Sunday, September 30, 2018

Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku - Spooky Streams for Laughs & Screams on Halloween: *** SPECIAL MONTH-LONG BLOGATHON PREVIEW ***





Hi, everyone !!



Well... would you believe it!?! September has come to an end already and, aside from being the time for Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day to get woken-up, it means that (in the Northern Hemisphere) Autumn (or, "Fall", as it's perhaps better known to our friends across 'The Pond') is rapidly closing in (once again) and, as it does so, the days will get shorter while the nights grow longer... and darker - as we count down the days to Hallowe'en at the end of October !!!!!! :-O ;-) :-)






Anyway... one advantage of these long, dark nights is that they're pretty much perfect for huddling-up and streaming something on your Roku player. I'm sure many Roku owners (myself included) will be enjoying the build-up to Hallowe'en by watching something horror-related or slightly more scary than usual on their Roku player(s) as October 31st draws ever nearer...


If that sounds like you, then you may already be familiar with an annual online event which is known as the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" that encourages participants (i.e. bloggers) to contribute to a month-long blogging marathon in honour of the Hallowe'en season. I've long been a fan of this event but, since I only started my UK Roku blog in 2013, I made my debut as an "Official" 'Cryptkeeper' for the 'Countdown To Hallowe'en 2013' and participated again for 'Countdown To Hallowe'en 2014' and 'Countdown To Hallowe'en 2015' plus the 'Countdown To Hallowe'en 2016', as well as reprising my role (albeit in another slightly different guise) for the 'Countdown To Hallowe'en 2017' last year. Fortunately, being an annual event, this fiendishly fun (and sometimes frightening) celebration has presented me with yet another prime opportunity to spotlight even more of the Hallowe'en / Horror themed Roku content for you in the build-up to Hallowe'en 2018...






As with the last few years, because the series of posts I have planned will be devilishly different from my regular weekly offerings (not to mention a lot more frequent, too) I plan to group them all under a unifying banner. However... instead of "A MummyVision Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" as used in 2013, or "Another CreatureFeature Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" as it was known in 2014, or the subsequent "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" from 2015, not forgetting my look back over "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku" from my Hallowe'en blogathon in 2016, plus my guide to "Awesome Horror Streams for Hallowe'en Screams on Roku" from 2017, this year's theme will be "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" through which I shall be offering "Spooky Streams for Laughs & Screams on Halloween" by sharing plenty of vintage cartoon classics from the plethora of spooky animated short films that have been released throughout the course of animation history and are guaranteed to get you in the seasonal mood, all the while still endeavouring to bring you one post every day, throughout October, culminating (as you may expect) on the 31st... when the Countdown To Hallowe'en 2018 ends and the celebrations begin !!! :-O ;-) :-)


For quick & easy access to the official Countdown To Hallowe'en website which includes a list of all "Cryptkeepers" (i.e. contributing bloggers) for 2018 with yours truly (once again) among them (plus details of all past contributors) you'll find the following badge with a built-in link to their website in the upper right hand column of my blog for the duration of the Countdown To Hallowe'en 2018:-






Please make the effort to click on the badge and visit the Countdown To Hallowe'en website to show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it if you visit their blogs & share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.


For my part, albeit in a slightly different format to last year, I'll (once again) endeavour to post one Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, each covering one vintage Hallowe'en cartoon classic from the amazing selection of spooky animated short films that have been released over the last nine decades. Most of these will be around 5-10 minutes long but on each Wednesday throughout October, upto and including Hallowe'en itself, I plan to treat you to some slightly longer cartoons (20-30 minutes) under a collective banner of the "Midweek Mega-Toon" that will ensure you have at least one big "treat" every week between now and November. With 31 top animated film shorts to choose from, by the end of the month, you'll have plenty of options for your creepy cartoon viewing in celebration of Hallowe'en on 31st October 2018!


