Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #3

Hello, again !!


Another week, another channel...


I know, I know, I've said something similar before... only this time, as you will see from what follows in this post, I mean it quite LITERALLY - i.e. channel (singular), just the one... all on it's lonesome !!


Yes, it's sad but true... there has been very little action on the NEW CHANNELS front during the past week, at least as far as the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store is concerned, so don't expect to be bolstering your Roku UK channel list by much this time around. Surprisingly, the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store suffered much the same fate... in fact, possibly even worse, because their one and only addition during the past seven days was little more than a re-launch of "NetFit TV" (originally released in March 2012) now rebranded simply as "NetFit", with a subtext of "Fitness Training". At least our latest addition is actually NEW to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, despite having been available across the pond since November 2012. So, a small victory (of sorts) for the UK this time, when compared with our transatlantic cousins in the USA. Surely that counts for something ?!!


Well, agree or disagree (as you might) with that last statement there is no denying that the traffic through this blog has seen FAR MORE ACTIVITY in recent days than was evident in any of the new additions to the various channel stores. So, before we go any further, let's extend a warm welcome to recent visitors from Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Finland, Nigeria and Venezuela...


To those people, and anyone else that has visited this blog recently, I'd like to say, "Thanks a lot for taking the time & trouble to stop by"... I hope you all continue to visit regularly, over the coming months, and that you always find something of interest here whenever you choose to do so.


In the event that you somehow missed my previous 'Weekly RoundUp', published via this blog on Saturday 23rd March 2013, you can read it by following this link: Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #2 and, there, you will find details of the FOUR CHANNELS which were added to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store since the first 'Weekly RopundUp', published on Saturday 16th March 2013, again exclusive to this blog. If you're a relative newcomer to these pages, and didn't get to see the original post from this NEW regular WEEKLY FEATURE, then I'd recommend browsing to the Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #1 which includes an explanation as to the format for this ongoing series of posts. By first reading that article, you should then better understand what follows here (in this post) as well as for subsequent posts in the series.


On the other hand, if you've already seen both previous installments from the 'Weekly RoundUp' series,  and know what to expect this time around, or just want to find out what the ONE NEW CHANNEL is this week then, by all means, read on...


For now, I can reveal to you all that the next in line of all the Roku channels 2013 has brought to us... the one, single, solitary channel to emerge during the past seven days in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store was (DRUM ROLL... wait for it, wait for it) this one:-

KARAOKE PARTY ON DEMAND............................COST: £2.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £2.99 per month until you cancel. You can cancel, at any time, from within the Roku Channel Store. Please bear in mind that subscriptions to the Karaoke Party On Demand channel are non-refundable. If you do cancel, you will still be able to use the channel during the period for which you have paid.


So, there you have it... and I, for one, was very grateful of it's (late) arrival to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store this week because, without it, I wouldn't have had much to write about for this particular 'Weekly RoundUp' feature. In fact, I'd already begun a draft post which was intended to replace this one, if all else failed. Luckily, for all of us, it didn't come to that. It's difficult to comprehend why it arrived in such a tardy manner... maybe the developers were too busy stuffing their faces with hot cross buns? Or, perhaps they were scavenging for easter eggs? My guess is, they were too cool for school and decided (as with many party guests) it was better to arrive fashionably late than not at all. I have to say that, in this instance, I couldn't agree more !!


Anyway, as is now the norm, you can expect another 'Weekly RoundUp' to be posted here in seven days' time. Meanwhile, you can follow all the UK Roku action (as it happens) throughout the coming week, by checking the companion Twitter feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels. There you will find up-to-the-minute information on all things Roku-related, here in the UK, being posted on an almost daily basis. Just remember, if you really want to be sure of having a complete list of Roku UK channels then, as long as you stick with UKROKUCHANNELS (via Blogger or Twitter), you know you're in the right place to get the job done !!


That's all for today, though.



So, until next time...



Take care, folks !!

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #2

Hi, everyone !!


