ORF, like several other popular streaming providers, is region-locked. While some titles are available for on-demand viewing from anywhere in the world, the great majority are exclusively available in Austria. If you attempt to view anything from Germany or another foreign country, you will see the following error message: “Nur in Österreich verfügbar” (Only accessible in Austria), unless you first connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
If you are getting this message, it means that the ORF has determined that your IP address does not originate from Austria. However, if you connect to an Austrian VPN server, you will be assigned a new, local IP address, and ORF will be unaware of your whereabouts. Additionally, the best VPNs encrypt your traffic, ensuring that snoopers like your Internet Service Provider (ISP), company, or government can not monitor your online activities. Additionally, you’ll get access to additional Austrian television stations and streaming services when traveling overseas.
How to stream ORF in countries other than Austria
It’s easy to circumvent geographical limitations and access streaming services such as ORF in Germany or any other country with the correct VPN. Simply follow the instructions outlined below.
- Start by subscribing to a reliable VPN provider. NordVPN is recommended.
- Following that, you’ll want to download and install the program. The majority of large services provide a lot of applications for various platforms, so be sure to download the appropriate version.
- Connect to an Austrian server on your VPN.
- Attempt to load one of the ORF’s live feeds. It should begin instantly, but if not, clear the cache and cookies in your browser and then reload the page.
Choosing the best ORF VPN
Due to the large number of available VPNs, it’s tough to determine which is the best for any specific purpose. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that not all VPNs allow you to view ORF from overseas. To guarantee that you choose a service that is both adaptable and trustworthy, rather than one that works in this situation, we chose to suggest only a VPN that matches all of the following criteria:
- Must allow ORF and other comparable streaming services in other countries.
- Ensures the availability of dependable, high-speed connections.
- Utilizes almost impenetrable encryption and incorporates extra security elements.
- Maintains minimum logs, or better still, none at all.
- Provides applications for the most widely used devices and operating systems.
The best VPN for ORF
NordVPN
With over 5,000 servers in several countries, NordVPN provides a greater selection than many of its competitors (and more than 30 in Austria alone). It can unblock major streaming services like ORF, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix while traveling, and its high-speed connections provide uninterrupted viewing of your favorite programs. Additionally, NordVPN supports up to six concurrent connections, allowing you to cover most of your devices with a single subscription.
This service puts a high premium on security. It has 256-bit encryption, a user-configurable kill switch, automated ad filtering, and malware scanning, as well as protection against DNS, WebRTC, port forwarding, and IPv6 leaks. Additionally, the provider just introduced its own WireGuard-based protocol, dubbed NordLynx. NordVPN adheres to a strong no-logs policy, which means it cannot provide information about your actions even if compelled to do so. Customer service is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through live chat.
NordVPN offers client software for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS devices. For supported routers, manual installation is necessary.
Is it possible to watch ORF live from overseas using a free VPN?
You may be tempted to watch ORF online using a free VPN, but we strongly advise against it for a variety of reasons. To begin with, ORF-TVthek employs quite robust geo-blocking methods that many premium VPNs are unable to circumvent. Free VPNs often have fewer resources to devote to such issues, especially if the provider in question is not well-known globally. Additionally, even if you discovered one that could unblock ORF, since free services sometimes have more users than their networks can handle, you’re likely to encounter lengthy, frequent interruptions as the video is delayed.
There are also matters of security to consider. In the past, large VPNs like Hola have abused their customers’ confidence by selling their bandwidth to assist in the operation of botnets. Recent studies indicate that smaller services are just as risky, with almost 40% of assessed applications, including malware, and another 18% without any kind of encryption.
The best approach to keep yourself secure online is to use a reliable VPN with a transparent, customer-first privacy policy.
What is available on ORF?
ORF is one of Austria’s largest television networks, and as such, provides something for everyone. ORF-TVthek, the company’s streaming service, enables users to watch live and on-demand programming from four stations (ORF eins, ORF2, ORF3, and ORF Sport). We’ve included a list of some of the programs that you can watch for free on this platform below:
- Guten Morgen Österreich
- Formula 1 (all Grand Prix events)
- Euro 2020
- Aus der Haut
- Euromillionen
- Kabarett im Turm
- Menschen & Mächte
- Pflanzerei
- Schmatzo
- Silvia kocht