Netflix Available Here?

[THAIPHUKET]

NY Times article makes Netflix more and more interesting

http://goo.gl/7evKK

Can I get it here?

[mightyharriss]

nope. You have to have a stateside permanent address, Stateside IP address and registered Stateside Credit Card.

They get all the good stuff. Here we have NO NETFLIX, NO APPLE STORE, NO X BOX LIVE..... utter <deleted> really

[mightyharriss]

nope. You have to have a stateside permanent address, Stateside IP address and registered Stateside Credit Card.

They get all the good stuff. Here we have NO NETFLIX, NO APPLE STORE, NO X BOX LIVE..... utter <deleted> really

oh... almost forgot....... a decent internet connection which is fun to get here

[Doc50]

nope. You have to have a stateside permanent address, Stateside IP address and registered Stateside Credit Card.

They get all the good stuff. Here we have NO NETFLIX, NO APPLE STORE, NO X BOX LIVE..... utter <deleted> really

I've got the address, got the credit card. Would I have to order from say my daughters IP address to get Netflix downloadable DVD movies?

Or would I only need the IP address to set up the account. Ordering through someone everytime would make it not feasible.

Doc

[LivinLOS]

No every connection and online use must be from a IP geolocated in the states..

Possible with a very fast VPN server but not easy.

[phomsanuk]

nope. You have to have a stateside permanent address, Stateside IP address and registered Stateside Credit Card.

They get all the good stuff. Here we have NO NETFLIX, NO APPLE STORE, NO X BOX LIVE..... utter <deleted> really

No Amazon as well?

[Crushdepth]

Yes we have Amazon.

[Jingthing]

You can use physical Netflix DVDs by hooking up a DVD player to a host USA based slingbox machine (and a cooperative person to load them, send them back, etc.). You can manage all the video selecting yourself form the Netflix website in Thailand with no proxy. The US person would hold the account and pay Netflix and add you as a guest user assigning you as many DVDs out at a time as you wish (the host can have zero or more themselves). It works fine.

BTW, the films Netflix streams are mostly the more mainstream type movies. If you like more minority taste films, indie, foreign, art films, etc. they generally won't be streamed anyway!

Believe it or not, not EVERYTHING is available on torrents.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Jingthing

[negreanu]

StrongVPN. Netflix BBC iplayer etc. no problem in thailand.

[Jingthing]

Update on Netflix. Good and bad news. Netflix is now streaming MUCH MORE of their library. Lots of indie/foreign/oddball content now. Great. However starting recently, I can't even LOG INTO Netflix with an account I have to browse and queue content (to be played in the US and streamed to me via Slingbox)! So basically they have blocked the site for ANY use for any use in Thailand. So my method is screwed up. Yes you would need the US address, credit card, AND IP address now for physical media (even to be delivered in the US) and of course streaming (that part not new).

[Crushdepth]

Not until Thailand gets itself off the US intellectual property rights abuser list. Which isn't going to happen.

[Jingthing]

Not until Thailand gets itself off the US intellectual property rights abuser list. Which isn't going to happen.

I think this has nothing to do with that. If you use Netflix, you ARE paying for the content! I think this has everything to do with the content producers business policies, as far as what rights they are selling and limiting it as much as they can for the money they get. I could be wrong, but I don't get the relation here, because if they opened it to Thailand, we would be paying for it exactly the same as US customers.

[Jingthing]

About VPN, I have a question. Supposing you use VPN service to obtain a USA IP address. Wouldn't Netflix know there is something fishy if they see your home address and credit card address in New York (for example) and your IP in California? It seems to me Netflix is getting more aggressive now in excluding countries they won't officially serve, so wouldn't they be likely to simply close your account?

[Thaigreg]

I'm able to view Netflix with my sister's account in the US. All I need is a proxy or VPN server.

Greg

[Jingthing]

I'm able to view Netflix with my sister's account in the US. All I need is a proxy or VPN server.

