Hi, everyone !!
Those of you who read my previous 'Weekly RoundUp' post may recall my mentioning (in reference to the recent IPO from Roku) that there would be an (30-day) option to purchase up to an additional 2,350,200 shares of Class A common stock at the initial public offering price (less underwriting discounts and commissions) granted to the underwriters by Roku (and their selling stockholders). Well, clearly, they did not need thirty days to take advantage of the option... because, by the afternoon of Monday 2nd October 2017, Roku had issued a press release to announce the closing of its initial public offering (IPO) including the full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase 2,350,200 additional shares of Class A common stock, at a price to the public of $14.00 per share! :-)
However that was neither the first, nor the only, press release to come out of the newsroom at Roku on Monday... because, earlier that day, came the bitter-sweet (from a UK perspective) announcement that there is to be (yet another) refresh of the Roku streaming player line-up, only one year after the last new Roku models were introduced. According to the press release which broke the news, there are to be five new streaming players with higher performance, more convenience and greater value!
HINT:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
As can be seen from the above publicity shot, the new line-up includes a whole range of new models. The various options, which will be available for purchasers in the U.S. from 8th October, include:-
- 5X More Powerful Roku Express and Roku Express+ Models;
- Roku Streaming Stick that Adds Voice Remote with TV Power and Volume Controls;
- BRAND NEW: Roku Streaming Stick+ Offers Up to 4X Wireless Range Plus Brilliant HD, 4K and HDR Picture Quality, plus;
- Roku Ultra which also Adds New Voice Remote with TV Power and Volume Controls but now Packs It All for a New Lower $99 Price (formerly $129 when first launched in 2016).
The downside for UK Roku users, plus those in other Roku countries and/or regions, is that this new line-up of streaming players are (for the time being, at least) only available in the United States. This marks the second year in a row that Roku appear to have snubbed UK when it comes to introducing new models and, as usual, they are remaining tight-lipped when asked about any potential release for the UK market in the (hopefully) near future. Obviously, I'm tied-up with my Hallowe'en blogathon in the coming weeks... but, as soon as I can find the time, I'll try to post an article or two about these latest offerings so that anyone from the UK who may be interested can see what they're all about! ;-)
Meanwhile, one thing that UK Roku users can be assured of is that Roku are continuing to support our (now somewhat outdated) streaming player line-up in the UK with new software versions. The latest release, also announced on Monday 2nd October 2017 by Roku, is again rather US-centric in what "Enhanced Entertainment Features" it delivers to Roku customers. Most of the new features are geared towards 'Roku TV' which, lest we forget, is still unavailable in the UK at the time of writing. Other new features/improvements pertained to 'Voice Search' and 'TV Everywhere' (TVE) allowing for easier search and voice control, plus single sign-in, respectively. The new Roku OS 8 also brings with it an updated '4K Spotlight Channel' but (surprise, surprise) that, too, is US-only! :-/ :-(
What it all boils down to, as far as UK Roku users are concerned, is "a variety of other enhancements and bug fixes" which were also included in Roku OS 8. Having browsed through the release notes, earlier in the week, it seems that the only improvements specific to Roku models (currently) available in the UK were for the Roku Streaming Stick [Model: 3500EU] and Roku 3 [Model: 4200EU] with the former due to get "Improved performance of navigating the UI" while, for the latter, it seems they have now "Fixed a bug in which the battery life indicator would sometimes display inaccurate battery life"... which is good news for the 'Roku 3' owners among you who may have been needlessly putting new batteries in your remote for the past few months! Personally, I had been ignoring it on account of the low battery warning being displayed on one of my 'Roku 3' devices only a day or two after fresh ones had been put in the remote... but, I can see how other (less experienced) users might have taken the warning(s) as "gospel", so this could improve the situation for some of you! ;-) :-)
More generally, we can all look forward to testing our network and internet connection, and receiving information to resolve connectivity issues such as poor wireless signal strength or internet speed, just by going to: Settings > Network > Check connection, once we're running Roku OS 8 on our devices. Further details on what to do if you cannot connect to your 'Home Network' and/or 'The Internet' are available online should you need to refer to them at any time. Another (relatively minor) tweak will mean that "Closed Captions are now displayed with a more consistent on-screen appearance across streaming channels" and they have apparently "Fixed multiple bugs that caused Roku devices to reboot intermittently when streaming specific channels" which, from what I gather, may have been a problem for those still using some of the earlier UK Roku models - so, let's hope this stops it! ;-) :-)
One of the "enhancements" that I am looking forward to checking-out is the revelation from Roku that, further to the Roku OS 8 update, you will be able to "configure your Roku player for 24, 25, 30 or 60 Hz HDMI output based on your audiovisual equipment and viewing preferences" and, again, there is additional information available online for those wishing to know how to change the display refresh rate of their Roku streaming player to match the native format of movies, videos, or tv shows. Other than that, it's just a range of additional updates & fixes intended "to improve overall streaming performance and reliability across Roku devices" which, judging by the last couple of updates, may or may not have the desired effect once the new software version has rolled-out to all Roku users... and, according to Roku: "Roku OS 8 will begin rolling out to Roku players in early October, and Roku TV models beginning in November. The software update is expected to rollout to all Roku devices by the end of the year" which may mean waiting a month or two for some Roku owners! :-|
If you are a streaming channel developer, content partner, advertiser or someone else who would like further details relating to SDK updates and additional improvements within Roku OS 8, then you will find more info on the Roku Developer Blog, or in the SDK documentation provided by Roku, which may shed more light on what these latest changes will mean for you. However, if you're an end-user of Roku products, I'd recommend you stick to the Consumer Release Information since it explains in much simpler terms what you can expect from Roku OS 8 once it is installed on your device(s)! ;-) :-)
Meanwhile... the good news is that every UK Roku model released, since they launched here at the start of 2012, is set to benefit by getting the update to Roku OS 8 so no matter which Roku UK model you happen to own you have something to look forward to (even if it's not a 4K-capable Roku device) and, who knows, we might even get some 'Roku TV' models in the UK at some point, to really take advantage of those "Enhanced Entertainment Features" in the new software version!?! For the benefit of all Roku users, here is a screenshot (taken from the Roku OS 8 release notes) showing every Roku model number in the list of "Supported Roku Devices" that will receive this latest software update:-
