Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #166

Hi, everyone !!



As was the case last week... there hasn't been much, in terms of Roku-related news, during the past seven days - since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published - but, thankfully, we have again been blessed with an above-average crop of new channel additions to occupy our time. You will notice, at the end of this list, there is one channel that did not get a 'Roku Guide' review published. The (most likely) reason for this is that, being more of a rebranding / facelift exercise, it was not actually added to the "New" category of the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store and, instead, was made available solely via the "Lifestyle" genre. Consequently, it was missed by the folks over at 'Roku Guide' and there is (currently) no "active" link to a corresponding 'Roku Guide' review.


Needless to say, you can expect the "missing" review to be added to this post once it does become available. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that this channel is already 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 (and to the left of) this, plus each and every other channel icon listed here, to view the respective channel description... until such a time as the review for "Fascination TV" gets published via the 'Roku Guide' website.


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 (USA) 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. My advice to any UK-based readers of this blog is to ignore the links below (and to the left of) each channel icon shown below and (instead) rely on the link to the right (below each channel icon) which (where available) will redirect you to an 'Roku Guide' review for additional details on each channel.


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 it is for those who buy & use their products in 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 regularly summarised on this blog in my 'Weekly RoundUp' posts. So, ignoring the "missing" link for now, here is what we have this week:-

SORCERER RADIO NETWORK.........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

247 VICTORY........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

SHAW SPORTS.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL [by TripSmart.TV]..........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

FREEDOM FELLOWSHIP MBC..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

FRONTLINE BROADCASTING NETWORK.....................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

COOKING WITH NONNA..................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FOOD" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

SAGE FILMS.........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

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

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

WESTERN MANIA...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

EXOTIC CAR TV..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

CHANNEL ZERO.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

DRIVE-IN MOVIES..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

DOG RELAXATION CHANNEL..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

REALITY TVEE...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

INC FAMILY..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

BLUE MERMAID THEATRE...............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

REDE NOVA TV INTERNACIONAL..................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

CHINESE VARIETY..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

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

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

TAI CHI WORKOUT......................................COST: £3.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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

MASSAGE THERAPY..........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

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

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'Fascination TV' channel appears to be a rebranded version of an earlier release, known as the 'FNTV' channel, whereby the channel name (together with the associated channel icon) and various other aspects of the channel 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 'Fascination TV' (see link above) as it was for the previous incarnation as 'FNTV' which, while featured in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, was not available to UK Roku users. Both links include ".../details/82005/..." but you will find that there is now no 'FNTV' to be found in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, where now only the 'Fascination TV' channel exists with that unique number 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 "FNTV" channel - HERE - this "rebranded" version appears to have escaped their notice (as mentioned above) so, unfortunately, there is (currently) no active link to an 'Roku Guide' review specific to 'Fascination TV' and I would (therefore) suggest anyone interested in finding out more about this "new look" channel should simply install it (especially since it's FREE-TO-ADD on Roku devices) and find out for themselves. Other than that, you could always read the previously published 'Roku Guide' review for the 'FNTV' channel (see link above) which, in so far as I can tell, remains reasonably accurate in terms of being an overview for 'Fascination TV' as it did for 'FNTV' before it! ;-)

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

Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot for this week and, whilst it's barely more than three quarters of the thirty channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame, it's still better to get 23 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 twenty-three "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 ninety-two 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 !!