4 ms·

This service lets you use Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, and Rdio from any country

33 points by jkaljundi 14y ago

dmooray 14y ago
This just sets up the browser to use a proxy,50.116.59.63 port 80, for those websites.
- limpangel 14y ago
  Quote: "MediaHint.com is a provider of free of charge proxy server services that are accessible via MediaHint browser extensions" As it says in the privacy policy, they are only proxy service providers. The add-ons are supposed to do just that, use their proxy.
- jobigoud 14y ago
  So… this can't last very long can it ?
  - limpangel 14y ago
    I don't think so. :) Unless they constantly change their proxy's IP and play cat and mouse with the targeted websites. That is possible without user intervention because they use a self-hosted file (http://mediahint.com/default.pac http://mediahint.com/default.pac) to setup the proxy through the use of their extension.
aculver 14y ago
Yeah, lots of VPN services let you do this. However, it becomes hard to do at scale because some of the services like Netflix, Hulu, etc. work to actively block IP addresses that represent anonymous proxies/VPNs[1]. For example, I was unable to use my WiTopia account to use Hulu.jp. Instead, I had to register for a separate VPN account on StrongVPN. Even then, one of their Tokyo-based tunnel end points worked, and the other didn't. That's because Hulu works actively to detect these servers and blocks access to them.[2] I imagine this will be even harder to scale since the only thing people will be using the VPN's outward facing IP for is connecting to these services, as opposed to the mixed usage traffic the other VPN providers see. [1] http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/159360,picking-the-perfect-home-entertainment-box-hulu-blocks-international-access-via-witopia.aspx http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/159360,picking-the-perfec... [2] http://www.hulu.com/support/article/243651 http://www.hulu.com/support/article/243651
bobsy 14y ago
Its a shame that this will almost certainly be shut down quickly. Just browsed Hulu and they have shows on there which I download on a weekly basis. I do not watch much TV. I do not want to pay an extra £20/mo to get the hundred or so channels I need to watch the handful of shows I enjoy. Instead to get access to shows I like reasonably quickly I need to frequent some ad-infested torrent crap hole to find the file. The alternative is wait for it to come on DVD which can be up to or beyond 9 months after the show has finished airing in the states. I would happily pay for hulu. I would happily buy advanced access for individual series. Maybe this advanced access fee could then become a voucher to own the series? Promote a purchase after the series has finished? Unfortunately due to geography this isn't allowed... so I will keep downloading torrents and keep giving ad revenue to some unscrupulous torrent site owner. Not because I am bad person. Its because the entertainment industry hasn't figured out a way to give me an option to access their content. Note: I subscribe to Netflix - which is great if you don't want up-to-date episodes of TV shows. Why I can't buy credits to watch the latest season or two is beyond me.
- Torn 14y ago
  I would go further than that, and say I would happily pay £40 or so a month for unfettered access to tv, music, games, etc. They could take my money and divide it between the content creators based on the content that I had consumed. Let's get away from silo'd mentatlities reinforcing old-world ownership models, and make content easy-enough to consume without having to revert to piracy.
  - jobu 14y ago
    Apple was able to do this for music with iTunes, and now the video content owners are terrified of giving any one platform too much access and losing control of the market. By keeping the market fragmented they have more leverage over the platforms (Apple, Amazon, Netflix), and it they hope to gain more control (and money) over the long term. In the short term I think this actually hurts both the platform owners and the content providers because it's so much easier to download the content illegitimately right now.
- koko775 14y ago
Tipzntrix 14y ago
Are the users of this service technically performing illegal activity? After all, the reason we're not watching Hulu is because it's licensed only for certain areas. I don't know the law pertaining to this case itself. EDIT: Obviously using a VPN isn't illegal (in most first world countries, anyway), but the actual access of Hulu from an unlicensed area is what I mean.
rb2k_ 14y ago
This only seems to set a proxy which is ok, but limited to your browser. Stand-alone mediaplayers (apple tv, roku, ...) won't be able to use this easily. I always liked the DNS based services[0] seeing as you can enter them in your DSL router and all wifi appliances will be able to take advantage of them. The other option I used was using socks and proxychains[1] to force e.g. XBMC through an SSH connection to a cheap US VPS. Both of them have the advantage that you don't push ALL of your traffic over a VPN line. [0] http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2011/04/07/hulu-and-iplayer-outside-the-us-without-a-vpn/ http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2011/04/07/hulu-and-iplayer-outsi... [1] http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2012/02/26/socks-and-proxychains-as-a-vpn-alternative/ http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2012/02/26/socks-and-proxychains-...
- gislik 14y ago
  For those who want to explore the DNS based services there are a few options. These services seem to very similar and most of them are $5 a month. I have been using http://playmo.tv http://playmo.tv for just over a year and I get my daily dose of Netflix, Hulu through my Apple TV. Prior to discovering "geounblocking" I must admit how oblivous I was about the advances in streaming media :s I am happy to pay for the conveniences of streaming Netflix, etc.
  - rb2k_ 14y ago
    It's also worth noting that those services have to "manually" enable support for sites. Playmo e.g. doesn't seem to support any of the BBC/iPlayer content. Unblock US does (and a few more). The only downside is that the Playmo website looks way more snazzy :)
ktf 14y ago
I just want to use Netflix from Linux...

