Clarkson advert

[poundcoin]

Isn't it a bit misleading ?

The advert where he is flogging Amazon Fire sticks . It concludes with him sending Firesticks on a drone across the Channel from the Dover cliffs to our European "friends".

I was thinking of sending one to my son in Holland but it appears that at the moment you can only use them in Germany . Even then does it have the same coverage as the UK such as BBC iPlayer ?

[grimer]

I doubt it would have BBC. The Amazon stick will just host the iplayer app, but it will be the BBC servers that provide the content. The BBC blocks foreign IP addresses from accessing iplayer,. They also block UK VPN IP addresses from accessing iplayer.

The only way to access iplayer from abroad, that I can think of, would be to install Team Viewer (or similar) on a PC in the UK and allow your son to connect to that PC and play iplayer on the UK PC, viewable on his PC in Holland - but it will probably be very 'jerky' and unreliable. There are private TV torrent sites that contain everything from Eastenders to Match of the Day, but I don't think they're legal.

[Lootman]

They also block UK VPN IP addresses from accessing iplayer.

That assumes that the BBC knows that the IP address you are routing through is part of a VPN.

A couple of UK ex-pats I know manage to use BBC iplayer overseas by routing through a UK proxy server. If the BBC is blocking proxy servers by working off a master list of known proxy servers then I suspect there must be gaps in that list.

[grimer]

There probably are, but I would expect that a free service would lack the necessary bandwidth. I have a subscription VPN that has a pretty fast connection, but the free version isn't really suitable for anything other than casual surfing. I tried my VPN when on holiday in the Caribbean and Eastern Europe and the BBC website defaulted to bbc.com (which is probably the best way to test a VPN/proxy service - try to access bbc.co.uk and see if it redirects you to bbc.com.

[redsturgeon]

I used to use Hola and was able to view iplayer abroad with that until last year when it seems to have been blocked.

I feel it a bit off that I pay my license fee but can only access iplayer in the UK, whereas I can access Netflix where ever I go, if Netflix is available in that country.

John

[PrincessB]

I've got a Fire Stick that I bought on a whim for about £25. While it is a remarkable piece of a equipment for its size, the wi-fi reception was insufficient to watch any kind of streaming TV and as the unit is so small there is no internet port so it's wi-fi or nothing.

Regards,

B.

[bungeejumper]

I've got a Fire Stick that I bought on a whim for about £25. While it is a remarkable piece of a equipment for its size, the wi-fi reception was insufficient to watch any kind of streaming TV and as the unit is so small there is no internet port so it's wi-fi or nothing.

Aha, so it wouldn't be any use with a Powerline range extender then? (The ones that run through the mains wiring.) Pity, I'm just beginning to wake up to the possibility of Netflixing (etc) my telly. And wifi reception through the stone walls at Bungee Towers is always pathetic for about half the house. Any workable alternatives?

BJ

[swill453]

Aha, so it wouldn't be any use with a Powerline range extender then? (The ones that run through the mains wiring.) Pity, I'm just beginning to wake up to the possibility of Netflixing (etc) my telly. And wifi reception through the stone walls at Bungee Towers is always pathetic for about half the house. Any workable alternatives?

Powerline should give ample bandwidth for streaming video. Far better than a dodgy wifi connection.

Scott.

[Biggles]

Isn't it a bit misleading ?

The advert where he is flogging Amazon Fire sticks . It concludes with him sending Firesticks on a drone across the Channel from the Dover cliffs to our European "friends".

I've never 'got' the end to that advert. It isn't funny in any way, it doesn't tell you anything more about the product, in fact I can't see that it makes any point at all.

And how is it he can walk all the way to the edge of the cliff and only, when apparently there on the edge, does he suddenly find it necessary to put on sunglasses?

[Slarti]

And how is it he can walk all the way to the edge of the cliff and only, when apparently there on the edge, does he suddenly find it necessary to put on sunglasses?

Clarkson perceived style, at a guess.

Slarti

[bungeejumper]

And how is it he can walk all the way to the edge of the cliff and only, when apparently there on the edge, does he suddenly find it necessary to put on sunglasses?

Tired old cinematic cliché reference, surely?

Famous aviator/astronaut/Easy Rider/Tom Cruise wannabe dons his reflective shades and strides out into the glare of the open space to inspect the distant horizon. In Clarkson's case, I expect he was looking out for incoming Messerschmitts.

BJ

[wheypat]

I've just returned from a week in the US with my firestick and can offer the following

iPlayer doesn't work (would need a VPN adding)
Some of Amazon stuff does work, some doesn't. So stuff they have made themselves was fine, mainly things bought in didn't

3rd party apps - some worked, some didn't

But on the whole I was pleased with what it did do.

[gryffron]

Aha, so it wouldn't be any use with a Powerline range extender then? (The ones that run through the mains wiring.) Pity, I'm just beginning to wake up to the possibility of Netflixing (etc) my telly. And wifi reception through the stone walls at Bungee Towers is always pathetic for about half the house. Any workable alternatives?

You can buy a powerline wifi access point. Put it in the same room as the TV. Regardless of the thickness of your walls, it will work fine to provide a wifi signal in one room.
OR
You may find your television already has an ethernet connection. Depends how old it is. If so, plug the TV directly into the powerline and see what it offers. Most modern TVs have some streaming services built in. Though whether it has the one you want?...

gryff

[Biggles]

Tired old cinematic cliché reference, surely?

Tired old TV presenter, I think.