should read "Does anyone know how to get around geo gating so that it becomes possible to watch UK TV shows online for free. Currently the message 'can not broadcast to YOUR country' appears but its a bit outdated in these times to restrict broadcasting in this way so I wondered if its possible make broadcaster think that my ip address is in the UK when I am in Geneva. I have UK TV subscription but sometimes its simpler to catch up on some shows by going online..."

you need a fake ip address but honestly is uk tv worth it that much or you could try zattoo to watch shows live

should read "Does anyone know how to get around geo gating so that it becomes possible to watch UK TV shows online for free. Currently the message 'can not broadcast to YOUR country' appears but its a bit outdated in these times to restrict broadcasting in this way so I wondered if its possible make broadcaster think that my ip address is in the UK when I am in Geneva. I have UK TV subscription but sometimes its simpler to catch up on some shows by going online..."

Hey, I was living in China last year, we all used vpn's such as Astrill. you need to pay, but I it's not too expensive. and there are lots of locations to set your vpn to. Really handy for both UK and USA shows. 

VPN is the name of the game.. Alternatively, there's Slingbox in a friend's house or get a satelite dish/Skybox.

Like you, I'd like to watch BBC, but.. major hassle extraordinaire.

or you can wait one day after uk / us broadcast and download via www.thepiratebay.org or www.kickasstorrents.com.

all the great tv shows are there. i.e. house, nikita, modern family, mad men etc.

all in excellent hi def. quality

It's not without its legal, and thus economic, risks to download - and, it is a well-known fact, that torrents are heavily monitored. Precautions highly recommended, if you go this route.

Might be better to stream at the moment.

I dont think we get arrested yet in Switzerland for downloading from torrents, but correct me if I'm wrong.

My advice is to seek for something on google with the words "Fake ip" or "ip converter". I used to have something like it. You can sellect an ip from the country of your choice which makes it possible to watch tv online from any country. If I find it I let you know.

Yes, millions currently use it with little trouble.

Better safe than sorry, though. It's coming. The ACTA treaty has provisions for this, although not yet in effect. CH is or will be part to ACTA.

A USEnet client or streaming from web, as opposed to up/downloading via torrents, are the safer bet, in my opinion. That, and a suitable VPN.

Again, how much is TV worth? Not that much effort/risk, I think.

Swisscom TV (CHF19- PM) has all the BBC and ITV channels, plus five etc. Also a dual channel capability to view the Swiss channels foreign broadcasts in original language (ie CSI , desperate housewives etc)... not to mention a film and sport on demand capability...(approx CHF3.50 per 2 day rental).

You can also get WIFI connectors to view from anywhere in the house.

I had Sky, moved, now have Swisscom TV and not only is it cheaper by abt 50% its far superior than a dish recieved transmission.

I use a VPN provider and get a UK IP address from https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/index.php. 

£5 per month charged to my credit card. And no software to install on my laptop.

Unfortunately, the whole licensing, taxation, legal and commercial business worlds haven't yet developed sufficiently to allow consistent use of the internet services across country boundaries. And there are whole armies of legal and commercial folk discussing these issues - but don't hold your breath for an early end to these "outdated" restrictions.  And the BBC will tell you that you still need to buy a UK TV Licence if you watch BBC TV online.

Try www.filmon.com - a website where you can watch live TV. I use it to watch the news

I use www.graboid.com it costs 4.99 a month (for the base subscription I think) but it has most shows.  It maybe a bit US-centric but I can get movies and UK shows too.  You can get a free subscription for a month.  They say it is legal.