Hi, everyone !!
If you happen to follow the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels to this blog, then you will already be aware that the single most significant piece of Roku-related news from the last seven days was the announcement, via press release from the Roku Newsroom, to the effect that their "Official" Ad-Supported Video on Demand (AVOD) app - aka 'The Roku Channel' for those who may not yet be aware of it - is expected to become available on select Samsung Smart TVs in the United States as of this summer. With no UK equivalent AVOD channel for free hit movies and TV shows from Roku, the news that they will soon be able to engage more consumers with free ad-supported entertainment by broadening distribution of 'The Roku Channel' to "other viewing platforms" was undoubtedly of more significance to those in the USA who either have (or plan to buy) a compatible Samsung TV... but, for anyone wishing to read more about this latest venture, there was a related post published by Scott Rosenberg (GM of Platform Business at Roku) via the "Official" Roku Stream Blog, several hours after I shared details of the press release via the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels.
Anyway, with no other major Roku-related (or Roku-specific) news to share with you this week, I'm now going to turn my attention to bringing you details for all the latest new Roku channels (apps) which were released during the seven days since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published! :-)
Firstly, though, I'd just like to mention (on a not entirely un-related note) that I have now added links to most (though, still not all) of the 'Roku Guide' reviews that were previously "missing" for many of the new Roku channels released in the last few weeks... so, if you'd like to see an independent appraisal of those, be sure to check-out my post from last week (see link above), which (itself) contains a link to the previous week's post (and so-on, and so-forth), for details of where to find them. Unfortunately, there are (again) more "missing" links to the 'Roku Guide' reviews for almost fifteen per cent of the channels published during the last seven days... which means, much like many other posts from recent months, I'm going to have to leave it for each of you to (once more) access those details on your own. As of six weeks ago, you can choose to do that either via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s) or by following the links provided in each post to the relevant channel description(s) from the Roku Web Channel Store. Meanwhile, once the "missing" reviews have been published by 'Roku Guide', I will (as I have done previously) ensure that I add the relevant links to each post. Apologies (as always) for any inconvenience that may be caused by the absence of active links to an independent review for some of these new apps but, like I say, it was entirely out of my hands. Hopefully they will catch-up on the ones they missed sometime in the coming week!?! ;-) :-)
Still, back to the list... which, as always, will help you to identify the very latest apps that 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! ;-) :-)
With twice the number of active links to check out, not just for this week... but each and every post that has been previously published as part of my 'Weekly RoundUp' series over the last five years, there's a *lot* of reading to catch-up on. So, without further ado, here's my 'Weekly RoundUp' of all new Roku channels released between 18th March 2018 and 24th March 2018:-
IN TROUBLE ZONE PRODUCTIONS................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'InTroubleZone Productions' channel will not be found among the latest additions in the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. The reason for this is that it was originally published via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store back in July 2015. So, to install it, you'll have to look under "Film & TV" because (despite being a new app in the UK) this channel cannot be found in the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the channel store. Of course, you could also use the built-in Roku 'Search' feature on your device(s) to find and install this channel... simply begin typing "InTroubleZone Productions" via the on-screen text entry field and you will soon see it listed among the results on the right-hand side of your television screen! ;-) :-)
ALSO:- Now Roku users in all supported countries and/or regions have been granted access to the Roku Web Channel Store, everyone has the additional option of clicking the link I provided above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon) to be redirected to the relevant page where you click on the blue button, marked '+ Add channel', and sign-in to your Roku account (if needed) to get this 'InTroubleZone Productions' channel added to the list of apps installed on your Roku device(s). If you don't see it in your list of channels, go to: Settings > System > System update > Check now and that "forces" your device to look for (plus install) any recently added channels. After that, you'll find it at the end of your installed channels list by pressing: Home (x2) > Right (x1) > Up (x1) on your remote.
ASIA DREAM RADIO..........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'asia DREAM radio' channel will not be found among the latest additions in the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. The reason for this is unclear, since it has only just been published via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store. So, to install it, you'll have to look under "Music" because (despite being a new app in the UK) this channel cannot be found in the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the channel store. Of course, you could also use the built-in Roku 'Search' feature on your device(s) to find and install this channel... simply type in "asia DREAM radio"... and you will soon see it among the results on the right of your screen! ;-) :-)
ALSO:- Now Roku users in all supported countries and/or regions have been granted access to the Roku Web Channel Store, everyone has the additional option of clicking the link I provided above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon) to be redirected to the relevant page where you need only click on the blue button, marked '+ Add channel', and sign-in to your Roku account (if needed) to get this 'asia DREAM radio' channel added to the list of apps installed on your Roku device(s). If you don't see it in your list of channels, go to: Settings > System > System update > Check now which "forces" your device to look for (and install) any recently added channels. After that, you'll find it at the end of your installed channels list by pressing: Home (x2) > Right (x1) > Up (x1) on your remote.