Greg

So they allow streaming to two (in this case US) IPs at the same time? I aware of accounts having multiple users, as I do that now with a friend's US account, but not sure about streaming to two different IPs, especially at the same time.

I realize now you can obtain US IP's in different localities, in many cases in the same city as your account.

[justsumhelp]

just checked using http://hostizzle.com/ and http://www.freeopenvpn.com/ using the free accounts and they worked with decent speed, just make sure to check that you are using https when logging on and that the certificates from the site your logging into are not forged.

I'm able to view Netflix with my sister's account in the US. All I need is a proxy or VPN server.

Greg

So they allow streaming to two (in this case US) IPs at the same time? I aware of accounts having multiple users, as I do that now with a friend's US account, but not sure about streaming to two different IPs, especially at the same time.

I realize now you can obtain US IP's in different localities, in many cases in the same city as your account.

[Jingthing]

Thanks for that. Good clues for me but I'm still unclear if Netflix allows streaming to two IPs simultaneously on the same account.

[justsumhelp]

Log into netflix and stream a movie using two different vpn's at the same time and see if you account gets flagged. I would offer to check for you but I dont want to piss off my mom

Edited July 6, 2011 by justsumhelp

[Jingthing]

Log into netflix and stream a movie using two different vpn's at the same time and see if you account gets flagged.

Confused about your advice. I need the US I.P. but the source account already has a non VPN US IP. Why the need for two IPs? If they flag the account, they will flag the account, VPNs or not, yes? I don't want to hurt my friend who owns the account. He needs his Netflix even more than me.

[justsumhelp]

I just figured that it would be easier to test it at the same time on your end, instead of having to coordinate your friend streaming a movie at the same time you try to stream. If your friend has a computer that he leaves on all the time or a capable router you can just get him to setup Openvpn/PPTP/etc.. on that computer/router then you wouldnt have to worry about multiple Ip's.

Log into netflix and stream a movie using two different vpn's at the same time and see if you account gets flagged.

Confused about your advice. I need the US I.P. but the source account already has a non VPN US IP. Why the need for two IPs? If they flag the account, they will flag the account, VPNs or not, yes? I don't want to hurt my friend who owns the account. He needs his Netflix even more than me.

Edited July 6, 2011 by justsumhelp

[negreanu]

Forget VPN for quality streaming of NETFLIX. If you want to stream HD content from netflix with rebuffering and stuttering.

The best option BY FAR is usvideo.org. You get maximum streaming speeds using this service. Flawless use it every day for netflix and BBC and HULU.

HD content with no stutters as no third party VPN server involved the stream is direct from them to you.

Edited July 6, 2011 by negreanu

[Jingthing]

Update on my issue with netflix login in Thailand.

Turns out it was a temporary glitch of some kind.

Today was able to login, so now I can manage my physical disk queue from Thailand.

Still considering some of the other options for streaming, but the immediate issue solved.

Another option I found out about to login to specific websites needing a US IP --

Ultrasurf.

It's free.

[jfchandler]

The comments above about Netflix not being available in Thailand are simply wrong... Not officially available, yes... But nonetheless, easily available.

You do need a U.S. address and payment method in order to create a new account. But once that is done, it's easy to obtain the U.S. IP address that the Netflix streaming service will accept in order to deliver its content.

While TV member Negreanu is focused on HD (Hi-Def) content, I should say that regular SD (standard def) content from Netflix can stream perfectly fine here and display fine too, especially on non-big-screen TVs.... And, Netflix own delivery system has built-in scaling, meaning it automatically raises or lowers the stream rate and quality based on the Internet connection that's being used.

As for VPNs, I did an interesting test the other day. Using one of the paid VPN providers, I kept everything else the same and did one set of speed tests using a PPTP-type VPN connection, then disconnected and re-connected via the same provider with its Open VPN/SSL VPN connection. The PPTP-type VPN connection speed tested at almost the same speed as my non-VPN speeds to that USA destination (Los Angeles), while the Open VPN/SSL connection from Los Angeles consistently ran at less than half that speed.

