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Ditching OSN for Netflix and Hulu

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Has anyone here dropped OSN (or any other cable provider) for Netflix and Hulu? I’m currently subscribed to OSN just for the History and Discovery channels but for the first time ever I’m actually considering canceling my subscription. I’ve started spending more time with Netflix and Hulu so don’t see a reason anymore to keep my OSN subscription.

Right now I’m paying around KD12 a month for my OSN subscription which is $40 a month (the Pinoy Plus Extra package). Netflix costs like $8 a month, Hulu is another $8. If you want to be all fancy you can add the Showtime Network to Hulu for another $9. If you want to splurge, you can add HBO GO which is $15. All combined come out to $40. I get a ton of more shows than I do with my OSN subscription and I can watch them whenever I want, from wherever I want.

For those of you wondering how to get Netflix, Hulu and the rest working in Kuwait it’s easy. Previously I’ve recommended using a VPN but unless you had a very fast connection and a decent VPN service, there would be a lot of slowdown. Now I’d recommend using a smart DNS service. It’s cheaper than VPN, faster and it’s really easy to setup. I tried three different DNS services but ended up going with SmartDNSproxy.com.

Have you dropped your dish provider?

Update: I just called OSN and cancelled my subscription.
Update2: I’ve dropped StrongVPN and instead started using SmartDNS so updated the post to reflect that.

97 replies on “Ditching OSN for Netflix and Hulu”

Haven’t used cable TV in 5 years! Do you have any tips about how to get a Hulu account from here? They’re not accepting PayPal, or my Kuwaiti or Canadian cards 🙁 If you have a secret method please do share!

ebay gift card. WORKS PERFECTLY for a ton of things, HULU PLUS, Spotify, Netflix, HBO, Showtime, and many other things. For HULU specifically right now you can get the year’s gift card subscription for less than quarter price on ebay. Even if you had a US credit card, eBay will save you money.

If you have an iPhone and you’re purchasing stuff off the US Apple Store then you use the same account to sign in on Apple TV. Then if you launch the Hulu or Netflix app it would ask you to sign in or sign up, u choose sign up. That way both those accounts are connected to your US iTunes account.

Setting up the DNS is fairly easy if you have a wireless router which you most likely do. Log in to your router and under the DNS settings instead of choosing “Get Automatically from ISP” choose enter manually and enter the DNS they give u when u sign up at StrongDNS.

I didn’t like their website and the whole thing looked a bit dodgy. The company behind StrongDNS I’m more familiar with since I’ve been using them for years and so I figured would be more reliable. Also because I’m a strongvpn customer I get 20% on StrongDNS

We got rid of OSN a year ago and just use Apple TV. Felt like we were wasting money to watch one or two channels and a lot of the stuff was the same programming over and over.

You can get plenty of tv with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 iplayers as well. Some good stuff on those. I get a stable connection with SmartDNSProxy.

“If you have an iPhone and you’re purchasing stuff off the US Apple Store then you use the same account to sign in on Apple TV.”

That I don’t have. My apple account is registered in Kuwait, so I can’t buy anything outside of the Kuwait app store.

you dont have to do that.

sign up under a different email address for a us account, using itunes. you wont have to have payment information. you can use a fake us address (which you can find online). google “how to create a us itunes account”, the process is pretty simple and doesnt involve any vpn trickery. i just created one last week.

The only time I used GO for OSN was when watching sports on the iPad.

1. It costs money; as you need an active OSN subscription.
2. It only works if you are in Kuwait (I had my VPN on and it wouldn’t connect).
3. Not all shows/channels are available.
4. It has streaming (buffering) problems.

Best piece of advice is to set up the DNS on the router, then all ur devices will be happy. Also ditch all your devices and buy a fire tv stick. AMAZING performance and caching even when the net is somewhat shitty. Leaps and bounds better than Samsung Smart TV (for which you can change the region) and Roku.

Just bought the Intel compute stick. It does the trick for viewing Netflix and HBO go on the tv. But always had a problem with Hulu blocking access by recognizing I was using a vpn. Will need to try dns since u guys say it works.

