Chromecast/TV Boxes - Some advice please

Forums › Online streaming services › Chromecast/TV Boxes - Some advice please

SparkyP

78 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#197998 21-Jun-2016 19:38

So I still cant get any overseas Netflix channels and have free lightbox subscription which I don't use because they don't do it for Sony Smart TVs currently. So am wondering whether getting a TV box might solve some of my problems as NZ Netflix is making me feel suicidal!!! So I have a few questions?

Will a TV Box work in conjunction with a Smart TV or does it have to be a non smart TV? I am assuming I could turn off the smart capability/ internet connection and just use it as a normal TV. Does anybody know? Can you get lightbox via an android TV box?

Is there any advantage to getting a particular TV Box eg: Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast etc or will any android box with playstore on it do? I notice some of the very latest ones have Android 5 series on them, whereas Chromecast has something like 4.3. Does it matter?

What am I looking for when I BUY A TV BOX PARTICULARLY IF I WANT TO STREAM INTERNATIONAL CONTENT. I WANT to buy the easiest to use thing I can preferably with a reasonably fool proof way of continuing to stream overseas content. I have tried various unblockers but not much is working currently so will probably be trying DNS4ME next.

Any advice, thanks.

Sparky

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250 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 40

#1577897 21-Jun-2016 19:53

I just brought one of these..

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/4K-Android-TV-Box-1080P-WiFi-HDMI-2-0/32658787463.html?spm=2114.10010108.1000014.8.cueUq6&scm=1007.13338.33346.0&pvid=73c454f0-cc39-4540-968b-e4019ec252d2&tpp=1

and, having had two WD Live players, frankly wished I had dumped them years ago in favor for on of those. It simply plugs into the HDMI port, then fire up Kodi, and you have a full feature rich media player with access to pretty much everything streaming from anywhere.

picture quality is great, and while the remote takes a wee bit of getting use to (having to flick between button and mouse mode for certain things) once you master it, its pretty simple. Then as its then nothing more than an android box, you can install any android app (netflix, Skygo, TVNZ Ondemand, TV3 etc).

Like I said, wish I had done it years ago!

weera2500

79 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#1577898 21-Jun-2016 19:54

If you have a Smart TV, broadband Internet access and a DNS provider you can easily get Netflix-US version direct to your TV. I also can get ITV and BBC-i PLayer to my computer and then watch it on TV.

bigalow

570 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 112

#1577900 21-Jun-2016 20:04

have you thought about apple tv ?

weera2500

79 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#1577905 21-Jun-2016 20:13

I have access to Netflix-US and I stream sports off the Internet. What advantage does Apple TV offer?

SparkyP

78 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#1577912 21-Jun-2016 20:22

So what unblocker are you using that you can still get overseas Netflix?

Sparky

weera2500

79 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#1577937 21-Jun-2016 20:28

DNS4ME

Lego

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SparkyP

78 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#1577940 21-Jun-2016 20:36

nicmair - I love Xiaomi products and they have an awesome box on Ali Express for a little more but I got the impression that if you got a Kodi one you couldn't get google play store? Is this one easy enough to get Hulu, Netflix etc on? Did it come with English instructions?

Sparky

SparkyP

78 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#1577942 21-Jun-2016 20:40

Apple TV also sounds good

Sparky

littleheaven

2130 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 327

#1578103 22-Jun-2016 09:58

I have an AppleTV4 - you need the new model to access the app store. I use Unotelly, who have currently lost US Netflix connection, but you can use whichever unblocking provider you want. I put their DNS settings in the AppleTV itself, plug it into the telly via an HDMI port, and I'm away laughing.

To make the most of it you'll need an iTunes account for each of the countries you want to download apps from. They are easy enough to create - instructions are very easy to find by Googling. I use my YouShop addresses for the US and UK accounts, and the address of a house we rented in the GC for my Australian account. I use my AirNZ OneSmart card as payment, but you don't need to load a credit card unless you plan on buying apps. The TV streaming apps tend to be free.

