questions for Canadian Roku users please

[vstar]

are you using a Canadian version or US version (using a US VPN service) please?

which version of Roku are you using please?

How is it for stability please? i have read about many people experiencing frequent lockups even with the current 2015 2 and 3 as recently as feb 2015.

and how limited is the Canadian content if using Canadian version please?

i primarily want it for a c4 controllable netflix player but need it to be stable and extra online streaming content would be a bonus.

thank you

[Cyknight]

I'm using the normal Canadian setup - I've NEVER had it lock up, Roku2. I mean NEVER.

Content is limited no doubt - I'm just getting what I want from it so it's a non-issue for me and can't be bothered to mess with it.

[vstar]

I'm using the normal Canadian setup - I've NEVER had it lock up, Roku2. I mean NEVER.

Content is limited no doubt - I'm just getting what I want from it so it's a non-issue for me and can't be bothered to mess with it.

Thank you very much for the info Cy. is it one of the new 2's or one of the older 2 xs or xd?

if it is one of the new 2 then does it have a hard wired network port? i see mixed specs, on their site it says it does but i saw a demo model in a store last night that had composite video with analog audio and no Ethernet? i don't need any of the 3's extra features so i was just going to get the 2 but i really want hard wired Ethernet. thanks again.

[Cyknight]

I have both an older XD and a newer 2 (2015) - both have network ports

[vstar]

I have both an older XD and a newer 2 (2015) - both have network ports

sounds good, thank you very much again Cy, off to bestbuy after work to pick one up then.

if you wouldn't mind confirming two last things please, i assume you are using the EV 8 driver? and if i am reading it correctly it will allow full control of the device and navigation of netflix etc and i will be able to file away the factory remote correct? 

[Cyknight]

Yep using the EV driver. Have never toughed the remotes (well other than messing with angry birds and the gyroscope ability on the XD for a bit in the beginning).

[vstar]

perfect. thank you very much.

[rosenqui]

I've got 3 Rokus, all bought in Canada, but all using Unblock-US to get Hulu Plus, VUDU, etc.

 

Two Roku 3s are controlled via my C4 setup using IP. The other is in the basement for use with a spare TV and rarely gets fired up.

 

The only thing that's bugging me is something that isn't completely the Roku's fault. Despite the options recently added to the Roku audio settings for limiting digital audio output to DD vs. DD+, that doesn't stop the Netflix app from sending DD+. I have a couple of Sonos Playbars and they can't handle anything above Dolby Digital 5.1, so I have to switch to stereo output for a lot of Netflix content.

 

Someday when I have an afternoon to kill I'm going to try creating a custom EDID file for my Binary B-500 8x8 matrix that has video formats up to 1080p/60 but limits the audio to stereo & DD5.1. The canned EDID options in the B-500 config tool don't have anything in between 2ch and full 7.1ch audio formats.

 

It's too bad the Playbar maxes out at DD5.1, but (according to Sonos) that's a limitation of the TOSlink bandwidth.

[vstar]

I've got 3 Rokus, all bought in Canada, but all using Unblock-US to get Hulu Plus, VUDU, etc.

 

Two Roku 3s are controlled via my C4 setup using IP. The other is in the basement for use with a spare TV and rarely gets fired up.

 

The only thing that's bugging me is something that isn't completely the Roku's fault. Despite the options recently added to the Roku audio settings for limiting digital audio output to DD vs. DD+, that doesn't stop the Netflix app from sending DD+. I have a couple of Sonos Playbars and they can't handle anything above Dolby Digital 5.1, so I have to switch to stereo output for a lot of Netflix content.

 

Someday when I have an afternoon to kill I'm going to try creating a custom EDID file for my Binary B-500 8x8 matrix that has video formats up to 1080p/60 but limits the audio to stereo & DD5.1. The canned EDID options in the B-500 config tool don't have anything in between 2ch and full 7.1ch audio formats.

 

It's too bad the Playbar maxes out at DD5.1, but (according to Sonos) that's a limitation of the TOSlink bandwidth.

thanks for the input rosenqui, if you don't mind me asking please when you created your roku account did you do it using the unblock-us and created a US roku account or did you create a Canadian roku account then use unblock to open up content?

interesting on the audio issue, thanks for the heads up.

nice matrix switch BTW, hopefully some day i will have room in my budget for one, there always seem to be other priorities though so i just make do with what i have for the time being.

nice to meet another Ottawanian on the forum 

[Ramorous]

Roku 3, the problem you may encounter with US DNS service is that the Roku uses its own DNS. If you Google how to circumvent roku DNs you'll find some great articles for it.

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk

[vstar]

Roku 3, the problem you may encounter with US DNS service is that the Roku uses its own DNS. If you Google how to circumvent roku DNs you'll find some great articles for it.

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk

thanks for the tip.

[rosenqui]

thanks for the input rosenqui, if you don't mind me asking please when you created your roku account did you do it using the unblock-us and created a US roku account or did you create a Canadian roku account then use unblock to open up content?

I used Unblock-US and created a US Roku account. Without that you don't get to see the Roku channels (= apps) that are only available in the US such as Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, VUDU, etc.

 

If you only care about Netflix, MLB, NHL, and apps that are available in Canada then you can get by with a Canadian Roku account - it only affects the selection of apps.

 

 

On the DNS issue, Roku doesn't allow you to manually assign DNS servers, so for a service like Unblock-US that requires you to use their DNS, it has to get them via DHCP. That means changing the DNS addresses your home router gives out. If you don't mind having your entire home network use Unblock US then it's a simple config change. I only wanted to use Unblock-US from devices that need to stream video and stick with my ISPs DNS for the rest, so I use some extra config settings on my router for that. My router is running custom firmware called Tomato and uses dnsmasq for DHCP and DNS. Options like these in the dnsmasq custom config let me limit the Unblock-US DNS to a subset of the home network:

dhcp-range=unblockus,192.168.1.32,192.168.1.149,1440mdhcp-option=net:unblockus,option:dns-server,208.122.23.22,208.122.23.23,184.106.242.193

The effect of those is that all machines from .32 to .149 will get Unblock US DNS. Everything else will get the default (ISP) DNS servers. I use static DHCP assignments to control which ones do/don't get Unblock-US - something you need anyway if the Roku will be controlled by C4 using IP commands.

 

One other thing you need for Roku+Unblock-US is a way to stop the Netflix app from using the hardcoded Google DNS addresses. Unblock-US has lots of router-specific info on ways around that (the Playstation3 Netflix app and Chromecast need it too) but since I've got full access to iptables on the router I can do this in the Administration / Scripts / Firewall section:

# Put devices that need redirection of 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 to unblock-us in .80-87 rangeiptables -t nat -I PREROUTING -s 192.168.1.80/29 -p udp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to 208.122.23.23iptables -t nat -I PREROUTING -s 192.168.1.80/29 -p tcp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to 208.122.23.22

That sends ALL DNS (port 53) traffic for machines in the .80-.87 range to Unblock US, so I make sure the Roku/PS3/CCast are given IPs in that range.

 

[vstar]

thanks for all the useful and technical info rosenqui, greatly appreciated.