AS BEFORE:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
Anyhow... with little else aside from an update about the Initial Public Offering (IPO) from Roku, and details of more (US-only) Roku models, plus a forthcoming software update to Roku OS 8 for all current generation (i.e. post-July 2011) Roku devices to bring you, in terms of newsworthy items from the last seven days, I'd best turn my attention to getting you up to speed with all the latest new Roku channels added to UK Roku devices since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published! ;-) :-)
If you did happen to read my previous 'Weekly RoundUp' post, in which I commented as to how 'Roku Guide' had fallen far short of compiling a complete set of reviews for all of the new channels which were released in the seven days preceding their article, you will doubtless be pleased to hear that I have since posted active links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for many of them. Sadly, as their most recent article (dated 6th October 2017) does little more than to play "catch-up" with reviews that were absent from the previous four weeks, it means there were very few 'Roku Guide' reviews for the channels which were actually released between the 30th September 2017 and 6th October 2017. As a direct result, there are currently "missing" links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for more than one third of the new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store in this particular 'Weekly RoundUp' post. Unfortunately, this (once more) leaves UK users rather short of additional info... and, much like the last month or so, rather than simply regurgitate what is written in each channel description from the channel store, I'm (once more) going to have to leave it for each of you (individually) to access those details via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s). Needless to say, once the "missing" reviews have been published by 'Roku Guide', I will (as I have in previous weeks) ensure that I add the relevant links to this post. Apologies (yet again) for any inconvenience that may have been caused by the absence of active links to an independent review for so many of these new channels but, like I say, it was completely out of my hands. Meanwhile, I advise scanning the list below to see which channels (if any) you think are likely to appeal... and then going to the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s), to read the description(s) there, for precise details on your pick of the latest new Roku channels (apps) which have been added to UK Roku devices during this past week! :-)
While it's not quite another epic list of fifty-plus channels as we were treated to three months ago, you will find there's a fair few new options under "Kids & Family", plus "Special Interest", and "Sports", as well as several more options for fans of "Music" plus "Film & TV", along with a couple of new additions to both the "Lifestyle", and "Religious" categories (i.e. genres) among other channels for those with an interest in "Web Video", "Comedy", "Educational", or "International" videos, to keep you entertained over the coming weeks and months. In fact, while it's only a comparatively short list, there should be something to please most streamers here. If not, I again shared details for some private channels (via social media) and some more special offers related to various Roku channels that are available in the UK. Check out my Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels if you'd like to know more about those and, while you're there, maybe "Like" and/or "Retweet" some of my messages to spread the word about what's happening Roku-wise in the UK and beyond! ;-) :-)
Anyway, back to the list... which, as always, will help you to identify the very latest apps which have been added to Roku devices in the UK. Other websites offering Roku channel listings will base their contents on the Roku USA Channel Store, which means they also include apps that are unavailable to UK Roku users. So, like I've said before... if you really want to know what's available channel-wise, for owners of Roku devices in the UK, you need to be reading this blog each and every week! ;-) :-)
Before I run through the new channels, however, a reminder that UK Roku users are still subject to restrictions (imposed by Roku) and (bizarrely) remain unable to access the channel descriptions from the web store on the Roku (USA) website. That said, the majority of text in those web listings can also be found within the individual 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 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 here 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 that channel. As it stands, the links below (and to the left of) each icon are (currently) only of use to readers of this blog from the USA. This means that 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 that 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 released between 1st October 2017 and 7th October 2017:-
FORUM CHRISTIAN CHURCH...........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
LIVE SOMALI TV..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TURKISH TV..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "INTERNATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
IMSA (International Motor Sports Association).....................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BLACK DAD TV....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
BABY BOX.............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
OH MY GENIUS....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
DEMAND AFRICA..........COST: FREE (n.b. may require additional fees) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
SMILE TV...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
FITV INTERNATIONAL.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
HOCKEY NIGHT IN MANCHESTER.................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
HONDA PRO JASON...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
BOOYA...................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
HAUNTED HOUSE...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
EMERALD TV........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "EDUCATIONAL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
FUN KIDS ENGLISH............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
STREAM MEDIA TV............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
DEL RECORDS.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
PINECASTLE RECORDS TELEVISION............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
UEW WRESTLING...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
THE CORNFIELD OF TERROR.............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
MAD MIKE CAR DRIFTING..............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
CAR TV - MY DRIFT FUN.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
SUPER SPEEDER AUTO NETWORK...............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
MOTONOSITY - CAR & MOTORCYCLE............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
NIGHT RIDE AUTO NETWORK...........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
LOUIS CK.....................COST: FREE (n.b. may require additional fees) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "COMEDY" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
IVC - INDEPENDENT VIDEO CHAN...............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
HALLOWEEN FLIX............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
ROAD RANGERS.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***