Best VPN for AbemaTV in Hong Kong
AbemaTV is a Japanese online television/streaming service with multiple channels including news, sports, entertainment, Japanese anime, and so much more. Unfortunately, Japan is the only country where AbemaTV has the appropriate rights to air the amazing content they have to offer; hence, it is restricted for viewing in only Japan.
When you visit a website, your device will communicate an IP address to the site. This IP address tells the website the location you’re browsing from. So, in this case, if you are not in Japan, AbemaTV would detect it and make the content unavailable to you. But there is a happy ending.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you to access restricted AbemaTV content with ease while you are in Hong Kong. It’s simple! All you need to do is to get a reliable VPN service to hide your original IP address and give you a new, virtual Japanese IP address, such that AbemaTV believes you are browsing from within Japan.
Quick Guide
- ExpressVPN – In the current VPN market, ExpressVPN ranks as one of the best VPN services. It comes with stable and lightning-fast servers that are able to access geo-restricted content (like the content on AbemaTV). Whether you are in Hong Kong, or anywhere else in the world ExpressVPN still gives you the pleasure of streaming your Japanese content without stress. This service has a 30-day money-back policy.
- NordVPN – This VPN service is up to the challenge of competing with ExpressVPN. It comes with several goodies – it is budget-friendly, it provides great privacy, adequate security, fast servers and it works well with AbemaTV regardless of your location. NordVPN makes your streaming experience more enjoyable leaving you with absolutely nothing to worry about. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- SurfShark – Despite being a very recent addition to the VPN world,SurfShark is already known for its ability to bypass the geographical restrictions and embargoes on most streaming sites. SurfShark has some of the fastest servers around, so you don’t have to worry about your streams lagging while you’re on AbemaTV. In addition, it allows the connection of unlimited devices with just a single subscription.
- UltraVPN – UltraVPN comes with Ultra-speed and quality (when it comes to the stability of their servers). The service allows you to keep an anonymous status throughout your streaming experience. Apart from the geographical blocks, streaming on AbemaTV is not necessarily known to be insecure for users; still, it is not a bad idea to have some extra security and privacy, and UltraVPN can offer that in all wholesomeness.
- CyberGhost – CyberGhost literally keeps you a ghost in the cyber world. Coupled with the fact that this service gives you access to blocked content on the Japanese AbemaTV while you’re in Hong Kong, it still keeps your traffic hidden – so, the streaming site will not even know you were there. CyberGhost has a very easy-to-use user interface and is therefore highly recommended if you’re still very fresh to the world of VPNs.
5 Best VPNs for AbemaTV in Hong Kong
To ease the stress of scouring the web searching for the right one, a well-detailed review of the 5 best VPNs for AbemaTV in Hong Kong has been made just for you.
ExpressVPN
Key features
- No logging of personal data
- Excellent customer support
- Over 3000 servers
- Fast and reliable speeds
With ExpressVPN, you gain access to restricted AbemaTV content through a very fast and reliable connection. Its numerous servers in over 100 cities, in 94 countries, (including servers in Japan where AbemaTV is accessible), can effectively hide your location as you enjoy premium speed while streaming in HD. ExpressVPN has the ever effective AES 256-bit encryption which it uses to secure your data from cyber crooks. It also has a kill switch and DNS leak protection that makes sure the data moving to and fro your device is inaccessible to peeping eyes.
Even though the price tags of ExpressVPN are relatively on the high side, you can be sure that you will get the quality you pay for. Interestingly, this VPN has a 30-day money-back policy. If at all you end up having issues with connecting to AbemaTV through this VPN service, their customer service is very responsive. They are available to attend to you 24/7.
ExpressVPN is also a great choice for watching Japanese TV overseas in general. It works well with channels like GYAO and TVer.
NordVPN
Key features
- Super-affordable
- Cryptocurrency payments allowed
- Compatible with all devices
- Optimized servers with AES 256-bit encryption
NordVPN can unblock AbemaTV alongside a whole lot of other geographically restricted streaming sites with efficiency, giving you one of the fastest connections in the VPN world. It supports up to 6 device connections at a time and has over 5,000 widely-spread and well-optimized servers in 62 countries (including a whopping 33 in Japan – your AbemaTV experience just got greater). It offers double encryption protective services targeted at keeping your data two times safe. Even though the double encryption has no direct impact on your AbemaTV streaming experience, it’s always nice to have these things to be extra safe.
If you are unable to afford ExpressVPN, NordVPN would definitely be the next go-to service. In addition, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The user interface is very simple to navigate through. While you’re in Hong Kong, you just need to click the country you want to connect to on a map (Japan), and NordVPN will provide you with the best IP address automatically.
It is safe to conclude that, considering a whole lot of features including speed and budget-friendly pricing, NordVPN is a great choice to stream AbemaTV in Hong Kong. NordVPN is a great choice for using VPN overseas in general, since it works well with channels like Japanese Hulu and Japanese Netflix.
