OT: Yet Another Streaming Dilemma
Sorry for yet another streaming post, but I'm genuinely stumped and confused, hoping someone can help me figure out a solution, and perhaps can be helpful to others in a similar situation. I've scoured the posts on mgoblog as well as the interwebz in general and reddit and I'm still confused.
Here's my dilemma:
I live in Portland OR and want to be able to stream and DVR Michigan football/basketball and NY Jets games (sorry, I know a lot of you hate the Jets and things from NY, I get it).
Last year I shared my sister's YTTV (she is in NJ) for Michigan games and had NFL+ Premium ($80) for Jets games. YTTV was great overall, and I had her log in for me every few months to keep from getting booted off. However, there were some games that I couldn't watch live or start from the beginning once they started already (had to wait for the game to conclude in order to start from the beginning, I think it has something to do with being on a local channel away from where I was "traveling"). Not quite sure of the rhyme or reason, but very annoying after I've planned my day around starting at a certain time, got a buzz on and made wings or ordered food.
I was generally fine watching Jets games right after they concluded since pretty much all of them were early games and I'm on the west coast. But this year the Jets might be actually good (or at least people will be paying attention to them) and I don't want to have my phone off most of Sunday to avoid my friends or FB spoiling it for me. Last year the Jets games showed up on YTTV but I couldn't watch them because they were broadcast on local network channels in NJ. I think (but not sure) it would have allowed me to watch them after they concluded (so I could have saved $80 NFL package)?
I would gladly pay a reasonable amount to watch Michigan and the Jets, but I don't care about anything else on YTTV, I don't watch other football games, and Sunday ticket is like $300.
So here are my questions that I've not been able to figure out:
1. Is there a way to trick YTTV into thinking I'm in NJ so I can watch everything I want sharing my sister's account? I've heard they're really cracking down on sharing, and reddit doesn't seem to have definitive answers on how they track and what works/doesn't. I've heard some combination of a fancy VPN plus a Chrome extension might do the trick, but also it might not. I'm not a tech wiz, and would prefer to use my Apple TV for streaming rather than casting from my macbook or phone.
2. If I share my sister's YTTV account and just have her log in for me once in a while so it thinks I live there but am traveling, can anyone explain how they decide what you can watch live/start from the beginning and what you can't?
3. If I get my own YTTV here can I share it with someone who also lives in the Portland area? I'm having a tough time figuring out how they determine household.
Thanks in advance for any help!
NY Jets games (sorry, I know a lot of you hate the Jets and things from NY, I get it).
Like most Jets fans from NY, too!
To answer your question though, I don’t think so. Maybe VPN on a computer but not sure anything would on an Apple TV or through a Smart TV. They determine through location settings which have to be turned on. I have a split residency in the same state but two different parts of the state and RARELY when I’m outside of NYC, does my Smart TV app think I’m still in NYC but Apple TV never does that.
I don't think VPN works. At least it never has for me. I was able to download a GPS spoof on my phone, which does work. I then cast to my TV. I can set it to anywhere in the country and watch whatever NFL game I choose. I'm certain it is against T&C but they haven't banned me yet.
Do you use the GPS spoof with YTTV?
1. I've had success with this video walkthrough, it requires some effort and won't work on the Apple TV via YTTV App.
2. My understanding is by logging into the "home" region of the account, YTTV thinks that you're still based there but the channels you are shown are based on your current location. I'm not sure about the "start" component but live should be based on where YTTV thinks you are currently at.
3. I think so, worst case, you do it for a month or two while they think the other account is traveling and if they hard block, you can cancel.
Additional notes:
- You can log into the network's app (e.g. Fox for any game on BTN or Fox) and you should be able to watch Michigan games in Portland. They aren't nearly as strict as the NFL is about regional broadcasts which is why you can't watch the Jets when YTTV thinks you're in Portland since the local broadcast network (e.g. Fox and CBS) is highly unlikely to show a Jets game unless they're playing the Seahawks or Niners.
- I've also had success using VPN via a web browser to watch NFL games. For example, all UMich alumni are given access to a VPN network which places you in Michigan. For Lions games, this tricks Fox into think I'm back in Michigan and with a YTTV log-in, I can watch the Lions. You'll need to find a VPN that let's you choose a state specific IP address though to ensure you can reliably be placed in the NY/NJ region. It's been a while since I've done this so I can't guarantee it'll work, it's possible they may have found a way to find your true location. EDIT - It's not just alumni, I meant it as an example. The full list includes staff, faculty, students, sponsored affiliates, alumni, and retirees.
- If your cell phone carrier is Verizon you may want to consider this deal where customers on certain unlimited plans will get free Sunday ticket. Personally I decided against it because my current (now discontinued) Verizon plan is a better deal but perhaps the tradeoff is worth it for you.