As in years gone by, I'll try to ensure that as many of the featured animations are also available on Roku in Canada and the USA (not just the UK & Ireland) however, due to geographical restrictions, I reserve the right to post certain films which may only be available here and not (currently) on Roku in USA and/or Canada. Either way, you can rest assured there will be PLENTY of Hallowe'en / Horror themed cartoon content available to stream FOR ALL ROKU OWNERS, who have access to popular video sharing sites like 'YouTube', 'Dailymotion', and 'Vimeo', plus (possibly) either 'Plex' and/or the 'Roku Media Player' channels for streaming the odd title that might be harder to find! ;-) :-)


So, if you wish to get a head-start by installing any of the afore-mentioned Roku channels which you don't (yet) have among the selection of apps that you've already added to your streaming device(s), here's a list of links to all of my recommended apps for streaming the creepy cartoons I'll be sharing:-






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

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That because of the all-round ease of streaming content from 'YouTube', including the ability to "cast" from the 'YouTube' app(s) for 'iOS' (Apple) plus 'Android' mobile devices, it's my intention (whenever possible) to provide links to cartoons that were uploaded to 'YouTube' so you can then watch any given video on a big screen television via your Roku player (or NowTV device) but if they're not available on 'YouTube' I'll provide links to other sources (Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc).






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

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






ROKU MEDIA PLAYER.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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



In addition to the above channels (apps) - all of which are available via the Roku Channel Store that can be found built-in to your Roku player(s) under "Streaming Channels" from the 'Home' menu of your device - you should consider installing the private channel by 'Dailymotion', for which you must be signed-in to your online Roku account, that can be done using the ACCESS CODE: dailymotion by way of the "Add channel with a code" option in the 'Manage Account' section of Roku's website.





HINT:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!



If, for whatever reason, you have not yet added 'Daily Motion' to your list of installed apps... then you will need to follow the necessary steps (outlined below) to make it available on your device. As mentioned before, because this is a "private" channel, you will not be able to find it in the Roku UK Channel Store... and will instead need to log-in to your online Roku account where you can make use of the "Add channel with a code" option. For the benefit of anyone who may not have installed any so-called "private" channels to their Roku account before... if you 'Sign in' to the Roku website online, then look under 'Manage account', you will see an active link through which you may "Add channel with a code" and, if you click on that, you will then see a pop-up window where you need only enter the 'Channel access code' and click the blue 'Add channel' button to have the channel added to your Roku account. In this instance enter ACCESS CODE: dailymotion to install it.


Here's a screenshot of the 'Manage account' section, with the active link to "Add channel with a code" highlighted in blue. To get to it... simply scroll down the 'My Account' page, which is the main page that loads-up after you sign in to your Roku account online, until you see the section shown below:-





ONCE AGAIN:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!



If you have never added a "private" channel to your Roku account before (or it has been a while since you last added one) then you should be aware that, following some recent problems in Mexico which led to a ban on the sale and/or import of Roku products in that country, it became necessary for Roku to issue a 'WARNING' message (see screenshot below) every time a "private" channel is added. This is nothing that should concern you and, having already installed this particular channel myself, I can confirm that there are no issues with it - so just click "OK" to continue...





AS BEFORE:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!



Once you have clicked the blue "OK" button, you will then get another pop-up window asking you to confirm that you wish to add the private channel to your account. From there, you need only click on the blue "Yes, add channel" button to have 'Daily Motion' added to your account. Here is the channel icon (aka 'HD Poster' image) to look for among the list of apps added to your Roku account:-






TIP: If you don't see the above icon for the 'Daily Motion' private channel at the end of your list of installed apps, go to Settings > System > System update > Check now on your Roku device and, once you see the on-screen message saying "Your Roku player software is up to date", simply press "OK" followed by the "Home" button on your Roku remote, to return to the main menu. From there... you need only press the 'RIGHT' directional arrowhead key once, followed by a single press of the 'UP' directional arrowhead key, via your Roku remote and you should then see the 'Daily Motion' private channel sitting at the end of your list of installed Roku channels ready to be launched! ;-) :-)


Meanwhile, if there's any Roku Channel Developers or Content Providers who are featuring any of the cartoon classics I mention on your channel and would like to be included in this series of articles then feel free to comment below, providing details of the channel plus which cartoon(s) I've shared that are on it, and I'll be only too happy to mention your app by way of an additional option for Roku users to stream the cartoon(s) you have available. Your assistance with this is much appreciated... although I cannot guarantee that each individual channel will be included for every cartoon, as there is obviously only a finite number of posts that can be made throughout the month and I may not have the time. Don't let that put you off though because, if I can't squeeze you in this time around, then there's always the possibility of being included in next year's Countdown To Hallowe'en instead! ;-)


Anyway, I just wanted to give you all a "heads up" as to what I've got planned for this blog over the month of October. Of course, there will still be my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts to keep you informed of ALL NEW ADDITIONS to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store during that time. All of which means... that there's now even more reason(s) for you to visit this blog on a regular basis as you prepare for your own Roku-assisted Hallowe'en celebration(s)... Mwah-Ha-Haaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!


