Ask Engadget HD: Any streaming options for Canadians?
by Darren Murph 
posted Feb 25th 2009 at 12:00PM
"Listening to the Engadget Podcast, I am constantly bombarded with news and exciting tidbits about the TV set top movie streaming options available in the US of A. What, if any, option do we Canadians have available to us for streaming pictures shows to our televisions? I've searched, but can't seem to come up with anything, Netflix definitely doesn't do Canada."
So, Canada -- what gives? Is this fellow missing something, or is all of Canada just missing out?
Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
D @ Feb 25th 2009 12:14PM
your best option in Canada is have a US buddy set up an itunes account for you.
best time is when their credit card is expiring. Just keep toping up the account with Gift Cards.
Joel @ Feb 25th 2009 12:20PM
A US iTunes account works well, as does a US Xbox Live Account. We snowbirds have gone digital in our crossboarder mooching! :) I'd love to set up a proxy and get Hulu up and running, but that just seems like a pain.
Other than that, we just stick to torrent/usenet. Just ordered my 'Popcorn Hour' a few days ago!
numerwan @ Feb 25th 2009 12:39PM
Foxy Proxy... I think engadget or downloadsquad has a tutorial on using Foxy Proxy to access BBC info... It should work the same with Hulu...
quasar @ Feb 26th 2009 1:47AM
Ultrasurf doesn't work with hulu but It does work with mtv.com so I can watch nitro circus and rob dyrdek's fantasy factory
I'm going to check foxy proxy out hope it works with hulu
Tyler @ Feb 25th 2009 12:40PM
This is a big problem in Canada. There are a few networks who post some of their content online (Global, CTV). The Xbox 360 is pretty much useless unless you buy the content from it and iTunes has a growing amount of television shows on it, plus movies, so the AppleTV is a good try. Netflix doesn't do Canada, which sucks. A lot of people resort to torrenting here because of the lack of options for streaming.
PN @ Feb 25th 2009 1:08PM
I once used private proxy .. its a program that just changes your IP address to a US one and I was able to access all the american websites but it was at a cost of 9.99 a month.. i gave up on that and just sticked to torrents ..
its a good program tho, anybody wanting to spend $10 a month
Bill @ Feb 26th 2009 11:37AM
What was the name of the program you used? Or do you remember the website?
thanks
agelgamer @ Feb 25th 2009 1:50PM
Yes. The 360 Netflix announcement seemed like a great idea until I realized it's only available to the US.
I think a lot of us Canucks would gladly pay the monthly fee to be able to stream content via our 360's - instead of resorting to BitTorrent.
I've rented a number of films from the Video Marketplace and my trips to Blockbuster are few and far between.
I realize it's cross border licensing yadda yadda crap however - if I'm able to watch US shows on our cable and satellite providers, why the hassle for Internet streaming?
I've posted comments on the XBOX.com site and I've always gotten the response.. it's up to Netflix to make the call or you can't get that content due to licensing restrictions... blah on that red tape.
agelgamer @ Feb 27th 2009 12:43PM
The Netflix streaming on the 360 is just that. If you are current subscriber to the service, you're able to queue up and stream SD and HD videos through your 360 from the Netflix.com service.
You also have the option of getting your content delivered the traditional way as well via disc.
Nice to see someone completely take this thread and convolute it with BS. You fail at keeping your mouth shut 101.
And yes, I completely expect some worthless response from you frankfurter. Your name certainly fits your demeanor - yes. I'm calling you a weiner.
K. Restoule @ Feb 25th 2009 1:49PM
Streaming options? There are some. Legal Streaming Options? None that I know of. I just keep hoping, that one day Sony will open their PSN video store to Canadian. For now I watch most of my stuff through a streaming site that's far from legal, but I'm just watching TV episodes, and I usually end up buying the DVD box set when it comes out, so I don't feel like I'm stealing from anyone.
Lewis Beechey @ Feb 25th 2009 2:24PM
And what about the UK? Oddly enough, we enjoy films too.
Evan @ Feb 25th 2009 2:48PM
It's very frustrating for us Canadians. It feels like the CRTC wants to protect the cable companies (e.g. Rogers) and big corporations (e.g. CBC), and no one is looking out for the consumers.
jimmyjjames @ Mar 1st 2009 11:59AM
Evan if you are Canadian, the CBC is owned by you and me...it is not a big corporation but a publicly owned broadcast company. I don't like the CRTC either, but the CBC is run by people with a passion for their job, where as CTV and Global are the big corporations that the CRTC is protecting.
james @ Feb 25th 2009 3:13PM
I dl'd Hotspot Shield, works great for HULU...sadly I upgraded from Vista 32 to 64 and it doesn't work with it. But there are some kid of VPN work arounds for that.
Peter F @ Feb 25th 2009 3:49PM
Point a massive cantenna towards Alaska or your southern border
Frankfurter @ Feb 25th 2009 4:02PM
Sheesh - why don't you just change the title of this post to "Please whine about Canada". One of the many pains of reading tech articles, especially TV/cell/broadband articles, is all the Canadians who look for any platform to tell you how bad it is in Canada. And of course, the ubiquitous "What about the UK" comment has already made it in too....
I know how to fix many of your problems - MOVE.
sTeViO @ Feb 25th 2009 5:22PM
You make it sound like the logistics of moving to another country (albeit a very culturally similar country) are extremely simple when there are countless things to consider before actually moving, such as: finding a new job that will afford all expenses of living, finding a new place to live, new social networking, etc.
