# How to access American TV



## truenorth (Aug 2, 2014)

I'm from Canada and love my television shows! I'll be moving to Dubai in October but we get our house next month. I need to know what kind of cable etc service to get/not get. I don't want to get locked into a contract if I can't get the shows I want.

How would one go about watching regular US cable shows, as well as the HBO types (ie. Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Young and the Restless, Modern Family …)

What kind of 'box' or 'service' would I get?!


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Where you live determines what you get - etisalat or Du. You can look up the TV schedules online. Choosing where you live based upon TV schedules is however a bit strange 

Ps the same goes for the internet. Your location determines your provider.


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## truenorth (Aug 2, 2014)

We won't choose our neighbourhood based on tv that's for sure! 

Do either of those providers play the American shows?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

truenorth said:


> We won't choose our neighbourhood based on tv that's for sure!
> 
> Do either of those providers play the American shows?


Hi,
Yes - there is plenty of US content on the local TV packages from du & Etisalat.
You can also download most thngs on the internet. We have a smart TV that is connected to our home network and a 2TB media server. We just stream what we want to watch on the TV from this server.
Cheers
Steve


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Yup, download most of it or have Netflix.


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## truenorth (Aug 2, 2014)

That helps a lot! Thanks


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxStewartC (Mar 3, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> Yes - there is plenty of US content on the local TV packages from du & Etisalat.
> You can also download most thngs on the internet. We have a smart TV that is connected to our home network and a 2TB media server. We just stream what we want to watch on the TV from this server.
> Cheers
> Steve


Can you get the media server here in Dubai and does it work with iTunes?


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

StewartC said:


> Can you get the media server here in Dubai and does it work with iTunes?


Hi,
Yes I bought it in Dubai - I don't use iTunes - so don't know if it works with it.
I do know that there is an app for iPhone and iPad - so could well integrate with iTunes.
It is connected via Ethernet cable to my router - which is also connected to our smart TV.
I download things to my laptop - then copy them over wifi to the server.
You then select server as an input for the TV and scroll through the folders to select and play each the film or TV show you have stored.
Out TV is 3d and I have used this to store and play HD 3d movies, as well.
Cheers
Steve


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## Zeeshan08 (Sep 15, 2013)

TV Series I just download thru bit torrent. Live sports (such as my oh so loved NFL) i use slingbox...before I moved I connected the slingbox to my brothers spare tv in his room back in the states...so I can control the dish network receiver as i want...so I record and watch whatever i want...however like i said for TV series its just easier to download. But for live sports events I stream thru slingbox on my tv, ipad, or wherever.


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxStewartC (Mar 3, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> Yes I bought it in Dubai - I don't use iTunes - so don't know if it works with it.
> I do know that there is an app for iPhone and iPad - so could well integrate with iTunes.
> It is connected via Ethernet cable to my router - which is also connected to our smart TV.
> ...


Thanks Steve

I just connect my laptop directly to TV. I am looking for a company or person to help me reconfigure everything as I have probems with my wifi and Apple TV and ipad and so on.

I would welcome a recommendation from someone please.


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## BrgrGuy (Aug 16, 2014)

Zeeshan - How is the quality on your Slingbox? I just got here from Kuwait and in Kuwait it was very grainy and pixelated...


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## Zeeshan08 (Sep 15, 2013)

If you want to watch downloaded content most newer tv's you can just plug in a external hard drive via usb and watch that way...that's how im doing downloaded content.


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

Zeeshan08 said:


> If you want to watch downloaded content most newer tv's you can just plug in a external hard drive via usb and watch that way...that's how im doing downloaded content.


Exactly what I *was* doing - until I realised that for some TVs there seems to be a limit to the number of sub-folders within the directory that they can read. 

Admittedly my TV is not high-end 3D capable (only have one eye so 3D don't work for me  )

I keep all my movies and associated SRT files in folders within the /Movies/ directory and it was not displaying all of them (realised when I had no recently created folders showing).

Work around was to play the movies through my laptop/hdmi cable connection - a lot easier to control the movie, especially if it's a 'dodgy' copy and the sound is out of sync and needed adjusting.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

I get all of my US TV on EZTV torrents. My slingbox works fairly well for things like football and drag racing that are not usually uploaded.


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## LesFroggitts (Dec 30, 2013)

XDoodle****** said:


> I get all of my US TV on EZTV torrents. My slingbox works fairly well for things like football and drag racing that are not usually uploaded.