Once again, you've come to the right place for your UK Roku news and information. For, as well as the 'Weekly RoundUp' bringing you details of ALL NEW ADDITIONS to the Roku UK Channel Store, we also have some very exciting BREAKING NEWS which we can now reveal to you...

Yes, folks... today we can announce for the first time that the HEADLINE which greets you on the Roku (UK) Official Website is WRONG and it should, in fact, now be: "400 channels and counting" !!


We've done the arithmetic, based on the total number of channels within each genre (i.e. category) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, as published in the Channel Store Overview on this blog. Now, I appreciate that we're still a long way off the (current) total of 770+ channels that feature in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store but, given that Roku has only been available in the UK for a year, we're progressing very nicely towards the level of content afforded to our friends across the pond.


Oh, that reminds me... speaking of people from overseas, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to some new readers of this blog. Since my previous post, there have been visitors from the likes of Poland, Czech Republic, Greece and even as far afield as Vietnam and Peru, to name but a few !!


So to those people, and anyone else who has paid this blog a visit recently, I say... as always, "Thanks a lot for stopping by" and I look forward to your continued visits over the coming months.


Anyway, in case you missed it, last Saturday I made my first post for what was the start of a NEW regular WEEKLY FEATURE on this blog in the Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #1. For those of you that didn't catch that post at the time, I'd recommend reading it before continuing with this second installment because the first half of it explains the format for the ongoing series of posts, and will help you better understand what follows here, both for this post and subsequent future posts.


If, on the other hand, you've already seen the previous 'Weekly RoundUp' and know what to expect then, by all means, read on... and you'll find out exactly what NEW Roku channels 2013 has conjured up to add to your UK Roku players, via the Roku UK Channel Store, during these past seven days.


Appropriately enough, given that we just hit "400 channels and counting", there were FOUR NEW CHANNELS added to the lineup in the Roku UK Channel Store this week. These latest additions to the Roku UK market introduced new content to the Games, Music, International, Screensavers & Apps, plus Religion & Spirituality genres of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store.


As previously, details of all the new channels released this week have been listed below together with links, to obtain further information on them, and to read a review (where available) for each one:-

CANDY BEAR.....................................................COST: £1.99 (ONE-OFF) [Roku Guide Review]

ULTRA RADIO MEXICO.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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


N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £1.99 per month until you cancel. You can cancel, at any time, from within the Roku Channel Store. Please bear in mind that subscriptions to the Artcast channel are non-refundable. If you do cancel, you will still be able to use the channel during the period for which you have already paid.

GAITHER TV...............COST: FREE / $4.99 / $49.99 (MONTHLY / ANNUAL) [Roku Guide Review]


N.B. This channel is FREE TO ADD and offers LIMITED FREE CONTENT in the form of Gaither Radio (24/7 Gospel Music by the Gaither Music Group) plus Homecoming Video Singles (FREE streaming music videos by various Homecoming artists) BUT will require a PAID SUBSCRIPTION in order to watch the additional EXCLUSIVE LIVE & ON-DEMAND CONTENT (incl. special presentations, concert footage, behind-the-scenes videos and a selection of hand-picked monthly full-length DVD's). There is, however, a SEVEN-DAY FREE TRIAL offered within each subscription plan (i.e. monthly or annual) during which there is no contract or commitment and you are able to cancel at any time during the trial period.

You can subscribe by visiting the Gaither TV website where there is also a five-minute introductory video explaining the service which can be watched FREE-OF-CHARGE prior to registering. Please be aware that the prices quoted are in $USD (U.S. Dollars) because that is how they are shown on the Gaither TV website when you follow the link to create your Gaither TV Account. You will not find any prices quoted in £GBP (British Pounds)... even among the channel details given in the description from the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Needless to say, until that changes, the price you actually pay will depend upon the exchange rate at the time you choose to subscribe and may also vary based upon your chosen method of payment.

