I. Introduction
Voot is a popular video-on-demand service owned by Viacom18 that offers a wide variety of Indian television shows, films, news programs and more to viewers in India. With over 100 million monthly active users, Voot has become one of the leading over-the-top (OTT) content platforms in the country since its launch in 2016.
However, Voot’s availability is geo-restricted to India, which prevents viewers outside the country from accessing its library of movies, shows, live news and Voot Originals. This proves frustrating for Indian expatriates and Bollywood fans residing in the USA who wish to watch Voot but are blocked due to geographical barriers.
II. Need for VPN to Access Voot in the USA
Voot cannot be accessed directly in the USA as it enforces geo-restrictions based on the viewer’s location. The platform uses geo-blocking to limit its content to audiences within India as per region-wise licensing agreements.
When you try visiting Voot from an IP address outside India, you will see an error notification that access is unavailable in your country. This is because Voot checks your IP location to verify if you are connecting from an approved region to grant access.
The only reliable method to bypass the geo-blocks and use Voot seamlessly in prohibited regions like USA is by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN assigns you an Indian IP address to mask your actual U.S. location, allowing you to bypass the geo-restrictions.
Voot offers content in regional Indian languages like Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil etc. Along with English subtitles in most cases. By using a VPN connection, language barriers can also be overcome when streaming Voot from abroad.
III. VPN Options for Accessing Voot
There are many VPN services in the market, but not every VPN works efficiently with Voot. The VPN should provide reliable connections, good speeds, minimal lag and the ability to switch to Indian servers. Based on these criteria, we review and compare some of the top VPN options suitable for accessing Voot in the USA:
A) VPNBook
VPNBook is a popular free VPN service used widely for bypassing geo-blocks on streaming sites. Key features include:
- Free VPN with unlimited bandwidth and no user limits
- 80+ countries with 600+ servers
- Supports P2P traffic
- Simple interface and quick setup
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS and Android
However, being a free service, VPNBook has certain downsides:
- Very basic VPN features
- Limited server switching ability
- No customer support
- Prone to occasional disconnects
The free servers may struggle with performance during peak hours. But VPNBook works reasonably well for streaming Voot from the USA if you get connected to a stable Indian server.
B) Surfshark
Surfshark is a fast, secure premium VPN service that reliably unblocks geo-restricted apps and websites. Key aspects:
- 3200+ servers in 100+ countries including India
- Unlimited device connections
- AES 256-bit encryption, kill switch and no-logs policy
- Supports torrenting
- 24/7 live chat support
The connection is very fast with consistent speeds for streaming Voot in HD quality from the USA. Changing server location to India is easy within the user-friendly apps. The 24-month plan brings the pricing down to just $2.30 per month. Overall, Surfshark is an ideal VPN for accessing Voot.
C) ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has a long-standing reputation as a leading VPN provider with excellent unblocking capabilities and fast streaming speeds.Notable features:
- 3,000+ high-speed VPN servers across 94 countries
- Unlimited bandwidth and 5 simultaneous connections
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Private DNS on every server
- 24/7 live chat support
During testing, ExpressVPN was able to bypass Voot geo-blocks consistently across its India VPN servers. Speeds remained fast enough for 4K streaming without any buffering or lags. While it’s a reliable VPN service, the pricing is higher at $8.32 per month for the 1-year plan.
IV. Step-by-Step Guide to Using a VPN for Voot
Based on the VPN comparison, we recommend Surfshark as the best option for Voot access from USA taking into account the speed, reliability and pricing. Here’s a quick step-by-step process to set it up on your device:
1. Subscribe to Surfshark
Visit the Surfshark website and choose a subscription plan. The 2-year deal at $2.30 per month is good value. Complete the payment to create your account.
2. Download & Install the Surfshark app
Get the Surfshark app for your device like Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS or Firestick. Install the app by following the on-screen instructions.
3. Login to Your Surfshark Account
Open the Surfshark app and enter your account credentials to log in successfully and activate the VPN.
4. Connect to an Indian VPN Server
Go into ‘Server Locations’ and search for India. Select any Surfshark server located there. The app will now connect you to that server with an Indian IP address.
5. Launch Voot and Start Streaming!
You can now open the Voot app or website on your device which should work seamlessly allowing you to browse and watch your preferred Indian TV shows and movies. Enjoy!
V. Conclusion
Using a reliable VPN service like Surfshark is the best and most effective option to access and unblock Voot outside India in regions like the USA. By encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through an Indian server, the VPN masks your actual US location allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions on Voot.
A good VPN will not only help you avoid geo-blocks but also enhance privacy and internet security when streaming content from foreign services. For the best user experience, choose a VPN like Surfshark that offers reliable connections, good speeds and easy access to Indian servers – at an affordable price. With the step-by-step setup guide provided, accessing your favorite Voot programs in the USA will be hassle-free.