Still, that's about it for now... I hope to see most, if not all, of you back here tomorrow and each day of October as we bring you "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" with a total of 31 spooky shorts over the Countdown To Hallowe'en 2018. Be afraid... BE VERY AFRAID !!!!!!!!!!


Just don't be too afraid to pay us another visit !!



That's all folks !!





Saturday, September 29, 2018

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #290





Hi, everyone !!



It's been a week for BIG NEWS of both the Roku-specific and Roku-related kind, not least of which was the announcement, via this press release from the Roku Newsroom, that not one but two budget 4K-capable streaming devices are now available for pre-order and due for a full release by the end of the first week in October. However, before you get too excited, these new models are both US-ONLY and - as of the time of writing - it is unclear whether the new 'Roku Premiere' [Model 3920] will even get an UK release. One thing I am certain of is that, because the 'Roku Premiere+' [Model 3921RW] is a Walmart exclusive in the United States, we are highly unlikely to see both models released in the United Kingdom if/when Roku update their product range here. Of course, past history has shown us that Roku often announces new products for the U.S. market first... before subsequently making those same devices available in the UK but, for now, here's a look at how the U.S. packaging looks:-





NEW 2018 ROKU PREMIERE [Model 3920R] - RETAIL PRICE: $39.99 [U.S. Dollars]
*** N.B. THIS PRODUCT IS US-ONLY AND NOT OFFICIALLY SOLD IN THE UK ***






NEW 2018 ROKU PREMIERE+ [Model 3921RW] - RETAIL PRICE: $49.99 [U.S. Dollars]
*** N.B. THIS PRODUCT IS US-ONLY AND NOT OFFICIALLY SOLD IN THE UK ***



As you can see, both of these products take their form factor from the 'Roku Express' [Model 3900] but up the ante with support for 4K Ultra HD and HDR streaming. The actual devices themselves are identical, with the only difference(s) between the two being related to the hardware remote supplied with each. The cheaper 'Roku Premiere' comes with a simple, IR remote... while for just ten dollars more, the Walmart-exclusive 'Roku Premiere+' (Roku Premiere Plus) boasts an enhanced remote with Voice Search plus TV Power and Volume Controls. So let's hope, if Roku does decide to bring one of these new products to the UK, it's the 'Roku Premiere+' version with the better remote! :-D


If you read the press release (see link above) then you will know that they have also given a face-lift to the top-of-the-range 'Roku Ultra', adding "Premium" earphones by 'JBL' (worth $39.95) instead of the old (purple) Roku earphones [as supplied with former Model 4660] while maintaining the same price-point of $99.99 for this latest version [Model 4661]. Although this is great for new purchasers, there's not really any incentive for those who already own an earlier 'Roku Ultra' version to upgrade. Even so, for those who are curious, here's a look at the U.S. packaging for that new model, too:-





NEW 2018 ROKU ULTRA [Model 4661R] - RETAIL PRICE: $99.99 [U.S. Dollars]
*** N.B. THIS PRODUCT IS US-ONLY AND NOT OFFICIALLY SOLD IN THE UK ***



I'll probably flesh-out the details for these new (US-only) Roku models over the next few days but, because I'm short on time today (Saturday) and have other BIG NEWS to share with you that I'd rather not make you wait for, I'm going to leave it there for now and press on with my next item of interest. Ironically, this also concerns a new streaming product... but this one is UK-only as opposed to US-only and, despite also being manufactured by Roku, is a new NowTV-branded product. This won't come as too much of a surprise for followers of the former companion Twitter Feed to this blog, where I first hinted at the arrival of a new 4K-capable NowTV Box (with pink logo) back in March 2018 after I got wind of a test box bearing the model number '4631UK' which I soon figured out was based on the 2016 Roku Premiere+ [Model: 4630]. As such, I determined that there would be no USB port but it was likely to have a Micro SD slot for extra channel memory, as well as support for Netflix Profiles, 4K HDR, and 'ac' WiFi, plus an ethernet port. The support for 4K HDR was most likely to be introduced in readiness for when the Netflix app was added to NowTV boxes... and, what do you know, six months later this press release materialises from the 'Sky Corporate' media centre to herald the arrival of 'Netflix' on the 'NOW TV' platform as well as launching the most powerful smart box that NowTV has ever released. Here's a look at the latest device from NOW TV in all it's glory:-





