How is it any different to putting a SmartDNS in your existing router?

It’s an option for people who can’t do that.

There are of course many options to get UK channels, this is perhaps a solution for those who dont have the knowledge or patience to fiddle around. It was originally suggested for someone looking for a simple solution.

I can see that now. It’s a good option for technophobes. Over two years it’s not a lot more expensive than the average DNS solution or VPN. I must admit, entering the DNS numbers is a bit of a pain!

Im certainly in the camp of being happy to mess around with tech but this is super simple to use and as you say its not a great deal more expensive and any changes required are managed on the company side. I had a couple of questions to ask their support and they were very quick to answer and very helpful. I think its a good option for anyone using more than one device or anyone like me where my wife likes to just turn the Apple TV on and watch TV and if I’m away and the Smart DNS needs to be reset she struggles.

Notdunroamin €25 per is very cheap - just asked them about my renewal and quoted €76 inc IVA. Maybe you get the better price when you ask to cancel subscription!

At that price I’ll probably switch to one of the mainstream VPN companies as my 10 year old Samsung TV brought over from the UK doesn’t work with the BBC, ITV, C4, C5 apps anymore so Smart DNS is less relevant now. Using SmartDNSProxy on iPads is OK but their VPN appears limited to one concurrent device.

Smartdnsproxy often offer good 2 year deals. I recently signed up for Surfshark VPN for just over €2/mth. Great app and easy to use. Re your Samsung TV, why not use a cheap HD Firestick for not much over €20 on offers?

Yep a Firestick is possibly on the cards at some point. Need to understand best option and whether I need to buy one in the UK or one from ES will be fine.

Will likely be Surfshark or NordVPN if I jump.

If you assign your Firestick to your UK Amazon account there should be no problems where it was purchased. If you buy in Spain it will assume it is located in Spain unless you reassign it. The Surfshark VPN s an app and easy to install. Setting up the Smart DNS is slightly more complicated. The problem with a Smart DNS is that if the DNS server goes down (it happens) you lose your Internet access which can be very confusing as you tend to assume other causes (I have had this a couple of times).

I prefer using a DNS service for streaming UK and Australian channels but not every device is easy to set up. Apple TV is a joy to use, but the Chromecast for instance has become a pain.

A decent alternative is to use a VPN, possibly with a second router that is configured and used solely for this purpose: to stream tv.

If the on demand apps still worked on the TV I would have stuck with DNS service but as they don’t work can look elsewhere. I’m technically minded so don’t mind jumping through hoops.

The question is why isn't the DNS working on your TV? Is it the DNS service that's at fault or do the apps on the TV somehow bypass the DNS settings?

DNS works fine. TV is an older model and UK on demand apps are no longer supported so the smart TV is now dumb. BBC iPlayer was the last app standing and looks like that has stopped working. As above will look at a Firestick at some point. In the meantime VPN will work fine on tablets for any required on demand.

You definitely need an additional device then. Personally I'd prefer to use the Apple TV because you can input DNS setting directly on it, bypassing the need for a VPN. All UK and Australian TV apps stream perfectly on it.

Depending on the tablet, you might be able to use DNS on it as well.

If you're currently using VPN then it must be a good one because streaming apps have been cracking down on access this way.

If it still works (I did it in 2019) the trick was to sign up for a free 7 day trial then let it expire. They then offered me a discounted deal which I ignored, they come back with an even better deal which I also ignored, and finally they offered me a lifetime 70% discount for $24.90 +vat (= €26.62) which is what I took them up on. That works out to a fraction over €1/mth!

Lifted from my A/C page:
Active
Original Subscription Date Tuesday, October 15, 2019 (24 Months - $24.90 + VAT)
Payment Status Paid (expires on Wednesday, October 15, 2025)
After Service End7 free day(s)

Nice work