- I've also had success using VPN via a web browser to watch NFL games. For example, all UMich alumni are given access to a VPN network which places you in Michigan. For Lions games, this tricks Fox into think I'm back in Michigan and with a YTTV log-in, I can watch the Lions. You'll need to find a VPN that let's you choose a state specific IP address though to ensure you can reliably be placed in the NY/NJ region. It's been a while since I've done this so I can't guarantee it'll work, it's possible they may have found a way to find your true location.
All alumni, really? Not just employees or something?
According to this site
Staff, Faculty, Students, Sponsored Affiliates, Alumni, and Retirees
You can definitely share with someone else locally in Portland if you are willing to make them a part of your google "family." I think as long as they are relatively geographically close there won't be much second-guessing and you can have something like 5 concurrent streams which shouldn't be a problem as long as you're only splitting with only one person/family.
And even better if they are fans of an out-of-town NFL team because then you can just split the cost of the ticket with them.
Based on the way your fandom sounds, once you spread across 17 games it might make sense to just get the ticket since it is a one-and-done expense (if you're not looking to go to a bar to watch every game - and considering the tab to do that 17x), plus if you can split with a friend, seems like a decent value.
I'm not generally a stan for the ticket but I also think they had an early purchase incentive... may have ended 7/1, but could be 8/1?
Good luck!
Sportsurge.net its free 😉
I assume that would only let me watch live though right? On the west coast I usually don’t have that luxury.
You can get a gps spoofing app on your phone for yttv if it's an android phone
Have an iphone, darn.
You can get gps spoofers for iphone too. Or at least you could
For the third, yes you absolutely can. I share my YTTV with my in laws, so we split the service like 5 ways. All of us live within about 20 miles of each other - different zip codes but we've never had any issue on logging in
You could set up you sister’s computer in NJ for Remote Desktop access so that you can watch it technically on her computer.
I bought an old iPhone 7 for this purpose. The highest iOS possible on the iPhone 7 is iOS 15. I then jailbreak it using Palera1n and then install a GPS spoofing app. Then whenever I want to watch an out-of-market game, I simply spoof my location and the YouTube TV app thinks I'm there too. I then just AirPlay it to my big TV in the living room. Works great.
I should have read your reply before making my redundant reply...
I understood like 14 total words in that whole post.
1 word, 4 letters that will solve all your problems: IPTV
Sorry, have looked it up and tried to research but I don't understand it at all. How would I use this (preferably through my apple tv) to watch and record Michigan and Jets games in Oregon?
You can't use Apple TV. You'd have to buy an android device and then find an IPTV provider, usually located in Canada. I believe it is legal in Canada but a gray area in the US. There are lots of reddit forums discussing how to do it. I went to a friend's house the other day to watch the Crawford fight and he had it via IPTV. I'm thinking of ditching my youtube tv but the one thing about YTTV is its reliable and I'm set for cfb, but for NFL I'd have to fork out $300.
It might be worth it to try a VPN. I got a VPN specifically because I wanted to watch Italian TV and it has worked for me. The Italian TV site I use is free if you are in Italy but is not available at all outside of Italy.
I have seen some ads for a VPN saying that it can be used to access different movies on Netflix. I think some Europeans use a VPN to access the US version of Netflix because it has more/ different films available.
I have found that I can't have the VPN on all the time because some sites want to confirm who you are. IIRC, I had to turn the VPN off to use Amazon for instance. I think the issue was that the VPN was masking my IP address but don't remember the specifics. It is possible that there is a setting you can change - I didn't look into it since I only use the VPN for that one site.
I use Nord VPN and have been happy. They are having a deal right now. It is $3.50/ month for their standard VPN or $84 for the first 2 years. They have a 30 day money back guarantee so there is no risk to try it.
https://nordvpn.com/pricing/cybersec-site/
Yes you can use a VPN on a smart TV - just saw that this was a question in one of the replies.
Also, you can turn a 'dumb' TV into a smart TV by using a streaming stick like Roku or Chromecast.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/5-easy-ways-you-can-set-up-a-vpn-on-your-smart-tv/
Thanks, looks like for Apple TV I'd have to get a VPN for my computer (not sure that would work with YTTV) and connect my computer to the Apple TV or my actual tv. I'll look into it some more, but sounds like a complicated hassle (can't use my remote control to watch the games either) that may or may not work.
I've heard that YTTV is really cracking down and often doesn't work with a VPN
Amazon Firestick and a VPN. Or you can always just illegal stream those games.
yes, you would use a mock gps app, set it to somewhere in NJ, open the youtube tv app on your phone, cast from phone to tv
Here are some quick thoughts:
1) VPN's will not work. YTTV will use your phone (GPS) to figure out where you are. You can say you are travelling and get away with it for a while (I use my bro's out of state YTTV occasionally).
2) Look into IPTV providers. I have it to watch out of market NFL games & Michigan (and random) college football games. It usually works great.