Netflix outside of the US

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gbwelly

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Netflix outside of the US

#1

Post by gbwelly » Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:20 am

Ok, no-one was able to help me with getting Netflix to install on my NZ media center.
After a lot of work this is the formula I used.

I believe if you are lucky enough to have online guide data available this may not work for you. If someone ends up trying this it would be good to know if they can keep their online guide data provider.
I use EPG collector to gather EIT guide data and Big Screen EPG to import, therefore registry settings relating to post code don't matter to me.
Ok:
Configure windows Regional/Location/Locale/Language settings to US. You can use your existing timezone thankfully as otherwise the guide would be stuffed.
I next used mceBackup to backup my scheduled recordings.
The Netflix tile will appear only after executing mcupdate.exe -MediaCenterRecoveryTask
Once this is done launch media center and pick the express option. Close media ceter and you will see ehshell.exe continue runing for a while. This is when the Netflix tile is installed.
This doesn't require a US based IP or VPN at this point. The internet is awash with postings about DNS servers being responsible for the Netflix tile not installing. I actually think that issue is solved as I can reliably get the tile to appear.
Run your TV setup wizard and be honest about your post code.
After completing the TV setup wizard, go into the registry and set these keys:

MCE.GlobalSettings\systemGeoID 244 (dec)
MCE.GlobalSettings\systemGeoISO US
ProgramGuide\strCountryCode US
ProgramGuide\srtLocation 19898

Entering your location and postcode in the TV wizard changes these keys to eg NZ, 6021 etc. If you leave them like this the Netflix tile disappears.
If like me you have to merge DVB-T and Analog channels with guide data imported from BSEPG do so now.
Use mceBackup to restore scheduled recordings

Configure a PPTP or L2TP vpn to the US. Configure the connection to remember password, don't show progress, redial after 1 second
Configure a scheduled task to execute rasphone -d "vpn dialup connection name here"
Configure two triggers for the task, "At Logon" and Windows event PowerTroubleshooter event ID 1 if you machine is allowed to sleep.
Install Silverlight
Delete C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\PlayReady\mspr.hds
Bring up the VPN tunnel and visit www.netflix.com
Subscribe using a postcode of a state without sales tax eg 19898
Test video works in the browser.
Fire up netflix in media center, it will install first time it's run
Configure your login information and you are done!

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dhandd

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#2

Post by dhandd » Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:22 am

Just a couple questions before I try this - I've got a similar setup to yours.

1) For the Netflix tile to install, it sounds like you're saying all I need to do is change the language setting to US then run mcupdate.exe to clean the mce db files. Is that (plus the following steps) all there is to it? I.e. there is nothing else that needs to be installed from Netflix?

2) I've already setup an unblock service. It all plays nicely with nf in a browser. Do I need to worry about setting up the scheduled task?

Thanks

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gbwelly

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#3

Post by gbwelly » Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:43 am

1) Change everything except the timezone to US. ie, location, locale, language. After changing these setting and rebooting, go to the Administrative tab for Region and Language control panel applet, and use the copy settings option to copy to welcome screen and new accounts. Any Netflix on media center install files you find on the internet are related to Vista Media Center, or if they are for 7MC they actually break the 'first run install' routine which triggers when you launch Netflix from media center. Just let the install happen when you launch Netflix in media center for the first time.

2) You wont need to create the scheduled task or vpn dial up connection. If you are using unblock US for example you will need to change the dns servers on the media center. You wont need to delete mspr.hds if you can use Netflix in a browser on the media center. If it errors with a message about your date or time delete the mspr.hds file.

David1987

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#4

Post by David1987 » Sun May 05, 2013 11:22 pm

You should try UnoTelly http://www.unotelly.com/unodns/
its fast and cheap.

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#5

Post by MrNorth » Sat May 18, 2013 9:53 am

Hi!

A while back we got Netflix in Sweden, and since my family and I are heavy users on windows media center, i wanted this app to work even here. But now I have spent several hours googling and found lots of *old* forum posts that some are saying it is possible to enable outside uS; some say it won't work etc etc.

So, since we have a fully working media center setup, I don't want to spend hours messing something up that works, if I can't get netflix to work, so my question to you guys is: It is possible to run netflix in W/MC outside US? Yes or No? I know that MS disabled Internet TV last year and I am not interested in that, I just don't want to have to buy an xbox, abbletv or whatever just to continue using media center!!!!! It is so freaking annoying that MS just can't enable Netflix for all countries that have Netflix. Its just a freaking client!!! All the rights to movies etc are controlled on my user account!

Sorry for ranting, but everyone here are quite mad about this, and I ahve read that the Canadians have waited for several years for this. That is why I ask, is there an definitive answer to IF and HOW to enable netflix client in W7MC? I am a seasoned WMC user and software developer and I don't mind doing a little hacking. And we use 3rd party software to update the guide listings... so that wont be a problem.

kind regards
Henrik

[Moderator note: topic merged]

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holidayboy

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#6

Post by holidayboy » Sat May 18, 2013 1:51 pm

I know that name! Welcome :)

This is quite a recent thread:

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... it=netflix

If I didn't use MS guide data then I'd try it out.
Rob.

TGB.tv - the one stop shop for the more discerning Media Center user.

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#7

Post by MrNorth » Sun May 19, 2013 11:04 am

Hi!