Works a hundred times better than VPN, has lower ping, and much higher and more consistent bandwidth for HD fun. However you will still a VPN to signup for your accounts on Hulu, Amazon Prime, SHO, HBO, etc…. and of course for pr0n 😉

Is that because you have a US credit card or have US iTunes account? Even the US iTunes account would have needed a VPN for signing up if all you had is a gift card and not a credit card.

I just realized that iTunes no longer needs a vpn to sign up for a US account. I swear it did a few years back when I first did it.

If you live in an area with decent 4G coverage, you can use your mobile router to stream it.

Below 0.5 MB/sec Netflix won’t connect.

At 1.5 you can browse and start watching shows (with buffering).

At 3 MB you can watch “standard definition” shows (ie, normal TV quality) – this is what you can get with decent 4G coverage and normal DSL.

At 5 MB you can watch HD (720p) videos; but you need a HD subscription. – you can get this if the 4G coverage in your area is good; or with a decent fiber connection.

For UltraHD you need 25MB connection, a proper subscription, a TV that supports it .. and a spare room to rent for me to use your Internet.

For landline connections (DSL/Fiber), 3MB _actual_ is the minimum you would need; because its not like other things won’t be sharing the connection in your house.

Burhan, this question specifically for you ” O’ learned sage”
Can a dodgy DNS service steal your passwords or hack you in any way? I know a dodgy VPN can entirely rape you, but does DNS have as much access to your information?

No, it cannot.

A DNS request transfers no personal information; and it is only done at the beginning (ie, when you first visit a website), and then no longer after that.

There is no personal information sent across a DNS request.

However, they can (if they wanted to) know what websites you are visiting since DNS requests are sent in plain text.

Hello,
Close to 6 months now ditched showtime and set up apple tv for three tvs.
Using unblock-us.com and have the DNS set up on the router so no configuring required on any device.

I don’t feel the need for showtime and im glad i ditched them.

I have subscribed to 4 services: Netflix, Hulu, showtime and hbo now. Together they have all my favorite shows so im all good 🙂

Sidenote: cant wait for the new apple tv

I’m ready to ditch my Showtime sub after they raised the prices a couple months ago. I never actually watch it, and even the wife spends most of her time on Netflix now. For anything not on Netflix, Sickbeard and Couchpotato running on my NAS takes care of it.

I would like to add that Amazon prime video is pretty amazing, especially if you are already a prime member. Also the overall library is much bigger than Netflix, although not all the movies on Amazon are included in the prime subscription, but you can still view them for a small fee.

Hulu Plus now offers an amazing ad-free service for $4 extra per month. Well worth it, and makes viewing in slower internet much better. Also remember to buy your Hulu subscriptions from eBay for deep discounts.

Finally lets all hold hands and say a prayer. Oh god please preserve our undersea cables from hungry sharks, stupid captains, cable thieves, and NSA cable splicers. WE NEED OUR MEDIA. Amen.

Hi Dun, my husband and I are going to be moving to Kuwait from the US in a couple of months. As we currently have an American Amazon Prime account, do you know if we´ll still be able to access it – and all our movies and shows – from Kuwait directly, or will we have to set up a new account on the local version of Prime and lost movies, music… everything?
Thanks a lot!

I haven’t watched OSN in years, only cartoons now for the kids. I watch all of my movies and TV shows online as there are new episodes each week instead of watching shows on OSN that are more than 5 years old. If I want full screen I just hook my laptop to the TV and watch it from there.

I did that EXACTLY about a year go. No regrets. Hope you enjoy your new relaxing lifestyle!

Couple those with Spotify and Soundcloud and you have your entertainment covered. =)

been using Hulu for years but they lately cramped down on VPN services and its getting a pain in the ass, every month i have to jump from vpn to vpn just to evade the blockages.

love my netflix tho! just wish they update it more often.

I also have an OSN subscription which is costing me 38$ approximately with basic channels…Mainly I watch Cricket and on top of it I added WWE Network for 10$ that’s total of 48$.

Apart from south Asian channels (which basically my wife watches more) I don’t have to watch more.

