Nowadays the available media content is becoming so enormous, that rounding up your favorites has become a hassle. People usually watch three to five TV series on Netflix, follow people on YouTube, stream the HD version of popular blockbuster and so on. Just the sheer amount of sites you need to visit per day is a chore, not to mention that keeping track of your favorites can be confusing sometimes. But fear not, as the next generation media platform has arrived. Stremio is an elegant alternative to any media center, as it ties together Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and even Popcorn Time.
So what is Stremio good for? In short: for everything. It’s a multiplatform app that manages all aspect of videos. And we mean ALL of them. You not only see the catalog of videos, but it only takes a single click to start streaming it. You also have access to a library full of recommendations and trending videos. There is even a calendar that marks the launch of the newest episode of your favorite series. This is coupled with an energetic and easy to comprehend design that augments the catalog with thumbnails and background images.
So far so good, but what makes Stremio special? The add-on system. The service is a melting pot for community-made add-ons that allow you to connect any video sharing site. Do you wish to access Netflix, Hulu, YouTube or Vimeo from one place? All you have to do is choose their add-on from Stremio’s roster. You can even display the newest videos of your preferred YouTube channels in a separate tab. This process is more than simple, and you don’t need to be a tech-guru to accomplish it. And the best thing: Stremio is a competent alternative to Popcorn Time. It uses similar technology to stream videos from popular torrent sites, and plays it on your device. All in all, Stremio deserves the praise for bringing together all possible media sources under one roof.
Whether or not you want to turn Stremio into a Popcorn Time Version 2, is entirely up to you. Officially, the service doesn’t function as a torrenting platform, and doesn’t encourage people to do so. It starts up as blank page, and you get to choose the add-ons you want to use. Although the popular torrent add-on does exist, resorting to it is entirely optional. For those who go the extra mile and stream copyrighted material on Stremio: we advise to use a VPN as a means for protection. Because torrenting is considered to be illegal, you must be really careful about exposing your identity. Even Stremio itself claims that relying on third party add-ons is your responsibility.
A Virtual Private Network serves a double purpose. First and foremost, it hides your IP and encrypts your connection by leading your data transfer through a VPN server. This prevents all kinds of privacy leaks, not to mention they cannot trace back to the source. Second, VPNs are useful when you want to bypass regional restrictions. You are able to disguise yourself as a citizen of a foreign country by connecting to a server at the given location. This isn’t related to using a torrent, instead of bypassing the sometimes meaningless content blocks you encounter.
A common trait between Stremio and most big-name VPNs is that they support a wide array of devices. Stremio is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and most smart TVs. VPNs add smartphones to the list, because accessing public Wi-Fi is more dangerous than you would think. With that said, make sure your VPN service covers more than one device.
In case you want to enjoy the movies on Stremio without breaking the law, but the pesky regional blocks still bother you, then consider deploying smart DNS. Just like humans, computers are also identified thanks to their Domain Name Servers. Authentication protocols can easily judge your identity just by taking a sample of your transmitted data. But a smart DNS service steps in, and modifies parts of your data by enrouting it through their servers. But unlike VPN, it doesn’t encrypt it, which means your streaming speed won’t be reduced. This is especially handy when you are watching movies. But don’t forget that the high speed comes at the cost of your security, and not just pirating could endanger you; sometimes-buggy applications could cause privacy leaking too. The best option would be to seek out VPN providers like ibVPN or PureVPN that have implemented a smart DNS feature into their service.
Finding the perfect VPN isn’t easy. To help you in your research, we’ve listed four possible candidates for you to be used with Stremio.
IPVanish made a strong entrance as a VPN service provider in 2012, long before VPNs became so common, and it’s been further improving its service ever since. Fundamentally, this solution specializes in providing customers with secure and encrypted internet connections across all devices.
Offering customers an impressive 2,200 servers worldwide to choose from, IPVanish is both comprehensive and reliable. It’s also one of the few VPN providers that manage a big portion of its infrastructure in-house, owning 80% of its servers and only using self-developed software for its service. This reduces the company’s reliance on third parties, making it an even more trustworthy option.
As one of the strongest VPNs on the market, IPVanish also boasts a vast range of features that not only provide faster speeds but also permit a custom encryption level and all other elements of a VPN connection. With prices starting as low as $2.99 per month, users certainly get a lot for their money.
PureVPN has more than 6,000 servers worldwide with reliable, secire, and uninterrupted connections, compatibility with over 50 devices, and excellent customer service.
Prices start as low as $2.11 per month for the VPN, and those willing to pay a little more can get their hands on a password manager, file encryption, and personal privacy manager – all under the same subscription. Plus, with a 7-day free trial, 31-day money-back guarantee, add-ons, and discounts of up to 83%, it would be a mistake not to consider PureVPN as a viable option.
NordVPN has already managed to conquer the market by being one of the most reputable and trustworthy services ever made. Among its vast arsenal of features, the close attention given to security is one of the major highlights, thanks to the presence of an automatic kill switch, protection against DNS leaks, ads and malware, and even double VPN servers.
Speaking of which, these are only some of NordVPN’s special servers that compose a global network filled with unusual locations, P2P countries, support for Onion over VPN, and more. NordVPN has a handful of different subscriptions in the form of simple apps for all kinds of devices and user types.
For as little as $3.99 per month, users can enjoy all the perks of having a secure and high-speed VPN. Plus, a generous refund policy allows you to get your money back if you decide NordVPN isn’t for you during the first 30 days.
VPN.ht is a Canada-based VPN company with a rather specific focus when it comes to unblocking content. By this we mean that this is one of the few VPN services that are optimized for streaming; to be more specific, this “streaming” means the use of Popcorn Time. Of course, you can still use this product just like any regular VPN, but VPN.ht enjoys a symbiotic relationship with Popcorn Time. This means that as a rare addition, all VPN.ht connections can come with a built-in SmartDNS function, allowing you to bypass quite strong online restrictions, beyond the standard unblocking. It is a bold and smart marketing move to plow your sign down next to one house in the city of VPN. Keep in mind though, that VPN.ht does not come with its own Popcorn Time client. Their services should be run next to Popcorn Time’s to provide a layer that both protects your connection and penetrates blocks.
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