Life in the United Kingdom is something that most people from other countries only dream about. Some think of this country and say that it is their goal or destination. Others are just fascinated that we still have a working monarchy. This elevates the entire British Isles into a grand tourist spot just because of this fact. Even though the Queen does not have a major political power anymore, she is still an important figure in the British government.
However, while some are clamoring in, many are trying to go out. There are several reasons for this. One, they might be working overseas, and their opportunities are not within Great Britain. Another common complaint is political unrest.
With Brexit just being completed, people are getting tired of all the drama surrounding it as this article says: https://www.forbes.com/sites/francescoppola/2019/03/23/everyone-is-fed-up-with-brexit/. Also, some believe that the country is on a downward spiral although this needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Reaching for the Familiar
This does not change the fact that many British nationals are living the ex-pat life. It is commonly referred to as the British diaspora.
Many of us go to previous territories of the United Kingdom like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States. It is generally easier to live here because of the lack of barriers to the English language. Others prefer the tropics so that they can get away from the gloomy Isles. Learn more of the common reasons why.
Even though this is the reality, there is still a part of us that is inherently British. We still look for a semblance of our life back in our home country, even if we are living outside of her. Sometimes, we look for it in our food. We are already getting stereotyped about being tea lovers, but why deny the truth? Nothing beats a cup of earl grey in the afternoons, but crumpets can be hard to come by overseas.
Alas, the same can be said with the television options.
It is a good thing that we already have the internet these days, as you can easily browse online and see all the British content that you can get. You can now catch up on the latest TV dramas and see what is going on with the local celebrity or common life. With services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and iTV Hub, it should be easy to watch whatever you want. Isn’t that right?
Some Censorship Concerns That Could Limit Your Streaming
Unfortunately, the reality is often disappointing. Due to changing laws regarding copyright, most content creators are making sure that they are only showing to their local audience. This might be a plus for those living back at home, but it can be difficult if you are overseas. Once you try and access anything, you might encounter an error message. They are becoming stricter with their rules as well.
One of the ways that you can bypass these limitations is through a VPN. Virtual private networks are like safe spaces or bubbles wherein you can access the internet without the fear of getting tracked. There are a lot of ways that people can take advantage of this, especially for those who are outside their home countries. You can watch using a VPN all of the shows that you want, but your choice of provider will matter. It can ultimately decide whether you’ll experience a good time or not.
With the recent coronavirus health concern, people are not allowed to travel anymore, and they need to stay indoors as much as possible. If you are an ex-pat from the UK, then you can have the chance to go back. Otherwise, you would need to stay where you are until the international airlines start to go back to their normal routines. With a VPN though, you may not need to go back home to enjoy what you want to watch.
However, a problem persists. As mentioned before, there are still a lot of sites that block the use of VPN in certain countries. The United Kingdom, being previously a part of the EU, still upholds similar values regarding censorship and the like. This is why the networks still need to follow these rules. There is also the issue of copyright regarding the TV shows. As these streaming platforms are acting more like cable channels, there is a lot more incentive for people to pirate. Thus, this has created the same issues as it was before when it was just cable TV. There were so many people downloading through illegal websites and that is a loss of income for them.
What You Should Be Searching For
Now though, these platforms have learned to navigate this system so that they do not have to worry about others hijacking their content. This might make it a bit more complicated to watch your favorite shows with a VPN. However, there are now ways that you can get away with it. You just need to choose the right provider.
For example, some VPN programs always say if they can give you access to certain streaming services. This is usually seen in their respective websites. Most of the well-known ones are already blocked by the content creators. This is not to say that it is entirely impossible or bringing all the more popular options down. It is just a fact that because of their well-known brand, they can easily be identified by the networks.
Always choose a VPN that has an accurate geotagging system. With this feature, you can change the location of your IP address. Even if you are in another part of the world, you can still access content that is limited only to the British Isles. However, this feature should be working properly as some providers may not give you the right tags. Sometimes, you would end up accessing another country’s content.
Another thing that you would need to check for the price. Fortunately, most of the VPN available in the market these days are flexible when it comes to their payments. Some would offer monthly or yearly plans, and most would prefer this one.
However, you might end up forgetting about it and you would end up paying every month straight from your account. If you prefer, there are also plans that you can get that only covers for a month. This is great for those who only need the service for a short time.
Meanwhile, you can also read about their security. Now, this might be a little confusing for some people because the terminologies might be too foreign. You can read it on this page. Most of the websites will cover their articles with complicated jargon that is not accessible to the common folks. It is easy to read about it, but the challenge comes with fully understanding this particular feature.
This is where reviews come in. They are important to read before purchasing anything online because this can give you a preview of what the product is all about. These can also give you tips on which ones to buy and avoid. You can read the reviews on the VPN’s website, or you can check out other sites. It can give you an insight as to which one is the best in the market.
Choosing a VPN might be confusing, but it is a necessary step. You cannot just choose the most affordable or has a lot of geotagged locations. It is still important to see whether it can deliver to what was promised in their advertisement.
