Due to the coronavirus emergency, in this particular historical moment it is essential to follow the directives issued by the Italian government, staying at home as much as possible. Streaming therefore becomes an indispensable ally to have fun and spend the days, and Netflix is certainly the most popular service even in the Bel Paese.
In Italy – at the time of writing – 1000 movies and 196 TV series are available on Netflix. They seem significant numbers but pale in comparison to the content that Netflix subscribers who have signed up for their subscription in the US can enjoy.
The Americans can in fact count 1326 TV series and 4339 films. Considering the total of the US media library, users in the Bel Paese can only reach 14% of TV series and 23% of movies.
We are not just talking about minor series, designed mostly for a local market and not very attractive to an audience residing beyond the borders of North America: from our Netflix there are also several heavyweights of international production, defections mostly due to related problems to distribution licenses.
Here are the most sensational examples, unique pearls that Netflix Italia subscribers cannot enjoy.
Rectify
Historical TV series aired from 2013 to 2016 on SundanceTV tells the story of Daniel Holden released from prison after unjustly spending 20 years on death row, recounting his troubled reintegration into society.
Critically acclaimed, the series aired exclusively for Sky subscribers.
Supergirl
For lovers of superheroes Supergirl is a series of undoubted interest, part of the “Arrowverse” universe that has made the success of other Arrow series, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow.
Now in its sixth season, in Italy it cannot be reached on Netflix, but only on Sky and Infinity, or on generalist TVs.
House Of Cards
Perhaps the most emblematic example and the most serious lack of the Netflix Italia platform.
Despite being an original Netflix production, the popular series dedicated to intrigues in US politics in Italy is in the hands of Sky and is therefore not accessible on our local Netflix library.
The Walking Dead
Also available only through Sky's paid platform, The Walking Dead is another of those acclaimed and unmissable series that for us Italian Netflix users is off-limits.
The series is set in a world where a virus has turned a large part of the world's population into zombies.
American Horror Story
Another popular anthological horror series, with settings and stories related to horror facts, events and legends, with 9 seasons under its belt.
Obviously none available on Netflix Italy at the moment.
These are only the 5 most striking cases, but for lovers of movies and TV series the real Netflix library, the one available in the USA. In fact, Netflix servers recognize the country in which a user is located when they connect to the site and only make available content approved for that specific country.
Fortunately, Netflix Italia subscribers can easily access all 1326 TV series and 4339 movies using a VPN, a virtual private network that allows you to connect to a site “simulating” to be in another country.
It is thus possible to access the Netflix site by pretending to be in the United States: it will thus be possible to easily access the entire US Netflix catalog, avoiding the restrictions related to geographical location.
We tried the CyberGhost VPN service, a European service that already boasts 36 million more than satisfied users and that for a few euros a month allows you to “disguise” your internet connection, thus opening up access to the most disparate online streaming platforms otherwise not accessible from Italy. Here's how it works.
CyberGhost VPN: how it works
To take advantage of CyberGhost VPN, simply connect to the official website, create an account and visit the appropriate section dedicated to downloads. From here you can choose which application to download: apps are available for Mac, Windows PC, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Fire Stick; the alternative will also be possible to configure your router to directly access the desired VPN directly.
We tested the Mac application by downloading the pkg package and installing it on our computer. Once the application is installed, authentication will be requested through the credentials of your account, which will allow you to access the software features.
The application is very simple and intuitive, easy to configure and use: the nationality to which we are currently connected is indicated on the right in the main window; on the left we can choose the types of servers we want to connect to while the list is displayed in the center.
For example, there is a list of specific servers optimized for streaming; in turn this list includes specific servers for each country optimized for the desired service. There are US servers perfect for Netflix, others optimized for Disney + and others for Amazon Prime and so on, for a total of over 7100 servers spread across over 90 countries.
Do we want to see US Netflix? just choose the appropriate server and select it. CyberGhost VPN will take care of connecting to the chosen server, thus simulating a connection from that country and making available content possibly exclusive to that country.
We tried Netflix and the service did not disappoint: as soon as we connected to Netflix from the special US server we searched for the House of Cards series and we immediately found it, complete with dubbing and Italian subtitles.
While using Netflix (or other streaming service providers) they may notice that the user is using a VPN service and temporarily block the viewing of the contents, asking the user to disconnect from the VPN.
In that case it will be enough to change server and choose a new one that works: services like CyberGhost VPN include a series of servers that are always updated and optimized to be able to view most of the streaming services outside your country.
In fact, we tested other specific servers and managed without problems to access Disney + (currently not yet available in Italy) and HBO Now, an exclusively American channel.
In addition to the ability to access streaming content from other countries (the app is optimized to reach around 35 streaming services), CyberGhost VPN also includes other features, such as blocking on malicious sites, blocking advertising tracking, data compression, and the ability to also create intelligent rules based on the type of connection.
Added to this are the safe use of torrent files, the ability to play games on which the same geographical restrictions apply as for streaming content, protection in the case of online payments and in the use of public Wi-Fi, a anonymous online browsing.
CyberGhost VPN: the offer
At the moment CyberGhost VPN has launched an exclusive offer for all its new customers: it is possible to subscribe for only 2.75 euros per month, the price of just over two coffees per month which will allow you to access a quantity of content. unreachable without VPN.
Included in the package is real-time support 24/7 and the ability to use the service on up to 7 different devices and the ability to withdraw and get a refund within 45 days of signing up.
To access to the offer simply click on this direct link.
If you want to exploit the full potential of your streaming services, the service is highly recommended.
