Adventures in cutting the cord

**splat** · 04-11-2021, 03:24 PM

My VPN does about 80 US city and 20 country locations.

**Thaleia** · 04-11-2021, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

You can cast or screen mirror to roku with android or windows.

https://support.roku.com/article/208754928

Thank you so much, this will be a major help. Seriously, you've made my afternoon.

**warthog** · 04-11-2021, 08:44 PM

This blackout shit needs to die, especially in Covid restricted attendance times.

I am going to do a trial of the MLB app to make sure it works with Express VPN. If all goes well, I guess I will pony up $109 to watch whatever team the Rays decided to field this year.

**Bunion 2020** · 04-12-2021, 06:39 AM

Couple of criticisms of MLB TV. Last nights Braves game was blacked out in Montana and nationwide because it was carried on ESPN.

Last year you could go to a live game in progress and instead of joining it live you could go to whatever inning you wanted and start watching there. That feature seems to have gone missing.

Last year you could go to a finalized game and start watching at whatever inning you wanted. That seems to have gone away as well now you have to start in the 1st and FF to whatever spot you want to start. PITA.

**RShea** · 04-12-2021, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by warthog

We cut the cable a few months ago and it has been pretty good so far. I have been using Hulu+ Live with the ESPN+ and Disney + bundle.
We added some premium content, but haven't done the upgrade to 200 hr DVR and FF through the commercials yet. Total bill for the service is $115/ month, which is saving us a bit. Gotta add the cost of internet into the equation, which used to be part of our cable bill, along with Netflix, Prime, etc. subscriptions. Probably saving like $80/ month at this point, and the service is pretty good.

Recently I have discovered one major flaw of cutting the cord, and honestly it was one of the main reasons I was so opposed to it in the first place. Sports blackout zones. I can't watch Rays games, except on ESPN, which renders them unwatchable. ESPN seems to have no idea how to broadcast a baseball game.

So I am trying to use Express VPN to watch these games through the MLB app. Has anyone done this? It is asking me to change my location on Hulu, as my IP address does not match where I am supposedly watching from. Should I just permanently change my location on everything to Atlanta or Miami and just leave it, or do I need to toggle back and forth?
Another wrinkle I have found is that Hulu only allows 4 location changes, so I am thinking I just need to set it up to be permanently located in ATL, as I don't plan on watch the Braves or Falcons.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I don't really want to start messing with location settings all the time, just to watch baseball, but it would be nice to be able to throw the game on as background noise sometimes.

Thanks for the help..

From what I have read (others posting about MLB) they do not allow VPN, you are to wait and watch it the 90 minutes or so after the game as a rerun for blacked out games. People are doing it of course, but they can shut down your account if they detect a pattern like that. Hulu of course is knowing that you are outside the area when you are using their streaming and not wanting to provide the local to you (without the VPN) channels but the ones that would be available from the VPN address location.

You have to determine the risk and if you would lose MLB for good due to them detecting you bouncing back and forth and all.

**RShea** · 04-12-2021, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by warthog

Shit- I had no idea it was that much. I'll just go to the games. They aren't that much.

Yes, I can't buy the MLB package for the Rays because Spectrum has the package locally. The channel used to be Fox Sports FL, and it was available on Hulu+ Live. Somebody bought the channel and killed the deal with Hulu in October, so we are screwed.

I might make a deal with Spectrum for basic cable, since we still get our internet through them. They will get a kick out of us crawling back. Just as they planned.

Spectrum has the pick your channels you want offer (Choice)- like 10 channels for $24.99 (and they now do not allow new installs of the Roku app like they used to, so may need a set top cable box???) Can't keep up with every Spectrum spin but something to check out possibly over their Basic cable which used to be the local stations and a few shopping channels and limited "premium" offerings.

**RShea** · 04-12-2021, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Thaleia

Attachment 371213

I need help. I was an early cord cutter ages ago, and was fine with an ota antenna and netflix. Then I fell in love with baseball..

Couple seasons ago I would just stream the games illegally. Last season I got mlb tv part way through the season, but my home team games are blacked out. Can't watch it live. Fuck you Rogers.

So this year I bite the bullit and get a 'cheap' tv package that our discount isp offers. In order to watch home games I had to get the Sportsnet package (rogers owns the ball club as well as Sportnet. Fuck you rogers.) Paying about $50 for the tv package.

Great for the first few games but now I'm seeing I need Sportsnet 1 for some of the games, which is an additional $10 per month.

This is ridiculous. I can't justify paying ~$60 a month to watch some ball games.

I also recently replaced my tv with a TCL Roku tv. Since it's roku, I can't download any web browser on this 'smart tv' to access streams online. Can't cast to the tv either

So I dug out and connected an old android iptv box that allows some browsers. No chrome or any 'brand name' browsers, just bullshit like Dolphin or Puffin etc. The streaming sites are basically impossible to navigate using a iptv remote control. After about 45 minutes of trying different sites I was so frustrated I tore the remote apart. (I'm usually pretty calm I swear lol)

So I ended up watching a stream on a shitty slow old tablet. The stream I was watching is a pirated version of the mlb tv stream. The irony of having to watch an illegal stream of something I would happily pay for if the service wasn't blacked out is just too real.

What is involved with setting up a VPN? Thinking if I can spoof my location I can get an mlb tv subscription but not sure how VPN's work.

Any info or insight is greatly appreciated.

Why can't you cast to the Roku TV? I was just turning on screen casting yesterday and a neighbor must have either gotten a new TV or moved one in their house. (Using a Windows laptop by the way, but could do a Android tablet or phone the same way.) I used to see our Samsung, now I also see a Roku, so I guess I could cast content to their set instead of our screen...