I'll second that - EZTV for surprisingly TV and YIFY for sensible sized movie files. (Not that I'm advocating piracy of course - not)


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## INFAMOUS (Apr 19, 2011)

Download XBMC and install 1Channel. Stream away and even use your cell phone as a remote control.


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## Zeeshan08 (Sep 15, 2013)

BrgrGuy said:


> Zeeshan - How is the quality on your Slingbox? I just got here from Kuwait and in Kuwait it was very grainy and pixelated...


It's also a bit grainy, but beggars can't be choosers sos I deal with it...I usually leave the quality on "good" rather than "best" for a smooth stream


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## BrgrGuy (Aug 16, 2014)

I gave in and purchased the nfl.com package online and stream to my big screen with no problems now...


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

I have a server back in the UK that downloads everything automatically via the EZTV RSS Feed and automatically puts it all in the relevant folders then when I am home I just stream all my stuff off my iPad app to my ATV3.

Movies I download via TPB or YIFY to my server in the UK and again just stream it over.

Reasons I stream it over is that it's far quicker to download over a 150Mb line then it is over a crappy 8Mb one.


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## tjflamezz (Aug 31, 2014)

I have essentially three setups. Both run from my desktop which is a Windows 8.1 computer, but that is able to stream to everything.
I don't have a smart tv just yet, since my current TV works great so no point buying a new one.

*1) Home network*:
- Setup a home network with all your movies and tv shows in one folder in your computer (or on a wireless hard drive or a hard drive attached to your router).
- Make that folder public to your home network (make sure you secure your network with WPA so that no outsider can gain access)
- Access your folder from your mac, pc or linux machines
(obviously I'm simplifying the steps here, but those are essentially the steps).
This process lets me stream ANY format of media files and view/listen to them using VLC on your computer of choice.

*2) Apple *method:
This one was setup for the less techie people in my house.
- Get an Apple TV (they are available here online or in most stores that sell apple products)
- Setup iTunes to do something called Home Sharing (this is done through your Apple ID)
- Login to your Home Sharing network on the Apple TV with the same Apple ID
- Drag all your media files into iTunes (Just drag the parent folder into iTunes and it will take care of the rest)
- Go to the "computers" section of your Apple TV and your files should show up
I never managed to get iTunes to keep track of a folder, so thats a bit annoying, but this is the one I have recently started using the most.
If you can get around being region blocked here (forum rules prevents me from specifying ways to do that), then you can even stream netflix, NFL, NBA and other channels (you would obviously need to be subscribed to those)
This method will also let you access your library from your iPad, iPhone, MacBook or any other apple device, and even windows devices that are running iTunes. BUT the iTunes on windows is SLOW!!!!! Going 20kmph on SZR would get you places faster.

*3) Xbox* or gaming console method:
This was one of the first setups I did and it still works, so why not use it when I'm already on my console.
- Get an Xbox or other console (yeah you know what I like )
- Setup the windows media player (on your PC) to automatically add files from a folder of your choice (use the same folder for step 1), and ensure you let it include all sub folders
- Hook your xbox onto the same network as your PC
That should do it.
Again you can stream netflix and other stuff on your Xbox especially since now you don't even need the gold membership. 
This only works on a windows environment.

I am making the following assumptions:
- You have to leave your main PC on to stream these files
- You are getting your files from either YTS, TPB, EZTV, ETTV or other similar sources. I do not condone this at all. 
- Better to buy the DVD and then RIP them (as long as you only do that once and store it in maximum 2 places and NOT distribute it, you are well within your legal rights to do so). This is the preferred method.
- You do not have a smart tv. Since the simplest method there is to connect a network hard drive (NAS or otherwise) and stream directly to the TV (obviously there are many restrictions to this)
- You have to buy the gaming console (Xbox ftw ) and the Apple TV.


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## tjflamezz (Aug 31, 2014)

tjflamezz said:


> This only works on a windows environment.


This is actually not a 100% accurate.

If you want to get your hands a bit dirty you can get the XBMC or Plex servers and go down that route for the Xbox implementation
(It also works on the Apple method but you really have to get in the mud with that one, I tried once and it just messed up everything, might give it a shot again).

Plex and XBMC can also work with smart tv and such, so if you want to learn something you should definitely check those out as well.


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

Just get Sickbeard and pay for a usenet account... everything downloads automatically and gets categorized for xbmc while you are at work.. 

due to the time difference, the episode is available on the usenet about 20 minutes after it finishes airing on the US east coast... by the time I get back home, my stuff is ready to watch...

Sick Beard - Internet PVR for your TV Shows


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