Roku

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On the clips vs full episodes issue for news programming (and non-game sports content to some extent), there's a curious divergence.

For a lot of the news shows at least, they offer the full episodes intact via official podcasts viewable directly thru the networks' own websites or via ITunes podcast downloads. For example, the PBS NewsHour has their daily video broadcast playable via the PBS website that's great. But some of those various major networks often don't seem to offer the full episodes via their official Roku apps/channels. I don't understand that.

For the things I really monitor closely, I think I'm likely to stick with Itunes and podcasts, where each episode is automatically delivered/downloaded into my ITunes queue on my PCs and easily playable. And if I've subscribed to it, I'm inclined to watch each one.

But for general news content, there's too much for me to keep track of and do so every day. So for that area, having the ability to simply turn on my TV and go to one of the Roku apps where the most recent day's version, when I want to, of the nightly news or 60 Minutes or whatever is a nice alternative. I've subscribed to various of those in the past via ITunes but the incoming flow of content that I wasn't able to view most of the time became just too much of a hassle to manage/maintain, so I ended up unsubscribing to those.

Right now, I find myself dividing my viewing time as follows:

--movie channels and live sports/game broadcasts via ILikeHD

--topical things I monitor closely via ITunes podcast downloads

--NFL and sometimes NBA games streaming on my PC via those leagues' official paid services.

--Roku content, time will tell.

[chmod777]

I had to factory reset the 3 several times before returning it, and the hassles you mention with entering subscription information was huge PITA to keep repeating.

That's an interesting, thought-provoking comment. I believe, my HDMI stick arrived with about 30 apps pre-installed. And then after deleting some of those and adding others, I ended up with about 50 apps in total, at least in the early going for testing and trying.

A lot of those have some form of verification / linking / registering. And then of course, I spent some time trying to organize the icons for the apps I have into some kind of logical groupings in my Roku display (like putting the movie, sports, news icons next to each other in groups).

And I guess while I'm fortunate I haven't had to factory reset or RMA my HDMI stick after two days use, your post makes me wonder: Is there anyway to backup one's Roku profile/apps/settings so it can be flash reinstalled if needed? Or is a factory reset or RMA going to require manually re-doing all the app installing / registering / organizing process?

I doubt you will need to worry about the factory reset - my Roku 3 was a lemon. I've never had a problem with the other two Rokus I have.

After a factory reset (or if you buy a new Roku), it will remember the channels you have linked to your account and download them automatically, but you will have to reorganize them and log into the ones that require it. Pretty similar to Android without clockworkmod I guess.

I forgot to mention the offical android Roku app is region restricted in the google play store - but the apk can be easily googled up. The latest version is 3.1.4.2117542. Using the app makes it easy to type in forms and fields, and has some other pretty cool features. There are a lot of garbage Roku apps on the play store, I just use the official one.

If you have an NBA league pass subscription, I would be interested to hear if you try it on the Roku and how it compares to the PC streaming.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've had the NBA in the past, but not currently. I have a current NFL Game Rewind, but haven't seen any Roku presence for that.

[grin]

NBA League Pass has one more day of free trial, ends Nov 4 in the US. I use a Roku 2 box and it streams very well here in the US. I have generally had good streaming with TOT in CNX in the past with my Roku. One thing to figure about these season passes is that some of them have blackouts for what they consider your home team. I just paid for mine with a credit card with a mailing address in South Dakota, so problem with blackouts solved.

Grin

Edit: just noticed that on my NBA app on my iPad it explains that blackouts are based on your IP address. Maybe it was the NFL that used your credit card address. In any case they can pretty much change it at will.

Edited November 4, 2014 by grin

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just curious: anyone know what will happen with your U.S.-sourced Roku if AFTER you've totally set it up using a U.S. IP and U.S. account address, you later switch to using it with a Thai IP address???

[Chicog]

Kinda like an expensive Chromecast then.

Although I do have the Roku dongle.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What do you mean about that??? Are you saying I'd lose access to all the various Roku channels?

