How to Watch dTV Outside Japan

Today, there are several hundred means of relaxing. From video games to movies and music, the entertainment industry has proven that it has much to offer. So much so that in the movie industry alone, there are now several platforms for viewing video content. These platforms span the area of multiple countries around the world. Some names are international, and everyone knows them. 

They are the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. However, others are less conspicuous, despite their outstanding qualities. This characteristic feature can sometimes be attributed to their content localization. That is, if you are not within the approved locations, you won’t be allowed to view their content. One such platform is dTV in Japan. They are a video sharing platform with quite a lot to give. Well, only as long as you are in Japan. If you want to access dTV from outside Japan, you’ll need a VPN.

Why is dTV blocked outside Japan?

Simply put, the reason you cannot watch dTV the minute you step outside Japan is because of geo-blocking. Different companies have different motives for enforcing this particular quality on their website. Some claim it’s copyright issues. Some want to protect their content from getting abused, and others claim government imposition. 

Geo-block works by identifying your location through your IP address and then blocking you if you aren’t within the geographical area of Japan. This can be incredibly frustrating, considering the sheer amount of content on dTV. However, you can fix the issue easily with a Virtual Private Network. A VPN routes your connection through a different server, changing your location in the process.

Best VPNs for watching dTV outside Japan?

The following VPNs work excellently in bypassing geo-blocks and helping you stream dTV even when you are outside Japan:

ExpressVPN

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Key features

  • No logging of personal data
  • Excellent customer support
  • Over 3000 servers
  • Fast and reliable speeds

dTV has upwards of a hundred and twenty thousand titles across thirteen different channels. One of the most attractive things in the Japanese entertainment industry is its traditional animated movies, known as anime. They have a ridiculously huge fanbase across the world. We are willing to bet that you are a fan as well. With that much juicy content in one place, even we would want to join in on the fun. With ExpressVPN, you can meet that need. How? Let’s see.

ExpressVPN has servers in more than 164 locations in the world today. Of those 164+ locations, about four of them are in Japan. Two in Tokyo, one in Kawasaki and another in Yokohama. The presence of these servers in Japan means that you can connect to them, route your connection through the servers and gain easy access to all that sweet Japanese content on dTV.

Now, with the streaming of movies and series on the web, speed is always a source of concern. If the internet speed keeps going down, it can turn even the biggest blockbuster movie night with friends to a boring sleepover. However, with ExpressVPN easily reaching, and sometimes, breaking the 100mbps speed limit, you can stream as much as you want.

In addition to this, something that works for you about ExpressVPN is that it is located in the British Virgin Islands. The BVI has no data retention laws. As such, there’s no one to snoop around your digital life while you stream on dTV.

ExpressVPN not only works great with dTV, but also with other TV shows. Unblocking shows such as Netflix Japan, or similar plattforms such as Japanese Hulu, is no problem for ExpressVPN.

NordVPN

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Key features

  • Super-affordable
  • Cryptocurrency payments allowed
  • Compatible with all devices
  • Optimized servers with AES 256-bit encryption

After having its name changed from BeeTV, the “d” in dTV became widely known to stand for “doki doki.” It is an onomatopoeia used to express glee in Japan. With NordVPN’s ability to give you access to dTV, we can bet that you’ll be nothing short of gleeful upon subscription.

NordVPN has been around since 2012, and during that period, it has planted more than 5800 servers across the world. They are carefully dispersed such that each country gets a fair share. Japan has seventy-two of its servers within the country, an excellent number if you are a fan of alternatives. These servers all work excellently in helping you to stream dTV outside Japan.

However, besides the number of servers there, some other things contribute to why NordVPN is on our list. Perhaps the most popular reason is its ability to encrypt your data not once, but twice. Generally, the basic prerequisite for being a Virtual Private Network service provider is that you should be able to encrypt users’ data.

NordVPN takes it a step further by encrypting your already encrypted data. This makes it nearly impossible for dTV to pick up on the fact that you are using a VPN and block you again. Amazing, isn’t it? To reduce the suspicion around you while you are online, NordVPN then proceeds to assign you a dedicated IP address. With that one IP address that doesn’t change so often, dTV is not likely to flag you for suspicious activities and block you.

NordVPN is in general a great choice for watching Japanese TV overseas. Unblocking shows such as NicoNico or GYAO is a nobrainer for this VPN service.

Surfshark

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Key features

  • Ads and tracking blocker
  • Connects unlimited devices simultaneously
  • Excellent speed
  • 24/7 customer support

As of 2015 or so, dTV already had more than four and a half million users in the world. Today, it has grown even larger with a lot more content than it had five years ago. It is only logical that you employ the services of a VPN like SurfShark to tap into its network if you are outside Japan.

SurfShark is comparatively new, but it sure is impressive in the internet privacy industry. It sports more than a thousand servers in more than 61 countries in the world today. Japan, of course, is among those countries. Its high-speed servers in Japan are capable of connecting you to the country, changing your IP address, and giving you access to all there is on dTV.

To spice things up, it throws in a few interesting features too. One of them is the multihop feature. Before getting you to your chosen destination, SurfShark will route you through multiple servers across multiple countries. This might seem a tad unnecessary. However, in the real sense, it does a lot to protect you online and maintain your privacy.

