Streaming video - my experience
#76
Re: Streaming video - my experience
We have just received our new Roku 3 box from the UK (we already have a USA one which works wonderfully). Hubby is running into same issues as you describe with iplayer and UK I channels knowing we are in USA in spite of running a router which has a VPN. All the laptops, iPad, iPhones etc all work fine but the Roku box just seems to know we are not in UK. What DNS settings did you use to fool the system?
We set up the Roku UK box using the VPN and a UK bank account/address and we were able to load iPlayer with the UK apps and the account was in £'s. We were able to watch a program on iPlayer no problem and then the next program came up with a "geolocation" error. Demand 5 and Channel 4 didn't go at all. Please can you share how you got past the DNS issue please? Hubby has tried various settings.
By the way we are physically located in the USA (Australia relocation has been delayed) but like I said we have a VPN service and router.
Thanks for any insight from anyone before my husband throws the Roku box, tv and everything else out the window
We set up the Roku UK box using the VPN and a UK bank account/address and we were able to load iPlayer with the UK apps and the account was in £'s. We were able to watch a program on iPlayer no problem and then the next program came up with a "geolocation" error. Demand 5 and Channel 4 didn't go at all. Please can you share how you got past the DNS issue please? Hubby has tried various settings.
By the way we are physically located in the USA (Australia relocation has been delayed) but like I said we have a VPN service and router.
Thanks for any insight from anyone before my husband throws the Roku box, tv and everything else out the window
#77
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 205
Re: Streaming video - my experience
Amazulu and a few other folks mentioned that the Roku boxes need to work off different DNS settings but although we've tried changing these on the router the UK Roku is only working very sketchily on iPlayer but not the other UK channels.
#78
Re: Streaming video - my experience
Yes, we have two Roku accounts now and the UK one we set up whilst on the VPN and so it loaded UK channels into the box and the online account is set in GBP not dollars like our USA Roku account.
Amazulu and a few other folks mentioned that the Roku boxes need to work off different DNS settings but although we've tried changing these on the router the UK Roku is only working very sketchily on iPlayer but not the other UK channels.
Amazulu and a few other folks mentioned that the Roku boxes need to work off different DNS settings but although we've tried changing these on the router the UK Roku is only working very sketchily on iPlayer but not the other UK channels.
Have you had a look around the Whirlpool web site? there's loads of good info there.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au
#79
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 205
Re: Streaming video - my experience
I had a similar issue and the way I got around it is I set up a separate wireless router with its own subnet, I configured this with my unblock-us DNS settings and made this the US router (you could make it the UK router). It also extends my wireless network which is a bonus.
Have you had a look around the Whirlpool web site? there's loads of good info there.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au
Have you had a look around the Whirlpool web site? there's loads of good info there.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au
Thanks for the link too!
#80
Re: Streaming video - my experience
My WDTV live died a few days ago and so thought about replacing it. It was a really good device and played pretty much everything. However, there were some things I didn't like about it. The remote was a bit cheap, the interface was a bit slow and it kept the hard drive on, even in stand by which eventually led to degrading it somewhat. The interface for streaming from a media centre is rubbish and so network shares was really the only way to go. Considered getting another but then decided to try out an Apple TV. I have a Netflix account which wouldnt work on the WDTV as I think the version I had didn't support it. Anyway, with using the unblockus trick, it was easy to get going on the ATV. The most important thing though was streaming all my other stuff. Large MKV's etc. I run Plex on my iMac which is DLNA. It's free, as is the IOS app. As the iphone supports Airplay, I connect the iphone to the plex media centre and then turn Airplay on the iphone. I was expecting it to not play incompatible files or else have some lag. Nope, 12gb MKV file played flawlessly. Very happy as it ticks a lot of boxes. No ABC iViewer but I get that on e iphone anyway.
Never used a Roku so don't know what it offers over the ATV.
Never used a Roku so don't know what it offers over the ATV.
