I can see a lot of people unsubscribing if and when this happens to Canadian subscribers. Just why is there such a discrepancy between the amount of content available in the US and Canada? If this discrepancy did not exist, neither would the use of proxies to bypass geoblocking.

 

From Netflix

https://media.netflix.com/en/company-blog/evolving-proxy-detection-as-a-global-service

 

As of today I have not been able to access American Netflix using unblock-us.

 

^
Well that sucks, I'll try mine later and see what happens.

 

This actually quite easy for Netflix to enforce. Most streaming services limit content access by the geographical location of the subscriber at the time of subscription. A Canadian subscription simply won't work in the US and visa versa. (In wireless phone terms, Netflix-like roaming is impossible.) That Netflix uses (or used) current geographical location is a convenient loophole that few, if any, other streaming services allow. Canadians may need to get a US subscription with a US address to access US content in future.

 

I wonder how many people will stop their netflix subscriptions. I certainly will. I'll just stream other shows over the internet. There is nothing that I absolutely must watch on netflix. I thought getting rid of cable would be bad but it was actually rather good, and the same will go for netflix. Their loss

 

US address may not help either. Good example is HBO GO service where you need an American address and credit card to set up an account and HBO would still recognize customers outside of US.

 

If Netflix blocks US and UK roaming I will likely cancel as well. About half of what I watch is only available in the US and I know of no Canadian sources for most of it. When I look at the Canadian program selection, I just want to give up on the service. Their are a few Netflix original programs I watch but I can do that in one or two months a year. I might even be able to get it all watched in a free first month.

 

Challenge accepted, Netflix.

So far our account still work on American Netflix.

 

Hulu has apparently been doing this for a long time, but I haven't noticed.

Like I've said in other posts here in the past, determining location based on your IP address is a really hard problem to solve because IP addresses weren't ever supposed to have any association with a physical location.

Ultimately, the companies like Unblock-Us have the home field advantage.

If Netflix is okay with "false positives" (i.e. blocking some of their customers in the USA, collateral damage), then they will probably be able to effectively block Canadian users using USA Netflix too. Or, at least they'll make it really annoying for the proxy companies.

We'll see. Maybe Netflix has a magic bullet, but I somehow doubt it.

 

I use Hulu with no issues. This announcement is more to appease the content providers. It's nothing more than saber rattling. And you are right, companies like un-block-us have home field advantage. Their business plan would fall apart of they can't figure a way around it. They will. We'll still be watching US Netflix a year from now.

 

I'm finishing up one anime on Netflix and then may drop my subscription.

 

There is still enough content on the Canadian Netflix to be worth my subscription but I will miss having access to the UK library. Hopefully Netflix's technological victory will be short lived. At the moment my unblock-us DNS service is still letting me access the US and UK library.

 

It's in Netflix's best interests to only do a marginal job at this, enough to appease the license holders. As it doesn't effect them directly and if they turn a blind eye it just makes their customers happier.

 

If they aren't perceived to be doing a good job of blocking then they may find it much harder to buy content. That is the real danger on Netflix's end.

 

It seems that for now only Apple devices are affected.

 

Good on NetFlix for blocking people for using those stupid DNS or proxy or VPN to access content they are not allowed to. I actually applaud NetFlix for doing this. People have this "IM ENTITLED TO WATCH WHAT EVER I WANT WHEN EVER I WANT" mentality and they use NetFlix as their enabler. Well guess what? the free ride is over. For one you people will have to watch NETFLIX LIKE IT WAS INTENDED. If you people don't like that, well too bad. People need to chill the heck down and realize hey its just TV and they CAN live with out having certain TV shows they are not legally allowed to access, the rest of us law abiding citizens have been doing this for most of our life, welcome to the club finally. Welcome to being normal, Welcome to finally watching NetFlix as it was intended to be watched without twiddling and tweaking with those stupid DNS and Proxy and VPN thingies. Welcome to being NORMAL

 

Welcome to being NORMAL

If everyone had this attitude towards the music industry, we'd still be buying CDs for $15-$20 a pop.

 

My U.S. Netflix and other regions work just fine with Unblock-US, so does my HULU. It can't be stopped. It will take minutes for the VPN providers to get around it. Netflix in announcing this is just try to appease their content providers.

 

I do agree with you on some points, but the truth is, everybody wants change to happen but no body wants to step up to the plate to start a new streaming company and negotiate the rights to the shows you actually want to watch. why? cus it would probaly cost MORE in the end and everyone is affraid of that so in the end people complain about the price and do these stupid things to circumvent the companies like NetFlix and watch shows they are not legally permitted to. I am happy to say I am NOT one of these people. If I wanted to watch NetFlix I would watch it as it was intended to be, if I was not happy with the content, I would go looking for another provider. I will vote with my wallet.