I also am interested in setting up Netflix…I have a Zain 4G Router along with a DSL connection in my building (okay speed).

My question is which Access Point should I consider which can support VPN and as I read in the posts above Smart DNS can be an alternative. So whcih smart DNS do you prefer and how much does it costs.

Can I flash any customized version of OS in my ZAIN 4G router which provides VPN configuration.

P.S. I don’t have Smart TV not digital TV device however I am considering one, any suggestions.

You don’t need to flash any firmware to customize the DNS on your router; simply login to the administration panel and you can set it up from there.

As far as no having a smart tv, well – you’ll need something to watch the shows. Apple TV or Chromecast (which is really cheap) or you can get a Chromebox, a Kindle Fire stick, Xbox, Sony Playstation, etc. etc.

A smart tv will not help because they are region restricted and will not have the native Hulu/Netflix support.

So if you are thinking of just upgrading your TV, that’s great – but don’t buy a smart tv if you think it’ll help with streaming shows.

Although these days, its difficult to find a “dumb” TV easily as most are smart.

I would suggest buy a FullHD TV (avoid the 4K one because there is no 4K content available locally and the majority of the Internet in Kuwait is not upto par to stream 4K). Most TVs will have 3D support (which is nothing to do with Showtime but if you watch the world cup or other sports, they are sometimes broadcast in 3D).

This is a few days late, but just a correction, you can change the region of smart tv. I’ve done it to my Samsung TV and I have that now set for UK so I get on it BBC, ITV, etc… and my Firestick brings me all the american shows. BTW this does not only apply for Samsung TV’s. Consult the net before you buy a TV to make sure its easy to change region and use it as your media player.

thanks Burhan for your heads up.

My TV is kinda half smart and its FULL HD. It has inbuilt RJ45 through which I stream media via my laptop or smartphone. I do have chrome-cast alike device EZCAST as well as play station.

hello, can someone please explain to me in easy steps how to watch netflix or hulu on my tv? btw i already have a strong wifi connection, us iTunes store account, and an apple tv. ( i don’t want to spend more money buying episodes in apple tv is there any possible way i can pay per month o year and watch as many as i can)

Other option if you have a friend in the US. Ask to share their username and password. Use VPN or smartDNS and get HBO or any other channel on your ipad through their apps.

Don’t need to wait for it to come onto Hulu or Netflix. I’ve been watching latest HBO shows for years well before their appearance on Hulu/Netflix.

Thankyou for replying! How can i get the smart dns? (No idea what that means) another question which app os the bes to watch seriest netflex, hulu, etc?

I have been watching Netflix and it has a massive selection. Also you can switch countries and get a completely different selection of shows. UK shows are different from US selection and different from German selection due to licensing agreements.

I use DSL at home and the 4G coverage is not very good where I stay. What minimum speed is required to run the Netflix without breaks?

One final important bit of advice for those using Zain 4G. Contact zain and ask for a ‘public ip’ and never again have to worry about the IP changing every few hours and screwing ur DNS settings. Its a fantastic new feature that’s barely available on any ISP in the world, and its one of the first mobile networks in the world to have that feature.

Hulu and netflix works great with NBK world Mastercard.. subscribed 4 months and no problems with it..

But still the best streaming solution is to get a drobo or mini server and plex !

I’ve been interested in doing something like this for a while, but i travel a lot for work, mainly in the gulf countries, how would that work, can i used the DNS services directly on the ipad or laptop or do the settings have to come from the router?

Hi Mark,

Thanks for providing this fantastic platform to discuss this. I have purchased the strongDNS account as advised by yourself however i am having some difficulties in setting up the DNS on my router. I have the latest Huawei router purchased from Oor***** , i can’t find an option to update the DNS for some reason.

Please help!

Mark! If you got a PS4/PS3 you can subscribe to “Playstation Vue” for 50$ and get full american cable over the internet. Channels like FX, TBS, AMC, Comedy Central and so much more that OSN couldn’t dream of streaming!

I don’t see Netflix app in my PS3 nor in PlayStation Store to download. Can I simply configure Strong DNS in PS3 Network setting to be able to download the Netflix from PlayStation store or do I need to make the changes in the router as well.

