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HBO Now crackdown on non-US users?

F

foghat

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 28, 2011
40
0
Hey,

I am getting HBO Now in Canada using a DNS service.

I just received an email from HBO Now basically stating that unless I phone them and prove I am from the US, they are going to shut my account down on the 21st.

Bummer. Has anyone else received this email?

I wonder if they flagged me because from time to time I will launch the app on my phone when I am not on my wifi network (and hence not using the DNS service).

If this is the case, guess I will create another account and never launch the app unless I am on my wifi. Or using a vpn service.
 
Yeah, I just got the email too. I usually use a VPN on the Internet and used it when I signed up for HBO Now, the VPN is in the UK mostly I think. When no videos played, I realized the VPN was the problem and turned it off, but they must have flagged it. I just phoned up now, I had to give my mobile number, email and address in case they had to contact me for more information and I also explained about the VPN situation, and they then said I should be good to go. I hope this helps you! :)
 
I've seen a few people in NZ with that email. I haven't received one yet but it's not looking good.

I can only conclude that HBO actually *wants* piracy.
 
pandarock32 said:
Yeah, I just got the email too. I usually use a VPN on the Internet and used it when I signed up for HBO Now, the VPN is in the UK mostly I think. When no videos played, I realized the VPN was the problem and turned it off, but they must have flagged it. I just phoned up now, I had to give my mobile number, email and address in case they had to contact me for more information and I also explained about the VPN situation, and they then said I should be good to go. I hope this helps you! :)
Click to expand...

So you actually live in the the US then?

I don't have a US address or phone number to give them. I suppose I could give any US address, but phone number would be a little trickier.

----------
Nermal said:
I've seen a few people in NZ with that email. I haven't received one yet but it's not looking good.

I can only conclude that HBO actually *wants* piracy.
Click to expand...

This is really too bad. Was hoping they'd look the other way like someone I know...

I had actually just finished up the series I was watching on Netflix and was going to start Deadwood. Maybe not now.
 
foghat said:
So you actually live in the the US then?

I don't have a US address or phone number to give them. I suppose I could give any US address, but phone number would be a little trickier.

----------



This is really too bad. Was hoping they'd look the other way like someone I know...

I had actually just finished up the series I was watching on Netflix and was going to start Deadwood. Maybe not now.
Click to expand...
For a phone number, get groove ip, it's an android and iOS app run by ring.to, which according to their website helps build infrastructure for other telephone web services. At the moment they are giving free numbers to test their backbone, I've tried it a few times its unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada but they said that it may not be free forever.
 
Nermal said:
I can only conclude that HBO actually *wants* piracy.
Click to expand...

No, they are a major media company and they are under a huge obligation to enforce their regional restrictions that are imposed on them (they don’t have global rights to all of their content) otherwise they will have a harder time getting content that they want to broadcast.
 
pdjudd said:
No, they are a major media company and they are under a huge obligation to enforce their regional restrictions that are imposed on them (they don’t have global rights to all of their content) otherwise they will have a harder time getting content that they want to broadcast.
Click to expand...

Right, but other companies in a similar position (including ones that produce their own content) turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. Terminating the accounts of legitimate paying customers is only going to drive them to piracy.
 
foghat said:
If this is the case, guess I will create another account and never launch the app unless I am on my wifi. Or using a vpn service.
Click to expand...

PS: how do you creat "another" account? It's using your Apple ID, is it not?
 
Oh no :(

I haven't got an email yet from HBO. I'm using a VPN services. What I'm im going to do! At least I got 1 episode in while it lasted :(
 
matrix07 said:
PS: how do you creat "another" account? It's using your Apple ID, is it not?
Click to expand...

You create an HBO Now account that gets linked to your apple id.

I haven't tried yet, but the first thing I will do is try create another HBO Now account and link to my existing US itunes account. If this does not work, I will have to create another US Itunes account and go from there.

----------
macbroadcast said:
Oh no :(

I haven't got an email yet from HBO. I'm using a VPN services. What I'm im going to do! At least I got 1 episode in while it lasted :(
Click to expand...

