious outlier. The system would be better off being changed but the reasons why it is this way are not something any 1 company or production could unravel.

 

[XavierMace]

Morally, it's a grey area since no one's being "harmed" by the practice, especially if you tried to purchase a copy in good faith.

LOL. No it's not.

 

[JSt0rm]

LOL. No it's not.

Yeah they like to assume the loss of a sale has no effect. It has numerous effects that I'm not gonna go into again on this website of pirates.