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How to Get American Netflix for Access to a Wider Range of Content

Netflix is the world’s leading streaming service, offering thousands of movies and TV shows to watch instantly. However, the content available on Netflix varies by country due to licensing restrictions. The American Netflix library has the largest catalog, making it desirable for many global users. Here’s how you can access American Netflix from anywhere in the world.

Why You Should Get American Netflix

There are several benefits to accessing the American version of Netflix:

  • Much wider range of content – The US Netflix library is the largest among all countries. It has around 6,000 titles compared to other countries like the UK which has less than 4,000.
  • More new releases – American Netflix gets faster access to new movies and TV show seasons compared to other regions.
  • More Netflix Originals – Most Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Ozark etc. are available in all regions. But some are only on US Netflix to begin with.
  • Different pricing – Subscriptions can be cheaper in different countries. For example, the top 4K streaming plan costs $19.99 in the US compared to $25.99 in Canada.

How Geo-blocking Works on Netflix

Netflix uses your IP address to determine your location and show content available in your country. This is known as geo-blocking. When you try to access Netflix from a different country using a proxy service or VPN, Netflix can detect that and block access.

To get around this:

  • Use a VPN that works reliably with Netflix and changes IP addresses frequently
  • Use Smart DNS proxies which don’t reveal VPN usage to Netflix
  • Some residential proxies work but can get blocked after some time

Steps to Access US Netflix

Follow these steps to access American Netflix:

  1. Get a paid VPN account – We recommend ExpressVPN as the best Netflix VPN because of its consistently good performance. NordVPN and CyberGhost are good cheaper alternatives.
  2. Install the VPN app on your device like a laptop, phone, media streaming device etc.
  3. Connect to a US-based server on the VPN app. The app will now show your location as the US.
  4. Visit Netflix and login to your account. You should now see the American library loaded with US-only titles.
  5. Start watching! You can now watch any geo-restricted American titles.

Tips for Getting US Netflix Smoothly

Here are some tips:

  • Always choose a US-based VPN server located on the East or West coast. Central US servers sometimes don’t work.
  • Don’t use a free VPN as they rarely work with Netflix and sell your data. Use reputed paid options.
  • Use Smart DNS as an alternate method if your VPN stops working. Smart DNS proxies are faster too.
  • Don’t choose the cheapest VPN plan as they often have slow speeds for streaming good quality video.
  • Contact customer support if a server stops working and ask them to refresh the IP address.

Why Netflix Blocks VPNs

Netflix actively blocks most VPNs due to pressure from copyright holders to enforce geo-blocking. Studios have country-specific licensing deals with Netflix. By using VPNs to cross borders, some licenses may be violated.

Netflix can detect commonly used VPN IP addresses and data centers. They monitor connections to see if multiple users are accessing Netflix from a single location, which indicates a VPN server.

However, reputed VPNs work hard to ensure reliable access and quickly change IP addresses of blocked servers. Smart DNS proxies also only redirect Netflix traffic, making detection harder compared to full VPN encryption.

Is it Legal to Stream Geo-blocked Content?

Using VPNs to access streaming content from other countries falls into a legal gray area globally. Netflix’s terms of service allows the use of proxies and VPNs but content licenses differ across regions.

While actively enforced by authorities against individual streamers is unlikely, the practice does violate content licensing deals. From a technical standpoint, streaming geo-blocked content is usually not illegal but it does infringe on copyright conditions in some cases.

In Conclusion

Accessing the wider American Netflix library is easy with a good VPN or Smart DNS proxy service. Connecting to US servers gives you access to thousands of shows and movies not available in most countries. While Netflix is cracking down on VPNs, reputed paid services still allow reliable access. Getting American Netflix vastly expands your entertainment options.

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