In the old days, in order to watch our favorite movie or TV show, we would have to wait for it to be aired on our TV channels. Well, we all know we were not able to control when it comes on. After that we were able to rent it from a video store or even buy it, but that wasn’t very convenient as it was costly plus we didn’t have a large variety. All that hassle was before the introduction of high speed internet connections and online video streaming sites. This made accessing videos (movies, documentaries, TV shows, etc.) a whole lot easier. Now there are thousands, if not millions, of worldwide streaming websites. Both free (e.g. YouTube) and paid (e.g. Netflix) online video streaming services are available.
Until this point everything seems to go quite smoothly and in our favor. However, challenges started appearing like geo-restrictions, government banning of websites in some countries, ISP throttling connection speeds deliberately, and many others. In order to overcome these barriers, we had to acquire a VPN service which does it all; from bypassing restrictions to prevention of speed throttling (and sometimes slightly enhance it), as they provide their users with a network of servers through which they can connect to websites.
In order to find the best VPN exclusively for the purpose of online video streaming , we had to focus mainly on 3 main features; the network of servers operated by the VPN provider, the VPN’s ability to prevent connection speed throttling, and the level of security provided by the service. With that in mind we shortlisted the best 3 VPNs for video streaming.
Best VPNs for Video StreamingÂ
NordVPN
NordVPN was launched in 2012 by four friends with the motive of providing the world with a free, secure and private internet. In a matter of years it has grown to be one of the most well-known and highly trusted names in the field. With all its customized and standard features it has succeeded to become one of the very suitable VPNs for online video streaming.
Level of Security
- Servers network secured with an AES 256-bit SHA encryption.
- Advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, PPTP, and IKEv2).
- Additional security features include Double Data Encryption, Automatic Kill Switch, Anti-DDoS servers, DNS Leak Resolver, and Onion over VPN.
Network of Servers
- Servers in 929 locations spread across 57 countries around the world.
- This network provides users with both shared and dedicated IP’s
Speed Related Features
- NordVPN provides customized servers for every purpose. When it comes to online video streaming, there are there are the Ultra-Fast TV servers which are optimized for online streaming as they provide an extremely enhanced connection speed.
- For high speed P2P sharing activities, there are P2P optimized servers as well.
NordVPN offer many more features especially for online security and freedom and they are a great recommendation for both bypassing restrictions or enhancing connectivity speeds for the sake of a great online video streaming experience.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN is a Swiss-based VPN provider owned by the large internet company; Golden Frog. With a big name like that come strong features and numerous advantages, making VyprVPN a very good VPN for video streaming.
Level of Security
- All VyprVPN servers use 128, 160, or 256-bit SSL encryption.
- Unique and advanced security protocols are supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and its very own Chameleon).
- An additional security feature is the NAT Firewall.
Network of Servers
- More than 700 servers spread across over 70 worldwide locations in 6 continents.
- This network provides users with over 200,000 global shared IP’s.
Speed Related Features
- VyprVPN owns its whole network of servers and does not involve any third parties and so this network is optimized for speed and security.
- Unlimited bandwidth.
- Unlimited server switching.
VyprVPN has invested a lot to ensure its users’ complete online freedom, security, and privacy. This is why it became one of the best VPNs in the market and a good recommendation for online video streaming.
ExpressVPN
Located in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN started operating back in 2009. It is considered one of the oldest and largest VPNs in the market. And with experience come great features and a high rank in VPNs for all purposes, and especially for online streaming.
Level of Security
- Network is SSL secured with a 256-bit military grade encryption.
- All advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN with UDP/TCP, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and SSTP).
- An additional security feature is the Network Lock kill switch.
Network of Servers
- More than 1000 servers in 145 cities, spread across more than 94 countries around the world.
- Network provides users with countless, regularly rotated, shared IP’s
Speed Related Features
- There is a built in speed test in the app to ensure that you connect to the server providing the highest speed.
- All data between users and servers are highly encrypted to prevent deliberate speed throttling from the ISP’s.
There are continuous competitions between VPN providers when it comes to several purposes, and ExpressVPN succeeded to have its name carved in almost every competition. This is why we weren’t surprised to find out that it is considered one of the best VPNs for online video streaming.
Conclusion
Online video streaming requires decent internet speeds without any interruptions or throttling. In addition to that, most of the really good online streaming services are either geo-restricted to certain countries of the world or completely banned by the government in others, and this is why a good VPN is required to overcome these challenges.
