How to Watch TVer Outside Japan
TVer is an entirely free streaming service that saves TV shows for those who don’t have the time to watch them when they’re being broadcasted. TVer is sponsored by five TV stations: TBS, TV Asahi, Nippon TV, Fuji Television, and TV Tokyo. The shows on TVer are gotten from these channels, and they show everything. From reality to cooking, to anime, to drama, there’s something for everyone. However, there’s a problem.
People outside Japan cannot watch TVer. The service is completely blocked to all those who don’t live within Japan. However, one can easily bypass these restrictions with a VPN. The process is straightforward:
- Signing up for a VPN, paying, and downloading the app.
- Connecting to a server in Japan.
- Opening your TVer app and streaming whatever show you want.
It’s as easy as A-B-C. But why is it that TVer is inaccessible outside Japan?
Why TVer is blocked outside Japan
The reason why TVer is blocked in all countries besides Japan is simple: licensing. TVer isn’t only owned by one company, but by five. Each of these companies has their shows. These companies have licensing agreements with the persons that create these shows.
To get more money from these deals, the creators of these shows sign agreements stipulating that their work can only be aired in one country. If you want to air it in another, that’s a separate licensing and a different fee.
These companies might do that if they’re sure that there will be a profit, but it would take a lot of effort to make TVer available in other countries. TVer hasn’t done it. But it doesn’t mean they never will. For now, you can still watch TVer; you just need a VPN to do it.
Best VPNs for TVer
Not all VPNs work with TVer, but some do. Here are a few that are great for TVer:
ExpressVPN
Key features
- No logging of personal data
- Excellent customer support
- Over 3000 servers
- Fast and reliable speeds
ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted and reliable VPN providers in the industry. It’s proven itself to be a service that works for its users. ExpressVPN has over 3000 servers in 94 countries, and a substantial amount of those servers are in Japan, ready to be used to stream TVer. ExpressVPN’s servers are all optimized to mitigate the slowdown in network speed that using a VPN causes. You can still watch all your shows in HD or even 4K quality.
ExpressVPN keeps it reliable but straightforward when it comes to security and privacy. It protects its users with best-in-class encryption technology and the fastest, most secure protocols available. There’s also a kill switch and private DNS with leak protection. ExpressVPN has a few advanced features to help safeguard users’ privacy.
Split tunneling is a feature that allows you to decide which data you want to be sent through ExpressVPN and which information you want to be sent through your ISP. TrustedServer technology is a few ExpressVPN put in place to assure users of their trustworthiness. TrustedServer allows all your data to be saved onto volatile memory that’s deleted with every reboot. So, no logs at all.
ExpressVPN has apps for Android, iOS, Windows macOS, and Linux (all standard platforms). There are also apps for routers, browser extensions, gaming consoles, and smart TVs. ExpressVPN’s prices are a bit higher than most with plans ranging from $8.32-$12.95. However, you also get a 30-day money-back guaranteed, no questions asked, so there’s no gambling here.
ExpressVPN is a great choice for Japanese TV in general if you are outside of Japan. Besides from TVer ExpressVPN also easily unblocks shows such as AbemaTV or GYAO.
NordVPN
Key features
- Super-affordable
- Cryptocurrency payments allowed
- Compatible with all devices
- Optimized servers with AES 256-bit encryption
NordVPN is our #2 VPN, and this VPN is well-known for its massive server network and its very advanced security features. NordVPN has over 5800 servers, concentrated in 59 countries. One thing TVer viewers won’t have to worry about with NordVPN is a lack of servers. NordVPN’s servers are all optimized to be as fast as possible, but this VPN provider still has servers dedicated to streaming. Some of them are in Japan, too, which is excellent news for TVers.
NordVPN is excellent when it comes to unblocking geo-blocked content, but most users will probably want a layer of protection with their entertainment. Towards that, NordVPN has an automatic kill switch, DNS leak prevention, and next-generation encryption technology. Apart from this, NordVPN also has some advanced features.
The first is DoubleVPN. This feature takes data through two servers, encrypting it twice before delivering it to its destination. Onion over VPN does the same thing except it makes it into the Tor server and encrypts it multiple times. The third feature CyberSec guards your web traffic against ads, malicious websites, phishing attempts, etc.
NordVPN is available on all standard platforms, routers, browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, and smart TVs. If you have any problems with any of NordVPN’s apps or features, or if you simply need guidance to the best server for streaming TVer, NordVPN’s customer care representatives are eager to help out.
NordVPN is quite average in pricing, ranging from $3.49-$11.95, with a 30-day refund policy to match.
NordVPN is perfect for Japanese users as it unblocks nearly all Japanese TV shows from streaming services such as NicoNico to gaming plattform such as DMM.
Surfshark
Key features
- Ads and tracking blocker
- Connects unlimited devices simultaneously
- Excellent speed
- 24/7 customer support
Surfshark may be young, but it has features and customer service that are on par with some of the oldest VPN providers in the industry. Surfshark doesn’t have many servers; there are only about a thousand. But it did cleverly spread them out in over 61 countries, including Japan. Surfshark: s servers were made to be as fast as possible. These servers are also capable of quickly unblocking geo-blocked content, and TVer isn’t an exception. Surfshark is also a great choice for unblocking services such as Japanese Netflix or Japanese Amazon Prime.
As for privacy and security, Surfshark has many different features it uses to protect its users. Surfshark has private DNS and DNS and WebRTC leak prevention. Users’ data is also encrypted with Surfshark’s industry-leading encryption technology, and protected against network instability with a kill switch.