After you have created your Gaither TV Account, you must then 'Link' your Roku player to your account by first adding and then loading the Gaither TV channel onto your Roku and then selecting one of the EXCLUSIVE CONTENT options from the Main Menu. From there, you will see an option (within one of the Sub-Menus) for you to "Subscribe to GAITHER TV" which, if selected, will produce a UNIQUE CODE for you to enter via the Gaither TV website once you have logged in (using the Username & Password from the Gaither TV Account you created previously) to then access your subscription on your Roku player.




Hopefully, this 'Weekly RoundUp' has now brought all of you up to speed with what has been going on, as regards the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, during the last seven days. Not quite as many channels were added to the channel store as during the previous week (when SEVEN new channels were introduced) but, as I said before, this week's quota of new channels did take us nicely to the "400 channels and counting..." mark which, as early UK Roku adopters will recall, at this time last year (when there were barely 40, or so, channels) certainly seemed a long way off !!


You can expect another 'Weekly RoundUp' seven days from now but, as I've said before, you can always follow all the UK Roku action (as it happens) throughout the coming week by checking the official Twitter feed for this blog: @ukrokuchannels where up-to-the-minute information on all things Roku-related, here in the UK, is continually being posted on an almost daily basis.


Other than that, I think I'm just about done for this post.


So, until the next time...



That's all folks !!

UK Roku Private Channel - mkvXstream.com

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask...


... and that's kind of how I came by this latest addition to my ever-expanding list of UK Roku private channels, while exchanging emails with another blogger, this past weekend. More of that, in a bit...


First, though, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to yet another batch of new readers from various locales around the world including, but not limited to: Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Cyprus, Jersey, Oman, Pakistan, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.


Thanks to all of you for stopping by... I hope you all found something of interest while reading this blog and I look forward to your continued support, as I attempt to provide you all with an up-to-date Roku UK channel list that includes all the Roku channels 2013 has to offer for Roku users in the UK.


It's fair to say that, aside from what's on offer in the "Official" UK Channel Store, there is a lot of interest in the 'other' Roku channels available. In fact, some of the best Roku channels can be found among the so-called Roku private channels, hidden channels, beta channels, etc. which, no matter how you choose to refer to them, are all just Roku channels that are not available in the Roku channel store, for one reason or another. So, to help you discover some of these hidden Roku channels and develop your own list of Roku private channels, I'll be gradually building my own Roku private channel database right here on this blog.


Just in case you missed them, I've already posted details (including access codes, etc.) for two Roku private channels UK users can add to their Roku private channels list(s). For starters, there was my WORLD EXCLUSIVE first reference to a UK Roku Private Channel - Resources For The Future. This was followed by another UK Private Roku Channel - H*E*R*O* USA but, suffice to say that we have barely even scratched the surface when it comes to revealing ALL of the Roku private channels UK users can view once they know the channel codes for these 'other' Roku channels.


So, the aim is to bring you these details as and when we hear about them. Think of this as your very own Roku private channels blogspot where you can keep coming back for all the latest news & updates on what hidden channels are out there to boost your Roku UK channel list. As the ONLY currently available UK Roku blog, private channels that are compatible with UK Roku players are best sourced from the pages of this blog. When you read about them here, they are already tried and tested on a UK Roku player so there's less chance of "We're sorry. This channel is not available in your area" which is a common message you'll get if entering codes found elsewhere.


Actually, it was because of getting one such message that I began my exchange of emails (referred to at the start of this post) with the good folks at mkvXstream.com as to why their Roku channel was not available here in the UK. Having long been an avid reader of their blog, as evidenced by their inclusion in my Blog Roll, I was keen to see what was on offer via their Roku private channel. However, despite my repeatedly trying the access code on and off over a long period of time, I was always met with the "We're sorry. This channel is not available in your area" message.


Anyway, this time I decided to try and find out why the mkvXstream.com channel wasn't available here and, at the same time, request that they took steps to rectify the situation so that UK Roku users could finally see what they had been missing. So, off went the first email (via the contact form on their website) and I then just had to wait and see if I got a response.


