Netflix ?

Not quite sure of the technology you are referring to, but downloading movies from Netflix doesn't work in the USVI. I have always gotten a message saying IP address registration not within US, so no downloads. Netflix through the mail works quite well though. I've gotten new DVD's 2-5 days after old movie is sent back in.

Thanks. I guess I had better get used to being way South of the Border.

There is a free program called Hotspot that assigns you a stateside IP address. It works well with Netflix and Hulu. Not sure how it works with the blu-ray player but it works excellent with the PC.

Chockman, Netflix works great through the mail here. BTW if you have a Richmond box you will shave a day off the round-trip time on movies.

Prefer2sail: you are my new best friend. TY!

Thanks. I'll give hotspot a shot. Have you tried to down load movies through the new IP address. I am not sure it down loads movies,I think it allows you to use your wireless Internet to tap directly into their library. I will let all of you know soon,heading out the door to pick the gizmo up.

Prefer2sail - That's Great if it works.

we get movies 2 at a time and the delivery time is not bad at all.

OK if you purchase a Samsung Blue ray player and want to watch Netflix on it,do not,I repeat do not buy model # BD-P1500. It will not support Netflix. In other words you have to buy one that is more expensive. Lets see here,forgot the cost of the player, $ 300.00 ish I think,works well. New useless USB adapter, $85.00 of useless hardware.

While it is possible to watch Netflix on line in the USVI, you must change your IP address to a stateside IP. There is software and services that allows you to do this. While you can do this from a computer I don't know any way to do this using a Wifi DVD player or a Roku. The trick is to find a program that doesn't cost you very much speed and is stable. Netflix is tough download because they assume people have connections faster than are available in the USVI. Netflix apparently don't want to waste their resources buffering the data flow.

There is talk that in the latest round of negotiations Netflix will pick up the rights to stream internationally if they delay making new releases available by mail for X number of days so the studios can sell more DVDs.

Or you can connect using an I phone tethered to your PC. The Internet connection shows yous ISP as being in Kansas.

Jim

I downloaded hotspot shield and turned it on but am not able to play a netflix movie online. Is there a secret to making this work?

Go to http://www.ip-adress.com/ after you have started the program you think changes your IP to a location in the US. If it doesn't have you being in one of the USA's fifty states then Netflix won't work and you need another program.

Jim

Well I am buffering a movie right now. So far so good.

1 the movie must be available for instant viewing,

2 you must download and install the player thingy called "streamlight"

3 you must wait a while for the movie to buffer adequately.

no program can "change your IP address" - your IP is what provider assigns and nothing else can work in your location. any program that claims to change it will actually do one of the following:

1) create a VPN network and tunnel your traffic through their servers elsewhere, whereby your connections will have their IP address to outside world. This is what the Hotspot software does (and they do it so they can look into your traffic, sell information about you and insert ads into web pages and such)

2) act as a proxy to your software, with the same effect. the difference being that not all your traffic but only the traffic from specific programs goes through them (for example I use web proxy to watch videos on abc.com, yes - that means "Lost" 🙂 )

I am glad I brought this one up,lots of good info flying around on the subject. Well as far as mine is concerned it is back to the store today and another $170.00 for a Blue ray player that supports Netflix. The one I have does not,lucky me,we just bought this one a year ago. Well I guess those of you who go to bars will be able to watch Blue Rays at my joint,this one is going back in the box it came in.

Success on STX watching a movie from Netflix through Hotspot above. YAY! It had to cache a while both at the beginning and a couple of times in the middle. (ISP=broadband.vi/residential)

Good luck to all and thanks!

You are correct. To the rest of the world your IP has changed but the data eventually has to get back to where you really are.

The service I use (not Hotspot ) does create a VPN with an IP associated with where their server is. This service has many other uses other than trying to watch Netflix.

When you are using a public WiFi hotspot it creates a VPN so it is less likely your data can be intercepted or monitored.

