While we regularly talk about the benefits of using a VPN on a smartphone or laptop while traveling, we should not overlook the benefits of using such a solution on a television! Here’s how to enjoy the benefits of a VPN on your smart TV.
When we hear about VPN, or Virtual Private Network, it is often to mention the advantages in terms of secure connection and data confidentiality when surfing the Internet from a public Wi-Fi network, for example. However, you should also know that having a VPN can also be useful at home! This is particularly the case with your television.
In fact, pairing a VPN app with your TV can significantly improve your streaming experience. Using a VPN like Surfshark can help you fake a connection abroadand thus access the catalogs of other countries for many SVOD platforms. You can use it in the same way to enjoy replay services from other countries, or to watch foreign TV channels.
But it can also have other benefits, such as securing your connection or bypassing bandwidth limitations that may exist in some countries. So there are many reasons that can motivate you to install a VPN on your TV!
The first step in installing a VPN on a TV is to subscribe to a recognized service. To do this, you can choose Surfshark, available from 2.19 euros per month. For this price, you get a secure VPN, an ad blocker, and a pop-up blocker. There are two other plans available if you want to enhance your experience, but the cheapest plan may be suitable for use on a TV.
With over 3,200 servers in 100 different countries, Surfshark should allow you to enjoy the full catalogs of many streaming platforms around the world! In addition, the very fast connection speed, up to 10 gigabits per second, ensures a constant flow to avoid cuts in your favorite programs. And all this is done in a completely secure and confidential manner: Surfshark ensures your anonymity at all times.
Surfshark’s apps are available on a wide range of platforms, and for good reason: a single subscription allows you to install the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. This includes iOS and Android smartphones and tablets as well as PCs and Macs, web browsers, televisions and multimedia boxes. So, to use Surfshark on your TV, you have different solutions available to you.
Install Surfshark directly on your TV
If you have a TV that runs on Android, you can directly install the Surfshark app by downloading it via Google Play on your TV. Then, simply open the app, log in with your credentials, and choose the desired server and country. This way, your TV is identified as being connected from that country, and you can enjoy local streaming services.
Install Surfshark via a multimedia box
If your TV is not running Android TV, the solution available to you is to use an external box or stick, to plug into an HDMI input. You can opt for a ChromeCast TV, an Apple TV, an Nvidia Shield or even a Fire TV Stick. However, any multimedia box that runs using Android TV can do the trick. The installation and use process is the same as that detailed above.
Alternative solutions
If these solutions don’t suit you, there are others, which are however intended for more advanced users. You can activate Smart DNS within your Surfshark software on PC, configure the VPN directly on your router, or create a virtual router on a computer with Windows 10 or 11. The Surfshark website details all the steps for these different solutions, which not only allow you to use a VPN on your TV, but also to activate a secure connection on the other devices on your home network.
You now have all the cards in hand to How to Use Surfshark Effectively on Your Smart TV. It’s up to you to choose which method suits you best!