I can't watch anything on the Roku Channel

VPN
1

At first I thought that my account had some sort of parental control on (I am the sole owner, I am an adult, and I have not activated any parental control, btw), but literally nothing will play, no forever free programs, free trials, live channels, Roku originals, nothing.

Maybe most of the Roku Channel is geolocked (I am in Latin America), because no free movie or show will play regardless of rating? But that would mean the entire channel is geolocked for some reason. I click on what I want to watch, the screen goes black for a few seconds, and then goes back to the previous screen.

I just want to watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents :cry:

2

There was a thread about this yesterday, apparently some DNS shenanigans going on. I turned off my VPN and the Roku channel came right back. I’m going to switch exit points to see if that helps.

3

I just want to watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents :cry:

Try Tubi. It has the first season.

4

Confirmed. I turned my VPN back on and lost the Roku Channel. Turned it back off, didn’t even reboot the TV, Roku Channel came back. I hope they fix this soon; I’d rather have a VPN than the Roku Channel.

5

I am not using a VPN, though. I don’t know what’s happening, but I hope they fix it soon.

6

can’t watch anything on Tubi either :skull:

it gives me Error RO-2-100-451

7

Detecting that you (the user) is on a VPN is fairly easy. A lot of contracts in the entertainment industry are linked to a “market”, so allowing people in another market to use the service would be a breach of contract. Many people who are playing TV through a VPN are outside the US. Roku’s content is mostly (entirely?) licensed from somewhere else, which probably stipulate for use in North America.

My guess is that VPN access points are being blocked because contracts requires it, so as to verify you are playing the content from US.

8

So, both the Roku Channel and Tubi are not working.

https://cybernews.com/how-to-use-vpn/bypass-vpn-blocks/

9

So why now? I’m using a US access point from inside the US, not that they can tell. Just seems that they suddenly noticed after four years?

10

I do not have a VPN, though. I think that in my country we just don’t have fixed IP addresses and that reads to Roku as if I’m on a VPN. It really sucks :frowning:

11

Using a US access point - as a VPN?

There is no way to tell where you really are when you are on a VPN, just that you are on a VPN, and for that reason you are now a “suspicious user”.

Why now? No idea. Maybe there is an update to the contract with the content providers.