The Netflix TV Show Thread

Nope, it looks like–reading some detective work done by Smartflix and redditers who are pivy to the processes–that what Netflix is doing is starting to flag accounts and then when those accounts try to stream something from outside their home area, it checks for VPNs, unblockers, or proxies.

In other words, they’re starting to check by account. Which I think means the dream is dead.

We have a (sort of) winner!

Not sure why it works when others don’t, but Proxmate definitely does work.

The only problem is that it’s a Firefox or Chrome plugin only. So either you’re watching on your computer, or you’re casting from a Chrome window to your Chromecast. Better than nothing though!

Hmmm…Unblock Us was working for me as late as last night. But I’m guessing I’m living on borrowed time. :(

Chef’s Table got renewed for three more seasons. Season 2 airs on May 27.

Chef’s Table, Season 2 – May 27
Alex Atala, Dom, (Brazil)
Ana Ros, Hiša Franko (Slovenia)
Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn (United States)
Enrique Olvera, Pujol (Mexico)
Gagan Anand, Gaggan (Thailand)
Grant Achatz, Alinea, Next, The Aviary (United States)

Chef’s Table, Season 3 – French Installment, TBD 2016
Alain Passard, L’Arpege (France)
Michel Troisgros, Maison Troisgros (France)
Adeline Grattard, Yam’Tcha (France)
Alexandre Couillon, La Marine (France)

Chef’s Table, Season 4 – TBD 2017
Ivan Orkin, Ivan Ramen (United States, Japan)
Jeong Kwan, Chunjinam Hermitage, Baekyangsa Temple (South Korea)
Nancy Silverton, Mozza (United States)
Tim Raue, Restaurant Tim Raue (Germany)
Virgilio Martinez, Central (Peru)
Vladimir Mukhin, White Rabbit (Russia)

— Alan

So apparently Netflix Nigeria only has seasons one and two of house of cards and are blocking me out of the US through my VPN. Yay for arbitrary geo-restricted content! As an expat living abroad, this crap really annoys me. If I use an American credit card on an American billing address I should be able to access American content. This is even more annoying with my DirecTV account where they actively block what would probably be the #1 use case for having access to ABC, ESPN, HBOGo, etc. but that is for another thread.

borderless internet dot com

(make that all one word with a . )

I remember the good old days when this thread was for talking about Netflix TV shows.

I’ve been making my slowly through “Master of None”, Aziz Ansari’s Netflix show. Three episodes in, this has been really funny. Aziz was good on Parks & Rec, but it’s great that he finally gets a show where he gets this show where he can really speak with his voice.

His parents (played by his real parents) are the best in that.

Absolutely. That “Parents” episode was sooooo good. And his parents didn’t behave like Hollywood portrayal of parents, but real parents.

I didn’t know that was his real parents.

Halfway through the new season of Trailer Park Boys and they suddenly bring in Jimmy Kimmel and Snoop Dog.

God, I hate stunt casting. The show went from moderately funny to just annoying in the space of a heartbeat. The last season was surprisingly good and a nice return to form. This season is just becoming a series of name drops.

Well this is interesting. It looks like the EC’s campaign on geoblocking has borne its first fruit. Paramount has made commitments relating to its contract with Sky UK (and it seems any other pay TV “broadcaster” in Europe). These prevent it from entering into new, or enforcing existing contractual obligations which “prevent or limit a pay-TV broadcaster from responding to unsolicited requests from consumers within the EEA but outside of the pay-TV broadcaster’s licensed territory” or which “require Paramount to prohibit or limit pay-TV broadcasters located outside the licensed territory from responding to unsolicited requests from consumers within the licensed territory”.

Which, while not fully fledged cross-border licensing sounds pretty good. But it doesn’t apply to customers “residing and/or located” outside the EEA. Also the definition of “broadcaster” would appear to exclude the likes of Netflix as they don’t do “linear” programming.

I watched the “Master of None” episode “The Other Man” this morning. So funny. This show is so good. It’s got its own unique voice that’s different from every other comedy on TV.

I meant to post this earlier, but forgot. The other part of the equation I mentioned above looks to be covered now. The European Council has backed applying cross border portability to “online content services”. The caveat this time is that it only applies to people who are “temporarily present” in another member state - it’s not about mandatory pan-European licensing or anything like that. This gets voted on next week, but it seems there’s support for the final compromise text.

Oh and while I’m in the thread, Maria Bamford’s new Netflix comedy, Lady Dynamite, airs today. Watch it!

Love Maria Bamford. Totally in.

Maria Bamford?! SOLD.

Maria Bamford’s standup is the best, and I loved her on the most recent season of Arrested Development. I’m in for this.

Wow. Lady Dynamite is completely insane.

But it’s cured!