P.S. Do I need to change the region in my PlayStation account?

Update:

I am able to download Netflix app on my PS3 after creating the US PSN account. Also able to run Netflix by using strongDNS onto PS3 itself, however I couldn’t find the option to put the DNS into LTE router.

So I did this and imo it’s not really enough to cancel OSN yet…

Netflix: Movie wise this will have you more than covered sure but the series selection, especially for newer stuff is kinda lacking. It seems more for old stuff you haven’t seen in a while than for new shows. So you pretty much have to get Hulu as well if you’re into that.

Hulu is missing HBO shows. Between Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, Last Week Tonight, these are basically the best shows on TV. So of course I would have to get an HBO sub too.

So I’m currently paying for DNS, Netflix, Hulu, HBO. Which is fine, combined it’s still cheaper than OSN.

What’s the problem?

It DESTROYS my internet 🙁 I’m a very heavy internet user and this basically means say… if my wife wants to watch TV, I can’t play online games, download them (Games these days can be 40GB+), or patch software when everything these days needs constant patching and connectivity. If you have a connection like Zain where you have a bandwidth limit, you can blow through hundreds of GB in a couple of days streaming everything. I remember people asking what you need 300 GB for… check your usage after a couple of days of replacing your internet watching with streaming, especially if you’re multiple people in the household.

This is also ignoring the fact that the internet is slow enough that a lot of the time Netflix will default to a crappier quality in order to keep it going,

It’s great if you have no other use for your internet but honestly internet here is so slow and limited I cannot imagine placing my entire trust into the hands of the ISPs I already have loads of issues with. I wouldn’t go ahead and cancel entirely unless you’ve gone through a couple of months of heavy use with no issues.

Also for everyone going through all this effort to trick companies into taking their money legally…

On a laptop use Popcorntime for free, torrent based streaming. You might as well replace all of these with that honestly

Hi Mark,

I am doing the same as I am so fed up with the useless OSN. I got Express VPN and started watching Netflix and Hulu. I came across your post and decided to try stongDNS based on your recommendations so I could get HBO but it’s not working properly. The connection is very slow and I couldn’t figure out how to get HBO. I can’t find the App and when I try iTunes, I can’t pay for it as I don’t have an American credit card.

What did you do exactly to get HBO?

Appreciate your help.

Thank you.

Hi Mark.
Thank you for providing us with your experiences. It realy helps those of us who are new to it.
I however would like to ask, is it considered illegal to use VPN in kuwait?

Is it illegal to use DNS service such as the one you mentioned?

Thanks, awaiting you reply.

Mark – how much did OSN charge you for cancellation? Also (I forgot) is there any deposit which you can claim upon returning the receiver?

Hello… (Nertflix).

I downloaded without any problem Hola as suggested.
I unblock Netflix.
They offer a free month subscription and gave me the option using my VISA to subscribe for any of their options.
Will my VISA be accepted?

After I subscribe ( which I did not yet) what is next?

Bear with me!
Many thanks!!

Are you asking about Hola or Netflix.

Netflix offers free one month subscription and accepts Kuwait credit card…and now no need to use vpn and dns to unblock Netflix unless you want to access US or UK Library.

Hi
I have apple tv connect with us store and i use usblock (apn)
Netflix and hbo work fine but hulu dosent work , i use 4g ooredoo router .
Thanks

Hello Ppl.

Love the above posts, I need your assistance to setup some of the above, I have an HD internet connected satellite receiver with a subscription and I watch a lot of European Channels and it use to have an IPTV too but it has stopped recently beyond renewal after a year of enjoying it .
Could someone step by step guide me how to setup and watch OSN and HBO in a very idiot-proof way.
I do have a 3mb fiber connection with an average download/upload speed of 3Mbps and a ping of 4ms
Appreciating any assistance.
Thanks a Million

Guys,

What’s the best Internet service for the buck in Egaila area? I do lots of Live TV streaming through Kodi…Oreedo 4G+ is not an option since they don’t have such coverage where I live.

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