NEW 2018 NOW TV SMART BOX [Model 4631UK] - RETAIL PRICE: £45.99 [British Pounds]
*** N.B. THIS PRODUCT IS UK-ONLY AND NOT OFFICIALLY SOLD IN THE USA ***






NEW 2018 NOW TV SMART BOX [Model 4631UK] - FRONT VIEW WITH LED INDICATOR
*** N.B. THIS PRODUCT IS UK-ONLY AND NOT OFFICIALLY SOLD IN THE USA ***






NEW 2018 NOW TV SMART BOX [Model 4631UK] - REAR VIEW WITH CONNECTIONS
FOR HDMI AND POWER PLUS MICRO SD AND ETHERNET PORTS
*** N.B. THIS PRODUCT IS UK-ONLY AND NOT OFFICIALLY SOLD IN THE USA ***



From the above images, another detail known to be true of this latest NowTV device is that it does *not* have an aerial socket - and, therefore, has no built-in TV tuner - so it seems that NOW TV have abandoned any plans to continue with support for 'Freeview' via an Over-The-Air (OTA) tuner on their set-top boxes (at least for the time being). As for it's 4K Ultra HD capabilities... while NowTV customers will get 4K content through Netflix, it may be a while longer before Sky programming is available in 4K UHD although 'NOW TV' have said it should be in 1080p sometime later in 2018.


Again, I intend to flesh-out the details for this new (UK-only) NOW TV Smart Box models over the next few days but, like I said before, because I'm short on time today (Saturday) you may have to wait for a few days until I get a chance to update this article with the additional information, plus links to further reading, etc, etc. While not as exciting as having one of the above new Roku models, I'm sure there will be plenty of interest in this latest device. However, with the current flagship 4K 'Roku Stick+' on sale for £55.00 at Sainsburys in the UK, those in the market for a new 4K-capable streaming devicen might be better-off paying the extra nine quid to have access to 'Amazon Video', plus 'TVPlayer', 'MUBI', 'Wuaki TV UK' and more than five thousand additional apps that are in the Roku Channel Store... but not in the Roku-powered 'App Store' on NowTV-branded products! ;-) :-)





HINT:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!



Before I crack on with the rest of this post, I'd just like to quickly give a brief mention to another LIMITED-TIME SPECIAL OFFER which will doubtless be of interest to baseball fans and those who follow MLB (Major League Baseball) in the United States. For THIS WEEKEND ONLY you can take your pick of the baseball games because EVERY MLB FIXTURE IS FREE-TO-STREAM with each and every one being listed as a 'Free Game Of The Day' so that you can watch all of them. To take advantage of this, all you need do is add the 'MLB.TV' channel to your Roku device and then sign-up for a FREE 'MLB.COM' ACCOUNT which can then be used to login to the Roku channel in order to watch the game(s) of your choosing. Any 'MLB' fixture taking place from Friday 28th until Sunday 30th September 2018 can be enjoyed for free using this method, regardless of whether they are streamed "live" or "on-demand" after they've finished. The same applies for 'NOW TV' devices but first timers should be aware that, when signing-in to the 'MLB.TV' Roku channel, where it asks for your 'MLB.com' username... what you actually need to enter is the email address you used when you registered on 'MLB.com' and not the 'Username' you would have created at the same time! ;-) :-)


Anyway, with no other Roku-related news to share with you at this time, I'm now going to focus on the equally important matter of 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 and, with a decent crop of forty new Roku channels to browse through, that should be more than enough to keep you occupied while I see what snippets of Roku-related news I can find for you this coming week! :-)


Firstly, though, I'd just like to mention (on a not entirely un-related note) that I have now added links to some (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... most of the additions were for Roku channels that were released last week so, if you'd like to see an independent appraisal of those apps, be sure to check-out the relevant posts (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 more "missing" links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for all but one of the new Roku apps that were published during the last seven days... which means, much like many other posts from recent months, I am going to have to leave it for you to access those on your own. As of seven months ago, you can choose to do that either via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s)... or else, by following the links 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 so many of these new apps but, like I say, it's entirely out of my hands. Hopefully they'll get chance to catch-up on them sometime in the coming week, or I may have to start doing my own reviews!?! ;-) :-)


