Smart DNS ("Smart Play»)
Smart DNS is a technology that allows you to pretend that you are in a different place if a resource is blocked in your current location. This is a great solution for viewing content that is blocked in a particular country.
According to NordVPN, users can access more than 150 streaming services using NordVPN SmartPlay. These include Hulu, Amazon Prime, ABC Go, Zattoo, Cartoon Network, Shudder, WeTV.com, Telemundo, VH1, Vevo, TNT drama, Sundance.tv, StarTrek, Spike, PBS, Slacker, NBC Sports, FoodNetwork, DramaFever, Discovery, Crackle, and more.
The implementation of NordVPN Smart DNS is quite unusual. First, an encrypted proxy connection is used. It is not clear what advantage this brings over an unencrypted connection, since Smart DNS is not really needed for security or privacy. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt.
Secondly, it does not require additional configuration. It works in all NordVPN applications, and when you are connected to a VPN server, it decides whether the resource you visit requires additional DNS routing. In practice, this means that you can watch US Netflix even if you are connected to a non-us server.
One of the disadvantages of this solution is That you can't configure NordVPN's Smart DNS to work on devices that can't run a VPN client: for example, a smart TV, a game console, or a Roku.