[chmod777]

Just curious: anyone know what will happen with your U.S.-sourced Roku if AFTER you've totally set it up using a U.S. IP and U.S. account address, you later switch to using it with a Thai IP address???

In my experience, you just lose the ability to watch region restricted video. The channels don't disappear, the Roku looks and acts the same, the US-locked content just won't play, or may give an error message.

[chmod777]

Kinda like an expensive Chromecast then.

Although I do have the Roku dongle.

Chromecast and Roku overlap a lot in content available and each has its own advantages. One nice thing about Roku is you don't need another device - just plop down with the remote and pick what you want to watch from the TV screen. The new Google Nexus Player might be a better comparison to Roku in that respect.

[eMzyme]

I bought a UK roku 3 Stick and I cant get it to work, Ive tried unlocator and unotelly changed the DNS in the router but they keep changing back. Any suggestions? Is there anyway to do it without messing around with the router? The tech support at TOT said the DNS cant be changed.

Thanks

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

AFAIK, the only way to avoid Thailand network settings with a Roku HDMI stick is to use a VPN or DNS relocator on the router providing wifi to the Roku.

I tried Unotelly to set up my U.S. Roku stick, and it worked perfectly fine. But that was with a True Online provided Cisco router.

Once you change the DNS settings in the router, assuming you can, you do need to save those settings and then probably reboot the router with the new settings.

What brand/model of router did TOT provide???

Edited November 21, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[BKKSnowBird]

What is the advantage of these devices over a smart tv or playstation?

[eMzyme]

AFAIK, the only way to avoid Thailand network settings with a Roku HDMI stick is to use a VPN or DNS relocator on the router providing wifi to the Roku.

I tried Unotelly to set up my U.S. Roku stick, and it worked perfectly fine. But that was with a True Online provided Cisco router.

Once you change the DNS settings in the router, assuming you can, you do need to save those settings and then probably reboot the router with the new settings.

What brand/model of router did TOT provide???

its a tp link - w8901g. I change the dns then reboot and they change back! I'm guessing its the router.

[eMzyme]

Still looking for help on this if anyone knows how. I bought an asus rt 10 plus changed the dns settings in the router for both uno telly and open dns but it still doesn't work. However if I change the dns settings via my lap top they both work fine. Any suggestions?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've never been a TOT customer, so I can't speak to how they function technically and set up their routers, in terms of DNS changing.

But, changing the DNS settings on your laptop should have nothing to do with how a Roku HDMI stick operates.

[eMzyme]

Yeah I need to change it via the router.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Still looking for help on this if anyone knows how. I bought an asus rt 10 plus changed the dns settings in the router for both uno telly and open dns but it still doesn't work. However if I change the dns settings via my lap top they both work fine. Any suggestions?

What exactly are you saying???

--The router won't hold/save the new DNS values you enter in... (After you enter the new settings, you should click to save them and then reboot the router. After rebooting it, you should be able to go into the router settings again and see the stored DNS settings you entered still listed there).

or

--The Roki HDMI stick doesn't work properly in some way, after you've changed and confirmed the new DNS settings in the router...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What is the advantage of these devices over a smart tv or playstation?

I can't speak to the Playstation.

But in terms of the difference between a Roku device and a smart TV, usually, the smart TVs from the manufacturers are relatively simple and limited Internet access/streaming functionality. You get whatever few apps/services they give you, and usually don't have much flexibility to add more. Because, it's all pre-set into the hardware of the TV itself, and that usually isn't much updated after you've bought the TV.

The Roku devices, either box or HDMI stick, is an add-on to whatever TV you have, so it's not dependent or reliant on the TV. And there are Roku models that work with component connections or HDMI connections. But more importantly, Roku updates the firmware of their devices OTA (over the air) and maintains their own App/Channel Store with something close to 2000 different channels/services available, many of which are free. So the user has the flexibility to add, try, delete, etc. whatever channels/apps they want to try or might be interested in.

