The BBC iPlayer has a great feature which allows you to download programs from their site instead of streaming them.   This means you can store them on any device and watch them whenever you like, what’s more you don’t need an internet connection to watch them like this.  It’s especially useful for people who have access to a fast internet connection but often spend time with no internet access.   It’s ideal for downloading before business trips, holidays and travel and saves a fortune on data costs too.

The files will expire eventually following the same restrictions as online.  However most of these are now valid for 12 months from initial broadcast so there’s plenty of time to download and watch your favorite shows.

The same geo-restrictions apply to the download program as does the standard BBC iPlayer streaming service.  That is you have to have a UK IP address in order to access and download anything.  This is of course, rather difficult for anyone outside the United kingdom – but there is a way.

BBC iPlayer Download Outside UK

This video shows how anyone can use the BBC iPlayer downloader abroad –  all you need is a simple VPN program to connect through.

Using the VPN to connect to the BBC means that your true location is not visible. As long as the VPN server is situated in the UK, then both streaming and downloading services will be available.

Remember to always enable the VPN connection before accessing the BBC site and downloading anything. It’s advisable to use one of the Nord VPN servers which are optimized for BBC access listed here.  This isn’t because it’s important because occasionally specific IP addresses are blocked from the BBC if they’re used too much.   Nord monitor certain proxies and ensure that their IP addresses are ok for BBC access, if you use these then you should have no issues.

 

by