Surfshark
Key features
- Ads and tracking blocker
- Connects unlimited devices simultaneously
- Excellent speed
- 24/7 customer support
SurfShark is still quite new to the world of VPNs but it is making a huge mark as its features make it a worthy challenger to the already existing ones. It has some of the fastest servers around, making it a luxury to stream on AbemaTV from Hong Kong. Despite not having as many servers as other well-known VPN services, SurfShark’s servers are very reliable and efficient. This VPN service markets its subscription plans at a price relatively lower than many other VPN services. Also, the longer the subscription, the more discount you get on the total price.
Surfshark also includes the services of an ad and malware blocker called CleanWeb. There’s also a kill switch that traps your data in whenever there is a breach in connection. Its no-logs policy is trustworthy; SurfShark does not have access to store your personal information which means that the company cannot sell your personal data even if they wanted to, because they don’t have it.
To evade national security firewalls, the No-border feature gives you passage to stream and surf as you want. Finally, SurfShark is easy to use and with just one subscription, you can connect as many other devices as you want without paying an extra subscription fee. SurfShark is also a good choice for watching shows like dTV overseas.
UltraVPN
Key features
- 256-bit AES encryption.
- App compatibility with most devices.
- Unlimited bandwidth.
- One-click connect.
UltraVPN reaches a total of 55 countries to guarantee your high-quality connections, and Japan is definitely included; making your AbemaTV streaming experience a great one. Not just that, the VPN is able to evade bandwidth limits, giving you express freedom to stream for as long as you like. Your bandwidth limit is the imposed limit on the amount of data you can transfer over a given period of time, usually given to you by an app or, in some cases, your service provider.
Asides unlimited bandwidth, UltraVPN also has a zero-logging policy. It doesn’t keep records of your web activities, so what you do while surfing or streaming remains completely under the covers. It uses OpenVPN support (with AES-256 encryption) and a kill switch to block your internet connection if the service drops. UltraVPN interface is easy to use, taking one simple click to connect, and the service can be very fast too. It may not have as many exceptional features as the other VPNs, but if you’re strictly looking for a streaming VPN while you’re at home in Hong Kong, this is a fantastic choice.
CyberGhost
Key features
- Been around for a long time
- Robust and fast servers
- Many servers in Japan
CyberGhost is absolutely capable of unblocking various streaming sites including AbemaTV. With a network of over 6,500 servers available across the globe including 10 servers you can connect to in Japan, as well as ad-blocking features, CyberGhost stands as one of the best VPN services.
It supports torrenting and allows the simultaneous connection of up to 7 devices. So, your friends can tag along on your streaming ride; free of lags and interruptions, providing you with genuine cyber invisibility and protection, no matter where you are in the world.
The CyberGhost software is very effective and super easy to use; hence, it is highly recommended for VPN newbies. CyberGhost hides your traffic, that is, they never log/record your traffic; so, you’re covered on all grounds and untouchable like a ghost.
Some other protective features of this service are its military-grade encryption, DNS leak protection and kill switch.
What to Consider Before Choosing a VPN
Encrypting your web devices for security, privacy and to gain optimum access to restricted content is the new cool. You definitely do not want cyber “rats” poking their noses into your web affairs. This is why you should go for a provider that offers optimum security and privacy. This is mostly evident in its encryption standard; a good VPN uses AES-256 encryption.
Speed is another very vital parameter to consider when choosing a Virtual Private Network. Therefore, make sure you get a VPN with the best speed rates. VPNs with a high number of servers usually have excellents speeds. Other factors to consider include server stability, location, cost, customer service, policies, etc. It is ultimately up to you to decide which one to go for. Price is also important, read more about free VPNs here.
A Step-by-step Guide to Setting up a VPN Service
Knowing what needs you wish for your VPN to take care of can go a long way in helping you to choose one of the best 5 shortlisted VPN services discussed earlier. Once you have settled on your most preferred option, here is how to get it up and running on your device. To get started, follow the simple guide below.
- Choose your best VPN from the shortlist of VPNs. For this guide, we are using ExpressVPN.
- On a web browser, visit the official website of the VPN (expressvpn.com) to register and subscribe to your preferred plan. You subscribe by making payment for the plan.
- Sign in to the website by clicking My Account. Input the email and password you used when you were creating an account (Signing Up). A prompt will pop up, you are expected to enter the verification code sent to your email.
- Next, go to Set up your devices, tap More.
- Go under ExpressVPN for… (Android/iOS/PC), tap the link that says “Complete the ExpressVPN manual setup.”
- Download the application software and log in.
- You’re expected to Agree to the Terms and Conditions of the VPN.
- Wait for a prompt to pop up, then, click Allow.
- Head over to the VPN settings tabs. Choose OpenVPN.
- Once you have completed the above steps, your VPN is set up.
- Select a server (in Japan) and click Connect. Then, you can stream AbemaTV with ease while you’re still in Hong Kong.
Note: If the server you selected didn’t work, try another one. Usually, all servers work fine. These VPN services have been consistent over time, so if the stream lags, it might be a problem from your service provider. Make sure the network from your service provider is reliable.
Conclusion
To effectively stream content on AbemaTV from Hong Kong, speed and availability of servers in your preferred location (Japan) go a long way to determine how pleasant your experience will be. If you’re interested in having a smooth, hitch-free experience, then choose any of the providers highlighted above. Read more about watching AbemaTV overseas here.