#81
Re: Streaming video - my experience
If you are using a DNS service to stream then be aware that they are not all equal
I was on a 6 month free trial with smartyDNS and could access everything - BBC, Netflix, Hulu etc. That finished so I tried out Overplay as it gets good reviews and is highly recommended . Big mistake. On my Roku 3s, the UK channels were fine but the only US channel I could access was Netflix, everything else, including Hulu, was blocked. I'm sure I could have got it working but it would have meant resetting the Roku, which is a major PITA. So it's back to smarty
Another thing, Netflix is a superb streaming service. Instead of buffering, it cuts the quality instead. Often a show will start in low-res but within a minute is streaming in HD. It seems to adjust itself to your internet speed
The BBC have said that they are going to update iplayer later this year. They need to because at the moment, it's shit
I was on a 6 month free trial with smartyDNS and could access everything - BBC, Netflix, Hulu etc. That finished so I tried out Overplay as it gets good reviews and is highly recommended . Big mistake. On my Roku 3s, the UK channels were fine but the only US channel I could access was Netflix, everything else, including Hulu, was blocked. I'm sure I could have got it working but it would have meant resetting the Roku, which is a major PITA. So it's back to smarty
Another thing, Netflix is a superb streaming service. Instead of buffering, it cuts the quality instead. Often a show will start in low-res but within a minute is streaming in HD. It seems to adjust itself to your internet speed
The BBC have said that they are going to update iplayer later this year. They need to because at the moment, it's shit
#82
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Streaming video - my experience
If you are using a DNS service to stream then be aware that they are not all equal
I was on a 6 month free trial with smartyDNS and could access everything - BBC, Netflix, Hulu etc. That finished so I tried out Overplay as it gets good reviews and is highly recommended . Big mistake. On my Roku 3s, the UK channels were fine but the only US channel I could access was Netflix, everything else, including Hulu, was blocked. I'm sure I could have got it working but it would have meant resetting the Roku, which is a major PITA. So it's back to smarty
Another thing, Netflix is a superb streaming service. Instead of buffering, it cuts the quality instead. Often a show will start in low-res but within a minute is streaming in HD. It seems to adjust itself to your internet speed
The BBC have said that they are going to update iplayer later this year. They need to because at the moment, it's shit
I was on a 6 month free trial with smartyDNS and could access everything - BBC, Netflix, Hulu etc. That finished so I tried out Overplay as it gets good reviews and is highly recommended . Big mistake. On my Roku 3s, the UK channels were fine but the only US channel I could access was Netflix, everything else, including Hulu, was blocked. I'm sure I could have got it working but it would have meant resetting the Roku, which is a major PITA. So it's back to smarty
Another thing, Netflix is a superb streaming service. Instead of buffering, it cuts the quality instead. Often a show will start in low-res but within a minute is streaming in HD. It seems to adjust itself to your internet speed
The BBC have said that they are going to update iplayer later this year. They need to because at the moment, it's shit
However, NowTV is an entirely different matter
I don't get much trouble with iPlayer.
#83
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Scarborough Beach, Perth
Posts: 243
Re: Streaming video - my experience
If you are using a DNS service to stream then be aware that they are not all equal
I was on a 6 month free trial with smartyDNS and could access everything - BBC, Netflix, Hulu etc. That finished so I tried out Overplay as it gets good reviews and is highly recommended . Big mistake. On my Roku 3s, the UK channels were fine but the only US channel I could access was Netflix, everything else, including Hulu, was blocked. I'm sure I could have got it working but it would have meant resetting the Roku, which is a major PITA. So it's back to smarty
Another thing, Netflix is a superb streaming service. Instead of buffering, it cuts the quality instead. Often a show will start in low-res but within a minute is streaming in HD. It seems to adjust itself to your internet speed
The BBC have said that they are going to update iplayer later this year. They need to because at the moment, it's shit
I was on a 6 month free trial with smartyDNS and could access everything - BBC, Netflix, Hulu etc. That finished so I tried out Overplay as it gets good reviews and is highly recommended . Big mistake. On my Roku 3s, the UK channels were fine but the only US channel I could access was Netflix, everything else, including Hulu, was blocked. I'm sure I could have got it working but it would have meant resetting the Roku, which is a major PITA. So it's back to smarty
Another thing, Netflix is a superb streaming service. Instead of buffering, it cuts the quality instead. Often a show will start in low-res but within a minute is streaming in HD. It seems to adjust itself to your internet speed
The BBC have said that they are going to update iplayer later this year. They need to because at the moment, it's shit
#84
Re: Streaming video - my experience
I agree but for the first time I had Netflix buffering on me the other day, this was on the main TV in the living room too, not on a tablet or laptop.
BTW, slightly off topic - House of Cards on Netflix, is excellent. Just to pre-warn you if you do watch it, I wouldn't watch it with your sons.
#85
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Streaming video - my experience
I agree but for the first time I had Netflix buffering on me the other day, this was on the main TV in the living room too, not on a tablet or laptop.
BTW, slightly off topic - House of Cards on Netflix, is excellent. Just to pre-warn you if you do watch it, I wouldn't watch it with your sons.
BTW, slightly off topic - House of Cards on Netflix, is excellent. Just to pre-warn you if you do watch it, I wouldn't watch it with your sons.
#86
Re: Streaming video - my experience
Is anyone looking at getting a chromecast when they are released this/next week?
I'll probably get one to play with anyway, but if the price is right they could be a cheap way to iplayer/netflix etc.
I'll probably get one to play with anyway, but if the price is right they could be a cheap way to iplayer/netflix etc.
#87
Re: Streaming video - my experience
I was just saying that all DNS services are not created equal
#88
Re: Streaming video - my experience
Also enjoying Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Good story, full on female nudity and girl-on-girl action - great stuff
#89
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Streaming video - my experience
Did you get to watch Orphan Black? Season two begins next month:
http://screenrant.com/orphan-black-s...ere-date-2014/
#90
Re: Streaming video - my experience
Watched a few episodes of that.Just a bit too full of for me.However my oh seem to like it.!!!