Apart from that, too, you get to choose which applications or software you want to tunnel. If all you need is dTV, you can simply route your internet signal for dTV alone. To make things even better, you don’t have to connect just one device per subscription. Every subscription on SurfShark gives you complete freedom to connect as many devices as you have with no limitations.

Surfshark is not only a good choice for shows such as dTV. If you want to unblock shows such as TVer, or gaming plattforms such as DMM, Surfshark will easliy help you with this also.

UltraVPN

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Key features

  • 256-bit AES encryption.
  • App compatibility with most devices.
  • Unlimited bandwidth.
  • One-click connect.

UltraVPN is another Virtual Private Network you might want to consider very strongly if you want to view dTV content outside Japan. It has all the basic things you’ll need to bypass that unnerving geo-restriction that stands between you and your anime/movies on DTV.

For starters, there are more than a thousand high-speed UltraVPN servers in the world today. Two of them are in Japan, and these servers are as effective as they are efficient at sending you into dTV’s entertainment world. The servers can easily boast of unlimited bandwidth that allows you stream data with little to no hassles whatsoever.

What’s more, is that their plans are very pocket-friendly. As such, you don’t have to start making those hard opportunity cost decisions like cutting down on your internet subscription to afford internet protection. Apart from giving you affordability, they give you thirty days to try out their services. During those thirty days, you are free to do whatever you want within the dictates of their terms and conditions. After using as much as you need to make a decision, you can choose to ask for a refund if your experience was not positive. They’ll refund you, no questions asked.

Their customer care line is always available if your VPN ever starts acting up. However, with a military-grade encryption system and world-class servers, you are not very likely to experience a lot of issues. The VPN is easy to install and is available on multiple devices for streaming dTV. All of these come together to make UltraVPN an excellent choice for you.

CyberGhost

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Key features

  • Been around for a long time
  • Robust and fast servers
  • Many servers in Japan

This fifteen-year Virtual Private Network veteran wholly deserves its spot on our list. While it comes last, some of its qualities far exceed those of some other VPNs in the industry.

One of them is the number of servers. There are currently more than 5900 of them in 89 different countries in the world today. With a hundred servers shy of six thousand, it beats virtually all other VPNs. However, that is not our main focus here.

In Japan, which is what we are concerned about, CyberGhost has forty-four servers dispersed across the country. This huge amount of servers makes it possible for you to switch from one to another. If one is slowing down due to congestion or something of that sort, you don’t have to wait for it to get decongested. Simply pick up the next and carry on with what you were doing.

It has a zero-logs policy that it takes rather seriously. Under no circumstances does it keep records of your data or what you do online. Whatever you watch stays between you and yourself. To further protect you, it uses an encryption system that’s so advanced, military bodies, governments, and banks around the world use it too for online protection.

It allows you the luxury of one day to test out its services on your mobile device. However, things don’t end there as you also get a 14 and 45-day money-back guarantee on one month and subscriptions above one month, respectively.

Why is it essential to read VPN terms and conditions before buying?

Earlier in this article, we implied that you should read a virtual private network’s terms and conditions. Now, we are stating categorically that you should read it before making a purchase. The act itself could be really tedious, especially because of the length of these documents. However, you must understand that they are a form of legal contract, and they are extremely binding. It might be nothing more than a mere tick to you, but it’s a whole lot more than that.

Our first reason concerns the money-back guarantee that a lot of VPNs in the internet privacy industry offer their users. While it isn’t the case for all of them, a few VPNs aren’t very straightforward about their terms. For example, after crossing a particular data cap with their network, some VPNs revoke your right to ask for a refund. 

Business-wise, this makes sense. They are merely protecting themselves from those “smart people” who would try to open multiple accounts and get their money back for almost an entire year. For that reason, some VPNs would refuse a refund request.

You might not be that type of person. You might’ve just crossed the data cap by mistake. However, that mistake could’ve been easily avoided if you had read their terms and conditions. They are not exactly compelled to spill all the details to you right on the front page of their website. However, they must tell you how they operate in their terms and conditions. Reading it would help avoid unpleasant situations as such. 

Another particularly important reason is to protect your privacy. A lot of VPNs promise complete anonymity on the web. They say not even their company will keep logs of your activities. However, this isn’t entirely true with all of them. While those on our list are very reliable, some others are quite shady in how they deal with customers. They tell you one thing in their advert and then weave in a bunch of legal jargon into the terms and conditions document that says the exact opposite.

One might even be tempted to think that they do it intentionally in hopes that you’ll be too bored to read it. If you end up agreeing, they have as much power over your data as their terms and conditions state. Some go as far as selling your online footprint patterns to advert agencies. The worst part is that you cannot be upset or go to court because you clicked “I agree” on their site. 

To save yourself from all this stress, while it may be tedious, read their terms and conditions. If you like it, go ahead. If you don’t, go away.

In conclusion

dTV is another great place for you to relax, unwind, and keep up with the latest movie trends in the beautiful continent of Asia. It is disappointing that they only allow you to view them if you are within Japan. Thankfully, with VPNs like ours that offer internet freedom, you don’t have to stress over such restrictions anymore.