How to Watch Amazon Instant Video in Australia

Amazon Instant Video: Overview

Previously known as Amazon Video on Demand, this service is an on-demand web streaming service that lets you watch TV shows and movies from its library of more than 140,000.

However, this only applies to US audiences since the service is not accessible anywhere other than this country. Watching Amazon Prime in Australia is possible, though, since it is a global service – but the most extensive and enjoyable library is still that of the US, so it is worthwhile to learn how to watch Amazon Instant Video Australia.

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Why can’t you watch it in Australia?

Amazon’s inability to broadcast its US library to other parts of the world stems from licensing agreements – the company has only been given the license to broadcast the shows in the US. Thus it cannot provide the same to viewers in, for instance, Australia.

This legal restriction on Amazon is enforced by imposing a geo-block on its customers worldwide, effectively ensuring that they can only access the US library if their device is detected as being in the United States. Get Amazon Instant Video Here

Even if you own an Amazon Fire TV device in Australia, you will still only be able to watch the Australian library of Amazon Prime and nothing more.

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How to unblock it in Australia?

Amazon implements its geo-block by inspecting the IP address of whichever device you’re using to access its streaming service – in the case of Amazon Prime, if you’re accessing it from Australia, you’ll be taken to the Australian library. If you’re attempting to access Amazon Instant Video, you’ll get a message that it isn’t available in your country.

To get past the geo-block, you need to make it look like you’re accessing the service with a US-based IP address. A smart DNS proxy or a VPN provider can help you to do so, but in different ways:

A VPN works by linking your device directly to one of its servers in a different country (case in point, the United unblock-geoblockingStates) so that all your traffic goes through this link and then on to wherever it is intended. (Learn how to use a VPN with our in-depth guide)

In other words, Amazon will detect the server’s US IP address while the traffic will be to/from your device in reality! This will enable you to sneak past the geo-block and enjoy all the restricted US content. Using a VPN app also means that all your traffic will be encrypted, so there’s no chance of third-party interception of your data.

A few quality VPN services for Australians to stream geo-restricted content are ExpressVPN (Read our Review) and NordVPN – while they’re not the cheapest, they are incredibly reliable and come with support for multiple parallel connections you can use as ‘family’ solutions.

If you do not need the encryption and want to save some cash, or you’re on a device that doesn’t support VPNs, you could also use a Smart DNS proxy service.

These are cheaper because they don’t use encryption or route your entire traffic through a tunnel – instead, they rely on customized DNS values, so your network requests are resolved to a US location. (Looking for real value? You can’t get cheaper than free – take a look at our free, fast VPN picks)

The result is the same: Amazon identifies your traffic as originating from within the US, granting you access. Unlocator is a cheap, dependable Smart DNS product that comes with specific support pages and setup guides to help you get it running on any streaming device.