The Roku sensible TV platform is an accessible approach to watch your favourite streaming content material in a centralized location – both built-in to TVs, or by including inexpensive dongles or set-top bins to older televisions. Nevertheless, a standard frustration for any sensible TV or streaming service consumer is that a few of the finest exhibits and flicks are inaccessible because of geo-restrictions.
Utilizing a VPN is a standard approach to sort out this challenge, however in contrast to Fireplace TV, Apple TV and different rivals, Roku programs don’t have native VPN assist. However that’s not the tip of the story: You possibly can nonetheless use a VPN to entry a wider vary of programming by way of a Roku — you simply want to make use of a workaround. We’ll present you the way.
The advantages of utilizing a VPN
In terms of streaming, a VPN has one essential profit: altering your IP tackle. A VPN tunnels your connection by way of its servers to obfuscate your IP, making it seem to be you’re watching from elsewhere. Because of this, a service like Netflix will see your location as, say, the UK versus the US. You’ll then have entry to a distinct set of programming. For instance, the TV present Associates is obtainable on Max within the US, but it surely’s solely obtainable on Netflix within the UK.
VPNs have a number of different advantages associated to privateness and safety. VPN servers have military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, which means they’re safer than connecting to the Web usually. So, because you’re looking the Web by tunneling by way of the VPN, your Web service supplier can’t see your whole looking locations (and promote your viewing habits to information brokers).
The simplest approach to make use of a VPN on Roku
Though Roku doesn’t natively assist VPNs, there are just a few workarounds. You possibly can, as an illustration, set up a VPN on your home’s router. That means that you can shield the entire community and each system that connects to it, protecting everybody in your family nameless on-line. However it may well additionally trigger confusion while you wish to entry native providers — and it requires a really high-level of technical information, and solely works with sure routers.
As a substitute, we suggest a far simpler technique: connecting a VPN to your Roku by way of AirPlay or screencast. To do that, subscribe to a VPN and set up it in your smartphone or laptop computer. Then, stream content material on that system and AirPlay or screencast it to your Roku TV. The icon to do that ought to appear like a TV with Wi-Fi rays.
We choose this technique as a result of it’s easier total. You possibly can entry any geo-blocked content material in your smartphone or laptop computer first after which solid it in your sensible TV.
You can also make positive your Roku mannequin is AirPlay-compatible by checking this resource on Roku’s site. If it isn’t, you’ll be able to all the time simply immediately patch your cellphone or laptop computer to the TV utilizing an HDMI cable or an appropriate dongle.
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