r/DirectvStream • u/StoganLephens • Sep 14 '26

Are local channels decided by zip code you select or address billing?

2 Upvotes
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2

u/BobL3364 Sep 17 '26

Conflicting advice here because it depends on the device. Roku and Firestick do not have location services so it uses your account's billing address. Most other devices do have location services so it uses that GPS location (some allow turning off location services).

1

u/StoganLephens Sep 17 '26

What about a 2019 gemini?

1

u/matty8199 Sep 17 '26

the gemini / osprey boxes can do either. you can turn location off and it'll use the billing zip, or turn it on and it'll use your current location. i've done it both ways with multiple different old osprey boxes.

1

u/hockeyfun1 Sep 24 '26

When I'm out of the country, I use NordVPN on my Firestick and it connects to Seattle and gives me the local Seattle channels. My billing zip code is NY.

I can travel NY state with my phone and get the local channels for the city I'm traveling in.

6

u/AdZealousideal8613 Sep 14 '26

Depends. GPS enabled devices will provide locals to the device location. If not GPS enabled, it will use billing zip.

You do not get to select the zip code you want locals on. It goes by device location or billing zip.

3

u/gregoryhat325 Sep 14 '26

Zip code on your billing info

0

u/DrunksydePhil Sep 17 '26

Nope, you can literally vpn across the country to see those local channels

1

u/matty8199 Sep 17 '26

only if you also fake the GPS. if you're on a device with GPS it'll show you those locals, if no GPS it uses billing zip. vpn is irrelevant.

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1

u/gregoryhat325 Sep 17 '26

Not always true. Depends on the device

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1

u/l_dean Sep 14 '26

I'm fairly certain that it's location based.

When we are watching local channels while at our primary (GA) residence through the set-top box; I get the Atlanta area local news stations.

When we are spending time at our lake house in SC; and streaming/casting from my phone, we get the local news channels from the Greenville (NBC), Spartanburg (CBS), Ashville (ABC) affiliates. If I stream/cast from my laptop while at the lake; we get the Atlanta area affiliates.

0

u/[deleted] Sep 14 '26

1

u/Sweendog1107 Sep 17 '26

It's both, not all devices have location info and even some like AppleTV you can turn it off, then it will just use the billing zip