Amazingly, I heard back from them inside of 24 hours with a message that, "As requested, the mkvXstream Roku channel should now be viewable in the UK and rest of the world", which was exactly what I had hoped to hear. So, having waited so long to view the channel, I wasted little time in entering the access code (which I'll reveal to you later in this post) and added the mkvXstream private Roku channel to my Roku player, via the "Add a Private Channel" option in my online Roku Account. Once the hidden channel code had been successfully entered, I was greeted by the following on-screen message:-

As usual, I opted for "Yes, Add Channel" rather than the "Cancel" button because, aside from having waited all this time to view this channel, it was FREE to add... so there really was nothing to lose !!


Once the channel was installed on my Roku player, I noticed the "dot com" had been dropped from the channel name (see 'Add Channel' image above) and that it was now identified as simply "mkvXstream" with the tag line, "Covering the Hottest Media Streamers & Roku Channels on the Planet". Other than that, the channel icon remained the same (as pictured above) and it loaded quickly and smoothly.


The main menu (currently) offers three options:-

(i)   Xstream - Watch Your Videos on Roku (3 videos - ALL in HD);
(ii)  MX Privateer - Today's Hottest Supercross Privateers (7 videos - 3 in HD / 4 in SD), and;
(iii) GoPro HD - Extreme Sports Videos by GoPro in HD (8 videos - ALL in HD)


In the 'Xstream' category, you will find an episode of OCDtv (Obsessive Comics Disorder TV) feat. Chris Renshaw, aka 'The Professor', who gives us his review of the Roku XD (a model only available in the USA). There is also a brief commercial for 30a TV, which was released in the UK last week and mentioned in my last post for the Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #1. The last video is basically a brief video 'hint' to visit the mkvXstream.com website and view their 'Site Index' for more info on how to "Add Your Video" to "Watch on Roku"... Hmmmm, sounds interesting !!


Under the 'MX Privateer' category, you will find a selection of no less than seven videos by Privateer Motocrosser, Mike Horban, showing him in action at PTF (Phil's Training Facility) near Redding, California and getting ready for the US Open. There's also footage of his battle with Tiger Lacey at Josephine County Fairgrounds, where he's running with a blown radiator but still not giving up. Plus, you can see him getting the jump on Factory Yamaha's Josh Hill at Medford's ArenaCross. The four videos that I have just mentioned are the ones recorded in SD only. The remaining three are all in HD and include the short films "Life of a Privateer Motocrosser" & "Filthy Animals", as well as footage of both Mike Horban and Josh Hansen practicing at Milestone. If you like what you see here, you can always check out Mike's website (mikehorban.com) for more on what he's been up to.


Finally, the 'GoPro HD' category offers a selection of extreme sports videos made using the GoPro HD Hero & GoPro HD Hero 2 cameras. There's some really HIGH QUALITY stuff on offer here, with footage ranging from wingsuit fliers Jeb Corliss & Roberta Mancino, to avalanche cliff jumps with Matthias Giraud, to skateboarding with Ryan Sheckler in New York. Plus, you'll find footage from the Red Bull Rampage 2010 in Virgin, Utah and a video on mountain biking, feat. Craig Sanchez, a movie on radical freestyle skiing and a short film of 'Shark Riders' dive housing with world renowned free diver Mark Healy. All incredible footage... you've got to see this, if you like extreme sports !!


Now, for those of you with your Roku players hooked up to an old CRT television, using the mini-jack to composite cable, as I did for the purposes of testing this channel... PLEASE TAKE NOTE:


In order for the HD content (i.e. 15 of the 18 videos currently on offer) to play properly you will need to look at your Roku Player Settings to make sure that 'Display' is set to HD (i.e. 720p or 1080p) because, if you have it set to 4:3 or Widescreen (i.e. Standard Definition) they will not play.


