BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

After months, possibly years, of trying to find a way to watch TV using a VPN without hooking up a laptop or tablet to the TV I stumbled across this:

https://www.firesticktricks.com/bbc-...firestick.html

All you need is a VPN, a TV with an HDMI port and a Firestick, currently 20 Euro in MediaMarkt. I'm using NordVPN but it's the same setup. It's so simple I'm kicking myself for not using Google earlier. You don't need to put a VPN on the router so you're not going to affect the performance of the other devices on your network.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Works well for us BUT a word of caution . If you have internet via a 4G router ( sim) then the Ip changes regularly and you have to apply the VPN each time.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Lots of services (illegal/payable) to watch UK TV direct to TV via internet without VPN.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

We have a spanish purchased Firestick (latest one) got it during the last black Friday sale at 50% off. We also use Nord at €75 a year
It works most of the time but occasionally the BBC either pauses or resets to an earlier time if our internet connection goes slow.
Its fun watching the morning news at 8.30am only to find it resets back to 6.00am.

Some days we can't get ITV hub either.
You do have to side load the BBC and ITV hub app, as even with the vpn on it cannot find it in the normal search (well couldnt when I tried originally)
To be honest I don't really care as I don't watch TV but she who must be obeyed can't Iive without Uk drivel.
To get round this I have set Nord to auto connect when we power up the TV and fire stick (Oh its best to power the fire stick off every night as it then picks the best server on restart)

We also have UK Netflik via our sons account and Disney plus UK the same way.
These actually work well.

Im happy with all my internet searches in Spanish as the iMac is too old to have the latest Nord and if I want to hide my IP I use Chrome as the browser because you get a VPN attached to that for free.

Oh I forgot to add, with Nord you can set favourite countries that will allow you to see their programming. My daughter live in Australia and we sometimes watch the news from Australia and a couple of the other local programs.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Thanks for the tip. I've just set it up with VyprVPN

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

VPNs on a firestick (and other devices) to access the likes of iPlayer have been around for ages, so this is nothing new really.

Try STVPlayer instead (the Scottish regional version of ITV), which seems to be a bit easier to access than ITVHub (not that there is much worth watching on ITV these days!)

They had a bit of an issue with iPlayer on firesticks last week i believe with constant buffering, pausing and restarting, which has now been resolved (unlike the issues with iPlayer on Humax Freesat boxes which is still "being investigated")

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

I recently stayed in an apartment which had a firestick for TV. At home I use a android box mainly for TV but also I have a Nowtv box. I found both of these better than the firestick. I found the firestick slow and unreliable it would drop out and restart fairly frequently. When it did work it was ok picture quality wise. I find an Android box is far easier to add the apps for TV etc and it works well. The Nowtv box with VPN is very good for BBC iPlayer ITV Hubb etc with very good picture quality. That's my experience

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

The fire stick has a Wifi connection and most people I know who have one stick to this. We connected ours to the router (old fashioned hard wired) and we don't get many issues, sometimes BBC says they have detected we are on a VPN so we just go into Nord and change the server.
Some of the older ones are not HD either so the image quality is average.

Most of the lag and hangups are due to the VPN and the amount of traffic on the server not the fire stick itself. SWMBO likes to watch the London local news and you have to connect to a London server and sometimes she has all sorts of problems, changing it to another cures that (but she then can't watch the local program)...
Oh well another first world problem eh?

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

I get all I need such as the U.K channels, Netflix, Prime, etc from the very smooth, Fast and in stunning 4k where available on board apps on my LG Oled TV with a DNS change (€19 for 24 months) in Router which doesn't throttle internet speeds like a VPN. Have a 4k Firestick hardwired but rarely use.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

We get VPN provided as part of our internet package all be it you have to remember to re start it every three hours. We just re start it between programs and it runs through without interruption. Although the NOWTV box is a little slow to navigate, for mainstream TV that gives the best picture quality. I suppose really it comes down to personal choice and what system you get the hang of and are comfortable using .

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Some good tips there on the connection method, thanks . But whoever sold you guys the Ethernet adaptors for 4k Firesticks needs to be outed. They have WiFi6 built in which is about 20 times faster than the adaptor. If you’re getting buffering issues then you either have a poor internet feed or you need a new router. If someone tells you it’s your VPN they’re also incorrect. I just tested mine connected to a Uk server, 122 down 74 up.

Apologies for sounding arrogant I just want to make sure others don’t get ripped off by unscrupulous amateurs. I’m not an expert either but I’ve seen plenty of cowboys who know expats will believe anything and pay way over the odds for unnecessary equipment to make them feel at home

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

We live in the Campo, have Movistar fibre at 950b/s all the time. Don’t use a VPN just a smartdns service. Everything works fine and the mobile runs 5G with no problems whatsoever.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

No apologies needed. The fire stick we have you just plug the cat 5 cable in and to the router. That was the old way before this new fangled wifi thing came in.
The router supplied with our home internet is supplied by the ISP so a lot of us wont be able to swap over unless the supplier will give new.
Our internet is fibre but we are in a tiny village and the speeds are reported a 600mb but we average 175mb to 300mb with a ping around 35ms.
The fastest we have ever had was just over 500mb, which compared to the Uk before we left is slow, but hey ho, its not the end of the world to me.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Are you saying you’re able to install and use iPlayer directly on the TV using smartDNS on the router? If so could you share how as that’s exactly what I’m looking for. My goal is to get rid of as many boxes and cables as possible

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Simple..............sign up with one of the Smart DNS Companies ............go into your router setting and change DNS to the ones supplied by your new DNS service. Then after rebooting router your onboard apps of your TV (I have LG OLED with region set to UK so UK apps are available) will work without any issues. With DNS installed in your router all your other devices will be similarly geo unblocked.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Unfortunately not all the time. Due to the way SmartDNS works, some TVs need to be set up using a VPN set for the UK before they load up the UK apps, then you can remove the VPN and use a Smartdns instead. Some TVs using just smart dns to set up the apps do not always know exactly where you are, due to how smart dns works, so dont offer the correct regional apps.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

All I can do is speak from personal experience and having used a smart DNS for best part of 6 years I have never had an issue setting up a TV to U.K regional settings. The DNS has nothing at all to do with this process. Simply the onboard settings of the TV itself. Admittedly this is with initially a Samsung then more recently 3 LG's and the latest LG Oled - all LG's Region set to U.K straight out of the box without issue and all apps present and correct.. Other TV brands I don't know. Maybe it wont work on a ten year old Philips and much older TV models. Suggest OP tries to change his tv region location settings on the TV he uses and see how he gets on.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Sending a virtual 6 pack for that. You’re a star, thank you. I used the SmartDNS on My NordVPN account, which I didn’t know existed, found a helpful African guy on YouTube who explained how to open the Samsung country settings and it’s working.

I think I still need the Firestick though as I can’t figure how to get HBO España on to the TV now it’s set to the UK.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Glad its worked for you👍.

Re: BBC iPlayer on Firestick
 

Short update. I took the Firestick to try out on a family members TV, a 2020 Samsung. Their internet was painfully slow, 6Mb down and 0.2 up. The Firestick was useless despite the TV having no problems streaming from Prime, Apple and NetFlix.
The answer for poor connections seems to be to use a SmartDNS on the TV and figure out how to change the app location.

LarryR I just bought an LG, the app is taking a while to adjust to but the config is much simpler than a Samsung.