Youku is a fan favorite when it comes to watching movies, with a strong emphasis on the latest blockbusters. However, you’ll require a VPN to unblock the prime content of the ‘Chinese YouTube’, because it’s only available within mainland China. We tested the platform ourselves and were able to watch some user uploaded videos, but to be honest we had no idea what were we watching – VPN is our forte, not Mandarin. However, what we could easily understand was that the most desired and exclusive full length movies are geo-blocked, since searching for Finding Dory or Fast and Furious turned up empty. Using a VPN with a server located in China is your best shot at gaining access to Youku’s movies, while simultaneously fending off the snooping attempts of the government. Because China is the most repressive country in regards to online access, being under the umbrella of a VPN opens up a whole new world for you.
Youku was founded by Victor Koo in June 2006 and quickly became the biggest video hosting website in China. This most likely comes from the fact that the good-old YouTube that we have in the west is blocked in the country ever since the Chinese government decided to crush it under the might of its Great Firewall. It was only a matter of time that this empty space left by the American service was replaced by the country’s own initiative. However, Youku isn’t simply YouTube with the Chinese alphabet, since it approaches video streaming in a new light; Youku users – even if they are foreigners – are able to upload a video of any length. It’s worth keeping in mind that the Government of China actively checks for inappropriate or offensive videos as part of the internet censorship measures in the country.
But perhaps the main difference is that Youku partnered with thousands of license holders, rounding up the most popular TV stations, distributors, film and TV production companies in China. This allows the website to be regularly updated with professional media content rather than solely with a lot of amateur videos, as happens with YouTube. Although efforts have been made over the years to tighten copyright laws in China, they are still not as tight as American ones. This enables Youku to have a vast range of content available for free, including full length movies, TV shows, music concerts and more.
Using a VPN can therefore provide access to this entire range of blockbuster movies and Youku’s most exclusive content. A website reads your IP address to know where you are accessing it from, and if it detects that you are a sneaky foreigner hailing from outside of the borders of China then you can kiss your Youku access goodbye. In this case you’ll need a service like PureVPN, for instance, that has six servers installed in China and another extra eight in Hong Kong. When you connect to one of these you’ll be attributed an IP address corresponding to that country, which means that once you visit Youku again the website will read your fake IP address and consider you to be a Chinese inhabitant, opening all previously locked doors for you. In addition, you’ll want a VPN provider that keeps no logs of your online activity and, most important, doesn’t limit bandwidth, since streaming full length movies will most likely result in a rather high usage.
PureVPN has more than 6,000 servers worldwide with reliable, secire, and uninterrupted connections, compatibility with over 50 devices, and excellent customer service.
Prices start as low as $2.11 per month for the VPN, and those willing to pay a little more can get their hands on a password manager, file encryption, and personal privacy manager – all under the same subscription. Plus, with a 7-day free trial, 31-day money-back guarantee, add-ons, and discounts of up to 83%, it would be a mistake not to consider PureVPN as a viable option.
With an extensive server network spanning 105 countries, apps for all major platforms, and even extra security tools like an ad blocker, ExpressVPN delivers all you need for a private and secure online experience.
The software is easy to use across all devices, and the speed trumps many of its competitors, making it one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Android and iOS customers can make the most of a 7-day free trial with unlimited bandwidth and everyone can enjoy three months for free when opting for annual billing.
First of all, please do not feel intimidated: the perhaps vulgar name of the UK-based company is intended to be a pun. HMA VPN has a mascot in the form of a donkey, and thus this little wordplay is nothing to worry about. You should rather pay attention to the fact that HMA VPN is easily one of the best VPN companies today; they offer much more than a standard package. You are also welcome to try out the free web proxy, an anonymous e-mail service and an IP:Port premium service, which is essentially a more elaborate proxy product. On top of this, you also have VPN browser extensions for Chrome and Mozilla to use. HMA VPN does all this while still maintaining decent speeds and healthy prices. These are coupled with the fact that HMA VPN remains one of few providers who still enable access to Netflix. But the most impressive thing about this organization is the number of locations provided – it is unprecedented today.
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