Netflix is getting more and more attention these days, even among the multitude of sites that offer online streaming of television and movies. One of the first, and definitely the largest, people around the world are trying to get access to Netflix outside The USA.  It's possible, but there are a couple of problems you may run in to.

Can't get a Netflix account

For Americans who already have an account, or anyone with an American credit card, this isn't a problem. For someone who doesn't have this, it's going to take a bit of creativity to get your Netflix account set up.  For me, it was easy because I already had a Paypal account.  Paypal is a website dedicated to making payments online, and it's much more convenient and faster than using a bank to pay for anything online.  Netflix accepts Paypal as a method of monthly payments, so if you have a Paypal account, you're good to go.  If you don't, it's going to take a couple days, maybe even a week to get you Paypal account fully set up. There are all kind of check and verifications that need to happen, and you're going to need to get money into the Paypal account, which means you'll have to send scans/copies of ID numbers, bank statements, proof of address, and other documents. It's a lot of work at  the beginning, but once you're set up, you won't have to think about your monthly payments.

Getting gift certificates is also possible, and they're redeemable online.  However, this means you're going to buy a whole stack, and make sure you're Netflix account has money in it - less work at the beginning, but more of a long-term hassle

Can't access Netflix outside The USA with a VPN

The key to getting Netflix outside The USA on Windows, Mac, and other operating systems/phones is the American IP address provided by a VPN service.  Once you sign up for one of these, and connect to a VPN server in The USA, you should be able to start watching movies immediately.  However, for some people, you may find that Netflix still blocks you.  This may be because the last time you visited Netflix, cookies and other tracking tools were stored on your computer.  Clear you browsing history, cookies, and cache and you'll be set to go with a fresh American IP address, and access to all the Netflix movies you can handle.

The difference between Mac and Windows

Apple has really got their stuff together in the last couple years, and now, pretty much everything is equally compatible with both Mac and Windows.  VPN providers will as what you operating system is, and will provide you with an appropriate VPN protocol.  Both Mac and Windows will come with VPN clients, meaning that installation will be quick. For users who live in countries that block certain VPNs, you may have to install something called OpenVPN to be able to get Netflix outside The USA.  This is free, very common, and most VPN services will offer this an option.  OpenVPN will not only allow you to stream Netflix on Windows and Mac, but will also give you a healthy dose of online security!