- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Exactly, if it is cost that is a concern Proton VPN is also free. If one is able to download and install Opera one should be able to download and install Proton VPN.
Peacock this season
- Thread starter Minz
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2020
So here is the long-awaited VPN guide! (Though it is significantly shortened from what I had originally planned, it should still tell you most of what you need to know.
Please note that this guide is for a VPN for skating purposes. The point here is to give you the best VPN to watch skating on, but don't worry, I have still considered other features!
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Best VPN for skating: Nord VPN
Nord VPN is very well-known in the world of VPNs. It is very fast, which is crucial for skating, is pretty secure, and has a good price. It has all the countries that you could possibly need to watch almost anything and is compatible with a wide variety of smart TV platforms. It has more than enough countries to watch all sorts of skating.
Pricing
The one-year VPN plan starts at $4.49 a month, (you can add on a password manager and file service) As far as VPNs are concerned, this is a solid price (plus this deal gets you 3 months free). However, this is a special deal is only for the first year. After that, the price increases significantly. Hopefully, there will be replays next season, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it. If you want they have a 2-year plan for even less.
The reason that I use this “deal” as the standard price is because they always have some sort of deal going on, and if not, they sponsor many YouTubers who have the same deal available if you use their link.
Note: maybe it’s just me, but something is not adding up with the math on the Nord website. They are saying that the 1-year plan which is apparently $4.49 a month is a total of $67.35. My calculation is getting $53.88. I have no idea if this is just a typo or what. Either way, it’s still the best option for skating.
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Best Free VPN: Proton VPN
Proton VPN is one of the only trustworthy free VPNs. It’s quite secure, and has what you need to access the ISU stream. If you need more countries (the free version only has 3), you’ll have to pay.
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Other Notable VPNs
Proton VPN (paid version): Proton VPN is an extremely good VPN, but for skating it’s not the best, due to speeds and price. However, it’s top of the class in security. So if you want the most secure VPN, I'd highly recommend this one. The one-year plan costs $5.99 per month for the first year.
Proton VPN website: https://protonvpn.com/
Surfshark VPN: Surfshark VPN is also a pretty solid VPN. However, its streaming speeds are not as fast as Nord's. The one-year plan is slightly cheaper than Nord VPN at a price of $3.99/month for the first year.
Surfshark VPN website: https://surfshark.com/
Express VPN: Express VPN is a decent VPN. Its streaming speeds are only slightly slower than Nord's. However, its price drags it down as the one-year plan comes out to over $8/month for the first year. With other companies offering the same (or better) for less, there isn't really a reason to choose Express over the competition.
Express VPN website: https://www.expressvpn.com/home
All these VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Nord VPN tutorial:
If you want a more in-depth tutorial:
- - - -
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions. Happy skating!
Please note that this guide is for a VPN for skating purposes. The point here is to give you the best VPN to watch skating on, but don't worry, I have still considered other features!
- - - - -
Best VPN for skating: Nord VPN
Nord VPN is very well-known in the world of VPNs. It is very fast, which is crucial for skating, is pretty secure, and has a good price. It has all the countries that you could possibly need to watch almost anything and is compatible with a wide variety of smart TV platforms. It has more than enough countries to watch all sorts of skating.
Pricing
The one-year VPN plan starts at $4.49 a month, (you can add on a password manager and file service) As far as VPNs are concerned, this is a solid price (plus this deal gets you 3 months free). However, this is a special deal is only for the first year. After that, the price increases significantly. Hopefully, there will be replays next season, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it. If you want they have a 2-year plan for even less.
The reason that I use this “deal” as the standard price is because they always have some sort of deal going on, and if not, they sponsor many YouTubers who have the same deal available if you use their link.
Note: maybe it’s just me, but something is not adding up with the math on the Nord website. They are saying that the 1-year plan which is apparently $4.49 a month is a total of $67.35. My calculation is getting $53.88. I have no idea if this is just a typo or what. Either way, it’s still the best option for skating.
————
Best Free VPN: Proton VPN
Proton VPN is one of the only trustworthy free VPNs. It’s quite secure, and has what you need to access the ISU stream. If you need more countries (the free version only has 3), you’ll have to pay.
————
Other Notable VPNs
Proton VPN (paid version): Proton VPN is an extremely good VPN, but for skating it’s not the best, due to speeds and price. However, it’s top of the class in security. So if you want the most secure VPN, I'd highly recommend this one. The one-year plan costs $5.99 per month for the first year.
Proton VPN website: https://protonvpn.com/
Surfshark VPN: Surfshark VPN is also a pretty solid VPN. However, its streaming speeds are not as fast as Nord's. The one-year plan is slightly cheaper than Nord VPN at a price of $3.99/month for the first year.
Surfshark VPN website: https://surfshark.com/
Express VPN: Express VPN is a decent VPN. Its streaming speeds are only slightly slower than Nord's. However, its price drags it down as the one-year plan comes out to over $8/month for the first year. With other companies offering the same (or better) for less, there isn't really a reason to choose Express over the competition.
Express VPN website: https://www.expressvpn.com/home
All these VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Nord VPN tutorial:
If you want a more in-depth tutorial:
- - - -
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions. Happy skating!
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
Proton seems to work fine. moonvine reccommended it
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
Excellent! Hope you are doing ok. I am going to try watching the ISU coverage after SA with Proton free (it works fine on the JPG even though the upload shows low) and then try Proton 6 bucks a month if I have to. There is some discussion exactly what NBC will do after SA and SC as far as coverage. If Proton works, that will be excellent. I am saving your info.