I am curious, do I really need vpn to the US to accomplish this? I mean, in Sweden we have Netflix (just with different movies than US) and I already have an account where I happily pay every month. All I need is a client for WMC. What do I need the US IP number for? Only for registering? It would be really amazing if the WMC client was the ONLY client that prevented users to log into netflix based on their IP. Someone should know this for sure? I read a few post by Mike Hayton from 2011 and not even he was 100% sure exactly how the netflix plugin worked... strange.

Also, do I need to set up live tv to get netflix to work? I want to try this on a test pc without a tv tuner card.

I will do some testing, and let you know of the results. I really don't want to set up a vpn to the US that cost money when I already have a perfectly legal and payed account with netflix here in Sweden.

One issue though, I read that netflix will abandon Silverlight, I wonder what happens to the WMC plugin if that happens... it will probably be discarded and thrown in the trash just like WMC has been. It is STILL the best media center client I have tried. A friend recommended XBMC with the Frodo tv setup, I spent 3 hours to get the darned thing to work, then I gave up. WMC is still no 1!

/Henrik

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#8

Post by MrNorth » Sun May 19, 2013 3:45 pm

Hi again!

Ok, I managed to get the netflix icon to appear, and I could log on, but when it tries to load the list I get a problem" unable to retrieve data, check internet connection"

This is so totally annoying. I spent 2 hours googling this issue and tried every possible fix I could find.

* reinstall the plugin

* tried US dns server

* removed playready file

* removed auth token i registry for netflix

*removed cookies, settings etc in IE8 browser

Anyone has any idea on whats the problem? Is it supposed to work or what? Are there any logs produced so I can see what the *actual* problem is? I tried netflix in the browser and of course it worked fine! Any and all advice into troubleshooting this is greatly appreciated!!

/Henrik

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#9

Post by MrNorth » Sun May 19, 2013 8:51 pm

Ok, its almost midnight and I have sorted the whole thing out.

It turns out that for reasons unknown Microsft/Netflix checks the IP of the client that uses the WMC plugin, and if you are not in the US (doesn't matter if you are a subscriber or not) it will show the "connection failed" message. To get it working, I signed up for a 8 day free trial of unotelly and lo and behold, netflix started working in WMC. It will be funny to see if it messes up something with the guide, hopefully not.

This is beyond belief, if you ask me after having spent an entired day with this crap! MS really do their very best to killing of every bit of what was once such a great product. It is very hard to be "legal" if you ask me... you need like 2-4 set top boxes to subscribe to various services just to be able to PAY for the movies you are interested in. Hello, I ahve money, I want to watch your movies, please let me do so without having to resort to 2nd rate set top boxes. If I use the AppleTV, let me use it, if I use a Samsung SMART TV let me use it, if I use WMC, let me use it.

For us the biggest issues was that we really like the live-tv part of WMC. It is extremly easy to use, and since both me and my wife travel lots, and it is almost impossible to stream stuff here in sweden without having to pay every single channel around 515 USD/month we want to use a rather cheap DVB-T card to get 37 channels for like 25 USD/month. And it integrates great with WMC. But what to do with netflix? I guess I have to buy an xbox just for that? No way!

We will test netflix like this for a couple of days, and see what happens. If it works, we will subscribe for a one year subscription to unotelly.

One thing though, we can't enable subtitles since it is a MUST have since netiher me nor my wife are native english speakers. I read some postss about running another client with subtitles for more than 5 minutes, and then switch to WMC. It doesn't seem to work. I launched IE9, logged in to netflix, picked a movie, let it run for 10 minutes then closed the browser, started WMC, started netflix and started another movie. No subtitles.
I can't find this option ANYWHERE in the netflix preferences which is kinda dumb, speacially if you are having hearing problems and have to enable subtitles for every single movie you watch. It would be very easy to add a default setting for subtitles, strange that netflix haven't.

Any ideas guys?
/H

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#10

Post by holidayboy » Sun May 19, 2013 8:57 pm

I don't have anything to add that will be of any use, thanks for updating the thread though.

If I ever go 100% 3rd party EPG then I'll be trying to get Netflix in MC working so it's good to see that it's possible at least.

I hope you manage to get subs working....
Rob.

TGB.tv - the one stop shop for the more discerning Media Center user.

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#11

Post by MrNorth » Mon May 20, 2013 6:39 am

holidayboy wrote:I don't have anything to add that will be of any use, thanks for updating the thread though.

If I ever go 100% 3rd party EPG then I'll be trying to get Netflix in MC working so it's good to see that it's possible at least.

I hope you manage to get subs working....
Hey!

It should be possible to use the existing built in EPG mechanism and Netflix, it should just be a matter of creating a scheduled task that first set the registry values to the country and zip code used to fetch data, then run mcupdate to get new epg data, then set country and zip back to US so netflix don't disappear. I haven't actually tried this, but I will on a test pc when I get home today.

Do you have native netflix WMC app in the UK or do you have to "cheat it in" like I have?

Subtitles are surely an annoying thing, and is a must have. Lots of people have reported that sometimes it magically appeared but for most it is a matter of just running the (US) netflix app in the browser with subtitles enabled, then for some reason it will magically appear in WMC. I have no idea how and why if it is stored in the netflix profile, or if it is just a cookie or something on the client. Anyone that knows? If we can't get this working, I have to resort to the old solution of running netflix in xbox (and pay the hurting Gold membership) and use the xbox as an extender.

cheers
Henrik

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