How to Watch Formula 1 Live Online

If you are a F1 fan then you know that BBC offers the best online coverage. The only problem is that BBC iPlayer is not accesible from outside UK. The good news is that there are ways to bypass the filters and watch formula 1 online from everywhere in the world. 

1. Free VPN Services

One method to access BBC iPlayer from outside UK is to use a VPN service that provides UK IP addresses. Unfortunately there are not many UK VPN services that are free. One of them is TheFreeVPN. You could also get a free UK VPN from HideIpVPN.

2. Commercial VPN Services

There are plenty of commercial UK VPN services that will enable BBC iPlayer in every corner of the world. Here are severals that I have tried and that offer good speed and resonable prices:

• HideIpVPN – exclusive UK package for $5.99/month
• StrongVPN - from $15/month
• InvisibleBrowsingVPN – $4.95/month
• Lamnia.co.uk - £6.50/month
• BananaVPN – $14.99/month

3. Using Tor

Another option is by using Tor. The advantage of this option is that it is free, the disadvantage that you can never be sure of you get. It might work or not.

Here is a complete tutorial on how to watch Formula 1 online using Tor [via HubPages.com]:

1. Download and install the latest version of FireFox from http://www.firefox.com/

2. Open Firefox, use FireFox to visit http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and install the Flash plugin for FireFox.

3. Visit Tor Project at http://www.torproject.org/index.html.en

4. Download and install the “Installation Bundle”, which includes Tor,Privoxy,Vidalia and FireFox Plugin. (Download link:http://www.torproject.org/dist/vidalia-bundles/vidalia-bundle-0.2.1.19-0.1.15.exe)

5. Restart FireFox, you should now see a Tor Disabled in red at the bottom right corner of FireFox.

6. Open the Tor config file by clicking: Start Button -> Programs -> Vidalia Bundle -> Tor -> Torrc

7. Once the Torrc text file is opened, add the following at the end of the file: 

StrictExitNodes 1
ExitNodes {gb}

8. Save the file then close it.

9. Start (or close it and restart if it’s already running) the Vidalia program at Start Button -> Programs -> Vidalia Bundle -> Vidalia , look at the onion icon near your clock, wait for the icon to switch from yellow to green.

10. Go back to FireFox, right click on the Tor Disabled text located at the bottom right corner of FireFox, then click preferences.

11. A window name Torbutton Preferences will pop up, click on the Security Settings tab

12. Untick the Disable plugins during Tor usage box (You need this unticked to use Flash under Tor).

13. Click OK to close the Torbutton Preferences window.

14. Click once on the Tor Disabled text at the bottom right corner of FireFox, it will turn green and become Tor Enabled.

15. At this point, all the connections you make in FireFox will go through the tor network. (and automatically uses an UK IP as the last exit point because that’s what you put in the config earlier)

16. Visit BBC’s iPlayer site http://www.bbc.co.uk/iPlayer/ and enjoy the show.

Important Notes:

Your connection willbe much slower than usual.  If it lags way too much (over 20 seconds) or it show errors when browsing through Tor, that means you’re on a slow or broken circuit, you can switch to another circuit by:
1. Double click on the onion icon near your clock.
2. The “Vidalia Control Panel” pops up, click the Use a New Identity button.
3. Visit the BBC iPlayer site again.
4. Repeat the above if necessary.

Do you know other methods to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch Formula 1 online?