What is American Netflix?
Netflix is an online streaming service with masses of popular movies, a vast range of TV shows and an abundance of documentaries that viewers can stream over the internet. All in all, it is broadcast in around 190 countries and has well over 100 million users.
Although the service gives you a global Netflix subscription when you sign up, what you can view in NZ is vastly different than you can see on US Netflix.
What is Netflix NZ compared to the US version? It is a cut back streaming service that misses out on a wealth of content that views want to watch.
- Download the Fastest VPN – We recommend ExpressVPN for NZ’ers (SAVE 49% + 3 Months FREE)
- Connect to a USA server
- Head to Netflix and watch the US Netflix library!
Simple as that!
Watch US Netflix with ExpressVPN
In This Article
What’s on Netflix US?
If you can access the American service, then there is no shortage of what to watch on Netflix. Here are some of the best films in the Netflix library, and as you can see, they go way back, so there is something to fit every taste.
- The Conjuring – 2013
- Blue is the Warmest Color – 2013
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – 2017
- Groundhog Day – 1993
- Hellraiser – 1987
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 2017
- Casino – 1995
- Se7en – 1995
- Black Panther – 2018
- The Godfather Trilogy (All 3 parts)
- Schindlers List – 1993
If good movies on Netflix wasn’t enough to curb your appetite, then here are some of the best TV shows on Netflix.
- Bodyguard
- The Office (US)
- Breaking Bad
- Friends
- Mindhunter
- Trollhunters
- Legends of Tomorrow
- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
- The West Wing
- Stranger Things
Both of these are just the tip of the iceberg of what is available. Once you delve into the library, you can see many Netflix series exclusive to the USA or a significant delay before filtering down to NZ.
If you search for the best shows on Netflix, and the above are good examples because hardly any are shown in NZ, the same can be said for the movies listed above. With these alone, Netflix New Zealand misses out on a lot.
Netflix America Vs. Netflix New Zealand
To compare the difference between US Netflix and the Netflix NZ content, you only need to look at the numbers to see the differences between the two.
There are currently 450 Netflix NZ shows and 1563 movies available, while US Netflix has 1326 TV shows and 4339 films. This is a huge difference, and it isn’t only the numbers that are different. There is a vast difference in airing dates, with the best Netflix series being available in New Zealand well after the original air date.
Netflix USA doesn’t get all its way because the company adds and removes programs all the time. Examples of TV shows you can see in NZ but not the USA are Doctor Who, Vikings, and Boo, plus many others. Movie wise, there is Fantastic Beasts, Forests Gump and the Hunger Games: Mockingjay part one. (Read Watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
The best movies on Netflix, in the majority, are in the US, especially the newer movies, but one and a while, some are not available all the time.
When you look at New to Netflix NZ, you can see how things are up and down, and there is no real structure in their releases. ET, Water World, Para Norman, the Last Kingdom season 3, Narcos and Shameless (US) Season 8. (Read Watch BBC iPlayer in New Zealand)
Is US Netflix Available in New Zealand?
In a word, no, it isn’t available by regular means. Because of all the broadcasting rights, each country has its raft of shows and movies.
Then, anything outside of that is governed by geo-blocking, which prevents the different versions of Netflix from being shown in other countries.
Netflix also restricts releases in specific regions as a means to protect itself from piracy, or that it might be banned due to shows or movies that are deemed unethical for a certain region.
How much does Netflix cost in New Zealand?
Netflix pricing is different because there are three packages you can choose from. The movies and shows don’t differ; it is the cost of Netflix compared to the quality of the streaming programs.
Check the table below to see how much is Netflix in NZ
Plan | Features | Price (Per Month) NZ $ |
---|---|---|
Basic | Stream in standard definition (SD) on one device at a time. | NZD 11.49 |
Standard | Stream in (up to) high-definition (HD) on two devices at a time. | NZD 14.99 |
Premium | Stream in (up to) 4K definition on four devices at a time. | NZD 18.49 |
Can I get a Netflix free trial?
Yes, when you sign up, you are automatically given a Netflix free trial for one month to test the service.
You visit their homepage, and you should see a button that reads “Start your free month.” All you do is click this button, select a plan from the above table, fill in your information and payment method, and start your free trial.
You are automatically charged at the end of this, so if you wish to stop using Netflix before you pay anything, you need to contact Netflix to stop the service. Second, there is also no lock-in period, so you are free to cancel at any time. (Read How to Watch Vikings Online)
The Netflix NZ price might appear expensive for a limited amount of home viewing on the NZ Netflix. But as was mentioned, you do have a global subscription. When you see how easy it is to view the US Netflix, the Netflix NZ cost is a little more bearable, and they are competing against some of the alternatives (mentioned later).
How to Get US Netflix in NZ (Step by step)
As was mentioned earlier, once you have a Netflix subscription, you can access the service from anywhere in the world.
The only problem is the service defaults to the country you are in. So to access US Netflix, you need to make use of a VPN service.
A VPN will tunnel your internet traffic through one of their servers located in a country of your choice. In this case, you would be connecting to a US-based server.
A VPN will also replace your IP address with one from your chosen country, thus spoofing your location.