Once you have your iTunes accounts set up, you can log into the iTunes store on your AppleTV with each one, and it'll remember the username and password, and pop them into a list. Then whenever you need to swap from one login to the other, just select from the list and click enter. I keep my AppleTV region set to NZ, and normally log in with the US account to get the Siri functionality. So while logged into each country, download the TV apps available in that country's store. Once you've downloaded them, they all stay on your home screen all the time, regardless of if you log out of the iTunes account for that country.

I have YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Lightbox, Australian Channels 7, 9 and 10, CBS, the CW, History and a few other random ones all sitting together and I can just flick from one to the other. I also have a paid app called TV Streams in which I have the live stream urls of most of the UK and Australian channels. I plan to use this to watch a good chunk of the Olympics, since it's live on BBC and Aussie 7. Oh, I also have the Plex app which means I can stream locally stored media from my computer to the Apple TV. I can airplay a lot of the channels that don't have a native app. The only one missing from my wishlist is TVNZ OnDemand, who don't have an app or support airplay.

I also have a Chromecast. I can't geo-unblock with that because I don't have the DNS settings in my router. But it's really handy for casting your computer or mobile device to the TV, and I can watch TVNZ OnDemand via that by playing it in my computer Chrome browser and casting the tab to the Chromecast.

Hope that helps.

Geek girl. Freelance copywriter and editor at Unmistakable.co.nz.

marlinz

441 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 96

#1578105 22-Jun-2016 10:05

I use Fire TV send to NZ via you shop i insert the DNS directly into the Fire TV .

I use Getflix

As my unblock provider

We watch Netflix USA , HBO Now , Hulu , Showtime

Amazon Echo

Amazon Dot

Lifx Bulbs

Nexus 5X
Magic TV 3600
Sony EX700

Unblocking service
Amazon Fire TV x 2 = Netflix USA + Amazon Prime
Lightbox

trig42

5901 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2114

ID Verified

#1578141 22-Jun-2016 10:28

AppleTV (v4) is the easiest to setup and use in NZ.

Currently you can install Netflix, Lightbox, 3Now and Plex. TVNZ say an app is 'coming', Sky FanPass say and App is 'coming soon', not sure about Neon, but that wouldn't surprise me. If you have an iPad or iPhone (or iPod Touch), you can Airplay from them to the AppleTV as well. DNS is easy to change if you want to use a redirector, and other countries iTunes accounts are easy to setup to download Apps from other areas (BBC iPlayer, Aus Ch7 etc).

It may cost a bit more, but it is worth it IMO. I have a FireTV (now retired) and it is a neat little device, but the ATV4 is much more useful in NZ.

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

SparkyP

78 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#1578168 22-Jun-2016 10:53

Apple TV4 totally sounds worth it. Heaps better than the other stuff I've tried. I got onto DNS4me last night and got that working but only 3 countries (better than nothing) but it looks like the advantages of apple TV are huge in comparison so I think I may go that route.

Does anyone know definitively whether a smart TV can be used with a TV box?? Thanks.

Sparky

trig42

5901 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2114

ID Verified

#1578169 22-Jun-2016 10:54

Yep, it can.

I have a Smart TV (LG). Never used any of the 'Smarts' on it though.

SparkyP

78 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#1578202 22-Jun-2016 11:10

It looks like the cheapest Apple TV4 I can get is JB Hifi at $268 which is a little pricey so I am wondering whether it can be purchased overseas for cheaper? Or will they not work here if not purchased in NZ? Or does anyone know of anywhere I might be able to get a better deal?

Sparky

trig42

5901 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2114

ID Verified

#1578205 22-Jun-2016 11:18

That's about as good as it gets.

dse.co.nz (kogan) had it for $228, but $50 shipping (and, a small risk you'll get pinged for GST at the border as they are not charging GST).

Any ATV will work here I'd think (I think they are multi voltage).

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