The Roku good TV platform is an accessible option to watch your favourite streaming content material in a centralized location – both built-in to TVs, or by including reasonably priced dongles or set-top containers to older televisions. Nonetheless, a typical frustration for any good TV or streaming service consumer is that a number of the finest exhibits and flicks are inaccessible attributable to geo-restrictions.
Utilizing a VPN is a typical option to sort out this problem, however in contrast to Fireplace TV, Apple TV and different rivals, Roku methods don’t have native VPN assist. However that’s not the top of the story: You may 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 ways.
The advantages of utilizing a VPN
In terms of streaming, a VPN has one principal profit: altering your IP deal with. A VPN tunnels your connection via its servers to obfuscate your IP, making it appear to be you’re watching from elsewhere. Consequently, 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 Buddies is accessible on Max within the US, nevertheless it’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, that means they’re safer than connecting to the Web usually. So, because you’re shopping the Web by tunneling via the VPN, your Web service supplier can’t see all your shopping 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 a number of workarounds. You may, for example, arrange a VPN on your own home’s router. That means that you can shield the entire community and each machine that connects to it, preserving everybody in your family nameless on-line. However it might additionally trigger confusion if you need to entry native providers — and it requires a really high-level of technical data, and solely works with sure routers.
As a substitute, we advocate a far simpler methodology: 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 machine 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 desire this methodology as a result of it’s easier general. You may entry any geo-blocked content material in your smartphone or laptop computer first after which solid it in your good TV.
You may make certain your Roku mannequin is AirPlay-compatible by checking this useful resource on Roku’s website. If it isn’t, you may at all times simply instantly patch your cellphone or laptop computer to the TV utilizing an HDMI cable or an acceptable dongle.