Old man Chris
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
What is being discussed reference NBC after SA and SC? I haven't read anything about coverage after those events.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2019
Men SP:
Men Short Program | Norwood 2022 | #GPFigure
To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaFSUBSCRIBE to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/SkatingISU?sub_confirmation=1LIKE us on Facebook:https://www.f...
youtu.be
Pairs SP:
Pairs Short Program | Norwood 2022 | #GPFigure
To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaFSUBSCRIBE to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/SkatingISU?sub_confirmation=1LIKE us on Facebook:https://www.f...
youtu.be
There are also playlists with the individual performances.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Thanks. Was trying to help someone on FB out.Men SP:
Men Short Program | Norwood 2022 | #GPFigure
To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaFSUBSCRIBE to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/SkatingISU?sub_confirmation=1LIKE us on Facebook:https://www.f...
Pairs SP:
Pairs Short Program | Norwood 2022 | #GPFigure
To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaFSUBSCRIBE to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/SkatingISU?sub_confirmation=1LIKE us on Facebook:https://www.f...
There are also playlists with the individual performances.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
Thanks to this forum, a member has posted the links. They are the same as live. Thanks to you, I can watch.
Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! I have Proton Free and this morning I got the Pairs short. The app says the download speed is terrible (600k) but its looks fine on the big screen. Oddly, there is kind of a hazy section that passes through the laptop screen occasionally but does NOT show up on the big screen which is connected to laptop with an HDMI. Quality is a bit below Peacock but its very watchable and maybe is perfect if you pay the $6 a month for the speed increase. There is this English guy who cant speak American but even though he comments, he is not a ratched jaw like Tara and Johnny. Two thumbs up.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
Thanks to this thread I have watched the replays with the Proton free VPN. I'm not fussy when it comes to a super high quality picture because I remember watching black & white TV for years when I was younger. These videos are very okay by me. Thank you everyone for your information and links on how to watch Skate America.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
Yes, a big thanks to all that helped us with VPNs.....I am so old I remember when to get the best signal to noise ratio on the TV, you had an electric step motor on the antenna that would point the antenna in the direction you needed.
Another annoyance of watching skating recorded from over the air networks...
I began to watch the Paris Short program and the first ten minutes were preempted by an overrun of the program airing before it. Since the skating event was live, USA never aired what occurred during that time. How annoying this may be for the remaining Grand Prix events which will already be very limited coverage if we miss some of it because of the programs airing before it.
Does the ISU air all Grand Prix events complete and on demand after they air live? I have read all about VPNs in this thread, but have wondered whether anyone has even tried somehow registering at isu.org to watch skating. Can a simple fan access ISU content on its website?
I began to watch the Paris Short program and the first ten minutes were preempted by an overrun of the program airing before it. Since the skating event was live, USA never aired what occurred during that time. How annoying this may be for the remaining Grand Prix events which will already be very limited coverage if we miss some of it because of the programs airing before it.
Does the ISU air all Grand Prix events complete and on demand after they air live? I have read all about VPNs in this thread, but have wondered whether anyone has even tried somehow registering at isu.org to watch skating. Can a simple fan access ISU content on its website?
You can access the ISU content here: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkatingISU/playlists
They archive all their complete streams there for at least ~1 year I think (?)
Plus they upload the individual performances one by one as well.
No ads (at least not live and on demand they should not be in between). Only issue might be geoblocking.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
They air all GP events live and on demand on their Youtube channel. If you are in the US or Canada it will be geoblocked. You will need to come in via a VPN.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
It used to be standard operating proceedure during those days before internet to have to suffer while the games of the ball went long and ended and then see a messsage, We now join the skating in progress. Perhaps you remember me screaming at the TV so loud it was picked up by earthquake detectors.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
Me thinks GS needs a sub forum...how tos...where we have a VPN section with eveyone's input. I am using Proton VPN for free but am tempted if there is no long term commitment to try the $6 a month plan for the winter....ISU evidently cares about figure skating cause I just watched the Gala. Since NBC is making things more and more obnoxious, VPNs only make sense.
The other day I renewed my NordVPN subscription for $ 3 a month for two years. It pays to look at sales periods for these sort of apps, like right now you already will see Black Fridays deals etc.
(I think they more often than not have “sales” going on, actually, lol.)
(I think they more often than not have “sales” going on, actually, lol.)
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
FWIW, I just looked at Proton's pay plans. If you want to go for one month, its $10. Same as Peacock. If you want to go for a 12 month commitment, its $6 a month. When you use a pay plan, you get up to 10 computer devices covered., storage, email, malware protection, yada yada yada. I am thinking about trying the pay plan for one month. The events look fine right now, if not as good as peacock. But there is no buffering circles either. The gala looks a bit fuzzy when the spotlights are not on the skater, but very watchable. I dont know how proton would know if you let one of your GS friends use your password and try the pay plan....
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
I use the "start a conversation" PM part of the forum to put bookmarks I would like to visit later, like VPNs. No short term memory and learning disability. This is a great thread. I also have a sheet on MujiTV so I can watch my fav Japanese skaters.
www.goldenskate.com
No event replays on Peacock this season
Chris I don’t know exactly what they’d do off the top of my head, but I’d highly recommend to not use Opera. Exactly, if it is cost that is a concern Proton VPN is also free. If one is able to download and install Opera one should be able to download and install Proton VPN.
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