What Can I Do with a VPN

I started looking at some VPN rev iews last month with a view to signing up but I first wanted to clarify exactly what I could do with a VPN. I know I can use to watch YouTube videos that would otherwise be restricted in my country but what else can I do with a virtual private network?

A friend of mine told me you can use a VPN to watch TV programmes from different countries and also hide your IP for other reasons. He did not have the time to elaborate and what these were but watching foreign TV networks appeals to me and seems like as good a reason as any to subscribe to a VPN.

I'm learning French just now and being able to watch French TV channels should help me a great deal. It will also save me a lot of money on signing up for French lessons or buying a course.