How to Watch Channel 4 in the US
Channel 4 is definitely a great source of British entertainment. It’s just a shame you can’t enjoy it to its fullest if you live in the US, as it’s only available in the UK and Ireland.
Don’t worry, though - you don’t have to give up cause we’ve got your back, and will show you how to watch Channel 4 in the US with little effort.
What Makes Channel 4 So Popular?
Channel 4 is a live on-demand streaming service that lets you enjoy tons of amazing shows, movies, and series - like “Prison,” “The Crystal Maze,” “Skins,” and “Ackley Bridge,” for instance. The website is very easy to navigate, there are many content categories to choose from, and you can switch to live shows with just a few clicks.
Another thing that makes Channel 4 such an attractive entertainment option (and arguably one of its main highlights) is the fact that it’s free to use.
Why Can’t You Watch Channel 4 from USA?
Put simply, it’s because of geo-blocks - restrictions the website uses to determine if you are connecting to it from the UK or Ireland. Since Channel 4 is only available in the UK and Ireland, if the website detects you’re from a different country (like the US), it won’t let you watch most of its shows.
If you were to try and watch “Prison” from the US, for example, you’d just get a message saying “The service is not currently available in your area.”
And yes, this will affect you if you’re a UK/Irish citizen who is an expat living in the US or just traveling there.
Why Does Channel 4 Use Geo-Blocks?
According to Channel 4 itself, they enforce geo-restrictions because of “rights agreements.” That could mean they don’t stream content worldwide because they don’t want to violate copyright and network regulations.
Also, there’s a chance Channel 4 only bought the rights to broadcast content in the UK and Ireland.
How to Watch Channel 4 in the US with Ease
Since you’re dealing with geo-blocks, it’s clear you need a way to hide your geo-location when connecting to Channel 4’s website so that it doesn’t realize you’re from the US.
One way to do that is to mask your DNS address. If you’re not sure what DNS is, it stands for Domain Name System, and it’s responsible for translating domain names (like a website’s name) into IP addresses.
Why would you hide your DNS, you ask? Because it contains data which can point to your geo-location.
Luckily, hiding your DNS address isn’t as difficult as it sounds. All you need to do is use a Smart DNS service, and you’re good to go!
Here’s Exactly How a Smart DNS Will Help You
A Smart DNS will intercept your connection request to Channel 4’s website. When it does that, it replaces the data found in the request that points to your geo-location with other data that points to a location from the UK or Ireland.
All of that happens instantaneously, though, so you don’t need to worry about having to wait a long time for the process to finish.
Also, the Smart DNS will replace your original DNS address with its own address which contains geo-data that points to an “acceptable” location in the UK or Ireland.
“Can’t I Watch Channel 4 in USA with a VPN?”
While it’s true you could also use a VPN to mask your IP address (and, consequently, your geo-location) to watch Channel 4 from USA, there’s one drawback you need to conder: Speed issues.
See, VPNs normally encrypt your connection to secure your data. While that’s definitely nice, it also means your connection and streaming speeds could take a hit - especially if the VPN uses powerful encryption.
As a result, you won’t really be able to enjoy Channel 4 to its fullest since you’ll likely have to put up with annoying buffering and slow loading.
With a Smart DNS, however, that’s not a problem. The service doesn’t use encryption, so you get to watch any Channel 4 shows you want using your original ISP-provided speed.
Overall, you’re better off using a VPN if you’re looking to protect your personal data from hackers and surveillance agencies when you’re online. If you’re only looking to access geo-blocked content and stream it while enjoying quality connection speeds, it’s better to choose a Smart DNS.
SmartyDNS - The Best Way to Watch UK’s Channel 4 in USA
Our Smart DNS service is extremely easy to use, and we offer access to numerous user-friendly apps that make it possible to watch Channel 4 in USA with only a few clicks.
And if you’d like to enjoy other content from the UK, we’ve got you covered. With SmartyDNS, you can unblock over 30 other UK-only websites, like ITV Player, Channel 5, and Sky Go - just to name a few examples.
Not only that, but you can also access over 270 other websites from countries like:
- France
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Sweden
- Germany
- Canada
Best of all - you get to enjoy all of this content variety with unlimited bandwidth. And yes, you can access all that content from those regions at the same time without having to tweak any settings on your device.
How Can I Watch Channel 4 in the USA with SmartyDNS?
- First, register a SmartyDNS account.
- Set up our Smart DNS service automatically using our multiple apps or use our tutorials to set up the Smart DNS on other devices.
- Enjoy any Channel 4 shows you want no matter where you are in the US or the world.
“Can I Watch Channel 4 in USA on Multiple Devices?”
Of course. We know how convenient and comfortable it is to be able to watch your favorite shows on multiple devices, and switch between them at your leisure.
That’s why we made sure SmartyDNS is fully cross-platform compatible, and works on the following devices and operating systems:
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Android TV
- Xbox
- NOW TV Box
-
Samsung
Smart TV
Test Out Our Service Before You Make a Commitment!
If you’re not yet 100% sure SmartyDNS can meet all your needs, why not try it out for free first? That’s right - you can test-drive our service free of charge for 3 days to make sure it’s just what you’re looking for.
Plus, once you pick a subscriptions plan, you’ll still have our 30-day money-back guarantee to fall back on if - for any reason - the service doesn’t work as it should.