KWELI TV.....................COST: FREE (7-day trial) + $5.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'KweliTV' channel appears to be a rebranded version of an earlier release, known as 'KweliTV App', whereby the channel name 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 'KweliTV' (see link above) as it was for the previous incarnation as 'KweliTV App' which was originally a US-only channel released in November 2017. Both links include ".../details/198078/..." but you will find that there is now no 'KweliTV App' to be found in the "Official" Roku Channel Store, where currently only the 'KweliTV' 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 "KweliTV App" 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 'KweliTV' 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. Once you have added the 'KweliTV' channel, you just need to sign-in using the same credentials that you used to join/subscribe online. Provided you are (already) a paid subscriber (monthly or annual), you will then gain full access to the video library contained within their Roku app. That said, despite needing a payment for most of the content available through the service, 'KweliTV' does offer a short time - by way of their SEVEN DAY FREE TRIAL - during which new subscribers can assess if this collection of on-demand videos, exclusively geared towards "the global black community", is something for which they would like to maintain access on a regular basis. For those who do choose to subscribe, once the trial period has ended, there is (in addition to the $5.99 monthly payment plan mentioned above) the option to save one-third off the cost with their ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION plan which, at a cost of $49.99 PER YEAR paid in advance, is equivalent to FOUR MONTHS FREE over the duration of the term. Of course... you can always opt for the MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION plan, at a cost of $5.99 PER MONTH in advance, or simply choose the Pay-Per-View (PPV) option, at a cost of $3.99 PER VIDEO upfront, to "rent" any individual title(s) from their content library. If you're still uncertain, then you will (no doubt) be pleased to hear that you can easily browse the entire library for free at any time (with no subscription necessary) and there is even a small selection of trailer-style videos that are FREE-TO-STREAM by anyone who installs the 'KweliTV' channel! :-)
SO, WHAT MORE CAN ONE EXPECT FROM THIS 'KweliTV' CHANNEL!?! Well, in addition to enjoying the mix of undiscovered, plus award-winning indie films, web shows, documentaries, and news programming, you can anticipate that 'KweliTV' will be adding about 3 titles per week in the categories of documentary, shorts and full-length features. While, at first, this may not seem like much... unlike Netflix, their goal is not to have an endless library of content but rather a smaller, constantly evolving, selection of quality hand-picked titles available at any given time. Additionally, the 'KweliTV' service offers a FREE LIVE TV STREAM and MEMBER DISCOUNTS/PERKS to black-owned businesses, plus WEEKLY SUBSCRIBER CONTESTS, and more. For those (like me) with multiple streaming devices at their disposal there's an 'Apple TV' app (n.b. requires tvOS 10.0 or later), as well as another app for 'Android' mobile devices with a 'Chromecast' extension, plus 'Airplay' functionality exclusively for their paid monthly and annual subscribers. TECH TIP:- When using a computer, iPhone, or iPad for streaming content from 'KweliTV' you will need to use a browser (e.g. Safari) to access the service and choose your video then, to 'Airplay' to your TV, simply click the 'AirPlay' icon on the top, right hand side of the video to watch it on the big screen. Likewise, for 'Chromecast' users, click the 'Google Cast' icon to the right of the address bar and select your 'Chromecast' from the list. Your browser tab should now appear on your TV. If you do not have the extension to add the 'Chromecast' icon to your computer, you can download it. For further streaming options with 'KweliTV', visit the 'Devices' webpage on the official website of 'KweliTV' to get more details / instructions. Then, if you still have further questions but cannot find the information that you need from the official website, you can try reaching-out via their Twitter Feed: @KweliTV or else, through their official FB page:- KweliTV (Facebook) to get the answer(s) you need. Other than that, you can read the 'Roku Guide' review for 'KweliTV App' (see link above) which remains reasonably accurate in terms of an overview for 'KweliTV' as it did for the 'KweliTV App' channel before it! ;-)
VH2 NETWORKS....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'VH2 Networks' channel will not be found among the latest additions in the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. The reason for this is that it was originally published via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store back in December 2016. So, to install it, you'll have to look under "Kids & Family" because (despite being a new app in the UK) this channel cannot be found in the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the channel store. Of course, you could also use the built-in Roku 'Search' feature on your device(s) to find and install this channel... simply type in "VH2 Networks" and you'll soon see it listed among the results on the right of your screen! ;-) :-)
ALSO:- Now that Roku users in all supported countries and/or regions have been granted access to the Roku Web Channel Store, you have the additional option of clicking the link I provided above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon) to be redirected to the relevant page whereon you can just click on the blue button, marked '+ Add channel', and sign-in to your Roku account (if needed) to get this 'VH2 Networks' channel added to the list of installed channels on your Roku device(s). If you do not see it in your list of channels, go to: Settings > System > System update > Check now which will "force" your device to look for (and install) any recently added channels. After that, you'll find it at the end of your installed channels list by pressing: Home (x2) > Right (x1) > Up (x1) on your remote.
