Contact: 0768232669

Email: capekonnectis@gmail.com

The Internet has opened up a world of content and entertainment to starved-out countries like South Africa, who have had to be satisfied with old and second-rate music, series and movie content. 

The Internet (and broadband) has changed this. Many people would also like to be legal and pay for their share of consuming content, as opposed to downloads from dodgy websites and hard-drive sharing for content.

Thankfully there is a better way. There is a large range of free and paid-for content available through the Internet. They also offer on-demand movies that can be bought either on a pay-per-view or subscription basis.  

Here are some tips and tricks...

Ways to view streaming media

TABLETS: You can view streaming services on tablets using the nrmal browser (Chrome is best) or by downloading the app of each media provider (such as Netflix) from the App store. Make sure you have a US-based itunes/AppleID or Android account and make sure you connect via a US IP address. If not, for Android devices, it is easy to download the apps directly from here and install on your phone or tablet.

MEDIA PLAYERS: Media players are small devices that connect to the internet and plugs into your TV using a normal HDMI cable. They run the media provider apps (i.e. Netflix, Spotify) and have a remote that you use to navigate. For the broadest range of content and ease-of-use, get an "open" media player such as an Android XBMC or Cloudgate player.

Other options are Apple TV or Roku players - They support the major channels like Netflix (series and movies) and Spotify (music) but have limited channels and free content options. They may also need a US user account(iTunes specifically) that get quite complicated to manage.  

SMART TV’s: Some newer generation ‘smart’ TV’s have their own interface where you can run apps from media providers (i.e. Netflix). Once you have a US IP address, you need to change your TV's country setting to Uniter States. For Samsung TV's, here is how you do it. 

Laptop/PC: You can access media services on any laptop/PC using a browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari. 

 









What to watch

Once you have set up your IP address and devices they will display the content available to the country you have chosen (i.e. United States).

US
• Netflix
• Amazon Prime
• HBO Now (coming soon!)
• PBS (Free)
• PBS Kids (Free)
• Smithsonian Institute (Free)
• Hulu Plus
• Spotify (Music streaming)
• Pandora (Music streaming)

Full list of US online TV channels here.

UK
• BBC iPlayer (Free)
• iTV (Free)

Internet Connection and Broadband Requirements


The first thing you need to connect online content is to get a US or UK IP address. This is done through a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The simplest way to do this is by buying a VPN router such as the Mutton Media Box. 


Broadband speed and ISP: The better your broadband, the better your speed and quality of media. For quality and uninterrupted streaming it is strongly advised to have access to at least the following broadband services:


  • Minimum 4MB ADSL/Fibre connection (10MB preferred). ADSL lines are only available through Telkom, and fibre-to-the-home through several providers including Telkom, Vumatel, Vox, Cybersmart and others.  
  • Get capped (not uncapped!) data from a good local ISP (Afrihost, Axxess, RSAweb)or you fibre provider. Capped (per-Gig) data is unshaped, faster and of much better quality. Capped data pricing has also come down so much that it is mostly comparable to uncapped for normal users. 
  • Some ISP's like Mweb apply very aggressive throttling of VPN's and streaming data, so try and avoid them. If you speed is slow, try another ISP 
  • Data usage will depend on how much telly you watch, but a good guide would be to start with at least a 30GB-50GB package (currently R120 - R190 p/m) and take it from there. Steer clear of long-term ISP contracts as these are inflexible. TV lovers will probably use between 80GB-100GB per month.



Paying for media services

Every media service has its own packages, way of subscribing and payment service. It takes a bit of effort to figure each one out, but the results are well worth it. Some offer a 30-day trial as well. 

Content providers accept most credit cards, but if you have issues with a local card (try several cards first, as some work and others don't), try paying using a PayPal account. If you are using a Apple TV, you might need to subscribe via PayPal. Try your SA Paypal account, else try a US PayPal account. 



It is a bit of effort to set things up, but once you have access to TV as it should be, it will give you lots of joy. Have fun!

Contact us today for an installation on: 0768232669