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 23rd September 2018 and 29th September 2018:-







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

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






CROSS NETWORK TV.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






KARIM JOVIAN......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






5-MINUTE CRAFTS...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






5-MINUTE CRAFTS KIDS - FUN DIY...............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






BRIGHT SIDE - FACTS AND FUN..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






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

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






KC MIXTAPES RADIO.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






GAIACAM....................................................COST: £1.99 (MONTHLY)  [Roku Guide Review]

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






GOLDEN TV AND MOVIE CLASSICS..............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DARK NIGHT FILMS...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






INDIAN COOKING...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






COUNT GORE DE VOL PRESENTS..................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






AWESOME CARTOONS.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






BRAILLE SKATEBOARDING.............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

PLEASE NOTE:- There was another similarly-named channel, called 'Braille Skateboarding TV', that was featured in my "Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #289" post from last week but which has since been completely withdrawn from the platform. This latest 'Braille Skateboarding' channel is basically an exact clone of that original channel which has been re-packaged, re-branded with a (slightly) shorter name, and then re-released this week to replace the former version of the app.







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

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






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

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






INC HORROR CHANNEL....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






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

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






BOTTLE SQUAD.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






MONSTER TRUCK DAN........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






JUNIOR SQUAD......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






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

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






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

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






MAGIC MURRAY..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






UNTAPPED HIP HOP..........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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







5-MINUTE CRAFTS GIRLY.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THIOJOE - TECH NEWS & REVIEWS..................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






RING OF HONOR......COST: FREE (n.b. may require additional fees) [Roku Guide Review]

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






BITMOVIN PLAYER..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






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

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






ANIMÉ CHANNEL 24x7 IN SPANISH...............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






SCENIC RUSSIA...............................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

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






TMS KIDS!...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "KIDS & FAMILY" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






STREAMNET RADIO..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






WESTERN MOVIE AND TV CLASSICS...........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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



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


Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot this week and, while I don't yet have an exact figure for the new apps which were added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store in the same time-frame, at least you have a crop of 40 NEW CHANNELS to keep you occupied while I check the numbers! Meanwhile, for those still clinging-on to their NowTV device(s) for whatever reason, unlike most weeks where zero new Roku channels (apps) for the NOW TV 'App Store' are added, this time there was actually one new channel... meaning the app total increased to forty-five! In case you missed it, I should point out that this "new" channel was actually the Roku app for 'Netflix' and, as I speculated upon in my previous 'Weekly RoundUp' post on this blog, it's finally come to the 'NOW TV' platform after an absence of five years... despite being available on UK Roku devices for that entire period of time. Even so, with no 'TVPlayer', and still  no 'Prime Video' app(s) among the selection of channels in the NOW TV 'App Store' (to name but two) - even though there's also dedicated channels for both of them on UK Roku devices - these NowTV-branded products remain way too shy of the mark to meet the current streaming needs for many in the UK. So, if you wish to increase your choice of streaming services, you really would be better-off upgrading any NowTV-branded products you own to genuine Roku-branded streaming media players for access to a far greater range of content! ;-) :-D


In any event, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the forty "public" channels outlined above... or else the "private" channels, whose access codes have been "gifted" to you via the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels to this blog, at various points over the past years. However, if you didn't find anything to add to your Roku channel selection from the assortment of apps 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 app because, like I say... when it comes to adding new channels to your Roku, IT'S YOUR CHOICE and, as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS!



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


As touched upon previously, you can expect my usual summary of all the goings-on (or not) in the (severely restricted) Roku Channel Store (aka "App Store") that features on NowTV devices to continue in future posts. 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 two hundred and sixteen preceding weeks, then come back again in seven days' time for my next 'Weekly RoundUp'. Hopefully, by the time I make my next post, I may even have sorted out another (new) companion Twitter Feed to replace the now suspended: @ukrokuchannels account so there will still be a presence on the social media platform via which up-to-the-minute info on Roku-related matters (here in the UK) is posted on a daily basis!



Until the next time, then...



That's all folks !!