That different may narrow/change in the future as Google's Chrome and or Android OS supposedly is going to be baked into smart TVs by the manufacturers (instead of their own often clunky and limited offerings). So essentially, that would be giving smart TVs the same kind of functionality that Android smart phones and tablets have right now. Except, those kinds of Google OS-based TVs are just beginning to roll out in the U.S. lately, and I'm not aware if any of them are being retailed in Thailand as yet.

I haven't been TV shopping in Thailand lately, so if I'm behind the times on the development of things here, I'm happy to stand corrected.

[JIMJFOX]

Wi-Fi is free in my rented Chiang Rai apartment and runs at 10-11 Mb/s.

My MacBook Air has HMA Pro VPN loaded but it can be very slow on some servers- and HMA support has failed to provide a fix. IF I get a ROKU 3 [on line, or from UK] do you think it will run via the VPN so that Australian or UK TV channels could be accessed? Failing that, will the channels on ROKU run adequately?

TIA

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have a Roku streaming stick. And, as long as you set it up with a home country-based IP address delivered via wifi for the stick (or Ethernet for the Roku 3), and presumably have a home country billing address for your Roku account, it should work fine. That's what I'm doing with my U.S. model.

Once it's initially set up, if your wifi/internet connection ever reverts back to a local Thai IP, AFAIK, the Roku unit will still continue working, but some channels that are geo restricted will cease to stream their content at that point. But the box/stick itself will be OK, other channels will still stream, and the unit/stick can later be reconnected to a home country IP feed without any problem.

I've used HMA in the past, and found their speeds to be unacceptably slow, even when using their Singapore node that spoofs U.S. IP addresses. Ideally, that approach with a different carrier is probably going to be best -- a Singapore or other SE Asia local server that provides virtual IPs to the UK or wherever else you're trying to access content. Thailand to Singapore or Hong Kong connections usually are faster than direct connections to the U.S. or Europe.

Also... you might try checking the speeds you get using different VPN protocols if those are available on your VPN setup -- ie. Open VPN, vs PPTP vs L2TP. Across experience with quite a few different carriers, I've found quite notable speed differences using the different protocols while connecting to exactly the same server location with the same provider. And the faster outcomes isn't always what you'd expect based on the supposed characteristics of each protocol.

Edited March 21, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[jay1980]

Wi-Fi is free in my rented Chiang Rai apartment and runs at 10-11 Mb/s.

My MacBook Air has HMA Pro VPN loaded but it can be very slow on some servers- and HMA support has failed to provide a fix. IF I get a ROKU 3 [on line, or from UK] do you think it will run via the VPN so that Australian or UK TV channels could be accessed? Failing that, will the channels on ROKU run adequately?

TIA

There is no way to set the vpn on the ROKU, at least none that I can find, so i think this would only work if you have access to change settings on your condo's router.

BTW if I am wrong in what I am saying and there is a setting to run VPN on a ROKU I would be very happy to be corrected and told how to do it!

cheers

[JIMJFOX]

Thank you!

I will try ROKU 3 and also a newer VPN style service.

You are probably correct since there is no access to the

routers in this apartment block, not that I'm savvy to change router settings anyway!

Hopefully newer web based software will work. All too hard

for me, really....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Correct me if I'm wrong please.... But as I understand it.

The Roku HDMI streaming stick only connects via wifi (no Ethernet) and has no user available VPN/DNS settings. So, with that device, the only way to get an IP from a particular country is to have that IP delivered over wifi, basically via a router-based VPN or DNS redirector. I have the Roku HDMI stick here at my BKK home.

In JimFox's case, he has a MacBook Air laptop and is looking at a Roku 3 device. The Roku 3 also, like the stick, has no user configurable VPN or DNS settings in the unit. The MacBook is getting its internet via his apartment complex's wifi and then using a software VPN to provide the necessary IP for his computer.

But, he doesn't have any router or way to feed the internet from his laptop to the Roku. So, the Roku 3, even though it has an Ethernet port that could be used/directly connected by people who are running their own in-home routers, in his case is still going to be relying on the complex's Thai IP wifi, which he has no ability to (location-shift) change.

[GinBoy2]

Correct me if I'm wrong please.... But as I understand it.