Surfshark also has its own DoubleVPN, called MultiHop. However, MultiHop routes its data through servers in privacy-friendly countries. It also has its split tunneling feature named Whitelister, along with a feature that removes ads, malware, and phishing attempts called CleanWeb. Surfshark also has Camouflage Mode, a feature that makes you completely anonymous while on the web. Even your ISP won’t know to be able to tell you’re using a VPN.
Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections on one account, which is ideal for family use. In keeping with this generosity, it has apps for all standard platforms, browser extensions, smart TVs, routers, and gaming consoles. Surfshark is one of the cheaper VPNs, with prices ranging from $1.99-$11.95. There’s also an offer of a refund if you ask within thirty days.
UltraVPN
Key features
- 256-bit AES encryption.
- App compatibility with most devices.
- Unlimited bandwidth.
- One-click connect.
UltraVPN is one VPN that’s wholly dedicated to one niche: streaming. And though UltraVPN is an extremely young VPN, in this regard, it’s quite sturdy. UltraVPN only has a hundred super fast servers, but they’re spread across over 30 countries, which includes Japan. All of UltraVPN’s servers have been optimized for streaming. It has unlimited bandwidth and enough speed to allow users to stream TVer in HD without a hint of buffering or lag.
UltraVPN has a simple privacy and security system. Though its features are simple, they are effective in keeping all users safe while they’re enjoying some of their favorite shows. UltraVPN uses the most robust encryption technology available and secure protocols to guard its users’ data. A secure firewall (kill switch) keeps users safe from information leakage, especially when the connection to the VPN falters.
UltraVPN has apps available for all standard platforms except Linux. There’s also an app for FireTV. UltraVPN’s apps have the allure of being extremely easy to use. There are no cluttered settings or features to navigate through or set up. Most of the settings that need to be switched on or adjusted before streaming are already on the home screen. All UltraVPN users need to do to watch TVer is: choose a server in Japan, click connect, go back to TVer and start viewing.
UltraVPN is one of the more average VPNs in terms of price. Prices range from $3.75-$7.99 per month, but there’s also a 30-day refund policy offered to new users.
CyberGhost
Key features
- Been around for a long time
- Robust and fast servers
- Many servers in Japan
It’s great to have young VPN providers and all, but some users might prefer a bit more experienced, and CyberGhost has loads of that. This VPN provider has been in business since 2005, and it’s still one of the best VPNs around today. It’s especially suitable for streaming because of its vast server network. CyberGhost has over 5900 servers in 112 locations, in 89 countries. Forty-four of these server locations are in Japan, which is fantastic for TVer viewers.
CyberGhost is a strong advocate of anti-censorship, so all their servers are configured to be able to unblock and bypass any restrictions while you’re browsing. CyberGhost has servers optimized for streaming and torrenting, to make sure that users can watch whatever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want.
CyberGhost has a kill switch, DNS leak prevention, and military-grade encryption technology to keep users’ data as safe as possible. It also doesn’t keep logs. Anything you do on the web will be wiped clean.
CyberGhost has an alternate service called NoSpy Servers. These servers can do everything a regular CyberGhost plan allows plus dedicated uplinks, better speed, and bandwidth, premium hardware, and independent operation. All this for $4.99 per month. A standard CyberGhost plan ranges from $2.75-$12.99 per month.
One CyberGhost account can take up to seven simultaneous connections. There are apps for all standard platforms, routers, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and browser extensions. CyberGhost is rather generous with its refund policy, offering 45 days instead of 30.
What to look for in a VPN for TVer
There are hundreds of VPNs out there, and though we’ve listed some of the best VPNs for streaming above, we understand that you might want to search for your ideal VPN yourself. So, here are a few points to look out for when searching for a VPN for TVer, in no particular order:
- Server locations: It doesn’t matter if a VPN has one server or a billion. If none of those servers are located in Japan, you won’t be able to watch TVer.
- Bandwidth: You have to make sure that your VPN has unlimited bandwidth. This is the only way to ensure that you can stream as much as you want.
- Speed: To watch your shows in the best quality available without buffering, you’ll need a VPN that doesn’t allow too much of a drop in network speed.
- Accessibility: If your VPN doesn’t have apps for several devices, this can severely limit your enjoyment of your programs. It’s better if you’re able to watch TVer on your phone, laptop, TV, iPad, etc. With this goal in mind, your chosen VPN should be able to allow a fair number of simultaneous connections. Five is the average.
- No logs: Any VPN you choose should have a clear no-logs policy stating information that they do and don’t collect.
- Unblocking capabilities: Your chosen VPN should be able to continuously unblock media streaming services such as TVer.
- Privacy and security: The best VPNs have several features in place to guard users’ privacy and security.
Can I use a free VPN to watch TVer?
Some free VPNs might be able to unblock TVer. However, we cannot, in good conscience, advise you to use a free VPN to watch TVer. This is because free VPNs usually have limitations put on them.
They might have data limits, and they’re usually slow. Dealing with a lot of buffering and lag while watching your favorite shows is practically unbearable. And if your data limit is reached while you’re still streaming, you’ll have to stop.
The servers that free VPNs have access to are usually few and not optimized for streaming. A free VPN most likely won’t have any servers in Japan, and if there are no servers in Japan, you won’t be able to get a Japanese IP address. Therefore, you won’t be able to watch TVer.
Most free VPNs don’t even have the facilities to allow their users to unblock media streaming services like TVer. Paid VPNs get the funds to do so through their clients’ subscriptions. A free VPN that has the facilities for streaming might not be keeping your data safe.
In conclusion
There are several VPNs available to watch TVer, and though we believe we’ve listed and explained the best of them, you can use the factors to watch out for to choose one for yourself. And remember, nothing free is without its problems. Except for TVer, of course.