How to watch UK/British television in Ireland
If you live in Ireland you've probably seen adverts to get UK TV channels for a monthly fee without a satellite dish, using the internet. You might think it's all a bit naughty like illegal card sharing - well, it's not! Read on...
One of the things Brits in Ireland miss is their dose of UK telly - Corrie, Eastenders and all the rest! Until recently the only real option to get up to date fixes of your favorite UK programmes here in Ireland was to have a huge satellite dish costing thousands - or by sharing a big dish with several homes/apartments, which is a much more economical option.
However, with the advent of all the FREE online catch up TV services in the UK (BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, Sky Player, 4OD etc.) and of course live streaming of many UK channels, the internet has become a cheaper way of getting your UK Telly - assuming you already have a broadband internet service.
The Problem
The TV broadcasters in the UK are not supposed to provide their services outside of the UK - for many reasons, not least because they only pay programme makers for the right to show the programmes in the UK. What they do is check where in the world you are connecting to the internet and if you are not in the UK, you don't get to watch!
The Solution
Make it look like your computer is connected to the internet in the UK! It's all very complicated to explain but it can be done by subscribing to a service which, once set up, will make the UK TV websites think you are actually in the UK and let you watch the programmes. They are called "VPN's" It's all very safe and doesn't slow your computer down, bombard you with adverts or anything like that (except of course for the adverts on the telly programmes!!).