One other benefit is all of your data is encrypted, so even your ISP won’t be able to see you are watching US Netflix. (Read Watch The Good Doctor Online in NZ)
This is a good thing because ISP’s are renowned for throttling streaming connections due to the bandwidth used. The higher the definition, the higher the bandwidth demand.
Not all VPN’s work with Netflix, so let’s first take a quick look at some options that can access the streaming service.
What VPN Works With Netflix?
1. ExpressVPN
This is a highly regarded VPN provider that is based in the British Virgin Islands. It has over 1500 servers in 94 countries, and it can unblock all of the following Netflix libraries: US, UK, Japan, Canada, and France.
If you get the dreaded Netflix proxy error, you can contact the customer service, and they will lead you to an American VPN server that is accessing Netflix.
As well as accessing US Netflix, ExpressVPN can access geo-blocked content from BBC iPlayer, HBO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
All of its servers are fully optimised for fast speeds, so you shouldn’t have any downtime or buffering issues regardless of the definition of your show or movie.
ExpressVPN delivers privacy and security with 256-bit AES encryption (considered military-grade) and perfects for secrecy.
They also have a kill switch. This drops the internet connection if the VPN connection is lost. DNS leak protection is included, and ExpressVPN doesn’t monitor user activity.
They have many VPN apps: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Linux, and certain Wi-Fi routers.
2. NordVPN
With an extensive network of servers comprising more than 3,300 in over 60 countries, this provider can also unblock many Netflix libraries and unblocking some of the same streaming services as ExpressVPN.
NordVPN is another strong player for privacy and security with zero-logging. It also comes with the same AES-256 bit encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.
It delivers fast speeds, although a little behind those of ExpressVPN. It also comes with some native VPN apps for Windows and macOS and apps for iOS and Android.
3. CyberGhost
This Romania based VPN also has vast server network servers. It has also just updated most of its apps to version 7. Security is taken care of with the same 256-bit encryption and is backed by a kill switch and DNS leak protection.
Apps are available for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. It does, though, only offer a 7-day money-back guarantee and a 24-hour free trial. It has decent speeds but falls behind the other two.
It also cuts off your browsing session after 3-hours, so this would mean re-connecting to Netflix. Talking of Netflix, it can still access the service, but not from every US-based server.
There are also some concerns over their privacy statement at present.
All of the above do cost for their services to consider cheaper or free alternatives.
Is there a free VPN that works with Netflix?
Free VPN’s are tempting to use, although they are highly unreliable. Accessing Netflix continually requires a lot of work, and these free VPN’s don’t make anywhere near enough profit to allow them to do this regularly.
Free VPN’s might let you browse through the US library, but if you try and make a Netflix sign in, you will be faced with an error that the content is unavailable.
Free VPN’s need to make money, and they resort to other means to do this. Harvesting user data and selling it on or using the VPN as a springboard for adverts.
Rather than attempting to use a free VPN. Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN give a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This, in effect, gives you a 1-month free trial of the service before you need to pay. You can test the service and quit before paying, but it should be known. NordVPN isn’t the fastest at returning your money.
Using a VPN to Access Netflix
The following steps will show you how to access Netflix; it doesn’t matter if you are streaming online or using the Netflix app; it should work for all.
- Set up your Netflix account if you haven’t already.
- Sign up for the best VPN for NZ
- Complete the simple three-step process to sign up
- Receive a confirmation email, download and install the client software
- Log into the VPN
- Connect to a server in your selected country. Select the USA from the drop-down list
- Navigate to the Netflix website. It should automatically detect you are in the USA (or the country your selected server is in).
- Log in to Netflix
- Choose from the full range of content.
A Netflix VPN NZ viewers can use things so straightforward, and it is hard to believe it works so quickly. This simplicity is half of what the cost of a VPN service is for, and all the magic is happening under the hood and out of sight.
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Netflix Alternatives
There are some Netflix NZ alternative services, but many always seem to fall short on the experience and the breadth of content available. Many also, in fact, charge more for their services than Netflix does for their monthly subscription, and you are left with less material to view.
Many of these alternatives are also geo-blocked, so the steps above would need to be followed to access this.
The other option is everyone’s favourite Kodi box, and for the breadth of content, it can be the only alternative to Netflix that offers so much, depending on the add-ons you choose.
This would also require a VPN because a lot of this content is copyright protected and could land you in trouble.
Kodi is an excellent piece of software, but some of the add-ons are unreliable, and you can find there are lots of dead streams.
Conclusion
Now you have seen how to watch US Netflix in NZ and how easy it could be, you might be wondering why the new kid on the block for NZ viewers isn’t mentioned.
Telecom Lightbox has been around since 2014. Again this is subscription-based, and you have access to their library of content. It does have a diverse library of content and can be seen as an alternative. Prices start at $12.99 for the standard plan and $15.99 for the premium.
There is also Quickflix which is a movie streaming service, or a DVD/ Blu-Ray rental. Streaming is the best option is $3.99 per movie to rent, so within three rented movies, you have covered your Netflix subscription.
These options might be useful, but they might not be the best options for viewers in NZ. The tried and trusted way of using a premium VPN service to access Netflix gives more flexibility and more choice.