Watch UK TV abroad through WMC

[LeRosbif]

Hi,

I have recently moved to France and would like to watch UK TV, ideally though the WMC computer I have connected to my telly.
I spent some time on googl but could not find any obvious solution.

There seem to be solutions with set top boxes, but they would have to be connected separately from WMC I suppose.

Does any of you guys have managed to watch UK TV Abroad on WMC?

Thanks

[milli260876]

Should be easy enough to get freesat with the right size dish

[NWW]

Can confirm, I am in Belgium and watch freesat with a 88cm dish centered on 16E.

[joecrow]

Hi,

Does any of you guys have managed to watch UK TV Abroad on WMC?

Yes, I am in Germany but cannot put up a sat dish where I live, I use TunerfreeMCE (freeware) to get live BBC and ITV TV (all channels), Iplayer/catchup etc and BBC radio over the internet, which may actually be a less hassle solution than satelite. You will also need a VPN or DNS service with UK connection (so it looks like you are in the UK) most of the faster ones you have to pay for but to try it out I would suggest you give the free Expat Sheild VPN a try, its a bit clunky and slow but it will give you and idea of what is possible, typically it will be fine in the daytime but not so good evenings and weekends. Just google Expat Sheild for more info. I now use UNODNS for a small fee, it is faster and intergrates better in WMC.
You can get TunerfreeMCE here http://www.milliesoft.co.uk/index.php?o ... &Itemid=11 and you will need to have IE installed, latest version is best.

Please feel free to PM me or post again here if you think I can give you further info. Also there is a forum for TFMCE here http://www.milliesoft.co.uk/forum/ which may be useful if you run into problems.

[LeRosbif]

Hi,

They changed the positioningof the satellite recently. I am in the south of France and would need a 1 meter wide dish, which in not ideal since I'm renting. I was looking at IPTV options.

JoeCrow - thanks for your input!
I actually considered trying TunerFreeMCE. Paying for a VPN is not an issue...
Can you record with TunerFreeMCE? Does it come with an EPG?
I need something the wife can manipulate easily...

[joecrow]

Can you record with TunerFreeMCE? Does it come with an EPG?
I need something the wife can manipulate easily...

There is no EPG with TunerfreeMCE, a real nuisance as you don't know what is comming on. Recording the streamed Flash content is not possible to the best of my knowledge but since most things appear sooner or later on the Iplayer etc. I don't see that as a big problem. WAF could be a problem, good though TFMCE is, I cannot in all honesty say it is 100% bug free, on rare occaisions a program may not start and it can require a restart of MCE to clear things, not a big issue unless like my wife, you don't have the confidence to play arround a little.

[mdavej]

This works for me in a browser, but not in WMC. But it's free and in full HD and doesn't require that your proxy be running all the time.
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 908#p51908

[barnabas1969]

This works for me in a browser, but not in WMC. But it's free and in full HD and doesn't require that your proxy be running all the time.
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 908#p51908

mdavej,

I'm sure your Tor setup works to give you a UK IP address. However, that's not really the purpose for which Tor is intended. Tor is intended to be used for privacy. Using it for streaming video saturates the network connections of the Tor relays through which your traffic is routed, and slows down everyone else who is trying to use Tor for the purpose for which Tor was created: privacy. When you use Tor to stream video, you are adding unnecessary/unwanted traffic to three Tor relays. People who use it this way is why Tor can often be very slow for even simple things like web browsing and e-mail.

It seems to me that you could use Proxy SwitchySharp in Chrome with an actual proxy (instead of using Tor as a proxy). It would be simpler to setup than installing the Tor Browser Bundle, and you wouldn't negatively impact Tor users on the Tor relay network.

[mdavej]

I understand. The negative impact I have on the network is unfortunate. I'd love to use an actual proxy if I could find one, but I can't. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. Until then, I'll have to keep doing what I'm doing. If it makes anybody feel any better, my BBC viewing is limited to perhaps 10 hrs per month in the middle of the night UK time.

[barnabas1969]

It's not a proxy, but does http://www.unblock-us.com/ not work with iPlayer?

[mdavej]

It's not a proxy, but does http://www.unblock-us.com/ not work with iPlayer?

Thanks. But I forgot to mention my other requirement. I has to be free, like Tor. Of course I could constantly monitor the lists of free UK proxies and throw darts, hoping to pick one that works. But Tor handles all of that for me. I've searched extensively for a better "free" options but haven't found anything equal to or better than Tor.

[mdavej]

I can't get the latest Tor to work with Chrome anymore. So here's my new method for those who need a proxy to watch BBC. Turns out to be a lot simpler but requires a little more maintenance. Doesn't work in WMC, only in Chrome. Relaunch might work, but I haven't tried it.

- Add the Proxy SwitchySharp extension to Chrome
- In Proxy SwitchySharp options, make a new profile called UK
- Pick Manual, enter address and port, and check "Use the same..." (I've found THISto be one of the best lists of UK proxies)
- On the Switch Rules tab, Enable Switch Rules and add a new rule called iPlayer
- Use pattern *://*.bbc.co.uk/*, pattern Wildcard, profile UK
- On the General tab, pick Startup Profile [Auto Switch], then Save

Now anytime you go to the iPlayer website, your proxy will be used automatically. Other site won't use a proxy, as normal.

If the proxy doesn't work, use a new one from the list site above. I can often go weeks without having to change proxies.

[mdavej]

Another option is Hola extension for Chrome. I'd tried a few times in the past with mixed results. But it seems to be working pretty well at the moment. It's also much simpler than other proxy switching apps since it's all handled automatically. So no searching for new proxies periodically or manual configuration is required.