*** N.B. You will need to connect your Roku player to an HD television, via an HDMI cable, in order to see the HD options listed under the 'Display' settings (if you haven't already done so). Once you have selected either 720p (Roku LT and Roku XS) or 1080p (Roku XS only) you can then exit settings and disconnect your Roku player from the HD TV. When you then reconnect to your CRT television, using the mini-jack to composite cable, the Roku player will remember the HD settings and you should have no trouble watching any of the HD content on the mkvXstream channel. ***


This was finally established after an exchange of emails between myself and the good folks at mkvXstream.com, this past weekend, where we threw several ideas around whilst trying to find some sort of technical solution, and even discussed potential GEOblocking issues, before FINALLY hitting on the answer to the problem... PHEW !!!!!!!!!!!!


Anyhow, the long and the short of it is that the mkvXstream private Roku channel DOES WORK here in the UK and has some good quality content on offer, provided you like the subject matter that is !! So, if the above description has left you wanting more and you'd like to add this FREE private channel to your Roku player, then you can do so (via your online Roku Account) by clicking on the following direct link:-


ADD CHANNEL: mkvXstream.com


Alternatively, you can access your Roku Account online (without using the 'ADD CHANNEL' link, above) and from there, use the 'Add a Private Channel' option to then enter the access code manually, yourself. That being the case, the code you will need to type in is:-


CODE: mkvXstream


If you'd like to know more about the developers of this channel or to view their 'Site Index' for more info on how to "Add Your Video" to "Watch on Roku", then you should visit their Official Website:-


DEVELOPER'S WEBSITE: mkvXstream.com


For those of you that prefer to use Twitter for your snippets of information on current media streaming technology, Roku private channels and FREE internet TV, you can follow them at:-


DEVELOPER'S TWITTER FEED: @mkvXstream


Finally, if Facebook is more your thing, they can be found at:-


DEVELOPER'S FACEBOOK PAGE: mkvXstream


If you do decide to get social with them, please be sure to let them know that you heard about them here and tell them I said, "Hi". While you're there, remember to thank them for making their channel available to Roku users in the UK. Not forgetting it's now available in the Rest of the World, too !!


As always, if this particular channel was not your cup of tea (so-to-speak), just remember to visit this blog again in future because there will be plenty more Roku channel codes and details of other UK Roku Private Channels, Hidden Roku Channels, Roku Beta Channels and 'Other' Roku Channels... call them what you will, but you can find them all here, published alongside all the other UK Roku-related goodness on offer, via the pages of this very blog.


The aim is to provide details that are always relevant to UK Roku users, with the assurance that any Roku channel codes that are published here will always have been tested first on a UK Roku player. In this way, you know for certain that they will work on Roku streaming media players, here in the UK (at the time of publication) and that the code(s) used resulted in an 'Add Channel' screen (as shown above) when entered via a Roku Account online.


If nothing else, this latest addition to my Roku private channel database has indeed proven to me that... sometimes, all you have to do is ask. My thanks again to the kind folks at mkvXstream.com for making it happen for UK Roku users. Now, if only other channel developers would follow suit...


Then again, maybe all we have to do is ask ??!!!


So, with that in mind, if there's any particular channels that you'd like to see made available to UK Roku users, please leave your suggestions in the comments and/or do as I did and contact the developer yourself to ask them. Just be sure to share the knowledge here, if you are successful !!


Anyway, that's about it for this post. Be sure to visit this blog again soon if you want details of more Roku Private Channels UK users can add to their Roku players. Not forgetting, of course, the scoop on the very latest additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, which you will now find in our new 'Weekly RoundUp' feature (to be published every Saturday). Meanwhile, for those of you who are really into your Roku player(s), and don't want to miss a beat when it comes to Roku UK news and updates, I suggest you also follow the associated Twitter Feed for this blog: @ukrokuchannels


Stay tuned for more.


Until the next time...



That's all folks !!

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #1

Hello, again !!


Before I continue with the first in what will be an ongoing series of weekly roundups for Roku UK Channel Store additions, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to some new readers from around the globe. During the last week or so, visits have been made from Ecuador, Romania, France, Aruba, Egypt, Ukraine and the Isle Of Man, to name just a handful.


Thanks to all of you for stopping by and to anyone else who has paid us a visit recently !!


