Criterion is well known for its constantly expanding collection of arthouse and classic films. After the demise of popular streaming service FilmStruck, film lovers around the world rejoiced when the Criterion Channel announced it would be setting up its own service. Unfortunately, the service is currently only available in the UK, Canada, and the U.S., although there are future plans to expand. Using a VPN will help you get around the Criterion Channel’s geoblock to access the vast amount of films available. What is unique about the Criterion Channel is that you only need to use your VPN once. Just switch your VPN on to create your account, then after your registration is complete you can turn your VPN off and watch from anywhere in the world.
However, for your own security, and in the likely event that the Criterion Channel becomes stricter with IP locations, we recommend that you keep your VPN switched on while watching.
How Does Criterion Channel Work?
The Criterion Channel is available for a wide range of devices. As well as watching on your desktop browser, you also can download the Criterion Channel’s apps which are available on Android, iOS, Roku, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Apple TV. The Criterion Channel also lets you use three of those devices all at one time. One great feature for the Android and iOS apps is that you can download films to your phone, so you won’t have to worry about having your VPN on constantly. After you first register your account you shouldn’t have any problems using any of the Criterion Channel’s apps as they currently aren’t geoblocked.
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Is Criterion Channel Safe to Use?
The Criterion Channel’s video service is being run by Vimeo, which is one of the highest quality video hosting platforms out there, so you know it is very safe to use. Criterion owns the rights to all the films it is showing, even if only temporarily, so you won’t need to worry about any copyright issues. Also, the Criterion Channel currently has no restrictions on its customers using a VPN service so you’re perfectly within your right to do so.
As you would expect with any major company on the internet, Criterion Channel’s developer, Vimeo, likes to gather as much data as it can about its consumers. So, if you want to stay more discreet when using the channel then it would be wise to keep your VPN turned on and be wary of any possible DNS leaks.
Using a VPN for Criterion Channel
Using a VPN with the Criterion Channel is much simpler than with some of the other streaming services around. If you’re lucky you’ll only have to use a VPN once, although we recommend keeping it on at all times when using the channel for greater security. When signing up for Criterion Channel make sure you use an American server because due to international rights, Canadian and British versions can have slightly different content. So, for a greater film selection we’d suggest using a U.S. account. Once connected to your IP of choice, head to the Criterion Channel website and register, this can be done with a foreign credit card and it won’t ask for any address.
For the most part, the Criterion Channel is currently one of the easier streaming services to access with a VPN. Still, some users have reported problems in the past so if you do have issues try changing to another U.S. server and starting over again.
Recommended VPN Services
IPVanish
Based in the U.S., IPVanish has been one of the most popular VPN services since its release in 2012. IPVanish has 724 U.S. servers so you won’t ever have an issue connecting to the Criterion Channel. Offering unlimited bandwidth as well as ten simultaneous connections on multiple devices means that you can watch in any way you want, even using the IPVanish Amazon Fire TV app. Safety is also a key aspect of IPVanish, with a kill switch and DNS leak protection so your true IP address won’t be discovered.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is a great, easy-to-use VPN service with features that will suit both beginners and veterans alike. Despite being from Romania, it has a vast amount of U.S. servers, 761 in total. CyberGhost has some fantastic applications available and Criterion Channel users will be glad to know that those include Android TV and Fire TV, which goes well with the service’s unlimited bandwidth and its impressive speeds. CyberGhost is well known for its safety, with trustworthy DNS and IP leak prevention and a strict no logging policy.
NordVPN
From Panama is the hugely popular NordVPN. You’re unlikely to find many VPN services that boast more U.S. connectivity than NordVPN with an incredible 1,789 American servers available! The company also has intuitive apps for all the major devices including Android TV and Fire TV as well as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. You’ll also get unlimited bandwidth over six simultaneous devices. NordVPN comes with a large amount of security features including DNS leak prevention, protection against malware, ad blocking, and thanks to its prime location, no logging or data retention.
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