 

Paolo the cable companies must just love you. I bet you pay them a boatload of money every month for mediocre service. Be happy for your substandard services and enjoy. I will continue to search out quality programming and view them however necessary or do without.

 

I'm perfectly happy what I pay for my Television service, I will not disclose how much I am paying to you or on this forum but I am actually paying a lot LESS than you think I am paying for. The key difference is I am PERFECTLY HAPPY for the content and price I am receiving. I am receiving content in other languages too /from other countries that maybe you have NO INTEREST IN, but guess what? It makes me happy and I am paying a very good price for it too. Contrary to what some of you might be thinking I am not a sucker to brainwashing, I DO NOT NEED an all you can watch buffet of movies /TV shows I am NOT interested in shoved down my throat. When someones happy with what they are getting and for how much, let them be happy with it and leave it at that. When the odd time I want to watch a movie I will find out how to do it CONVENIENTLY (without circumventing the system) for the best price for my needs when the time is right. No if and or Butt's.

 

Globalization is all fine and great when it comes to outsourcing jobs. God forbid if consumers want it applied to media as well.

 

Well, I also have a tv subscription, Netflix US, Hulu and subscription to services from Europe for which I am paying but need also to pay for proxy service since those services are not available in Canada.

As far as I am concerned I am not breaking any laws and I am not stealing anything since I am paying for all the content.

Update on my Netflix service, it is working fine now.

 

@Paolo:

I think you put far too much faith in Netflix' ability to stop proxy users. Netflix even said so themselves:

[We] continue to rely on blacklists of VPN exit points maintained by companies that make it their job. Once [VPN providers] are on the blacklist, it’s trivial for them to move to a new IP address and evade.

Hulu currently employs these same techniques that Netflix is adopting, but I barely even notice. You know why? Because the proxy I'm using very quickly adapts to any blocking that happens. It's a routine procedure for them, and I don't even notice.

The Netflix rep also said:

We look forward to offering all of our content everywhere and to consumers being able to enjoy all of Netflix without using a proxy. That’s the goal we will keep pushing towards.

The fact that geoblocking is trivial to evade for end-users, and the fact that it's 100% legal in that there are no laws that prohibit it, that's the basis for future negotiation for companies like Netflix with content owners. If Napster never existed, there would almost certainly have never been an iTunes. Or a Spotify. It used to be that if you liked a hit song, if you wanted to buy it in 1995, it'd cost $20 for the CD. The change from then to now has been a win for consumers.

I understand that the basis of your "ha! All you proxy users will suffer!" post is general ignorance of the technical issues surrounding geoblocking on IPv4 or IPv6. But I don't understand your glee about your (false) belief that people will be restricted from watching the content they want to watch because you think geoblocking will suddenly get more effective. Isn't everyone in the world having access to any content they want to watch through a modern streaming interface a desirable outcome?

 

I don't know. That's not up to me to decide. Look I'm not against some of you I just happen to side with Netflix and their counter measures. There are movies, shows and content from abroad that I can not legally access, but do I go out of my way to tryna watch them? NO. I am not Crazy or Obsessed with trying to watch content on TV, life will go on for me but some people are, its TELEVISION for crying out loud. We're getting obsessed over a medium that is not even good for us to consume in large amounts. I've recently visit parts of the world where Netflix or Internet access is practically unheard of, heck even regular TV is hard to come by and limited to 1 or 2 channels. Those people in that part of the world are perfectly happy in life. Those people don't get mad because they can't watch their show, they accept it and move on, not everyone there even owns a television. If I have access to Television I am very happy and fortunate, because in some parts of the world they are not as fortunate. This is why I will NEVER EVER be greedy or demanding about television content, there are too many other important things in this world for me to worry about. So in the end Let NetFlix do their thing, its their business/problem, and yes I am particularly amused by it because if some of those people lived in other parts of the world where I was in they would see a different reality, or not? who knows, some people will never change.

 

I do not really know what is your point. If people are paying for content and getting Netflix from US legally because there is no law that I know about that says it is illegal to use proxy or unblock us.

If Netflix feels that I should not be doing that then they are free to close my account.

As far as I know people from all over the world bypass geoblocking to access American Netflix, and if Netflix really wanted to stop that like what HBO GO is doing then they would lose quiet a few customers.

If I really wanted to break a law, I would just buy a $50 android box and get everything for free.

 

Looks like Paolo is the one getting all worked up.

 

I'm just having an entertaining conversation. Isn't this what discussion forums are about?