Cable Providers comply with BCJ Cable Channel Removal - How to install a VPN to Stream American Cable Channels on your Roku

It's been a rough summer for many parents without Cable. This as they've had nothing to keep them entertained while they're in the house.

This is thanks to the BCJ (Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica) Cable Channel removal of nineteen (19) channels from some forty nine (49) Cable Providers as reported in April 2015 in my blog article entitled “49 Cable Providers told by @BCJamaica to remove 19 Cable Channels - VPN Streaming of Netflix and illegal DVD's as @FLOWja is expensive”.

So far, the Cable operators have been compliant, removing the nineteen (19) Cable Channels in order to beat the Monday August 31st 2015 deadline as reported in the article “BCJ Says Cable Operators Complying With Order To Remove Channels”, Published Monday August 31, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The reasons why they got this extension are clearly laid out in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Cable Providers get 3 month Extension – How to win General Election 2017 and Why OPM can overrule @BCJamaica for Procedural Error”; bullying isn't the way Jamaica works and the BCJ knows it, hence the extension.

The Nineteen Cable channels that have now been removed are as follows:

1.      Encore Black

2.      Encore Family

3.      Encore Love

4.      Encore Suspense

5.      Encore WAM

6.      Encore Classic

7.      Encore Drama

8.      Encore Mystery

9.      Encore Movie Plex

10.  The Movie Channel Xtra 4

11.  Showtime East

12.  Showtime West

13.  Showtime TOO

14.  Showtime 2

15.  Showtime Showcase

16.  Starz Comedy

17.  Starz West

18.  Starz Kids & Family

19.  Starz Multiplex

So no more Game of Thrones on HBO unless your Cable Provider had paid for the service, which means prices have to go up as in the case of FLOW as noted in my blog article entitled “FLOW increases Cable Package prices - 19 channel removal on MNP, LNP Day as Summer of 2015 for Streaming and Downloading”. 

Also I've heard nothing about the Caribbean-led initiative by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to get CARICOM involved in the trade dispute with Intellectual Property rights owners of the pirated programs and channels as I’d reported in my Geezam blog article entitled “HBO back on Cable as Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica regulates”.

So now that they're removed, what's next?

Cable Providers deadline remove Cable Channels - How to Stream American Cable Channels on your Roku

Well for those few lucky Jamaicans with Broadband Internet at their homes, they can use either a Proxy Server or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) as explained in my blog article entitled “Surfing the Internet Anonymously using VPN - How to use Streaming Set Top Boxes over VPN”.

VPN, basically logging into an ISP (Internet Service Provider) in another country, is preferred and installing the setting in your computer or Wi-Fi Router is very straightforward as explained in my blog article entitled “How to find Free TV online and how to Stream from Hulu or Netflix in Jamaica - Jamaican Pirate of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides Streaming Restricted US Content”.

I’ll give you a quick update on VPNs listed, tested and vetted in the article “Five Best VPN Service Providers”, published 3/23/14 by Alan Henry, LifeHacker and “Here are the best VPN services you can get”, published September 19, 2014 By Digital Trends Staff, Digitaltrends that are suitable for Streaming:

1.      BlackVPN (US$10.71 monthly, US111.63 yearly)

2.      Buffered (US$9.99 monthly, US$120.00 yearly)

3.      Cyberghost (US$6.99 monthly, US$69.96 annually)

4.      ExpressVPN (US$8.32 monthly, US$99.95 yearly)

5.      IPVanish VPN (US$6.49 monthly, US$77.99 annually)

6.      Norton Hotspot Privacy (US$20 monthly, US$60 annually)

7.      Private Internet Access (US$7 monthly, US$40 annually)

8.      TorGuard   (US$9.99 monthly, US$59.99 annually)

9.      VyprVPN (US$9.99 monthly, US$80.04 annually)

So with all those VPN’s I’ve got you covered!

How to install a VPN – Roku Streaming made easy for Jamaicans

The instructions for installing a VPN are as detailed in the article “How to set up a VPN to speed up Netflix and bypass regional restrictions”, published August 3, 2014 By Rick Stella, Digitaltrends and are condensed below, being as it's basically the same for all VPN.

1.      Find your IP address using http://whatismyipaddress.com.

2.      Click on your computer’s Start menu

3.      Navigate to its Control Panel

4.      Select Network and Internet and then Network and Sharing Center

5.      Click Setup a new connection or network

6.      Choose Connect to a workplace.

7.      Select Use my Internet connection (VPN) to begin creating the VPN server.

8.      Locate your VPN IP address from the VPN Service

9.      Input your VPN IP address in the required field

10.  Input your username and password in to the correct boxes

11.  Click Connect

The VPN connection setup will start and attempts to connect to the VPN Server. You can check to see if you’re IP Address online has changed by using an IP Lookup service:

1.      Whats My IP address

2.      IP Location

3.      IP Tracker

Once installed they can use it to do everything from working online to streaming channels from Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu on their Roku Streaming Set Top Box or Stick.

Roku is still leading the pack in terms of the most popular Streaming device according to a recent Parks Associates as per my analysis in my blog article entitled “Parks Associates says Apple now 4th in Streaming - Why Amazon, Google and Roku update Hardware beating Apple TV”.

So I'll forgive you if you're still using a Roku Streaming device instead of one of the other Streaming Set Top Box or Sticks from Amazon, Google or Apple.

Cable Providers Chanel Removal Bright side – Genesis of Streaming in Jamaica

Good to note some News Websites allows you to stream their News for Free both on their websites as well as on YouTube as noted in my blog article entitled “YouTube and the Lyrics Videos Trend - How Lyrics Videos ride the Streaming Trend as Musicians Cash in on Sing-Along Craze”.

CBS All Access Live in US of A costs US$5.99 per month since October 2014 as noted in my blog article entitled “US$5.99 CBS All Access Live in US of A - How HBO Streaming by 2015 will beat Netflix as Jamaican Local TV and Radio Stations unprepared for Digicel and LIME TV”.

A lot of American Cable Providers allow you to stream their News free from their website or form their YouTube Channels, albeit this is not live news:

1.      ABC Live

2.      CBS All Access

3.      CBSN

4.      NBC Live

5.      1Spotmedia

6.      CVM TV Live

For local channel Television Jamaica you can watch1Spotmedia, which only requires free membership to join if you a Jamaica or a US$9.99 monthly fee as noted in my blog article entitled “@televisionjam throws up a Paywall - 1,000,000 Views at US$9.99 per month makes website profitable protecting Content”.

The loss of Cable channels must be seen as an opportunity to embrace Streaming and make more efficient use of your Internet bandwidth in your home. Instead of just being used for Social Media, your broadband Internet can also be used to Stream all the Video and Audio Content you'll ever need to watch.

The removal of Cable TV Channels really marks the start of Streaming in Jamaica!