The Roku HDMI streaming stick only connects via wifi (no Ethernet) and has no user available VPN/DNS settings. So, with that device, the only way to get an IP from a particular country is to have that IP delivered over wifi, basically via a router-based VPN or DNS redirector. I have the Roku HDMI stick here at my BKK home.

In JimFox's case, he has a MacBook Air laptop and is looking at a Roku 3 device. The Roku 3 also, like the stick, has no user configurable VPN or DNS settings in the unit. The MacBook is getting its internet via his apartment complex's wifi and then using a software VPN to provide the necessary IP for his computer.

But, he doesn't have any router or way to feed the internet from his laptop to the Roku. So, the Roku 3, even though it has an Ethernet port that could be used/directly connected by people who are running their own in-home routers, in his case is still going to be relying on the complex's Thai IP wifi, which he has no ability to (location-shift) change.

You are totally correct. With Roku's, sticks or boxes, the only way to defeat geo blocking is at the router level. Without access to the apartment's main router he's screwed.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Well, other options could include paying to open a home DSL, cable internet or even wifi fiber account in his unit--assuming the complex allows that--that would generally come with its own wifi router, and then use that instead of the complex's own wifi service. With a Roku 3 box, it could even be connected directly via Ethernet from the router to the Roku. Local internet accounts these days are as cheap as 599b per month.

Not all Thai ISP routers come equipped with built in VPN capability. But all of them, at least AFAIK, would come with at least the ability to use one of the several DNS re-direct services, and that would be enough to satisfy the Roku box.

[GinBoy2]

Well, other options could include paying to open a home DSL, cable internet or even wifi fiber account in his unit--assuming the complex allows that--that would generally come with its own wifi router, and then use that instead of the complex's own wifi service. With a Roku 3 box, it could even be connected directly via Ethernet from the router to the Roku. Local internet accounts these days are as cheap as 599b per month.

Not all Thai ISP routers come equipped with built in VPN capability. But all of them, at least AFAIK, would come with at least the ability to use one of the several DNS re-direct services, and that would be enough to satisfy the Roku box.

Yes & No. Nearly all ISP supplied modem/routers allow a user defined DNS to be specified, but certain Roku apps, (Neflix for example), but not all, have a forced DNS lookup which will bypass whats in the router. To defeat that you need a router that allows a workaround, which generally means use of a DD-WRT, or at least one that supports advanced routing

Here's a primer from Unotelly on the subject:

http://help.unotelly.com/support/solutions/articles/192836-why-do-i-need-to-block-public-dns-lookups-

Edited March 22, 2015 by GinBoy2

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If I recall, re the Netflix issue, I've seen various of those services talking about using some kind of static routing assignment as a workaround to solve that problem.

But I think the main point is, the situation with Netflix and DNS is a relatively isolated situation, and solvable. And, that issue shouldn't impact most of what a person would be doing via Roku.

[1happykamper]

I am having no luck finding an app in my Roku to stream a paid for movie channel. Netflix.. Hbo. And more.. All are geographically limited. Anyone know which Roku apps work in Thailand?

[Chicog]

if you want to go the stick route, get the Amazon Fire TV Stick, then google how to install Kodi on it. Then the world is your hamster.

[RichCor]

I am having no luck finding an app in my Roku to stream a paid for movie channel. Netflix.. Hbo. And more.. All are geographically limited. Anyone know which Roku apps work in Thailand?

You're right. The apps limit streaming content that's geo-restricted.

As a Roku user running the device outside it's intended area, you need follow in the footsteps of other international users who have taken their box with them and find out what they did (or are doing) to go get the devices operational while they're abroad.

This can be as easy as subscribing to a DNS (Geo-DNS) Service or a bit more involved with setting up a hardware-based VPN (Virtual Private Network) device -- both of which allow your Roku to appear as if it's in its host country.

How well this works for you will also depend on your Internet Connection and your ISP delivering content through the International Internet Gateway with enough speed to prevent buffering.

Edited May 18, 2015 by RichCor