Certain businesses, hotels, etc. restrict what web sites you can visit. By using a VPN they lose their ability to restrict and or monitor what web sites you can visit.

If you are traveling in a country where you can't read the language and you log onto a website the site will display the pages in the local language. Sometimes it is difficult if not impossible to find the option to display the page in English. If you run your connection through a VPN than terminates in an English speaking country the page will often automatically display in English.

Jim

Great info, folks, and thanks again.

Question: I have no problem about circumventing a Netflix or MPAA policy that impacts us because they forgot that the USVI is part of the United States; but to anyone's knowledge, is it illegal to be doing this?

Thanks,

rks

Open box special at Best Buy $99.00. Blue Ray player that supports Netflix,with the same warranty as a new one in the box. Purchased an extra 1 year warranty for a total $133.00 . Purchased the USB wireless adapter yesterday for $86.00 . All said and done I had to call Samsung to have them walk me through the set up, which is working great. We are watching a Netflix movie now as I type,not a disc but one that is streaming from Netflix.

Unlimited Netflix for about $18.00 dollars a month and as many movie downloads as you like. Glad I brought this one up,I'M going to need all of the help I can get when I relocate this system.

OK it had a little hiccup. I had to reboot the DVD player,it resumed the movie right where it left off.

The only way I can think you will get your set up to work in the USVI is to set your I-Phone up as a wireless router using PDA Net or some similar software. With this setup you should be able to get download speeds of over 1 Mbs. The problem will be keeping the I-Phone charged for an entire two hour movie. Running both the data radio and the WiFi radio simultaneously generates so much heat that the I-Phone may not allow you to charge its battery while you are trying to watch a movie. Speed is good and data is unlimited.

Another possibility is to get wireless data card from AT&T along with a wireless router you can plug it into. The speed will only be about 500kbs and you are limited to 6 Gigs a month for $60. AT&T gives you a thirty day trial before locking you into a two year contract so you can always try it. Sprint is also a possibility but I have no experience with their data networks.

Jim

I use the sprint myfi and haven't had any negative experience with it. My plan has unlimited data and that includes when I am in the VI. I can keep the charger plugged into the wall when I am using it and have used it for hours without a problem. With the myfi you don't need a router because you can connect up to 5 devices and run them all at the same time...I am usually running at least three at all times. I have exceeded 10 gigs a month and there isn't an additional charge....it really is unlimited data even on STX. It is 59.99 a month.

I might have to switch.

The way Sprints plan is described on their web site is that it is unlimited data only on a 4G network, but limited to 5GB on a 3G network. Overages are billed at $0.05 per Mb. They also reserve the right to reduce your bandwidth if you are using too much in their opinion. Sprint does not state a speed on 3G networks so you would have to test it so see if the video quality was OK for viewing Netflix on line. Netflix recommends a 1.5Mbs connection for online viewing. I have a 1 Mbs connection and sometimes it is enough bandwidth for a good viewing experience and other times I just give up after repeated rebufferings.

To download a movie will use 700mb, so watching many Netflix movies on either Sprint or AT&T could get expensive on a 3G network. I don't think Sprint has 4G service in the USVI yet. AT&T won't until at earliest late 2010.

Jim

Jim, I was looking at the sprint information on the website too and saw the same thing you did. I didn't understand how come I have gone over the data limit listed and never been charged extra ( I went back and looked at previous usage details and bills). I have used the mobile broadband in STX for a couple of years and never had the extra charges....not complaining, just don't understand it. Maybe I am grandfathered into an older plan...I don't know.

I am in the states right now but when I get back in a couple of weeks I will check the connection speed, I checked it down there before but don't remember what it was.

The biggest problem we had with Netflix (the mail version) was entering a mailing address during registration that Netflix would recognize. They only accept official addresses as listed in some database. We asked the Post Office what our official address was, but that address didn't work. Finally we entered the address that was written on some officlal govt mass-mailing that we once got, and that worked, because that address came from the database.