Hi, everyone !!
Further to my comments about the recent update to Roku OS 7.5 - from my last 'Weekly RoundUp' - which amounted to little more than one or two (device dependent) new features in the 'Settings' menu there has since been another (minor) build update, within Roku OS 7.5, that saw the software on my 'Roku 3' devices change from "Build 4092" to "Build 4096", as evidenced by the screenshot below:-
In so far as I can tell, there were no major changes with this build... and, as is common following an update to the Roku OS, it's likely this was solely to address a few minor bugs with the new software. That said, there's still no sign of my being able to control the volume of my TV using the buttons on my enhanced Roku remote (supplied with 'Roku 3' models) as was promised in the release notes for Roku OS 7.5 - and, worse still, my (previously) functioning basic HDMI-CEC ability to power-up my TV and switch to the source input for my Roku with any button press on my remote has now gone! Seems the old adage of, "...if it ain't broke, don't fix it", clearly passed the Roku software engineers by when it came to putting this new OS together! :-/ Anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone else who has experienced this (or any other) issue further to this latest software update, so do leave a comment below if this affected you in any way. Meanwhile, like I said before, I plan to look into the specifics of this update in much greater detail (before commenting further) so please 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) and let me know what you find.
Software issues aside, we have (again) been blessed with an above-average crop of new channel additions to occupy our time. Among them is a brand new music and entertainment channel, found in the "Film & TV" genre, featuring no less than seven sub-channels... all of which are from the UK: The Box, Box Upfront, Box Hits, 4Music, Kiss, Magic, and Kerrang! If that's not enough for you... they have also curated an amazing selection of on-demand music and entertainment shows, as well as viral videos from their new digital channel, BeBox! When you browse through the list of new apps, aside from there being some pretty good Roku channels on offer this week, you will notice that there are two channels (towards the end) which (currently) have no active links to 'Roku Guide' reviews. This was because they were UK-only channels... although that could (possibly) change in future!?! ;-)
Meanwhile, 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 6th and 12th November 2016:-
HER TUBE TV NETWORK............................COST: £5.49 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That, when the 'Roku Guide' review for this channel was first published (back in June 2014) this "HerTube TV Network" channel was both FREE-TO-ADD and FREE-TO-STREAM on Roku devices in the USA... as was the "private" channel which was later made available to owners of Roku devices in the UK (at my request) - and that is why the (original) channel store description ended with, "...and what's even better is that HerTube.TV is free", although (clearly) that is no longer applicable - since the (current) description from the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store states that a monthly subscription of £5.49 is now payable by those wishing to enjoy the content of this channel.
Should you choose to subscribe, please remember that it is a recurring payment... and that, therefore, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £5.49 EVERY MONTH - UNTIL YOU CANCEL - plus, there is also the added caveat that ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE for this Roku channel.
Other than the pricing information, the 'Roku Guide' review of this channel is nevertheless reasonably accurate for the present incarnation of the "HerTube TV Network" channel and the link provided to the HerTube TV website also remains valid. For those considering a subscription, there is the added offer of a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL when you first sign-up for an account with "HerTube TV Network" and visitors to their website will also find details of various apps that are available for mobile devices. In addition, the website provides more in-depth details of the content and video categories available.
FUSION........COST: FREE (n.b. some content may require a subscription) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
SOCIAL MEDIA CHURCH...................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
JASON HORTON...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "COMEDY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
AFRICAN NETWORK TV - ANTV......COST: FREE (30-DAY TRIAL) + $15.00 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
COUNTLESS CLASSICS - FREE MOVIES..........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BLARNEYBERG CARTOONS NETWORK!........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
POLITICAL FICTION THEATER TEST................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
TALK BUSINESS WITH AUDREY.................COST: £3.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
WAR.................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
REMNANT & PRAISE NETWORK........COST: FREE (n.b. may require additional fees) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TCN COUNTRY.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
AUTOBLOG........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BUILD..............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
THE PEARL CHANNEL...............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SHOPPING" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
HOLY BIBLE..................................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
COZY FIREPLACE............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
RADIO UNT............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
SWAMPCAT TV......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "EDUCATIONAL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
WOMEN ON TV.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
DIY HOME [by Fawesome.TV].............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TV GLEE............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BEST CHRISTMAS CHANNEL EVER!................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
SOUND THEORY LOUNGE.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
DOLLS n CRAFTS [by HappyKids.TV].................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
GARDEN TV..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BREATH OF LIFE TV............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
LIFE TOGETHER..............................COST: FREE + $3.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
AUTOBLOG SCREENSAVER..............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SCREENSAVERS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
SEXY SHORTS......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
GARDEN CHANNEL [by Fawesome.TV]............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TELE HOSANNA...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
COLLEGE CHANNEL...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
EDUTOPIA.............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "EDUCATIONAL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
TPSN NETWORK...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
HOPSTER...........COST: FREE (7-DAY TRIAL) + £3.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That, since this new "Hopster" channel is not (currently) available within the Roku USA Channel Store, the link provided above will take you to the official website for Hopster, instead of the Roku (USA) Web Channel Store description... as would be the norm. For those who may not be familiar with "Hopster TV" it's the UK's leading TV and learning platform for preschool children and kids aged two to six, in general. They offer a curated selection of some of the best TV shows from around the globe geared specifically towards preschoolers. They (currently) have around 35 shows available in the UK but this can vary. Anyone can get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL when they register for a new account with Hopster TV but, for those in the market for a new tablet, there is an excellent special offer from EE which gives you either 2 YEARS FREE or else 3 MONTHS FREE depending on which payment plan you opt for. Should you qualify for either offer from EE, you will be sent a voucher code (via email) and there is a dedicated web portal to redeem your voucher online so you get your extended free trial. There are also help articles explaining how to subscribe on Roku as well as cancel via Roku if you wish to terminate your subscription before the trial ends. However, my advice would be to sign-up online (via the website) whether or not you have a voucher to redeem and then simply login via the Roku channel using the same credentials you provided on registration. There's even more good news for subscribers in that, as well as their Roku channel, Hopster TV also has apps for both iOS and Android mobile devices... either of which can be obtained via these links:-
FREE DOWNLOAD: of iOS App for Apple Mobile Devices [from iTunes UK App Store]
For anyone wishing to connect with them via social media, they have a Twitter Feed: @HopsterTV and FB Page: Hopster 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! :-)
ALL WARRIOR NETWORK.........COST: FREE (7-DAY TRIAL) + $6.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
GLOBAL CPN......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
SNAKES AND LADDERS.............................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "GAMES" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
THE LIVING CHRIST.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BOX PLUS...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
FREE OR DIE TV...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
JAVA FOR BEGINNING BEGINNERS................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "EDUCATIONAL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
APPLAUSE NETWORK.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "COMEDY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TEETER TAUGHT ANIMATION..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***