The Roku sensible 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. Nevertheless, a standard frustration for any sensible TV or streaming service person is that a number of the finest exhibits and films are inaccessible because of geo-restrictions.
Utilizing a VPN is a standard option to deal with this difficulty, however not like Hearth TV, Apple TV and different rivals, Roku methods 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 through 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 most important profit: altering your IP deal with. A VPN tunnels your connection by 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 special set of programming. For instance, the TV present Pals is obtainable on Max within the US, nevertheless it’s solely out there 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 searching the Web by tunneling by the VPN, your Web service supplier can’t see all your searching locations (and promote your viewing habits to information brokers).
The best means 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 example, arrange a VPN on your house’s router. That lets you shield the entire community and each system that connects to it, conserving everybody in your family nameless on-line. However it could actually additionally trigger confusion if you wish to entry native providers — and it requires a really high-level of technical information, and solely works with sure routers.
As an alternative, we suggest a far simpler technique: connecting a VPN to your Roku through 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 desire 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 forged it in your sensible TV.
You may make certain your Roku mannequin is AirPlay-compatible by checking this useful resource on Roku’s web site. If it isn’t, you possibly can all the time simply straight patch your cellphone or laptop computer to the TV utilizing an HDMI cable or an applicable dongle.
