In this guide, we will show you how to change DNS settings on your Samsung TV.
If you are looking to unblock more content, then you will need a smart DNS service. A Smart DNS service is a fast, effective, and super-simple way to spoof your location so you appear to be elsewhere. If you haven't already got a Smart DNS we list some services here too.
What is DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is best thought of as the phone book for the internet. It is a directory of domain names that are each assigned a number (IP address).
You use a DNS address every time you visit a URL or click on a search result on Google. It is this address that allows your ISP to connect you to the website.
Ordinarily, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) handles your DNS requests using servers in your own country. This permits the websites you visit to know where you are, and it allows those services to enforce geo-restrictions on you.
This is why you can't watch BBC iPlayer from outside of the UK. The BBC website can see that your DNS is being resolved outside of Britain, and it knows to automatically block you.
How to change DNS settings on your Samsung TV
If you want to unblock TV shows and movies on your Samsung TV, then the first thing that you need to do is to subscribe to a Smart DNS service. Check out our best smart DNS services page for a list of great providers. Having subscribed, you can enter the DNS address manually into your Samsung TV using the remote control.
To ensure that users cannot pass around the DNS address to friends and family, some providers ask users to register their home IP address with its Smart DNS service first.
Once you have registered your IP with the VPN's Smart DNS service, you are ready to follow the steps below to set it up on your TV:
- Log in to your VPN provider's website and locate the Smart DNS address. It will be an IP address that looks like a string of numbers (for example, 192.42.5.44). Make a note of it so that you can enter it into your Samsung TV.
- Turn on your Samsung TV and navigate to Menu > Settings > Network > Network status.
- When the automatic check finishes, click IP Settings.
- Choose DNS setting and select Enter manually.
- Enter the Smart DNS address provided by your VPN.
That is all there is to it! You have now set up a Smart DNS on your Samsung TV, you can start streaming content unavailable in your country. Check out our guide on how to change DNS settings for information about how to do this on other devices.
Please remember that your VPN's Smart DNS service may not work for every single country, so be sure to check with the VPN to find out which countries it unblocks (usually the UK, the US, and a few other places).
What is Smart DNS?
Smart DNS is a service for spoofing your location (pretending to be in a different country). It allows you to leverage a DNS resolver in a foreign country. As a result, you can use your Samsung TV to stream foreign content.
By manually altering the DNS settings in the menu of your Samsung TV to use a VPN's dynamic DNS server (Smart DNS) – you ensure your DNS requests exit in the same location as the content you want to stream. As a result, you can stream on websites and services that are usually blocked.
For more information, check out our what is DNS page.
What are the best smart DNS services for Samsung TVs
If you haven't already got a Smart DNS service, check out the services below:
- ExpressVPN - is the best smart DNS for Smasung TVs. It's fast, really easy to use, and unblocks pretty much everything.
- CyberGhost VPN - is an excellent Smart DNS service. It's easy to use, is able to unblock Netflix and it's great value for money.
- Surfshark - is the cheapest smart DNS service on our list. It's great for streaming and has a 30-day money back guarantee.
- StrongVPN - is a great smart DNS service that allows users to use it on an unlimited number of devices at once.
- CactusVPN - is a solid all round smart DNS service that is easy to use.
What are the advantages of changing DNS on your Samsung Smart TV?
As soon as you update your TV's DNS settings, you will gain access to online services that are usually geo-restricted where you live. As a result, you will be able to stream TV channels such as:
- ABC Go
- Amazon Prime
- Disney Plus
- Fox Now
- Fox Sports Go
- Fox News
- Showtime
- HBO Now
- BBC
- ITV
- Channel 4
- Netflix (regional content and originals)
Remember that your VPN may only provide access to content from certain regions. So be sure to check with the VPN provider to ensure that it can unblock the TV and streaming services you are interested in.
What Smart DNS services are good for Samsung TVs?
In 2024, standalone Smart DNS services are a rip-off. Therefore, it is much better to get a VPN subscription. By subscribing to a VPN, you can unblock content on your Samsung TV while also getting full use of the VPN with the following benefits:
- Gain complete privacy on all of your devices (desktop, laptops, smartphones, tablets, routers).
- Enable a full VPN tunnel to spoof the location of computers and mobile devices (to access foreign websites and services on those devices).
- Connect to public Wi-Fi without fear of hackers or tracking.
- Bypass websites blocked at work, in school, or on public Wi-Fi.
- Download torrents without being tracked by your ISP.
- Use the internet without being tracked by the government.
- Bypass any online censorship imposed by the government.
- Access websites and content from back home when you are on holiday.
The best Smart DNS service available on the market is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN's Smart DNS service can unblock US and UK services, which makes it an extremely useful and versatile service to use on your Samsung TV. To find out more about Express, you can read our full ExpressVPN review. Alternatively, click the button below to visit ExpressVPN's website.
What is the difference between Smart DNS and VPN?
A few years ago, many internet users would get a subscription with a standalone Smart DNS service. This allowed those users to pick from a bunch of DNS servers located around the world.
These Smart DNS services were extremely popular because they allowed consumers to spoof their location elsewhere to stream foreign, geo-restricted content.
In 2024, the vast majority of people have given up using stand-alone Smart DNS services in favor of VPNs. This is because the cost of a VPN is equal to what people used to pay for Smart DNS – but a VPN gives you many more features and versatility.
Like a Smart DNS service, a VPN allows you to spoof your location. However, it also encrypts your data to ensure that your local network administrator or ISP can no longer monitor what you do online. It is this extra layer of encryption that makes a VPN much better than a Smart DNS service.
When you use a VPN nobody can tell what you are doing online.
The good news is that VPN services understand that setting up a VPN with smart TV can be a bit of a headache. To allow their subscribers to get the most out of their VPN subscription, some of those services throw in a Smart DNS service for free!
As a result, their subscribers get the use of a VPN and a Smart DNS service for the same price. With these kinds of VPNs available on the market, there really is no wonder that stand-alone Smart DNS services have gone out of business.
The best VPNs for Samsung TVs
VPN services will allow users to unblock content and improve online privacy on any device. Check out our Samsung TV VPNs page for a list of the best services or head over to our guide on how to set up a VPN on Samsung TV.
How else can I unblock content on my Samsung TV?
Smart DNS is by far the easiest way to unblock more content on a Samsung TV. However, it is not the only way. You can also use a VPN to pretend to be in a different country.
The benefit of a VPN is that you also gain complete privacy, which makes it a more secure way to unblock regional content. You will also get granular control over where you choose to connect, which will allow you to unlock even more content.
Unfortunately, you cannot install VPN software directly onto a Samsung TV. Instead, you will need to connect your TV to a computer using an ethernet cable. This will allow you to share the VPN connection from the computer to your TV.
Alternatively, you can set up the VPN connection directly on your router. By doing this, the VPN will automatically protect (and spoof the location of) all the devices in your home – including your Samsung TV.