Anyway, down to business... and to the start of a NEW REGULAR FEATURE for this blog. Anyone who has explored the 'Roku Link List' (located in the right hand column of this blog, beneath the 'Roku Blog Roll' & my 'Blog Archive') may already be familiar with a website from the USA, called Roku Guide, which offers channel reviews & updates for Roku players in the USA. If so, they will know that each week the website provides a summary of any new channels that have been added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store. However, there has been no such service provided to Roku users in the UK. That is, until now...


... because, from this week on, I intend to provide a weekly roundup of any new channels that have been added to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store for the benefit of those of you who, for one reason or another, have not been able to keep up with the 'NEW CHANNEL' tweets on the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels


So, if you've been wondering what NEW Roku channels 2013 has offered up for you to add to your UK Roku players, via the Roku UK Channel Store, during the past seven days then you need look no further than the 'Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp', posted right here on this blog.


The listings for these Roku UK Channel Store Weekly RoundUps will appear in the following format:-

CHANNEL ICON (Photographic Image)

CHANNEL NAME......................COST: (FREE / PAID / SUBSCRIPTION) [Roku Guide Review]


Where available, the CHANNEL NAME will feature a link to the 'Channel Details' provided for the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store (as published via the Roku.com website) because, at present, there is no such facility for the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Consequently, the prices quoted if you follow those links will be in $USD (U.S. Dollars) and NOT £GBP (British Pounds), as listed here.


Likewise, some of the 'Categories' (i.e. genres) listed may differ from their UK counterparts and the ratings shown will be from Roku users in the USA rather than the UK. However, one potentially useful feature is that you can still use the green '+Add Channel' button to add the channel to your UK Roku Account despite viewing the 'Channel Details' for the Roku USA Channel Store. A frame will appear asking you to sign in to your Roku Account (unless you already have) and, once you do, you will get confirmation that the channel has been added to your account. Don't expect this to work for every channel in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, though, because the green '+Add Channel' button will only work for those channels which are also already part of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. If you try to add one of the channels which are NOT available in the UK, then you will simply get a notification that the channel is not available. It's much like when you use the 'Add a Private Channel' option in your Roku Account and enter an access code for a channel only to be told "We're sorry. That channel is not available in your area". In which case, all we can do is ask the developer and hope that they can add the channel to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store in the future.


One other thing I would like to mention is that if Roku get their act together, and build a Roku.co.uk website that can incorporate 'Channel Details' for the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, I intend to come back and amend these links. For now, though, I have chosen to use the descriptions provided for the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store rather than have nothing for you to refer to. However, please let me know if you would rather I did not include links to the Roku USA website and I will consider not using them and just rely on other links for reference purposes.


You should also note that the COST quoted in this feature, if applicable (i.e. if it's not a FREE channel) will usually be displayed in £GBP (British Pounds) unless the developer has chosen to use another currency (e.g. U.S. Dollars). Also, when it's a PAID channel, I will always try to add as much relevant detail as I can, such as whether it is a ONE-OFF payment or requires an additional regular (e.g. WEEKLY / MOTHLY / QUARTERLY / ANNUAL) SUBSCRIPTION in order to watch it.


Where you see '[Roku Guide Review]' beside a channel listing, a link will be incorporated that will take you to the relevant channel review (if available) that has been published on the Roku Guide website. This obviously requires the channel to have first been reviewed by Roku Guide which may not always be the case. So, if you don't see a link to a '[Roku Guide Review]' for a particular channel then, chances are, it's because there isn't one. That said, I might just have forgotten to include it so, by all means, feel free to enquire about any missing links, so-to-speak !!


Anyway, this past week has seen no less than SEVEN NEW CHANNELS added to the lineup in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. These channels brought fresh content to the Games, Screensavers & Apps, Internet TV, Religion & Spirituality, Film & TV and News, Weather, Sport genres. The seven channels have all been listed below, together with links to obtain further information and to read a review (where available) for each channel:-

INFOWARS.COM....................COST: $5.95 / $54.95 (MONTHLY / ANNUAL) [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. Above channel FREE to add but requires PAID SUBSCRIPTION for PrisonPlanet.TV to watch. The prices quoted for this are in $USD (U.S. Dollars) because that is how they are shown on the website, when you follow the link to create your PrisonPlanet.TV account / subscription. Currently, you will not find any prices quoted in £GBP (British Pounds)... even in the channel description that is included among the channel details for the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Needless to say, until that changes, the price you actually pay will depend on the exchange rate whenever you subscribe and may also vary based on your chosen method of payment.

