Filed under: Internet, Video, Web
Hulu gets more aggressive on geolocation, blocks Hotspot Shield
But the internet being what it is, a relatively small number of people have been using tricks to get around the geolocation restrictions, using proxy tools like Hotspot Shield for ages. This week, Hulu tightened its grip and started blocking access to anyone using anonymous proxy tools. In other words, Hotspot Shield ain't going to let you watch Hulu from the UK anymore.
I certainly hope this means Hulu plans to roll out international service soon, because the alternative for many users will be to turn to downloading movies and TV shows from BitTorrent or other services.
[via NewTeeVee]
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The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jenn said 10:11AM on 5-07-2009
I understand that Hulu is following the content holders requests but seriously, why can't they negotiate with the content holders to get rights to: 1) have content available internationally and 2) allow other services to use content (e.g. boxy)? Its not like the ads are being skipped.
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Matthew Hawkins said 10:17AM on 5-07-2009
I can understand Hulu doing this, but wouldn't the rights holders rather give us access to TV series' through Hulu with localised advertisements than have us download episodes a few hours after they air in the US? They'll never learn...
Idiots!
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sitruc said 11:02AM on 5-07-2009
Some of us used similar tools at work...
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michel said 11:02AM on 5-07-2009
You're all just being impatient. They know there's a market. If it's big enough and profitable, they'll try to service it. But you're talking about well-entrenched, legal national boundaries. And the poster's tacit approval of piracy is not helping anyone or anything. I guess this is a generational thing, but just because something is out of reach is not moral justification for aquiring it illegally.
It's only tv people. How important could it possibly be to you?
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DanMcG said 10:59AM on 5-07-2009
The only thing that matters is that it is now more inconvenient for international viewers (and apparently people at work, tsk tsk). They were the ones who were already using HotSpot Shield to begin with which I can tell you my Mom sitting at home wasn't doing. So now they are going to download the shows for free from a torrent? Not like the ads did any good on Hulu for the international viewers anyway.
I agree that what needs to happen is getting some type of localized advertising on it to make it work for the folks around the world. It definitely stymies the advancement of Internet TV. It's a slow process off all these networks opening themselves up like this, but it's happening...
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darome said 4:56PM on 5-07-2009
You guys are missing the point. The networks in the states sell the rights to the programs to local tv stations overseas for big bucks!! The networks overseas don't want competition from the internet, it will reduce their advertising revenues , they will never agree its too lucrative a business. They never agreed to streaming music ie Pandora , why would they agree to video?? PS you don't have to go to torrents you can stream the programs at www.ovguide.com , i find it even better than Hulu.
PS this is cat and dog I expect hotspot shield to come up with an update soon enough.
Cheers
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darrenryall said 12:35PM on 5-07-2009
Hmmm, "not currently available".. I seem to remember that from before.. oh yeah, when Pandora went dark for listeners outside of the U.S...
from Tim Westergren - Founder, Pandora
reply-to pandora-support@pandora.com
to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@somewhere.com
date Mon, May 14, 2007 at 17:26
subject Pandora: Changes to Availability in Canada
mailed-by response.pandora.com
And today..
Dear Pandora Visitor,
We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for listeners located outside of the U.S. We will continue to work diligently to realize the vision of a truly global Pandora, but for the time being we are required to restrict its use. We are very sad to have to do this, but there is no other alternative.
Two full years? Come on.. that's not "working diligently". And it looks like Hulu is going the same way.
Wait until YouTube finishes adding all the new content and then are forced US-only by the content providers.
I'd personally LOVE to see some of the other services around the world block access to US IP's, maybe then there'd be some pressure to open up services like Hulu and Pandora to non-US listeners. Because right now, apparently there's not...
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daniel.oleary said 6:12PM on 5-07-2009
I travel regularly outside of the US on business, and hulu was great while sitting at an airport waiting etc. Yet again, forced to pirate to watch content that I'd love to watch with ads on their website.
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Kuroyume said 6:12PM on 5-07-2009
meh... all this does is push us further into torrents...
They were already far more convinient than Hulu, and now for a lot of us are the only choice...
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Matt said 6:12PM on 5-07-2009
Or you could just fire up the ol' Slingbox, like I did on a recent trip to France, and watched everything I wanted on my DVR sitting 4,000 miles away.
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Mike said 7:45AM on 5-08-2009
Who cares? Are US TV shows so great that people are dying to watch them? I'm perfectly happy with the TV shows I can see in my country. I only wish that Pandora would be available. I don't understand why other music streaming sites are still available internationally, but not Pandora.
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Geir said 6:23AM on 5-08-2009
It sucks with services on the Internet that tries to draw up borders. I don't care too much about TV shows, but I do care about the openness of the Internet and I do hate borders.....
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jed said 10:21AM on 7-04-2009
they should make accounts in us only so they can say when people share accounts overseas that they made it us only but the people are bieng dishonest (aka im too high to know what the heck i just said(aka oh my god charlie the unicorns funny(aka im god high)))
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