The best way to safely watch CCTV from anywhere is to use a VPN with servers in or around China. A VPN replaces your actual IP address with one from China (or a nearby country), making it appear as though you’re in the permitted region. This way, you can stream CCTV regardless of your location. Of the many VPNs I tested, ExpressVPN worked best for me. It has fast local servers (in Hong Kong and Macau), so you can watch CCTV buffer-free from anywhere. You can even try ExpressVPN for CCTV risk-free. If you don’t like it, you can claim a full refund within the 30-day money-back guarantee. Start Watching CCTV Today
Why You Need a VPN to Watch CCTV Outside of China
Due to licensing rights, most of CCTV’s content is geoblocked outside China. If you try to access it from anywhere else, it will block your access and return an error. This happens because CCTV sees your IP address and determines your location based on that. A VPN hides your actual IP address and location by rerouting your traffic through the server of your choice. If you connect to a server in China or the surrounding area (e.g., Hong Kong), CCTV believes you’re in the country. This means you can bypass the geoblocks you normally encounter if you’re abroad. All you need to access CCTV from anywhere is a VPN with local servers. On top of this, VPNs provide high-level security measures to keep you safe online and maintain your privacy. Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free Today
Best VPNs to Watch CCTV From Anywhere in 2023
All of my shortlisted VPNs offer superfast local servers that reliably unblock CCTV from any location. You also get top-class support via live chat, and apps are easy to use. Each VPN supports multiple device connections and most operating systems, too. Best of all, you can try any of them risk-free, thanks to the trustworthy money-back guarantees.
1. ExpressVPN — Incredibly Fast Speeds to Watch CCTV Buffer-Free
ExpressVPN has ultra-fast speeds that let you watch CCTV-1 on its Hong Kong and Macau servers without any buffering. With these fast connections, you can load the CCTV streams from anywhere almost instantly. I tested 4 ExpressVPN servers in these locations and had an average speed of 72 Mbps. You only need 5 Mbps for HD streaming and 25 Mbps for UHD, so this was more than enough. The servers near China never let me down and always connected. All of the Hong Kong servers I tested were reliable and bypassed CCTV’s geo-restrictions within a few seconds. I had stable connections to watch Moment China on CCTV without interruption. The extensive network also covers 94 countries — ideal for your other international platforms (like Netflix US). This VPN is compatible with all major operating systems. I tested it by installing the user-friendly ExpressVPN app on my iPhone, Macbook Air, and Windows tablet. It was easy to connect to servers in Hong Kong, and the connections were stable even when using multiple devices simultaneously. This means no matter what your preferred device is while you travel, you can watch CCTV. One downside is its pricey subscription plans, which start at $6.67/month. However, ExpressVPN regularly offers great discounts — I managed to get 49% off and 3 extra free months. I recommend you choose the 12-month plan as it’s the most cost-effective option. It comes with a tried-and-tested 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not 100% happy with it, you can easily claim a refund. All I had to do was ask the 24/7 live chat support team to cancel my subscription, and my request was processed after answering some basic questions. I got the money back on my credit card after 3 days. Watch CCTV With ExpressVPN Now
2. CyberGhost — Intuitive App Design That Makes It Easy to Unblock CCTV
CyberGhost’s user-friendly apps make it easy to find the best servers for unblocking CCTV. Getting started is straightforward because its servers are organized by location (like ExpressVPN), making it easy to find China. You can also save your favorite servers for quick access later, so you can start watching Sing My Song on CCTV-3 in no time. With over 12 servers to choose from in China, you have plenty of options. During my CyberGhost tests, all of these servers let me watch CCTV-1. I tried its Macau and Hong Kong locations and they successfully bypassed geoblocks, too. For your other international services, there are streaming-optimized servers for platforms like Disney+. My speed didn’t go below 30 Mbps, which is enough to watch CCTV in good quality. I had a buffer-free viewing experience the entire time, and it only took a few seconds to load each show. The only thing I don’t like about CyberGhost is the high price for the monthly subscription. However, you can get its longest plan for just $2.11/month. The 3-year option is the most affordable, and comes with the same features (like 24/7 support) as the more expensive plans. You can easily use the 45-day money-back guarantee to test CyberGhost for free. If you change your mind, you can get a full refund. I asked to cancel my subscription via the web form to see how easy it is to get my money back. After receiving an email to confirm my request, my PayPal account was refunded after 4 days. Watch CCTV With CyberGhost Now
3. Private Internet Access — Large Network With Many Chinese Servers to Access CCTV Anywhere
Private Internet Access (PIA) is great for unblocking CCTV because of its many Chinese servers. There are also servers in the surrounding areas to help bypass geoblocks. I tested PIA servers in China, Hong Kong, and Macau — they all accessed CCTV in seconds. The vast network also covers 84 countries for browsing international websites. Though not as fast as CyberGhost, each server I tried gave me good speeds for consistent HD streaming. My average download speed never dropped below 25 Mbps, which is enough to watch Xingguang Dadao smoothly while traveling. With these speeds, watching CCTV in high quality from anywhere isn’t a problem. One issue with PIA is that it operates out of the US, part of the 5 Eyes Alliance (data-sharing pact). However, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern as it doesn’t keep any logs. Even if it was asked to reveal your data, PIA would have nothing to share. I found PIA to be pretty affordable, and you can save more by selecting a long-term PIA plan at just $2.03/month. Monthly plans are available but cost more despite no additional benefits, so I recommend the 2-year subscription. The best part is that PIA is backed by a reliable 30-day money-back guarantee. To test this policy, I asked customer support to cancel my subscription via email. The refund process was hassle-free — I had the money back in my bank account a week later. Watch CCTV With PIA Now
How to Safely Unblock and Watch CCTV Outside China
It is very easy to access everything CCTV has to offer with a reliable VPN. Follow this step-by-step guide to unblock CCTV while you’re outside the region: Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free Now
How can I fix the CCTV location error?
You need a VPN with reliable servers in China (or nearby) to fix this error. Simply launch your VPN and connect you to a server in China, so you can watch CCTV as if you’re in the country. A decent VPN will have reliable obfuscation — meaning it’s unlikely to be detected by the websites you view.
Is the CCTV library free?
Yes, CCTV is free, but it’s mostly geo-restricted to China. If you’re traveling outside of the country and need access to your account, use a premium VPN with servers in China (and its surrounding areas) to help get past CCTV’s geoblocks.
Is using a VPN for CCTV legal?
Yes, using a VPN to bypass geoblocks is legal in most countries. The best VPNs have fast speeds and reliable local servers to give you quick access to CCTV from anywhere. However, you should bear in mind that there are restrictions on VPN use in some countries (like China itself). Always check the rules for your location. Watch CCTV With ExpressVPN Now
Start Watching CCTV Today
If you travel a lot, the easiest way to unblock CCTV when you leave China is with a top-tier VPN. All you need to do is to connect to a server in China (or a nearby region) to safely bypass the geoblocks. My go-to VPN is ExpressVPN because its superfast Hong Kong and Macau servers let you stream CCTV-1 in top quality. You can try out ExpressVPN for yourself risk-free. If you don’t feel it’s right for you, you can get a full refund within the 30-day money-back guarantee period.
To summarize, the best VPNs for watching CCTV are…
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