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HBO Now crackdown on non-US users?
- Thread starter foghat
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If you don't live in the United States you are not a legitimate ( HBO Now ) paying customer.
This doesn't mean I agree with what HBO is doing.
I just signed up another hbo now account via the hbo now iphone app. Just have to use a different email address.
Hmmm. Interesting. When I signed up for my second account, my first account had not yet been cancelled.
The detection issue is not (I am quite certain), due to using atv vs. iphone/ipad, but due to browsing hbo now using a non-us ip (if you have a non-us ip you can browse, but will not be able to play). Or maybe, now that I think about it, it has to do with trying to actually play something with a non-US ip.
Either way, I am 6 or so days in now using my second account (on my atv and ipad) and no issues. Make sure anytime you use the app you have a US ip and I think you should be fine.
i haven't spent a lot of time with it, it seemed to be playing fine with Game of Thrones, Carnivale, and a couple of other shows like it was before. but for some reason, The Wire would not play. it said something to the affect that the content was missing. At first i thought that meant that my account was still closed/flagged some how but i tested other shows and they were working. i'll give it another go tonight.
of course, one has to be using a VPN or DNS, otherwise i was unable to even access hob go/ now on the web. i'm using a smart DNS. I'm following the forums a lot of australian users are discussing this on.. and they are noticing a pattern of a lot of users getting the email who downloaded the app from iTunes to their ipad/iphone and tried it on there (i'm one of them that did this) including website access. my account got shut on all these devices.
they speculated that downloading the app from the store might flag it, as this is easier to detect where you really are? apparently..
they even speculated device identities.. which would be interesting to test because my iPad is actually from the states, so is my iPod. but my macs/apple tv aren't.
Once you get the account created, you certainly can access via the web or app even if you aren't behind vpn or dns service. What you cannot do is actually play the movie/show, but you can browse around to your hearts content.
I would be surprised if Apple has much to do with this crack down. But who knows.
Like I said, I have been using my second account for about 6 days now, the majority of it on my ipad. No email yet. That is not to say it won't be coming.
Are you sure you would have never browsed with the app when your weren't behind your dns?
i never accessed the app on my phone while outside my network (e.g. on 4g) and i input the DNS settings n every device/mac i accessed HBO Now on.
i've since tested GOT and The Wire again - both are working fine, some stuttering sometimes, more so on GoT though.
The Wire got to Maximum quality and was playing well.
sorry, i didn't mean to imply there was one, i'm simply discerning the quality compared to regular blu ray watching, netflix, and compressed videos.
Netflix at its best actually resembles blu ray quality video. hardly any macro blocking/noise/artifacts etc at all.
blu ray.. well that speaks for its self.
compressed videos.. macro blocking, compression artifacts, less clarity.. noise.. etc..
i've watched the wire and game of thrones, i've noticed some distinct variations in quality, such as:
lowest - SD, really low resolution.. very soft looking. pixelated. almost blurry.
Medium-Low - looks like 720p, HD, not blurry, but lacks clarity in terms of noise/macroblocking/compression artefacts etc.
Medium - High - similar to 720p but 1080p.
High - looks like 1080p, the compression artefacts and macroblocking/noise is minimal. not as good as netflix but very good when you're hoping to avoid the lower quality streams i've described above.
Im am noticing this as well when watching GOT. Frames even dropping.
Also is unblock-us better then DNS4me?
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i don't know, i'm new to this and i've only tried Dns4Me.
my tip; give dns4me a try, you can get a two week trial for free. its also very cheap once the trial is up. i paid £1.36 for 1 month. it gets cheaper the more you pay up font.
I got pausing from HBO too but none from Netflix. Guess people just rushed to subscribe before May deadline.
Yes, still having the problem. Both with stutter/frame skipping and a soft picture (not playing in FULL 1080P)
I tested my internet speed from the DNS service and I'm getting 33mbps which should be enough. But overall I'm noticing stutter and drop in quality with HD content no matter what app I use. Whats going on!
It's a complex issue.
On one hand, I can't totally blame them ( HBO ) for trying because I understand the whole issue of licensing to external broadcasters etc..
On the other hand, almost everyone I know just streams TV series on pirate streaming sites. No one even bothers with Netflix and such..