I personally resort to torrents as well, usually when my Bell PVR doesn't record like it was supposed to, or for movies I don't feel like waiting for from Zip.ca or driving out to Blockbuster or Rogers Video to rent.
quadraphonic @ Feb 25th 2009 6:45PM
Thanks for fulfilling the ignorant yank demographic this thread was sorely missing, your contribution is truly helpful.
If you're representative of Americans (and I don't truly belive you are), I surely wouldn't want to move to be your neighbour.
On the bright side, WE can go to Cuba.. kudos, you free-living Yank.
Nick Santella @ Feb 25th 2009 4:27PM
I feel as though Canadians are being neglected. I meen look at apple, they are making a great effort in Canada, we have tons of movies availaple from the apple store, we have some pretty decent TV shows in the store aswell (Which might change with the hearings going on right now with regards to online Cancon and the CRTC). I find as though companies like VUDU, PSN, Netflix... are just not making a big enough effort because they figure all there profit is in the U.S.
That's just my opinion
valet225 @ Feb 25th 2009 7:23PM
surfthechannel is good
Nick @ Feb 25th 2009 10:33PM
Ah, it's refreshing from time to time to hear about the bad things about living in countries other than the US, especially when I can think of plenty of bad things about living in this ridiculous country. Your country actually gives a crap when your appendix explodes, but darnit, we gots us some movies.
Netflix / itunes / etc actually traces your IP so that it doesn't work in another country? That's kinda stupid...
Sorry to hear the lack of love for our canadian brethren, why don't you amuse yourself by walking down an empty city street without getting shot, visiting one of your litter free parks, getting free routine medical care, or (in BC) smoking some FANTASTIC legal weed. Take comfort in the fact that although we got you beat on the technology, everyone down here is INSANE.
Frankfurter @ Feb 26th 2009 8:20AM
Spoken like a true spoiled brat college kid, riding on Daddy's money. You obviously don't know squat about health care (ask the Canadians how the 9 month wait for a CT scan is treating them).
Take my prior advice - MOVE if the US is so horrible.
@quadrophonic - if going to Cuba is your gauge of freedom and success, I'll gladly be called a yank.
Nick @ Feb 26th 2009 9:38PM
I have an idea, how about you ask the 1 in 7 americans who don't have health care and can't AFFORD a CT scan how much they like their system you neocon prick.
Why would I move, when MY kind is taking over and YOUR kind is losing everything? If I leave, I won't get to help improve this country, make it less like the dump that it is and more like our glorious neighbor to the north.
Frankfurter @ Feb 27th 2009 8:02AM
"neocon prick". Wow, you sound like a sharp one.
You know why 1 in 7 don't? THEY DON'T WORK. THEY WANT HANDOUTS. Not sure what "my" kind is, but seriously, unless your family is wealthy, you're about to get a great education in what it means to work for a living. Unless you plan on becoming 1 in 7.....
There's absolutely no reason in this country that you can't work and obtain anything you want. That is, unless you're an Obama-loving socialist who plans on stealing from those who -do- work in order to fund your scheme.
Thanks for the laugh, though. "Our glorious neighbour up north". Please. Does your Dad know you're posting on tech blogs and skipping class?
JBDragon @ Feb 26th 2009 12:04AM
There are programs you can run on your PC to make it look like your IN THE U.S. when your not, which can be used for FREE, once that's done, you can get content from HULU, or CBS, etc, best of all, using a program called PLAYON that you run on your PC, you can stream all of that content directly to your Xbox 360 or PS3!!! I mean CBS alone puts up most of there current shows shortly after it Airs that night, but a lot of old shows, and there's a lot on HULU also. That alone is a lot of content to watch for FREE anywhere in the world, you just have to know how to go about doing it. There's some examples of it shown being done on Youtube for example. It's not all that hard.
I can understand Netflix only working in the US as it's a Disc Based service #1, BUT if rumors are true of a Streaming ONLY service plan, then I'm all for allowing Canada to sign on up. The whole Licensing Movie thing though may still make this virtually Impossible. In the UK and other countries, there is no Netflix type service is there?!?!?! Microsoft is a U.S. Company and would focus on the U.S. more, just like Nintendo and Sony does in Japan. Europe could always come out with a Console. No own here is stopping them. Then it would have more focus on Europe first. That's just how it is. Personally I could care less and allow anyone, anywhere to watch whatever the hell they want to. If they're willing to Pay, why not. The whole system is just screwed up. There's not much Microsoft can do about it, Sony has far more control in that area.
R @ Feb 26th 2009 11:39AM
Use software or a service to disguise your IP as a U.S. one and subscribe to any of the U.S. suppliers. No problem. No restrictive Canadian content requirements.
K. Restoule @ Feb 26th 2009 12:23PM
I shouldn't have to disguise my IP. I want to be able to legally purchase downloadable content, and I can't. I want to be able to watch streaming tv shows, but I can't because where I live. While there are some options for Canadian programing, but overall, the choices aren't there.
Oh and is it just me or is Global's Streaming Site lame? There isn't even a full screen option for the videos. CBC and CTY allow this.
Stacey @ Feb 26th 2009 1:11PM
The product mentioned earlier for $10.00 is called Private Proxy and can be found at http://www.privateproxysoftware.com.