Saturday, November 5, 2016

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #191





Hi, everyone !!



As is often the case, for the "long-suffering" and "hard done-by" Roku users of the UK, there hasn't been much Roku-related news, during the past seven days - since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published - but details for what little there was, amounting to little more than one or two (device dependent) new features in the 'Settings' menu (with the update to Roku OS 7.5 being rolled-out), will have to wait... while I look into the specifics, before commenting further. Feel free to have a poke around in the 'Settings' menu of your own device(s) - or read the release notes published by Roku - to see what (if any) "improvements" were made to your Roku player(s). Thankfully, however, we have been blessed with an above-average crop of new channel additions to occupy our time. That said... you will notice, when you browse the current list, that there are seven channels (near the very end) which (currently) have no active links to 'Roku Guide' reviews. This is because they were only added to the "New" category of the "Official" Roku (USA) Web Channel Store after the weekly publishing deadline for the current batch of reviews (published via the 'Roku Guide' website) had passed.


Needless to say, you can expect the "missing" reviews to be added to this post once they do become available. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that these channels are already available to Roku owners in the USA (as evidenced by their inclusion in the Roku web channel store) and readers of this blog from the United States can follow the links provided below (and to the left of) these, plus each and every other channel icon listed here, to view their respective channel descriptions... until such a time as the "missing" reviews do get 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 will redirect you to an 'Roku Guide' review for additional details on each channel. As it stands, the links below (and to the left of) each channel icon are (currently) only of use to readers of this blog from the USA. This means Roku users from the other "supported" regions of the world (i.e. Ireland, Canada, France and Mexico) are, like those of us in the UK, unable to browse the Roku Web Channel Store - which for now (at least) remains an exclusive privilege of Roku users in the USA. :-(


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. Meanwhile, that which Roku (apparently) 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, without further ado, here's my 'Weekly RoundUp' of all the new Roku channels which were released between 30th October and 5th November 2016:-







GREAT BIG STORY..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






MVC (THE MUSIC VIDEO CHANNEL).............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DAVE CLARKE's WHITENOISE.........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






4KUNIVERSE.................COST: FREE (n.b. may require additional fees) [Roku Guide Review]

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






LEO TRAINING....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






SPUD's DRAMA CHANNEL................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






INDIE MUSIC SCENE..........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






KY BASKETBALL TV.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






ROLLER HOCKEY TV.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






BLUE SCREEN ROMANCE................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






GV TV GREAT VIEW TELEVISION...................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






ERIC THE CAR GUY............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






GUILTY SEASON ONE........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






HTML5 FOR BEGINNING BEGINNERS............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






CONGDON MINISTRIES.....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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



PLEASE NOTE:- That, since this "Vintage TV" channel is not (currently) available within the Roku USA Channel Store, the link provided above will take you to the official UK website for the company, instead of the Roku (USA) Web Channel Store description... as would be the norm. For those who may not be familiar with "Vintage TV" it was founded by David Pick, and first launched as a television channel on 1st September 2010. Since then, it has established itself as "the music-lover’s TV channel of choice"... and now has a following of over ten million UK adult viewers every month. They produce some 30 hours of original shows each month, filming both 20th century music artists and emerging talent, inspired by earlier generations & their sounds. The folks at Vintage TV describe themselves as: "a destination channel for music of quality and longevity; a vital, unique offering for those who grew up with the many vintage artists still touring and recording, and younger audiences whose musical appreciation includes the best sounds of any decade".






Broadcast from the UK, Vintage TV is available on Eurobird 1 at 28.8 degrees East, Transponder: C1 Upper, Frequency: 11264 H, SR: 27.5 Msym, FEC: 2/3 and can be enjoyed for free on Sky 369, Freeview 82, Virgin 343, Freesat 505 and BT / TalkTalk 82. Vintage TV's 24/7 schedule includes intimate live sessions, concerts, exclusive artist interviews, festivals, album review shows and a unique archive of vintage videos... much of which is now available "on-demand" to UK Roku users. In addition to their Roku channel, the company also has both iOS and Android apps for mobile devices... which are obtainable via the links below:-


FREE DOWNLOAD: of iOS App for Apple Mobile Devices [from iTunes UK App Store]


FREE DOWNLOAD: of Android App for Mobile Devices [from the Google Play Store]


