Database Develop

[Q] Netflix- oh why?

I have a HTK75D (originally a Canadian Xoom) and I cannot, for the life of me, stream anything off netflix. I have a Canadian Netflix account and i'm able to stream content on my Moto Defy.
The apk used on the Xoom is 1.4 and the error message is "Your device needs to be updated to instantly stream from Netflix. Please visit the device manufacturer's website or ca.netflix.com/nrd for more info"
The ca.netflix.com/nrd site lists Tablets as Apple only.
Am i the only Canadian with a reflashed Xoom who can stream Netflix?

What you have to do to get netflix working is download a proxy app from the market like proxydroid. Then you find a free US proxy ip address (google it) insert the proxy into proxydroid and try to surf the web, when you finally find a proxy that works (took me awhile to find one) then open up the netflix app and login with your info and start streaming anything. Let it go for a few secs then stop it, remove the proxy and uninstall proxydroid if you want, go back to your regular connection and bam netflix works in canada. Mine has been working great since i've done this.

Question::Pandora: Casting to Chromecast doesn't work

Hi all,
I hope this question was not raised before. I tried to use the search function but it didn't work.
I use Pandora outside outside the US using Hola to unblock Pandora. If Hola is started, Pandora 5.1.1 works perfectly.
But when I try to connect Pandora to ChromeCast (pressing the Chromecast Sign at the bottom line right to the volume slider) the playback stops and the Play/Pause button shows the right arrow (which indicates 'press me to play'). But I can push the button as often as I want, the stream never starts, the button always shows the arrow...
Any idea??
Thanks a lot for any help.

The only way to cast Pandora to the Chromecast outside the U.S. is either tab-casting, which is easy and works fine, or a VPN from your router to a U.S. gateway.
Obviously it can't work to attempt to use the Chromecast icon from within Pandora if you haven't set up a U.S. VPN/DNS for the Chromecast itself, since it will be contacting Pandora independently to pick up the stream. And as it happens, the currently-available DNS services that support Pandora on other platforms don't work for the Chromecast due to some unknown quirk. Might get solved in the future, might not.

Wrapp said:
I hope this question was not raised before. I tried to use the search function but it didn't work.
I use Pandora outside outside the US using Hola to unblock Pandora. If Hola is started, Pandora 5.1.1 works perfectly.
But when I try to connect Pandora to ChromeCast (pressing the Chromecast Sign at the bottom line right to the volume slider) the playback stops and the Play/Pause button shows the right arrow (which indicates 'press me to play'). But I can push the button as often as I want, the stream never starts, the button always shows the arrow...
Any idea??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the advanced search (gear icon).
Since it looks like Hola seems to use a browser extension or proxy app, it only works where the extension or app can run.
Pandora works in the normal DIAL usage, so Chromecast is a separate client. It receives a request from the casting application that is essentially "Hey, play this URL" where "this URL" is a US Pandora link.
And because Chromecast isn't running Hola, it works like a normal client that isn't running Hola - and it tries to open the US Pandora link - but it can't.
Even though your client can see and access out-of-region content (via Hola), Chromecast can't, so that's why it can't get to what you're asking it to access.
So, unless you can get Chromecast itself to run Hola (unlikely, as Chromecast is an appliance/accessory not a fully-configurable device) or Hola has a DNS-based usage like Unlocator/Unotelly/others, Chromecast will only be able to access things that are "normally" accessible in your region.

DJames1 said:
And as it happens, the currently-available DNS services that support Pandora on other platforms don't work for the Chromecast due to some unknown quirk. Might get solved in the future, might not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pandora casts for me in Canada using NetProtect beta with the appropriate iptables scripts set up on my Tomato router. I would assume their sister service Unblock Us would work too.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks for all the answers.
Sounds reasonable to me, so i have to i usw my Bluetooth dongle to stream to the audio amp.
Thanks again,
Wrapp

BBC iPlayer issues outside UK

Hi guys, I am yet to fully enjoy iPlayer on Chromecast. I use Unlocator as my DNS provider and they managed to work out the way to watch iPlayer stuff outside of UK. But the streaming speeds are really bad and so far I didn't enjoy a single show. It seems like it buffers every 10 seconds or so so I am suspecting Unlocator (and their method to unblock it) at this stage. PC, Android, iPad all seems to work fine without any buffering and in full HD.
I would really like to hear some of your experiences but also ideas or feedback about other DNS providers. I also have HMA VPN subscription that I haven't tested yet because that is my absolute last option.

The behavior you describe sound like network latency.
If you can force a specific rate or resolution that can help.
Also make sure Chromecast has a stable WiFi connection.

Could be the provider. Try unblock-us for a week trial.
Also, have you set the chromecast up to block access to the google dns servers?

irish-sid said:
Could be the provider. Try unblock-us for a week trial.
Also, have you set the chromecast up to block access to the google dns servers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do Unblock-US support Chromecast? I used them some time ago, before I moved to Unlocator. I might give it a go.

jasenko said:
Do Unblock-US support Chromecast? I used them some time ago, before I moved to Unlocator. I might give it a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not about supporting Chromecast, it's about having the dns address on your router and then blocking the Chromecast from accessing the Google dns address which it defaults to. You need to do that in static route.
But yeah, I use unblock us, works very well. It has an easy Netflix region switcher without having to change addresses so you can use any Netflix. (Not sure if yourd offers that too?)

irish-sid said:
It's not about supporting Chromecast, it's about having the dns address on your router and then blocking the Chromecast from accessing the Google dns address which it defaults to. You need to do that in static route.
But yeah, I use unblock us, works very well. It has an easy Netflix region switcher without having to change addresses so you can use any Netflix. (Not sure if yourd offers that too?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with iPlayer on Chromecast is because BBC implemented an extra step to look up geo location. Are you outside UK? Is iPlayer working for you?
I use Eureka ROM so DNS change for me is trivial.

