astera

I dunno, DNS seems simpler to me because you don't need to install anything. No app, nothing. And you don't need to remember to connect/disconnect each time.

All you need to do is go into the Apple TV settings, select DNS and input a number like 123.123.123.123. That's it.

I use a VPN for non-tv purposes but that's mostly on a laptop and phone. As you mentioned they are easy to install and use but I generally watch tv on the big screen, hence the Apple TV device.

Which VPN do you use for streaming? Also, are you happy with smartdnsproxy? I use getflix but people I know also use dns4me and both are currently working fine, but it's good to know of other available options in case any of these companies stops delivering...

bob_day

TBH have virtually zero experience of Apple stuff, but what you describe looks easy enough.

I slso watch TV on a large screen, which happens to also be smart, but I only use it as a display fed by a 4k Firestick.

Regarding dns redirection I have for a few years used smartdnsproxy. The dns servers are set on my router. I don't watch the UK players much, mostly watching uk tv with teeveeing, which doesn't require redirection.

At the moment I leave the vpn on the firestick connected permanently, and have it set load and connect automatically at boot time. It doesn't appear to have a detremental effect on video streaming so leaving it connected saves me having to connect it when it's needed.

This being the case the DNS redirection is pretty much refundant. But I'm some way through a 3 year license so may as well leave it configured. Smartdnsproxy also has vpn which I used occasionally , but unfortunately not supported on the firestick. Because of this Ive just signed with windscribe. Which I must admit has some useful additional features. So much so that I now have it installed on tablets and phone, again permanently connected. Tablets to UK and phone to Spain.. There are apps which won't work via vpn, so I configure Windscribe to allow certain trusted apps to bypass the vpn.

astera

That looks like a very tidy setup, directly on a 4K Firestick with automatic loading+connecting. Nice one.

I have a few Chromecasts around the house but they're starting to bother me so I'm phasing two of them out in favour of Apple TV devices. Got one running... too lazy to unpack the other. Need to give the Firestick a go as well as I think it can do both VPN and DNS.

For viewing TV I also went with DNS because I often switch between UK and Australian TV apps, and here I don't need to make any changes on my side because the DNS provider handles all that from their end. Plus I have one of those lifetime subscriptions from getflix so I might as well make the most of it...

in2deep

I have ExpressVPN free version on here. It gets some bad reviews above, but it does all I need it to do, and has done so without issue for the last few years, horses for courses as they say.

bob_day

Setup works well for me. The downside of the firestick is limited memory which cannot be expanded with an SD card. So downloading from Prime or Nexflix to view offline isn't an option.

Limited experience of Chromecasts. Had one briefly, it didn't do what i wanted so sold it...

Australian TV. Anything decent to watch on there? Often I find that I have 100+ channels and nothing i want to watch. Might be worth investigating. What app(s) do you use? Like you with getflix i have a 3 year subscription with smartdnsproxy, which was on offer for $30 or thereabouts.. Works great for UK geolocked players, and I assume it'll work for other countries..

astera

Mainly UK tv shows , many of which are easier to find on free-to-air on-demand streaming apps. I watched the political thriller/drama COBRA season 2 just the other week which I believe streams on Sky in the uk.

I rarely watch live tv unless it's sports or some major event that warrants my attention. Although I have some subscriptions to the likes of Disney+ or Amazon Prime (among a few others) I usually use the UK/AU free streaming apps as they have the shows that interest me most.

BristolUK

And some very good Nordic stuff too.
SBS sends me an email twice a week plugging what's new or returning.
Very useful for discovering things of interest that I may not have heard of or for alerting me to later seasons of shows I've been watching.

astera

Very true. There are some good Australian productions there too, but overall you'll find lots of quality material from all over the world, including the Nordics as well as many other European countries (France, Poland, etc., etc., etc.). Especially on SBS.