TVCatchup, the popular internet television service for viewing certain UK channels, blocked several hosting providers that were used by VPN services. Thus, TVCatchup is no more available for users outside UK.
The annoucement made yesterday by TVCatchup team was very clear: “As all users should be aware, TVCatchup is currently available only to those located within the United Kingdom. As explained in our Terms of Service and elsewhere on the website, it is not acceptable to access TVCatchup from outside of the UK.”
This comes after an upgrade of the service IP security that is now able to block not only individual IP addresses, but also all IP address originating from any UK datacenter where VPN services are typically hosted. The first VPN hosting providers blocked were RapidSwitched and Poundhost. Soon after, others were blocked, including UK2.net.
The interesting fact is that a VPN service that was hosted in the same data center as TVCatchup tried to fill the gap and emailed a number of TVCatchup users, offering to sell them access to the service. How they had access to the TVCatchup users email address is still a mistery. Finally, this VPN service was also blocked.
The reaction of the users varied from “I think it is fair that only UK can watch it” to “People using a VPN may be breaking the law but they do so because there is no alternative“, but the result remains: the service is no longer available from outside UK.
Conclusion: You should not buy a VPN for the purpose of accessing TVCatchup. It won’t work!
TVCatchup alternatives
So, there is no hope for the TVCatchup fans living outside UK. There is no way to bypass their filters. At least for now.
Solution: Look for alternatives. And there are some: BBC iPlayer, SeeSaw and the newly-born MSN Video Player. They are not the same, but this is the best you can get.
Loading ...
9 Comments
Well i must say that using tv catchup from overseas for 2 years was never mission impossible.actually was easy.
but first these britons behind this project blocked elite proxies,and when everybody used vpn ,now even paid vpn’s !!it’s obvious that is not auntie or itv that drive this…
well i am almost sure after this that their real problem is that simply CAN NOT handle additional servers load from global demand on their servers.
that’s a fair explanation instead of saying bs about legal restrictions.
of course they can’t distribute outside uk (hollywood want’s globalisation only in profits and cheap set locations but not on unified economic areas as E.U is),but nobody can sue them about english ip’s from vpn services.
they are legal as long they offer this only to uk ip’s.not uk in general.
So their real problem is that simply don’t have enough capital and infrastructure to handle vpn routed demand for “their” streams for free as up to now.
that would be a fair explanation in addition to legal concerns about paid customers of vpn’s.
The truth behind this disgraceful saga is revealed at http://tvcatchup-scam.blogspot.com/2010/03/wow-tvcatchupcom-ukvpnnet.html
Basically TVCatchup have started their own VPN service (which they whitelist in their VPN blocks). This VPN server is still granted access on TVCatchup, despite what they claim on their forums.
I’d stay 100 miles from both these companies, http://www.zattoo.com/view provides all TVCatchups content, is 100% more reliable, and it isnt run by a set of poorly educated ex-military clowns.
The BBC, ITV and The Guardian have all been informed of this pathetic backhanded campaign.
So, we are moaning about what? That we cannot gain access from abroad?
Hmmm, strange, because we have got away with it for so long and now they have clamped down.
Conspiracies some would shout, but as a 63 year-old retired guy in Poland who has got away with circumnavigating tvcatchups geoblocking for many months, I would say it is a sign of the times.
There are many ways to skin a cat, so-to-speak and if you live abroad and crave UKTV then you will always have backups as I have and my viewing has been uninterrupted.
tvcatchup was good while it lasted and I had many good times on it, but lets wake up and smell the coffee, this was always going to happen and it makes me pee myself with laughter at the stupid fools who think this was some kind of conspiracy.
Mike Hirst, if you have lived abroad as many years as I have you would know what to do, just open the browser and look again, stop being a silly child and throwing your rattles out of the pram, UKTV is everywhere, just get off your backside and look for it.
The fact that I mentioned zattoo would suggest that I don’t give a rats ass about TVCatchup, wouldn’t it?
If you took to time to investigate the email you no doubt would have received after getting booted from TVCatchup, then you’d know by now that it’s not just people being ’stupid fools’. It’s people being genuinely angered by TVCatchup (AKA UKVPN) and their blatant misuse of the data.
So, how about you go back to the TVCatchup forum, where you most likely have admin access, and delete some more posts.
@Mike Hirst – Dear Mike why are you so bitter? I don’t give a flying rats hell about tvcatchup… and by the way there are even better ways of recieving UK TV by Satellite, although admittedly I have two use a 2 metre dish from where I am, but it’s free.
As for tvcatchup’s forum, hmmm, that’s amusing as I have things to do with my life than write on some forum and I would even go so far as to suggest that you mike are the so-called owner of How-to-hide-ip.and if you are just simply check my location. I bid you good day as I am going to fill my day with the goodness of the on coming spring and go for a walk through the hills here.
@Anton – Mike is not me
@Mike and @Anton,
Clam down fellows!This blog is not the place for your arguements or personal say about TVCatchup.Everybody has differences,opinions and issues.Please if u both want to talk about TVCatchup anymore,raise the subject to the concerned or forget about TVCatchup and take the solution of the real HideIpAdmin.This is just a informative post for our use and help only.Frankly there are better alternatives for TVCatchup too.
PS We should talking about privacy here and it’s solutions[IP hiders and VPN's]!!!
@HideIPAdmin and others,
Solution for downloading Hulu shows:Stream Transport.
I was one of the first people to bring the TV Catchup scam to light, Read my story on Digital Point here http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1731688
TV Catchup have acted with the least respect for the security of its 5,000,000 members by exposing their personal details to a suspect UKVPN service, don´t go near them, you will get spammed!
One Trackback
[...] also watch UK TV on BBC, Channel4 and ITV website. More info can be found for instance over here http://www.how-to-hide-ip.info/2010/03/13/tvcatchup-blocks-all-vpn-services/ [...]