jasenko said:
The problem with iPlayer on Chromecast is because BBC implemented an extra step to look up geo location. Are you outside UK? Is iPlayer working for you?
I use Eureka ROM so DNS change for me is trivial.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah right, fair enough.
I'm in Southern Ireland and just tested the app and website, both stream fine.
Just to make sure, you don't need to refresh your ip address on the unlocator site? With unblockus, if you reboot your router (with a dynamic ip) you need to refresh your ip address on the site by clicking a link that pops up.

irish-sid said:
Ah right, fair enough.
I'm in Southern Ireland and just tested the app and website, both stream fine.
Just to make sure, you don't need to refresh your ip address on the unlocator site? With unblockus, if you reboot your router (with a dynamic ip) you need to refresh your ip address on the site by clicking a link that pops up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll test Unblock tonight. I hope the issue is not network latency, I have no issues streaming Netflix in full HD.

jasenko said:
Hi guys, I am yet to fully enjoy iPlayer on Chromecast. I use Aeroshield as my DNS provider and they managed to work out the way to watch iPlayer stuff outside of UK. But the streaming speeds are really bad and so far I didn't enjoy a single show. It seems like it buffers every 10 seconds or so so I am suspecting Unlocator (and their method to unblock it) at this stage. PC, Android, iPad all seems to work fine without any buffering and in full HD.
I would really like to hear some of your experiences but also ideas or feedback about other DNS providers. I also have HMA VPN subscription that I haven't tested yet because that is my absolute last option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for bringing up an old topic. Anyone use smart dns for BBC iPlayer on smart TV?
I want to stream it to my TV without VPN

US Netflix Chromecast DNS Issue

Hi all,
I live in the UK and am trying to get netflix to cast to my chromecast. I have a chromecast device connected to my TV and it works great. Apart from US Netflix.
I understand that I cannot cast US Netflix "as is" because of the chromecast's locked DNS addresses. I have read quite a few posts and have tried re-routing the DNS, here's what I've done so far...
Router: D-Link DIR-615 (latest firmware)
- Logged into my router and changed the DNS to an american one known to accept netflix traffic (works on my tablet).
- Gone to the "routing" part of my router settings and added the following rules...
Destination address: Subnet: Gateway:
8.8.8.8 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.1 (the IP of my router)
8.8.4.4 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.1 (the IP of my router)
I've rebooted everything but still no joy. I just cannot cast US netflix stuff to the device!
Is there anything I'm missing here or am doing wrong?

You haven't mentioned which DNS service you are using, and your description is a little vague, but probably if you have it working on your tablet then you are getting the basics right.
Is that an Android tablet? Is that what you are using when you attempt to cast Netflix to the Chromecast? Did you put the DNS addresses into the tablet settings, or are you relying on the router DNS setting for both your tablet and the Chromecast?
Netflix has been making a lot of changes to their app lately, including some in the last few days. You probably read that blocking or redirecting Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) in your router is required to make the Chromecast use your specified DNS addresses. That remains true, but as of January, the Android Netflix app will not work to play out-of-region content if Google DNS is blocked by the static route method you are using. You can still browse out-of-region content on Android, but you must select the Chromecast as the destination before you play anything. It will give you an error if you try to play the content in Android. So you can't have the router set both ways - you're either blocking Google DNS and you can't play the out-of-region content on Android, or you disable the blocking and you can't play the content on the Chromecast.
Of course all of this could change at any time, could in fact have changed in the last few days with the most recent updates that Netflix is pushing out. Netflix is forcing Chromecast users to update their Android app to the latest version, because the Chromecast version won't talk to older versions of the Android app, just displays an error message telling you that your Android app is out of date and must be updated.

Hi and thanks for your reply.
Yes. A galaxy note 10.1 2012 edition. With the latest version of netflix. It will work on the tablet fine . No issues. But not when casting (it will however, play stuff that is available on the UK netflix, even if I'm logged into the US version).
I have currently set the DNS on the router itself. So that is how I'm accessing the US netflix at the minute.
I've checked on a browser on a site and it is reading the DNS from the router correctly..
So you think it's netflix themselves that have blocked this method?

How To Cast Region Blocked Content

I'm sure this has been asked before, but is there any way to cast region blocked content? I'm using cyberghost VPN on my android phone. I'm able to see the content on the Netflix app. I can also play the content on my phone. But as soon as I try to cast to my chromecast, it tells me the content is not available in my region. I guess the chromecast is giving away my location. What is the easiest way around this?

Screen mirroing

Yes there is a simple solution, I am using it too. But you need to have a router with a VPN client for this to work. In my case I use openWRT and it also works (advanced configuration) that I only route some local IPs I want over VPN while the rest stays normally routed.

You can do it by using your VPN at the router level as suggested above, but most consumer routers don't support that, so more people use a DNS service instead. That's still a bit of a challenge because you have to use DHCP to push the DNS addresses to the Chromecast, and you also have to block access to Google DNS in your router to force the Chromecast to use them. You have to put in some effort to stay current, because Netflix and Google keep experimenting with changes that are partly intended to make such workarounds more difficult. For example currently you can't play Netflix content locally on your Android device if you have Google DNS blocked in your router, but if you are using a DNS service you must have Google DNS blocked to cast that content to the Chromecast. As for VPNs, Netflix has been experimenting with sneaky blocking methods like comparing the system time to the time zone of the originating IP address to detect a mismatch caused by using a VPN gateway outside your time zone.

If you have a Raspberry Pi: I've set up mine as a Wifi router that establishes connection through VPN only. Netflix works flawlessly. If Cyberghost provides OpenVPN configuration files for Linux, this should work for you, too.