PRAYER TV............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
CRAFTSY UNLIMITED.....COST: FREE (7-day trial) + $14.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "EDUCATIONAL" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That, while this 'Craftsy Unlimited' channel is FREE-TO-ADD to Roku device(s), access to the content therein REQUIRES A PAID SUBSCRIPTION to the 'Craftsy Unlimited' service at a cost of $14.99 USD [U.S. Dollars] PER MONTH before you can stream any of the videos. That said, when you first register for the service and create an account via their official website online, you do get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL through which to assess what's on offer, prior to any kind of long-term commitment. Should you decide to subscribe over a longer period, there are significant savings to be made by opting for the ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION at a cost of $120 (USD) PER YEAR which is equivalent to getting ONE-THIRD OFF the cost of membership, or FOUR MONTHS FREE, over the full (one year) term of the subscription. You will find more information about the various options available for membership to 'Craftsy Unlimited' in the 'FAQ Section' of their website. You should also check-out the 'Roku Guide' review (see link above) for this channel, which includes a full breakdown of all eighteen categories (containing thousands of hours of footage) from numerous classes and instructional videos (each of which have been recorded by professionals in their field) such that whether you love stitches, swatches, pasta or paint, you’ll never be without a source of information! For those seeking further insight, as to the world of creativity offered by 'Craftsy Unlimited' - which includes ACCESS TO FREE RECIPES & PATTERNS via their website - you can also connect with the team behind 'Craftsy Unlimited' via either their Twitter Feed: @BeCraftsy or else, through their official FB page:- Craftsy (Facebook) where I'm sure they'll be only too pleased to hear from you! :-)
WATER SPORTS SCENES...................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TOP WORLD ZOOS.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "TRAVEL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
FAMOUS PLACES...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "TRAVEL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
MAGIC SHOWS........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
KIDS COMEDY HOUR...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "COMEDY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
WORLD OF OCEANS............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "TRAVEL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
WIN MEDIA LIVE TV...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "LIFESTYLE" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TWITCHED ZERO..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TOP MOVIES SCENES.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
RV ROAD TRIPS....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "TRAVEL" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
WORLD OF DESSERTS........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FOOD" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
HOMEMADE REMEDIES........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
WINTER SPORTS SCENES.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPORTS" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
FM ALAS 106.9 - CORREA.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "MUSIC" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
GARDENING TIPS...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***
THE WYNN NETWORK...................COST: FREE + $8.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
PLEASE NOTE:- That, while 'The Wynn Network' channel is FREE-TO-ADD to Roku device(s) and does feature certain videos that are FREE-TO-STREAM by those who choose to install it, the details from the Roku Web Channel Store info (see link below, and to the left of, the above channel icon) do state that it "May require additional fees" to access some of the content therein. More specifically, this means that A PAID MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION IS REQUIRED for Roku users wishing to access the "premium" content found in the 'Entertainment' section of 'The Wynn Network' channel. The cost of this additional programming is $8.99 USD [U.S. Dollars] PER MONTH but is entirely optional, so any Roku users not wishing to pay this premium can still get access to the free videos available which include messages, sermons, and discussions from Bishop John Wynn. If shows that focus on spiritual growth, biblical education, health, healing & fitness, family, relationships, fashion, plus inspirational music (among other things) appeal to you, then check-out the official website of 'The Wynn Network' for more information. Meanwhile, if you'd like to connect with them through social media, you can do so easily on Twitter: @TheWynnNetwork or, via their FB page:- The Wynn Network (Facebook)
NEW LIFE MINISTRIES.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
AMASIA TV...........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "FILM & TV" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TEMPLE EMANU-EL SANCTUARY LIVE........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TEMPLE EMANU-EL CHAPEL LIVE.................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
FREEDOM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP...............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "RELIGIOUS" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
REAL WILD GIRLS.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "SPECIAL INTEREST" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***