The advent of the internet has changed the way we watch television. No longer are we dependent on our Cable TV for the shows or movies that we can watch. Content is being streamed over the internet on to our devices. We can watch what we want whenever we want it.
Smart TVs are how televisions have evolved to keep up with this changing scenario. With Over-the-top content, you can literally watch anything you want as long as that service offers it. For a Smart TV like Sony Bravia, Netflix, Hulu, WatchESPN, and other such video streaming apps are a given.
You cannot have a Smart TV and not make use of all these great services. Out of all these, the most popular one has to be Netflix. Sony Bravia cannot be considered complete without the Netflix app on and running.
The issue that might crop up in this endeavour is that certain older models might not allow the Sony Bravia Netflix app. This is because Netflix started its services in Australia fairly recently. Older models have been designed with this restriction in place and you might need to find a way around it.
The simplest way to do it would be to subscribe to ExpressVPN. This is a DNS redirecting service that bypasses the geographical restrictions to get you what you want. What you want is the Netflix – Sony Bravia app on your Smart TV. How it does this is quite simple.
Whenever you connect to the internet, your device gets tagged with an ID. This ID, which is a string of numbers, is specific to your device, and also dependent on your location. Known as the IP address, this ID is what is responsible for giving away your location to websites like Netflix.
Once Netflix has your location, it selectively shows you the content that is available in that region. What ExpressVPN does is connects you through its own DNS servers and gives you an American IP address. Because now your Sony Bravia, Netflix, and other selected websites believe that you are in the US, you get all the privileges that Netflix US subscribers get.
It also gets you access to the content available to the American subscribers. This means a whopping 9000+ titles compared to only 1200 or so titles available to Aussie subscribers. For a mere $50 for the annual subscription plan, that is not a bad deal.
To get started on setting this up, you need to first go to the EpressVPN website and register there. This will give you permission to access their DNS servers. The registration process involves filling in a form. You need to select the payment plan you want, which can be annual or monthly.
Once your registration is confirmed, you need to go on to your Smart TV to set it up. In order to get Netflix, Sony Bravia needs some changes in the Network settings. On the Smart TV’s Home page, find Set-up, and select Network set-up under Network.
Select your Network type, which could be wired if you use the Ethernet cable to connect or Wi-Fi in case of wireless. Select Custom settings and manually enter the DNS server details from ExpressVPN under primary and secondary DNS.
In case the changed settings do not work, you might need to go to the ExpressVPN homepage so that you can verify the service status. However, if it has been set up properly, you should be able to download the Sony Bravia Netflix app.
It is important to note that you will need a subscription to Netflix in order to get its services. Their subscription is easy, and you even get a free one month trial. Once you have a working Netflix account, you need to log in to the Netflix-Sony Bravia app. Just enter your login details and password to enjoy content that the rest of the world enjoys!