# TV internet and streaming



## Mike.anita (Feb 12, 2017)

Hi any information on best TV provider Internet connection and any apps or sites for streaming not that I know what streaming is all about?
Valencia Castellon area


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## jeff4051 (Mar 28, 2016)

All I pay for is the internet approx 25 euros a month. An IPTV box for all terrestrial sky, sky movies and sports costs me 50 quid a year for the server, one pound a week, bargain and in HD. For all latest films, box sets, sport I use a Kodi box 30 quid. If you want to get the above in Spain someone will PM you, I get my server in UK. Kodi E Bay. Hope that helps???


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## Mike.anita (Feb 12, 2017)

Hi Thanks we hope to be moving aroun May so any other advice much appreciated


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Mike.anita said:


> Hi Thanks we hope to be moving aroun May so any other advice much appreciated


Hola, 

When the satellite disappeared I bought an RK3188 box from www.entertainmentbox.com in Walthamstow. I decided not to use my computer to stream as it is more cost effective to use an IPTV streaming box. 

I updated to an M8 box and then just before Christmas to a T8 V4 box. These boxes all run a Kodi lookalike called SPMC and I download the Wookie Wizard roughly monthly so the box is up to date. 

SPMC & the Wookie Wizard are free; you just need to buy a suitable Android streaming box. 

I have no association with the Entertainment Box save as a satisfied customer. As an ex-IT person, I have recommended the company to my retired friends and helped them update their boxes until they were comfortable to update the box themselves. 

One further point is that the Entertainment Box website has a link to many videos on IPTV steaming. 

Davexf


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Police Raid IPTV Supplier - 93.6 Global Radio


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

davexf said:


> Hola,
> 
> "When the satellite disappeared "
> 
> ...


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

Mike.anita said:


> Hi any information on best TV provider Internet connection and any apps or sites for streaming not that I know what streaming is all about?
> Valencia Castellon area


I wish I'd been able to get the info on Jeff4051's internet service a couple of weeks ago. As it is, I'm with masmovil, €45 p.m. for 300Mb/sec + landline etc.

Orange and Ono were both a disgrace, as far as customer service and sale were concerned, absolutely dreadful.

Orange first said I couldn't sign up because I "hadn't been in Spain long enough". Got rid of this one by letting them know that I have two Spanish bank accounts, for 10 years and 5 years, AND been an Orange mobile customer for 2 years.

Then they said there was not fibre in my barrio - right in the heart of Valencia. I watched a guy rig a box next door. It is 2m from my front door. It has an Orange sticker and a reference number on it. I asked him what it was "fibre broadband"

Next reason not to do business with me was "that special offer does not exist." Only all over their website and the bus shelters, it doesn't.

Finally, they took to putting the phone down! They did this to me and my gestoria. Cretinous.

With Ono it was more straightforward - simple incompetence. After sending in all my details, as instructed, we heard nothing. An enquiry revealed "No. Wrong email address" So, which email address. "Send to [email protected]".

No result. This happened twice more before we gave up on Ono. Now they keep calling, trying to sell me broadband!

One call to masmovil, one visit from their techies - done.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

chrisnation said:


> davexf said:
> 
> 
> > Hola,
> ...


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

sat said:


> chrisnation said:
> 
> 
> > For the free UKTV channels in the Valencia area, then satellite is still the best option.
> ...


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

The raid happened in September 2016, it is doing the news rounds again now this video has recently been released...

https://torrentfreak.com/spanish-police-shut-down-isps-iptv-piracy-business-170210/

"Update: While the raid announced by the police and Irdeto yesterday, BBC just released an article which states that it took place last September. No arrests were made and the invistigation remains ongoing. It’s unclear why the information was only released this week."


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

sat said:


> For the free UKTV channels in the Valencia area, then satellite is still the best option. Subscription free, one off payment, HD, etc
> 
> In the rewire and AC installation of my flat recently, as the AC external boxes are out on the roof terrace, I had Sparks run a pair of coax cables up the cabling to the AC units. There's pleanty of room for a 1.3m dish up there, so that's all set to go.
> 
> ...


A blight on Orange! May they go mouldy and rot!

So you can see that I have the opportunity to go Sat or i/net, as my fibre delivers a decent load of bits. 

What I don't understand is, if I have freesat, I will still need to connect to the TV with internet to get You Tube and iPlayer, will I not? My TV has freesat tuners, WiFi and all ... It's still in its box in UK a.t.mo, so I an not familiar with its workings.

I don't want to buy boxes I don't need.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

chrisnation said:


> [/COLOR]
> 
> A blight on Orange! May they go mouldy and rot!
> 
> ...


With Freesat, live TV comes from the satellite dish.

"On demand", and iPlayer via Freesat still requires internet (and a UK IP address) - 

but some VPNs services that provide a UK IP address are blocked by iPlayer on Freesat (fine on Sky though!)


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

Thanks for that. Finally I have understood the freesat/internet relationship.

but some VPNs services that provide a UK IP address are blocked by iPlayer on Freesat (fine on Sky though!) 

I shall have to see if mine is blocked. Works fine on internet.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

chrisnation said:


> Thanks for that. Finally I have understood the freesat/internet relationship.
> 
> but some VPNs services that provide a UK IP address are blocked by iPlayer on Freesat (fine on Sky though!)
> 
> I shall have to see if mine is blocked. Works fine on internet.


I remind myself of The Bear With Very Little Brain - it's taken 24 hours just to work out that there is a supplementary question associated with the answer you gave about needing to connect, VPN's etc.