For anyone wishing to connect with them via social media, they have a Twitter Feed: @VintageTV and FB Page: Vintage TV (Facebook) where I am sure they will be only to answer any further questions you may have about their new Roku channel and/or other aspects of their business! :-)



PLEASE ALSO NOTE:- That despite my reaching-out to 'Vintage TV', via Twitter, when their Roku channel was launched on 3rd November 2016... to request a copy of their Roku channel icon (also known as an 'HD Poster' by developers) nothing was forthcoming. Consequently, the above image (of their regular logo) has been substituted for this post (on a temporary basis) until the correct image is provided by the developer of this channel. In fairness, the folks at 'Vintage TV' did endeavour to get the 'HD Poster' for me but (unfortunately) were unable to provide me with it ahead of my publishing deadline this weekend. Needless to say, as soon as I have received the correct image from them, I will replace the above (temporary) channel icon. That said, the company logo (shown above) does form the main focus of the actual 'HD Poster' (or, "channel icon", if you prefer) and you should, therefore, be able to easily recognise the 'Vintage TV' app in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store from that. Apologies for any inconvenience which may have been caused by it's absence in the meantime! ;-)







OPERACIÓN REPO..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






ISLAND TV NETWORK................................COST: £6.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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






CELEBRATION NETWORK................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






AFRICA24 MUSIC................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






KINETICS SPLASH..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






JAVASCRIPT CRASH COURSE...........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE WEB DEV SHOW.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






CATHOLIC COMMUNITY RADIO & TV...........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






STEVENSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS.........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






CELEBRITY ACTION NETWORK......................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DIY [by Fawesome.TV].........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






VATV (VIEW AFRICA TV)..................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE MIDNIGHT MOVIE PALACE.....................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






SILENT MOVIES..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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




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Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot for this week and, although it doesn't quite match-up to the thirty-eight channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame, it's still better to get 31 NEW CHANNELS than none at all... as I'm sure you'll agree?!


In any event, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the thirty-one "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 one hundred and seventeen 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 !!





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2 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 9, 2016 at 2:21 AM

    I can only add channels via https://my.roku.com/account/add
    Can you display the codes for the channels? as the normal US(Roku) one says not available in your region

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Channel GuideNovember 12, 2016 at 7:19 AM

      Hi, Steve! Thanks for taking the time and trouble to leave a comment. As always, it's much appreciated! :-)

      However, with 3,300+ apps now available via the Roku UK Channel Store, it would require far more time than I can (currently) spare to add the unique codes for installing each of them. That said, if there are any in particular that you'd like help with, give me the channel names and I'll see what I can do! ;-)

      For some of the older Roku channels (i.e. those released in 2014, or earlier) you may want to try the Roku Channel List published by 'Catastrophe Girl' - which you'll find at the following web address:-

      http://catastrophegirlsrokuchanneldata.blogspot.com

      ... since there are codes published for each of the entries found there. So, if you search for any channel(s) you wish to add on her website (specifically) you may find the information you need there. Meanwhile, another good option for finding codes is the 'mkvXstream' website - published by Benjamin Linus - who includes codes for both "public" (i.e. those found in the Channel Store) and "private" channels among his listings. The URL for Ben's website is:-

      http://mkvxstream.blogspot.com

      As for the Roku (USA) Web Channel Store... that has been "off limits" to Roku users from other regions for quite some time (despite having been previously available to UK Roku users) and (sadly) I can't see that changing anytime soon. However, the ability to install Roku channels with an "Access Code", "Vanity Code", "Invitation Code", etc. (via an online Roku account) does remain an option for Roku users... no matter which "region" they are from - provided, of course, they know the code(s) to use! :-)

      Over and above that, there is also the option to add channels directly via the built-in Channel Store on Roku devices, as well as via the Roku app(s) for mobile devices (iOS, Android, and Windows) so it may be that the URL method you mentioned is not the only way for you to add channels... although, I'm not sure of your exact circumstances so I cannot say with any certainty that these will be an option for you (personally).

      ALSO: Do remember that not every Roku channel (public or private) that you find details for online (or elsewhere) will necessarily be available to UK Roku users - even if they do happen to know the code - and that may be something else that you need to bear in mind when adding channels via your current chosen method (my.roku.com/account/add).

      Anyway, like I said, do let me know if there's anything more specific I can help you with... but, for now at least, I'm afraid I won't be adding any codes to the 3,300+ channels that are already listed on this blog.


      Thanks for reading!



      :-)

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