Friday, December 25, 2015

TVpad not working: try various Android apps including vchannel app

TVpad not working: try various Android apps including vchannel app

Since older TVpad models are not working anymore, you can try installing various Android apps that have video on demand content or even live TV. Since these are Android apps, you can try it out on your Android phone or tablet first before buying a simple Android TV Box (cheapest costs around 35 US dollar and around 50 US dollar for a more recent model).

For example, vchannel app is a video on demand app, the source is mostly from various streaming sites. It has HK news video's. latest TV drama and variety shows from Hong Kong, South-Korea, Taiwan and Japan. It is updated quite frequently. 

There are multiple sources of these video's. if one source of a video is not working, you can try another source. There are even Chinese or English subtitles on some video's, for example there are Chinese subtitles on the latest South-Korean TV drama's.

I am currently testing a lot more of these apps (I am quite busy at the moment, because of the holidays). One app has live Chinese TV (from mainland China) and it is working pretty good. Other app is again a video on demand app and has latest video's (TV series and movies) from Hong Kong, Japan and South-Korea.

For more info about this app, see this post: vchannel


Saturday, December 19, 2015

TVpad old models 1,2 and 3 not working anymore starting 1 January 2016 (even after DNS change)

TVpad old models 1,2 and 3 not working anymore starting 1 January 2016 (even after DNS change)

It seems that the old TVpad models 1,2 and 3 are permanently not going to work anymore starting 1 January 2016 after I have talked to the customer service (even after DNS change). At the moment, it already does not work anymore, at least on my TVpad 1 and TVpad2 model.

They want you to upgrade to TVpad4 model for a special price of 169 US Dollar using the MAC number of your old TVpad model, but personally I am not going to upgrade to TVpad4. The risk is just too high at the moment given the lawsuit against TVpad. Who knows how long the TVpad4 will work and are they doing the same to TVpad4 when they introduce TVpad5 or TVpad6.

My plan at the moment is just using an Android Box and a VPN subscription. Personnally, I think that is the future if you want to watch Chinese TV (Cantonese or Mandarin) content, Korean or Japanese TV content (drama's, etc) with Chinese subtitles if you are living overseas. There are Android apps that offers Chinese TV content (live or video on demand), some of these apps you do have to pay and some are free, but these free apps work not so well.

I am not really considering other TV boxes that offers the same kind of function as the TVpad at the moment, because these TV boxes might be the next target. I know there are at least several TV boxes that offers TV channels from Hong Kong and China.

I do consider TV boxes that offers video's on demand content (Chinese, Korean and Japanese TV drama's, movies, variety shows with Chinese subtitles) with region restriction. So, TV boxes that have official license agreements with the content holders. Normally, this means you can't watch these video's if you live outside that country/region. However, with VPN subscription you can bypass that restriction. It is basically the same as with Netflix US. People outside the US are using a VPN subscription or other method to watch TV content from Netflix US. Netflix US has much more TV content compared to Netflix in other countries.

There are numerous TV boxes sold in China that offers these TV content. I think I will buy some of these TV boxes and test them.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of this situation. Are you going to upgrade to TVpad4?

 

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

TVpad VPN subscription the best solution if you are from the US and changing DNS number does not work on your TVpad

TVpad VPN subscription the best solution if you are from the US and changing DNS number does not work on your TVpad

If you are from the US and you have tried all the possible DNS numbers in this post and the earlier mentioned DNS numbers: latest working DNS numbers list, then you should consider a VPN subscription.

It seems for now, VPN subscription is still the best long term solution if you are from the US and you have the TVpad older versions such as TVpad 1,2 or 3. There are many VPN providers out there, but the following VPN providers are on sale at the moment:
- VPN Unlimited Lifetime subscription for only 35,1 US Dollar when you subscribe on the e-mail news letter (10% off) 
Private Internet Access 2 year subscription for 60 US Dollar, 54 US Dollar if you use the 10% discount coupon when subscribing to their news letter (very good VPN provider with decent speeds)

You can also use the 10% discount code MYSTERY (ending 11-12-2015)

These VPN providers mentioned above have worldwide servers (this includes servers in Hong Kong). That means that even if your TVpad is not working anymore in the future, you can still watch TV content/video's from Hong Kong using the paid VPN subscription along with your smartphone, tablet or Android TV Box.

For the latest news situation about TVpad 1, TVpad2 or TVpad3, read this post:
Latest news about TVpad 1,2 or 3 models 

TVpad latest working DNS number list for people from the US in order to play Chinese, Hong Kong, Taiwan live and video on demand apps again

TVpad latest working DNS number list for people from the US in order to play Chinese, Hong Kong, Taiwan live and video on demand apps again

Below, you can see the latest working DNS number list for TVpad users who are from the US. After changing the DNS number, you should be able to watch HK livestreams again. HK video on demand app may still not work after you have changed the DNS number.

101.251.252.252
106.39.38.250
118.102.25.66
61.185.50.66
183.230.118.135
111.47.80.66 27
123.202.230.142
202.64.194.43
203.186.61.73
123.127.108.135
221.7.201.18

If the DNS numbers above does not work on your TVpad, you can try using a DNS number on the following website: DNS servers in China

If a DNS number is working on your TVpad, mention in the comments below your TVpad model and which apps are working again, so TVpad users from the US can use that DNS number.

For the latest news situation about TVpad 1, TVpad2 or TVpad3, read this post:
Latest news about TVpad 1,2 or 3 models 

TVpad 4 36TV app for people from the US (watch Taiwanese TV content)

TVpad 4 36TV app for people from the US (watch Taiwanese TV content again)

If you live in the US and have the TVpad 4 (firmware version 5.054 or below), then installing the 36TV app should allow you to watch Taiwanese TV content again (this 36TV app has live TV and video on demand video's such as drama's. movies, variety shows). These are the steps to follow:

1. Download the 36TV app first here (it's an .zip file): 36TV app zip file
2. Use any program to unzip this zip file (such as free program 7-Zip). After you have extracted the zip file, there are two files inside: batchinstall.banana and 36TV V1.05
3. Copy these two files (batchinstall.banana and 36TV V1.05) to your USB-stick (don't put these files in any folder, just outside).
4. Start your TVpad 4 and connect your USB-stick with the two files inside (batchinstall.banana and 36TV V1.05) with your TVpad 4
5. Now, an install interface should automatically appear. Click on "install" to install the app.
6. After you have installed the 36TV app, you should be able to watch Taiwanese TV content again.

WIFI or network settings could be set to "Auto" and it should be working, so I believe you don't need to change the DNS number.