I suspect as long as you never use HBO Now while not connected to a US server via your vpn, you will be fine. I think.

Pretty sure the reason I got busted is because I would sometimes browse HBO Now (app and website) while not using my US DNS service.
 
Has anyone else called the number? I haven't heard back from HBO since I called, I'm hoping that's a good sign
 
Nermal said:
Right, but other companies in a similar position (including ones that produce their own content) turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. Terminating the accounts of legitimate paying customers is only going to drive them to piracy.
Click to expand...

If you're not in the U.S. You're not a legitimate customer. You don't have license to view the content which basically makes you a pirate anyway, except you're paying two different companies for the benefit.

Netflix turn a blind eye because it's not really their problem. The studios that license content to Netflix would very much like to shut you out but they haven't found a way to force Netflix to do it.
 
foghat said:
You create an HBO Now account that gets linked to your apple id.

I haven't tried yet, but the first thing I will do is try create another HBO Now account and link to my existing US itunes account.
Click to expand...

If you're successful please let us know.
 
pandarock32 said:
Has anyone else called the number? I haven't heard back from HBO since I called, I'm hoping that's a good sign
Click to expand...

Do you live in the States?

Groove IP does not seem to have an ios app. So I don't know. Maybe I will call and give them a random number and address and see what happens.

Or maybe I will just try sign up and again (as noted above) and make sure I only access via DNS service.
 
If someone came into your home you would expect them to obey your rules, correct? What would you do if they violated your rules?

If one can't respect the house rules, I think that person should stay out of that house. Following the rules teaches us responsibility and respect. I think attitudes would change were the shoe on the other foot.

Just my $0.02
 
foghat said:
Do you live in the States?

Groove IP does not seem to have an ios app. So I don't know. Maybe I will call and give them a random number and address and see what happens.

Or maybe I will just try sign up and again (as noted above) and make sure I only access via DNS service.
Click to expand...

Yes, and also Yes, I think your method will work.
 
ardchoille50 said:
If someone came into your home you would expect them to obey your rules, correct? What would you do if they violated your rules?

If one can't respect the house rules, I think that person should stay out of that house. Following the rules teaches us responsibility and respect. I think attitudes would change were the shoe on the other foot.

Just my $0.02
Click to expand...

I'd tell them to give me $14.99 and I'd let them stay. :)
 
ardchoille50 said:
If for sale their morals are, with nothing can they be trusted.
Click to expand...

Right.

I have a 'no smoking' rule in my house. If I catch someone smoking in my house and demand recompense of, say, $15 instead of kicking them out (or whatever you think the appropriate action would be) - I cannot be trusted. Got it.

You confuse rules with some sort of personal moral code.
 
those stupid studios will never understand it. they should be happy people are paying for it. instead of kneeling before me lol they force me to pirate. well if they don't want my money ...

like what does it matter where I am
 
bushido said:
those stupid studios will never understand it. they should be happy people are paying for it. instead of kneeling before me lol they force me to pirate. well if they don't want my money ...

like what does it matter where I am
Click to expand...

No doubt the issue at hand is infinitely more complex than HBO being stupid.

But, I hear what you are saying - you watch, I bet over the next handful of years this whole concept of content based on regionalization starts to disappear. It is becoming more and more apparent that this old school mentality around agreements and licensing is no longer working.
 
foghat said:
No doubt the issue at hand is infinitely more complex than HBO being stupid.

But, I hear what you are saying - you watch, I bet over the next handful of years this whole concept of content based on regionalization starts to disappear. It is becoming more and more apparent that this old school mentality around agreements and licensing is no longer working.
Click to expand...

I mean I get that they have to region lock it but do they really have to investigate and try to crack down on the ones getting past it? I mean they have fulfilled their obligation to the right holders to look them out
 
bushido said:
I mean I get that they have to region lock it but do they really have to investigate and try to crack down on the ones getting past it? I mean they have fulfilled their obligation to the right holders to look them out
Click to expand...

Depends on the rights holders. If they say "do it or we only deal with your competitors" then you bet they will crack down hard.

This does reek of something preemptive though since Netflix doesn't do it and they have contracts with every single content provider apart from HBO.
 
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