ALIEN WORLDS....................................................COST: £1.49 (ONE-OFF) [Roku Guide Review]

30a TV...................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

BORK.....................................................................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF) [Roku Guide Review]

BRAIN PUCK..........................................................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF) [Roku Guide Review]

THE JACK AND HOLLY CHANNEL..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. No link has been provided for 'Channel Details' from the Roku USA website, since this channel is not in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store at this time. Please use the Roku Guide link for info.

THABN CHANNEL...................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]



And there you have it !!



I hope that this feature is of use to some, if not all, of you because it's something I hope to include on a regular basis as part of this blog. Feel free to let me know what you think of it... how it might be improved... or if you're happy just to look at the Twitter Feed for this blog to get your updates.



Still, that's all for today.



See you all next time !!

UK Roku Private Channel - H*E*R*O* USA

Here's another private channel that I came across this weekend...


Before I give you the lowdown on it, though, I'd first like to extend a warm welcome to new readers of this blog from Mexico, Qatar, Iraq, South Africa, Indonesia, South Korea & Guatemala... all of whom have visited these pages over the course of the last week or so.


Thanks to all of you for stopping by !!


Another fact that was born out this past week, supported by the search terms which brought a lot of people here, is that there is a BIG DEMAND for more information about UK private Roku channels (i.e. those channels which are not available in the Roku channel store). Rest assured that these Roku private channels will be featured on this blog, as readers of my previous post for UK Roku Private Channel - Resources For The Future can already attest. Those same readers will also know that I intend to publish an A-Z BIG LIST for ALL of the Roku private channels available in the UK. For now, that remains very much a work in progress... so you'll have to make do with the odd post here & there to augment your Roku private channels list(s) until the A-Z list is ready for publication.


Anyway, without further ado, here's another one that can be added to your Roku private channel list(s), as well as your UK Roku players, right here and right now... as per the title of this post, the channel is called H*E*R*O* USA and, once you've entered the correct access code for this hidden channel (which I'll reveal later in this post) you will be greeted with the following on-screen message:-

It goes without saying that I opted for "Yes, Add Channel" rather than the "Cancel" button because, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to tell you much about this NEW private channel from the developers of Octave Television. Basically, their description for the channel reads, "H*E*R*O* is Military Grade Media's Public Network of Active Duty Broadcasters, deploying hand-picked histories of Uncensored War and POV 'BattleCams' to a Worldwide Audience of Millions". Hopefully, that should already give you a pretty good idea as to whether this Roku private channel is going to be of interest to you. If not, then keep checking back for more private channel details in the future. If so, then read on...

After the title screen, the channel loads via a pretty impressive CGI clip which ends with a map of the world and the H*E*R*O* MENU of 'WarZone' countries, listed in alphabetical order down the left-hand side of the screen. There are 34 territories listed, from Afghanistan to Vietnam, with the full list of options running as follows:-

AFGHANISTAN

AUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

BRAZIL

BURMA

CHINA

COLUMBIA

CONGO

CUBA

EGYPT

ENGLAND

GERMANY

GREECE

GUANTANAMO

GUATEMALA

INDIA

IRELAND

IRAN

IRAQ

ISRAEL

ITALY

JAPAN

LAOS

LEBANON

LYBIA

MEXICO

NORTH KOREA

NORWAY

PAKISTAN

PEARL HARBOR

RUSSIA

SOMALIA

SYRIA

VIETNAM

The whole list is put together with a military grade graphic, that features a CGI image of an automatic weapon as the "cursor" (i.e. index pointer) icon and a confirmation "target" icon showing where on the map the 'BattleCam' will be deployed, based on your chosen country from the list.

