Hey all, I’ve noticed a curious issue that I’m wondering if others have found a solution for. When I have all the VPN pipes connected properly (I live in the US) and I try to play a video in BBC iPlayer on the Apple TV, I get a 
icon next to the timeline with no playback.
But when I play a “known good” video, currently it’s the Dr Who 2023 trailer, I no longer get the issue with the subsequent video. I sometimes have to go replay the “known good” video when I’m watching a few different things as the issue pops up randomly.
Has anyone figured out why this is and/or how to prevent it from happening? Things I’ve tried:
- restart the Apple TV
- full power cycle the Apple TV
- closing and reopening the app
- toggle the match frame rate video setting
Tech breakdown:
- LG B9
- Latest 4K Apple TV on latest tvOS
- VPN: ProtonVPN connected to the UK from my router. (Verified the VPN enables me to access iPlayer content from other devices)
Have you tried a smartdns service? I’m also not in the UK and have been using smartdns for years, got no issues.
I use smartdns through Getflix, and it works for the most part, but sometimes I also encounter the same problem as you, and it also seems to be that sometimes some individual titles on BBC are more aggressively geo-blocking users, than other titles. Thats at least my own experience. But it can also like you said popup ranomdly on different titles.
As already stated above, and according to a Getflix rep, BBC iPlayer has really stepped up their game lately regarding cracking down on users with vpn/dns. When I chatted with a Getflix rep, he told me to just try and play the same title, at least 8-10 times, when I have problems with the stream, and usually it works and resolves the problem, as the title usually starts sooner or later. If I just have a little patience and just retry a couple of times.
But it can really be annoying in the long run, as I usually have to do the procedure all over again, if I dont watch the whole series/movie in one go. If I for example close the app or pause the stream temporarly and try to start the stream again, I sometimes have to do the same thing all over again with the same title. But at least it works, at least for the most part.
I didn’t spend too much time on it, but when I used some of the BBC channels, some worked, some didn’t and the quality wasn’t always the best.
It seemed very hit or miss with a lot of it, but I do notice that when using the NordVPN app, the speeds are faster than when I used my NordVPN on a router I had.
The BBC put more effort into shutting down illegal use of their services than any other. It’s literally written into UK law that they have ‘surveillance powers’ to catch UK people who aren’t paying for the licence.
It’s paid for by licence fee payers in the UK, but I think they’re dropping the ball by missing out on this international market.
If you’re only watching a single show on iplayer then it might just be worth buying it on Apple Store.
It’s difficult to get the iplayer to do basic things in the UK never mind through several VPNs.
I have not, any recommendations?
Oh that’s crazy, but it makes sense. I’m curious why it only happens in the AppleTV vs my iPad. But it sounds like geoblocking is still the issue.
I’ll head your advice for the future, thank you!
I thought it might have been speed related too, but here’s a literal screenshot of what I’m getting on the Apple TV while the VPN is enabled. So I don’t
believe that’s the issue unless it’s a sporadic network hiccup.
I use getflix, but they’re all kind of the same.
icon next to the timeline with no playback.