33 points by jkaljundi 14y ago

dmooray 14y ago

This just sets up the browser to use a proxy,50.116.59.63 port 80, for those websites.

limpangel 14y ago
Quote: "MediaHint.com is a provider of free of charge proxy server services that are accessible via MediaHint browser extensions" As it says in the privacy policy, they are only proxy service providers. The add-ons are supposed to do just that, use their proxy.
jobigoud 14y ago
So… this can't last very long can it ?
- limpangel 14y ago
  I don't think so. :) Unless they constantly change their proxy's IP and play cat and mouse with the targeted websites. That is possible without user intervention because they use a self-hosted file (http://mediahint.com/default.pac http://mediahint.com/default.pac) to setup the proxy through the use of their extension.

aculver 14y ago

Yeah, lots of VPN services let you do this. However, it becomes hard to do at scale because some of the services like Netflix, Hulu, etc. work to actively block IP addresses that represent anonymous proxies/VPNs[1]. For example, I was unable to use my WiTopia account to use Hulu.jp. Instead, I had to register for a separate VPN account on StrongVPN. Even then, one of their Tokyo-based tunnel end points worked, and the other didn't. That's because Hulu works actively to detect these servers and blocks access to them.[2] I imagine this will be even harder to scale since the only thing people will be using the VPN's outward facing IP for is connecting to these services, as opposed to the mixed usage traffic the other VPN providers see. [1] http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/159360,picking-the-perfect-home-entertainment-box-hulu-blocks-international-access-via-witopia.aspx http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/159360,picking-the-perfec... [2] http://www.hulu.com/support/article/243651 http://www.hulu.com/support/article/243651

bobsy 14y ago

Its a shame that this will almost certainly be shut down quickly. Just browsed Hulu and they have shows on there which I download on a weekly basis. I do not watch much TV. I do not want to pay an extra £20/mo to get the hundred or so channels I need to watch the handful of shows I enjoy. Instead to get access to shows I like reasonably quickly I need to frequent some ad-infested torrent crap hole to find the file. The alternative is wait for it to come on DVD which can be up to or beyond 9 months after the show has finished airing in the states. I would happily pay for hulu. I would happily buy advanced access for individual series. Maybe this advanced access fee could then become a voucher to own the series? Promote a purchase after the series has finished? Unfortunately due to geography this isn't allowed... so I will keep downloading torrents and keep giving ad revenue to some unscrupulous torrent site owner. Not because I am bad person. Its because the entertainment industry hasn't figured out a way to give me an option to access their content. Note: I subscribe to Netflix - which is great if you don't want up-to-date episodes of TV shows. Why I can't buy credits to watch the latest season or two is beyond me.

Torn 14y ago
I would go further than that, and say I would happily pay £40 or so a month for unfettered access to tv, music, games, etc. They could take my money and divide it between the content creators based on the content that I had consumed. Let's get away from silo'd mentatlities reinforcing old-world ownership models, and make content easy-enough to consume without having to revert to piracy.
- jobu 14y ago
  Apple was able to do this for music with iTunes, and now the video content owners are terrified of giving any one platform too much access and losing control of the market. By keeping the market fragmented they have more leverage over the platforms (Apple, Amazon, Netflix), and it they hope to gain more control (and money) over the long term. In the short term I think this actually hurts both the platform owners and the content providers because it's so much easier to download the content illegitimately right now.
koko775 14y ago

Tipzntrix 14y ago

Are the users of this service technically performing illegal activity? After all, the reason we're not watching Hulu is because it's licensed only for certain areas. I don't know the law pertaining to this case itself. EDIT: Obviously using a VPN isn't illegal (in most first world countries, anyway), but the actual access of Hulu from an unlicensed area is what I mean.

rb2k_ 14y ago

This only seems to set a proxy which is ok, but limited to your browser. Stand-alone mediaplayers (apple tv, roku, ...) won't be able to use this easily. I always liked the DNS based services[0] seeing as you can enter them in your DSL router and all wifi appliances will be able to take advantage of them. The other option I used was using socks and proxychains[1] to force e.g. XBMC through an SSH connection to a cheap US VPS. Both of them have the advantage that you don't push ALL of your traffic over a VPN line. [0] http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2011/04/07/hulu-and-iplayer-outside-the-us-without-a-vpn/ http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2011/04/07/hulu-and-iplayer-outsi... [1] http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2012/02/26/socks-and-proxychains-as-a-vpn-alternative/ http://blog.marc-seeger.de/2012/02/26/socks-and-proxychains-...

gislik 14y ago
For those who want to explore the DNS based services there are a few options. These services seem to very similar and most of them are $5 a month. I have been using http://playmo.tv http://playmo.tv for just over a year and I get my daily dose of Netflix, Hulu through my Apple TV. Prior to discovering "geounblocking" I must admit how oblivous I was about the advances in streaming media :s I am happy to pay for the conveniences of streaming Netflix, etc.
- rb2k_ 14y ago
  It's also worth noting that those services have to "manually" enable support for sites. Playmo e.g. doesn't seem to support any of the BBC/iPlayer content. Unblock US does (and a few more). The only downside is that the Playmo website looks way more snazzy :)

ktf 14y ago

I just want to use Netflix from Linux...