Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #162

Hi, everyone !!



Firstly, for anyone who read my previous "Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #161" post from last week, I would like to point out that the latest Roku software update to "Version 7.1.0" has since been rolled-out (again) to Roku devices in the UK! :-) So... everything I mentioned (previously) by way of a "preview" for UK Roku users can now be considered as an "overview" of the features found in the current software version / build for Roku UK devices - in other words, we now have the luxury of "1-touch play" (i.e. HDMI source / input switching) via the Roku remote... FOR REAL! ;-)


Meanwhile, the BIG NEWS this week came - IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT - by 'Mike Duin' via the "Official" Roku Stream Blog, that 'NowTV' has (finally) been added as a "Search Partner" in the UK. For those Roku UK users (including myself) who have been calling for this ever since Roku "Search" was first announced for the UK by Roku CEO Anthony Wood - VIA THIS POST - this will come as a HUGE RELIEF and is definitely something that was LONG OVERDUE in terms of improving the usefulness of the Roku "Search" feature on UK Roku devices. Having said that, it's nowhere near as overdue as the arrival of "initial" Roku 'Search Partner' - Popcornflix - whom we were led to believe would be integral to this feature (in the UK) from launch! Exactly how much longer we are to be expected to wait for search results from 'Popcornflix' to be included in Roku "Search" for the UK is, quite frankly, anybody's guess but (until they do) at least we now have results from five services for Roku streaming media players in the UK, as evidenced in the following screenshot from Roku:-

HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

Moving on... to the (no less) important business of listing ALL NEW ADDITIONS to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, you will soon discover that we have been treated to another bumper crop of channel releases during the past seven days. As was the case a few weeks ago, one of the channels did not get a 'Roku Guide' review published for it. This time, it's because the channel in question had been previously submitted to the channel store (and reviewed) under a different name (further details about this have been outlined under "Mandarin TV" in the list below). Needless to say, you can expect the "missing" review to be added to this post as and when it becomes available. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that this particular channel is available to Roku owners in the USA (as evidenced by it's inclusion in the Roku web channel store) and readers of this blog from the United States can follow the link (provided below) to the Roku channel description until such time as the review is published by 'Roku Guide'. Unfortunately, Roku UK users are still subject to restrictions (imposed by Roku) and (bizarrely) remain unable to access the channel descriptions in the web channel store on the Roku website. That said, the majority of the text from those web store descriptions can also be found within the individual channel descriptions from the built-in "Channel Store" (accessed via "Streaming Channels" from the main menu) on all Roku devices and, together with the associated screenshots (where available), should give you a pretty good indication of what those channels are about. Hopefully Roku will (one day) wake-up to the fact that improving the experience for users in "other" Roku "regions" is just as important as for the U.S. and denying access to the Roku website does not help the end-user experience for those of us (outside the USA) who wish to browse the web channel store. Anyway, what Roku doesn't want UK Roku users to see on their website (i.e. the list of new channels) is summarised on this blog in my 'Weekly RoundUp' and, ignoring the "missing" link for now, here is what we have for you so far this week:-

5 THINGS...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "SCI & TECH" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

SHALOM TV..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

THE LAST BALLADEERS...................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

THE CLASS OF 1970-SOMETHING....................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

DINO WORLD [by HappyKids.TV]......................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

FINGER FAMILY SONGS [by HappyKids.TV]...................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

COMMON MAN COCKTAILS.............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "FOOD" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

ALPHABETS [by HappyKids.TV]........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

LULLABIES [by HappyKids.TV].........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

CHU CHU TV CANCIONES INFANTILES........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

HANK'S OLD TIME RADIO.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE.....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

UNTAPPED VIDEO MUSIC NETWORK............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

EASY SHOW...................................COST: £2.99 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "PERSONAL MEDIA" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

DONNIE BAKER....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "COMEDY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

ANGELIC.................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

GOSPEL CAPITAL..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

MANDARIN TV......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'Mandarin TV' channel appears to be a rebranded version of an earlier release, known as the 'YOYO DRAMA' channel, whereby the channel name (together with the associated channel icon) and even the name of the developer credited with making it have all been changed for this "new look" version. My assumption for this is based on the fact that the unique number attributed to each new Roku channel (and featured in the web channel store URL for each and every "public" channel) is the same for 'Mandarin TV' (see link above) as it was for the previous incarnation as 'YOYO DRAMA' featured in my 'Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #159' a few weeks ago. As you can see, both links include ".../details/85247/..." but you will find that there is now no 'YOYO DRAMA' to be found in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, where now only the 'Mandarin TV' channel exists with that unique number now applied to the web channel store URL for the "rebranded" or "new look" version.

ALSO:- While there is a published 'Roku Guide' review for the "YOYO DRAMA" channel - HERE - this "rebranded" version appears to have escaped their notice (for the time being) so, unfortunately, there is (currently) no active link to an 'Roku Guide' review specific to 'Mandarin TV' and, therefore, I would suggest anyone interested in finding out more about this "new look" channel should simply install it (especially since it's FREE-TO-ADD and FREE-TO-VIEW on Roku devices) and find out for themselves. Other than that, you could always read the previously published 'Roku Guide' review for the 'YOYO DRAMA' channel (see link above) which, in so far as I can tell, remains reasonably accurate in terms of being an overview for 'Mandarin TV' as it did for 'YOYO DRAMA' before it! ;-)

MAINE COAST TV.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "TRAVEL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

VERSUS MEDIA.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

THE NOBLE QURAN.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

R&B HITS................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

POP HITS.................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

TELEGENOVA ITALY......................................COST: £8.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

NOW STREAMING SERVICES.............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

NEW COVENANT CHRISTIAN CENTER............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

BIKERS, BABES, CYCLES & STUNTS................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

THE BOATING CHANNEL....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

X CORPS..........................COST: FREE (n.b. may require additional fees) [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

CARTOON CLUB LIVE.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

*********************************************

Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot for this week and, whilst it's barely more than three quarters of the thirty-nine channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame, it's better to get 30 NEW CHANNELS than none at all... as I'm sure you'll agree?!


Either way, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the thirty "public" channels outlined above... or else from the "private" channels, whose access codes were "gifted" to you via the companion Twitter Feed to this blog, at various points throughout the last seven days. That said, if you didn't find anything to add to your Roku channel selection from the assortment of channels on offer this week, you can always pay us a visit another time when, with any luck, there will be something more to your liking. After all, there's no point installing every channel because, like I've said before... when it comes to adding new channels to your Roku, IT'S YOUR CHOICE  as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS!

*********************************************

As mentioned previously, you can expect my usual summary of all the goings-on (or not) in the (severely restricted) Roku Channel Store that features on NowTV Boxes to follow in the near future. Meanwhile, whether you happen to own a Roku player, a NowTV Box, OR BOTH, as I do... be sure to check my earlier posts (as mentioned before) for all the new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store in each of the eighty-eight preceding weeks and then come back again in seven days' time for my next 'Weekly RoundUp'. However, if you can't wait that long, remember you can always keep up with all the UK Roku action (as it happens) throughout the coming week, by following the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels where up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related (here in the UK) is posted on a daily basis (well, almost).

Until the next time, then...

That's all folks !!