Some of us, me included, actually go through the pain of setting up VPN and such , just so we can PAY HBO and stay legitimate, even if that includes breaking some aspects of the license agreement. We say "Let us give you our money" and they say "No, go away"...
Like others have noticed, some companies such as Netflix, Apple+iTunes, Amazon, don't enforce it too strongly . HBO may be in a slightly different situation because they produce their own material. But even with in consideration , driving non-US paying clients too strongly may just result in them pirating instead.
On one hand, I can't totally blame them ( HBO ) for trying because I understand the whole issue of licensing to external broadcasters etc..
On the other hand, almost everyone I know just streams TV series on pirate streaming sites. No one even bothers with Netflix and such..
Some of us, me included, actually go through the pain of setting up VPN and such , just so we can PAY HBO and stay legitimate, even if that includes breaking some aspects of the license agreement. We say "Let us give you our money" and they say "No, go away"...
Like others have noticed, some companies such as Netflix, Apple+iTunes, Amazon, don't enforce it too strongly . HBO may be in a slightly different situation because they produce their own material. But even with in consideration , driving non-US paying clients too strongly may just result in them pirating instead.
The good news is if you subscribe through iTunes, it seems not matter. You will be Apple customer and HBO letter is almost irrelevant since we can re-subscribe through iTunes anytime we'd like and watch HBO when we're pleased. Apple will collect the money and pay HBO no matter what.
This should be a hush-hush between us Apple TV owners.
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i'm not using any of the iOS apps or the website, based on what i have read they could be more likely to flag you. so i'm testing that idea out really.
There are two options when you first launch the app:
1. Start your free trial with Itunes
2. Already have HBO Now? Sign In
Pick your poison.
I can't really speak for the website, but the majority of my viewing is on my ipad - it has been over a week now of daily use with my second account and still no email from HBO.
I can't see how it makes a difference if you use the ATV app or the iphone/ipad app.
Regarding your 'download from app store' theory, I would be very surprised if Apple is sharing that information with HBO. And what exactly would Apple be sharing? If you downloaded the app from the US Itunes store while behind your vpn/dns service, Apple is going to think you were in the States as well.
Even if your 'theory is correct - and it maybe it is if you did not download the app while behind your vpn/dns service (I didn't) - now that it is downloaded - as long as you play from a US ip, I can't see how HBO or Apple would be the wiser.
Of course, I could be completely off - time will tell. However given I am good a week in (with only US ip use) and given that you were able to reactivate your closed down account simply by clicking the 'join free trial', makes me think things will be fine.
That's a good idea. I'll stay away from iPad at the moment.
I chose 2 but can't sign in. Always got incorrect username or password which isn't true. But that's logical since on iPad it's HBO app unlike *Apple* channel on Apple TV.
Regardless of what HBO Now app you are signing into (ipad app or ATV app), you need to use the HBO Now account and password - not your us itunes account/password.
The distribution deals they cut are what make sit matter. They want you to watch their stuff, but only through the channels they have where you are located. If they let HBO distribute outside of the area they are licensed, all the other distributors get upset and they potentially lose more money by them dropping them than they would get from HBO.
HBO, OTOH, doesn't want to be cutoff and thus enforces a US only customer rule.
It may be a legacy form the pre-internet days when content distribution depended on local reps; but I doubt it will go away soon.
Game of Thrones, while not perfect, was much better stutter wise last night, when compared to last week.
We had watched an episode of Boardwalk Empire prior to GOT and did not have any stuttering. GOT would have aired about half way through our viewing of Boardwalk Empire.
Still no second email from HBO. Plenty of watching on ATV, ipad and iphone. Am cautiously optimistic things will be okay from here on out.
We had watched an episode of Boardwalk Empire prior to GOT and did not have any stuttering. GOT would have aired about half way through our viewing of Boardwalk Empire.
Still no second email from HBO. Plenty of watching on ATV, ipad and iphone. Am cautiously optimistic things will be okay from here on out.
I agree. Quality stayed in full 1080p, however, am still noticing stutter during motion. Once again, only for GOT season 5. But much better.
My trial got me to 4 episodes. Now I must buy a US giftcard. I just hope streaming doesn't give way as much.