When I fire up my laptop, it then spends the next 90 secs or so auto-connecting to my VPN. That's why I can watch iPlayer on it 

But that presumably does not mean my router is connected via the VPN, does it? If the telly has wifi it will go looking for my net which will not be VPN'ed. 

Would I have to come out of the laptop into the telly via ethernet cable ? Or - how do you get the router to be VPN'ed?

Apologies for being so dopey on this stuff


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

chrisnation said:


> When I fire up my laptop, it then spends the next 90 secs or so auto-connecting to my VPN. That's why I can watch iPlayer on it
> 
> But that presumably does not mean my router is connected via the VPN, does it? If the telly has wifi it will go looking for my net which will not be VPN'ed.


Correct.



chrisnation said:


> Would I have to come out of the laptop into the telly via ethernet cable ?


Only with a lot of playing around with the routing and bridging network options on the laptop...



chrisnation said:


> Or - how do you get the router to be VPN'ed?


Much easier than the first way!
You need to see first if your VPN provides a service to run on a router
Usually you ghet a second router, connect it to your current modem router, and install their service (usully using firmware like ddwrt rather than the preloaded factory firmware on the router) onto it.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

install their service (usually using firmware like ddwrt rather than the preloaded factory firmware on the router) onto it. 

Thanks for that. 

I can feel my inner geek-wannabe heading for the hills ... is the above within the capabilities of the man on the Clapham omnibus, would you say?


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

Mr Dimwiddie on the Clapham omnibus here.

I have researched this DD-WRT and Tomato business and it all looks spiffing. 

The question I have now is, if I use just the secondary router + VPN route to broadcasters like the BBC and its iPlayer stream, must I kiss goodbye to 4K, HD, HDR and all that¿? Do I still need satellite for that?


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

chrisnation said:


> Mr Dimwiddie on the Clapham omnibus here.
> 
> I have researched this DD-WRT and Tomato business and it all looks spiffing.
> 
> The question I have now is, if I use just the secondary router + VPN route to broadcasters like the BBC and its iPlayer stream, must I kiss goodbye to 4K, HD, HDR and all that¿? Do I still need satellite for that?


BBC are only doing 4k tests on iPlayer at the moment...(a few minutes of planet earth 2).
Whether they move to a 4k satellite channel, or even continue to put 4k content on iplayer, is unknown...
(Remember the BBC did a few 3d tests a few years ago, and gave up on those, simply as 3d has died (again!)). 
But 4k UHD will be available as long as your internet speeds (and ping and other things) are good and stable... vpns are said to slow connections down, but I have not noticed much difference with the ones I have been testing...


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

" vpns are said to slow connections down, but I have not noticed much difference with the ones I have been testing... "

Many thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

The VPN on this laptop certainly slows things down a great deal but from a good non-VPN speed to start with, so the iPlayer stuff comes thro with barely a twitch. The VPN is Tunnel Bear. It's Canadian and everything is expressed in terms of grizzly bears. 

Thus I got a support note from "Obi-Wan Kenobear" who told me that Tunnel Bear doesn't install on routers but "We will make note of your interest in router and smartTV support though, and will pass your request on to our develo'bears'!"

In keeping with the bears theme, the icon that comes up when I'm connected through a UK server is a bear in a bowler hat, sporting a monocle. Yep. That's us British. Trouble is, I can never remember which eye my monocle goes on...

Is Pure VPN one of the speedy ones in your tests? I have seen a review which claims it is one of the fastest.


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## st3v3y (Aug 27, 2015)

I'm a PureVPN user for almost 2 years now and will certainly be renewing my sub when it is due. 

I've not had to install it onto the router because my configuration doesn't require that so I can't comment on how that works. I did actually by a netgear router to do this but my setup now negates the need for me to do that but it is possible.

So to sum up from a PureVPN customer, I'd recommend the service.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

st3v3y said:


> I'm a PureVPN user for almost 2 years now and will certainly be renewing my sub when it is due.
> 
> I've not had to install it onto the router because my configuration doesn't require that so I can't comment on how that works. I did actually by a netgear router to do this but my setup now negates the need for me to do that but it is possible.
> 
> So to sum up from a PureVPN customer, I'd recommend the service.


That's good to know because, on the assessment of Expert Reviews' road tests of a selection of VPNs, Pure VPN came out as one of, if not the, fastest and Pure's sp offer of 2 years for less than GBP3 p/m. I've signed up for 2 years. And they have let me defer the start date for up to 2 months while I go to Blighty to collect my kit and rig it up.

The other thing I've done is buy a Linksys WRT54GL v1.1 Wireless Router with TOMATO 1.2 installed. GBP35 inc p.n.p on eBay UK from a guy who does this as a biz. Very helpful and will assist with any issues I have in getting it set up.

I read reports of users that this router works perfectly well in the role I want it to perform and, being almost as long in production as the Fender Stratocaster, is 'rock solid' (seems to be the favourite description of users).

I've had a think about the way I watch TV and come to the conclusion that I can live without live broadcast. I have to sacrifice live sport but as all the major sports exc Wimbledon are on Sky, which I have never and will never have, I'm no worse off. How people can sit thro' one 90 min Prem League game after another, Sats and Suns, I can't imagine. 

Tho I spose I could point my laptop at the Linksys (or the other way round, whichever) and watch live on that.

This means that the Linksys, with Pure VPN, dedicated to accessing iPlayer and other catch up services, is all I will need. I will always have the option of Freesat, sparks having run a pair of co-ax cables up to the roof for a dish, if ever I want one.

I hope my ramblings might help others who are similarly lacking in IT expertise. I have to work this stuff out one step at a time. Some of the steps I find take a while to understand but, unless the experts reading this see some glitch looming - so far, so good.


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