One of the most popular entertainment platforms to hit the markets in the past decade is Netflix. The streaming service offers you thousands of movies and TV shows for one affordable monthly subscription. Ever since the platform launched, it has amassed millions of subscribers from all around the world.
But what if there was another side of Netflix that you didn’t know existed. Thousands of movies and TV shows that you’re unable to see. It all comes down to which region you are in. The US is known to have the widest selection of movies and TV shows compared to other region.
If you want to get access to some new movies and TV shows, all you need to do is learn how to change your IP address. It might sound complex and difficult, but you can simply use a VPN to do so. Not all VPNs are equal though, so make sure you find the best VPNs for Netflix if you want to ensure a good streaming experience.
Why is Netflix Different in Some Countries?
If you haven’t traveled to another country and used Netflix within its borders you likely won’t know about the fact that some titles are different depending on the region you are in. Maybe you have noticed that some US or Australian Netflix users have been raving about a particular show on Twitter, but when you look for it, it’s nowhere to be found.
You might even find the movie or TV show in a Google search. However, once you click on it and the Netflix app launches from your smartphone, you’ll simply be met with an error message that states: “This title is unavailable in your region”. In other words, the movie or TV show you’re looking for is on Netflix, you’re just not allowed to watch it.
Netflix is different in each country around the world, there’s no doubt about that. But there’s a very good reason why each region has a unique selection of movies and TV shows. It all comes down to the licensing requirements that Netflix has to meet. In short, the company that produces the movie sells the streaming rights to Netflix, but along with the licensing, Netflix also has to adhere to a strict set of rules — one of which is that they are only allowed to stream the movie or TV show in a specific region.
Because Netflix has to pay a lot of money to acquire the licensing and streaming rights, they’re going to make sure that you can’t watch something from the incorrect region — especially with the streaming platform being so popular all around the world.
What is a VPN?
You might be wondering how Netflix knows whether or not you are in the right region to watch the show that you are looking for. Netflix simply uses your IP address — which is a unique string of numbers used to identify your device on the internet. One of the IP addresses’ primary roles is to pinpoint your physical location and relay this information to any websites that you are trying to visit.
So, in theory, all you need to do is change your IP address to gain access to any Netflix titles that you would like to watch. To many people, this sounds like a complex and difficult process, but luckily, you don’t have to be an IT professional to change your IP address.
With a handy cybersecurity tool known as a VPN installed on your device, all you need to do is launch the app and at the click of a button, you’re able to change your virtual location to another country or city around the world.
Sounds great! But what is a VPN? In our modern society, everyone is worried about safety and privacy, and you don’t just want to be installing random applications onto your devices. Naturally, people will be asking whether it’s safe to install a VPN on their devices.
first and foremost, aVPN is a cybersecurity tool. It’s used to encrypt your internet connection, masking what you are doing on your device. This will prevent anyone from seeing what you are doing while you’re connected to the internet. Not even your internet service provider or the government will be able to keep track of your internet traffic.
But the important feature that we’re looking for is the ability to change your IP address and therefore also your virtual location. A VPN can change your IP address by simply connecting to a secure global server in another country or city around the world. When this happens, the VPN will mask your real IP address, thus hiding it from the website. While your VPN is connected to a global server, the website will be tricked into thinking that you are accessing it from another country.
How to Choose the Right VPN
Before you install the first VPN you find to access some brand new movies and TV shows on Netflix, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. These factors are incredibly important when it comes to choosing which VPN to use.
The first thing you need to keep in mind is to avoid free VPNs. You should always choose a premium VPN because they don’t come with the drawbacks that you’ll find with a free VPN. If you’re using a free VPN you can expect slower connection speeds, more ads, fewer global servers to choose from, and even daily data limits that will limit — all of these factors will negatively impact your streaming experience. There are a few exceptions to free VPNs, like ProtonVPN which is widely regarded as a quality VPN service. However, data limitations still exist.
You also need to pay attention to what the VPN specializes in. For example, some VPNs have excellent connection speeds and stability, and this is ideal for streaming. Other VPNs might be better when it comes to security or unblocking. VPNs are not created equal, which means that you always need to do thorough research into each one and look at what they are good at. Also, some VPNs do not handle Netflix streaming very well, so this is another factor that you need to consider when choosing your VPN.