I've tested it lately, so at least for my provider, the both the PPTP and the Open VPN/SSL connections (two different flavors/kinds of VPN) are accepted equally well by Neflix, Hulu and various others. However, at least in my case, I get substantially better speeds when I use the PPTP connection. So it obviously is better for video streaming. (I should note, my VPN plan and provider allows me to use either PPTP, Open VPN/SSL or both simutaneously for about $70 per year, or about $6 per month). Different VPN providers may handle that differently as each set their own plan configurations and pricing.

Working with a local 10 Mbps cable service, in the primetime evening hours, I speed tested to Los Angeles at between 1,500 and 1,800 Kbps download from Los Angeles using a PPTP connection also in Los Angeles, while I got only 400 to 600 Kbps download from Los Angeles using an Open VPN/SSL connection there.

But either way, if someone around these parts wants to stream from the USA, you ideally want to make a VPN server connection on the U.S. west coast, usually San Francisco or Los Angeles, as those not only will give you the necessary IP address but also will tend to have faster speeds than server locations further inland (and farther away from Thailand).

As for the question of whether a Netflix account can have two different people in two different places (or on two different devices) watching at the same time, I've seen different answers on that, and it may depend in part on what kind of Netflix account is involved: streaming only, 1 DVD at a time, or more than 1 DVD at a time. And of course Netflix has been changing their account setups lately to de-couple and charge separately for streaming vs mailed DVDs...

Although I can't personally confirm this, I've seen reports from people with streaming only accounts who says they can have more than one person streaming at the same time without any problem. Likewise, for people with the two or more DVDs at a time plan, I've seen reports saying they've likewise had no problem doing the same, multiple simultaneous streaming. But as I said, I've never personally tried that, so I can't confirm it.

One of the advantages I've found of the 12-15 hour time difference between the U.S. and Thailand is that the typical times for TV watching in Thailand are almost opposite (and different) from the typical TV watching times in the U.S., minimizing the potential for overlap.

[jfchandler]

Here's what Netflix's current Terms and Conditions document says... The real "official" Netflix answer is in the Q. and A. item below...

Personal Computer Requirements and Device Limitations: To enjoy watching instantly via your personal computer, your equipment must satisfy certain system requirements. Click here to view the various system requirements. To see partners who offer Netflix ready devices you may use to access our service, click here. YOU MAY INSTANTLY WATCH ON UP TO SIX UNIQUE AUTHORIZED NETFLIX READY DEVICES. YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO INSTANTLY WATCH SIMULTANEOUSLY ON ONLY ONE SUCH DEVICE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. For certain membership plans in the United States, you may instantly watch simultaneously on more than one Netflix ready device within your household. Click here to view the number of devices on which you may simultaneously view movies & TV shows that are associated with your plan. The number of devices and concurrent streams may change without notice to you. For certain limited membership plans in the United States, your available Netflix ready device may be limited to personal computers.

https://account.netf...msOfUse#conduct

The "Click here" link re numbers of simultaneous devices leads to this Q. and A. on the Netflix website:

Q: Can I watch movies instantly on more than one PC or Netflix-ready device?

A: Some membership plans allow you to watch simultaneously on more than one personal computer or Netflix-ready device.

If you are on the Unlimited Streaming plan, the Unlimited Streaming + 1 DVD out-at-a-time plan or a limited streaming plan, you may watch only one device at a time.

If you are on the Unlimited Streaming + 2 DVDs out-at-a-time plan, you may watch on up to two devices at a time.

Members on the Unlimited Streaming + 3 DVDs out-at-a-time plan may watch on up to three devices at a time. The maximum is four devices at a time -- available for members on the Unlimited Streaming + 4-or greater DVDs out-at-a-time plan.

Edited August 15, 2011 by jfchandler