Looks like Netflix has brought the hammer down and has started a heavy clampdown on smart DNS and VPN providers. Multiple users of smart DNS services such as Getflix, Unblock US and dns4me as well as users of VPN services such as Private Internet Access are unable to get around Netflix's geoblock anymore.
I've been a loyal customer/evangelical proponent of Netflix in Australia for over 3 years and have introduced the service to many friends and family who have become subscribers as well. When I first subscribed, Netflix didn't officially exist in Australia. They came here last year but their Australian catalogue is paltry and barely contains anything, so a lot of users, including me have kept our US/UK subscriptions going. The modern copyright licensing schemes with their geo-segmentation and various tricks to overcharge customers based on location or medium are utterly broken and do not reflect the global nature of the Internet. As a customer, I'm more than happy to pay the same amount of money that a US user pays to legally access their catalog of content. What I will not accept is to be overcharged by movie studios or other copyright holders or to be provided with an inferior service merely due to my location.
I could rent a VPS and setup BIND or OpenVPN to get around their geo-block; but at that point, I have to wonder, if a company doesn't really want my money, should I go to such lengths to pay them?
So after years of being a loyal Netflix subscriber, it looks like my relationship with Netflix will be coming to an end and I will be cancelling my subscription. Guess the movie studios would prefer I go back to Usenet rather than paying them money. Oh well. I tried.
>UnoTelly and Unblock-Us have made significant changes to their websites after PayPal blocked the services from receiving payments through its platform.
>The two services previously advertised the ability to offer their subscribers Netflix content from around the world. Now, their websites make no mention of Netflix.
>Instead, they focus on offering privacy and the ability to defeat censorship.
>“UnoTelly should only be used for privacy protection purposes. Any other usage is not permitted,” UnoTelly states.
I live in Germany and I discovered two of my all-time favorite shows (Mad Men and The Office) on Netflix - only because I used a VPN. Both shows, along with a TON of other shows and movies, aren't available on German Netflix.
I'm actually pretty damn upset now.
I use IPVanish, which is blocked now of course, and I'd be extremely grateful for any working alternative.