To navigate the content of the H*E*R*O* MENU, use the UP / DOWN arrows on your Roku remote to choose which 'WarZone' to deploy your 'BattleCam' to, followed by the 'OK' button on your Roku remote to access the footage from the 'BattleCam' for your chosen 'WarZone'. You can return to the main index of countries on the H*E*R*O* MENU at any time, simply by pressing the 'Back' button (i.e. the 'Arrow' button) next to the 'Home' button at the top of your Roku remote.

You will find that the content featured for each country varies greatly in both quality & length but, overall, there is some interesting stuff for those of you who bother to spend some time deploying your 'BattleCam's around the globe. There are some good historical artifacts, too, including some footage from WWII era Britain if you choose to deploy to England. Fans of the Discovery History channel (Sky 522, Virgin 222) should feel right at home with those particular clips.

Then, if that's not enough to satisfy you, there's the ADDED BONUS of H*E*R*O* ON DEMAND, which you can access if you continue to press the down arrow after you reach 'Vietnam' at the bottom of the H*E*R*O* MENU index of countries. When you do, a message will appear on the right-hand side of the screen which says, "H*E*R*O* ON DEMAND... password req'd". Click the 'OK' button on your Roku remote and you will see the headline "Warning: Restricted Area" (in yellow type) with the following message below it:-

Due to it's graphic nature, H*E*R*O* On Demand is password-protected and intended for mature audiences only. To unlock the On-Demand area, adults (i.e. those aged 18+) may obtain a password online at www.mgmtv.org. Enter password once for unlimited access to this section. H*E*R*O* and it's affiliates do not, will not, nor will ever charge or receive a user fee or ask for personal information. We believe the price has already been paid in full. Pay It Forward! Honor, Respect, Thank and Pray for the Men and Women of our Armed Forces both at Home and Abroad.

You will need to go online to obtain your password from the web address quoted above, before you again click the 'OK' button on your Roku remote to confirm that it is "OK to Deploy". You will then be presented with a 'keyboard' and 'data entry' screen where you must type in the 'password' (obtained from www.mgmtv.org), before choosing to 'deploy' once more by first selecting the 'deploy' option and then clicking the 'OK' button on your Roku remote to take you to the On-Demand area.


N.B. If you decide not to continue to the On-Demand area at this stage, then you should instead select the 'wash out' option and click the 'OK' button on your Roku remote to return to the main index of countries on the H*E*R*O* MENU, where you can select another 'BattleCam' zone from the list.


Anyway, if the above description has left you wanting more and you'd like to add this FREE private channel to your Roku player, then you can do so (via your online Roku Account) by clicking on the following direct link:-


ADD CHANNEL: H*E*R*O* USA

Or, if you prefer, by first accessing your Roku Account online (without using the 'ADD CHANNEL' link, above) and, from there, using the 'Add A Private Channel' option to then enter the access code manually, yourself. That being the case, the code you will need to type in is:-

CODE: herousa

If you'd like to know more about the developers of this channel, you can visit their Official website:

DEVELOPER'S WEBSITE: Octave Television

Alternatively, you can keep up with all their latest exploits and details of any new channels, etc. by checking out their Official Twitter Feed. You can follow them at:


DEVELOPER'S TWITTER FEED: @8ctaveHD


Finally, if Facebook is more your thing, they can also be found at:


DEVELOPER'S FACEBOOK PAGE: OctaveTelevision


If you do decide to get social with them, please be sure to let them know you heard about them here.


Let me just finish by saying that, if this particular channel was not your cup of tea (so-to-speak), then be sure to visit this blog again in future because there will be plenty more access codes and details for other Roku Private Channels, Hidden Channels, Beta Channels... call them what you will, published right here among all the other UK Roku-related goodness on offer.


For your information, the Roku private channel codes that are published here will always have been tested on a UK Roku player so you know for certain that they will work with Roku streaming media players in the UK (at the time of publication, anyway) and that the code(s) used have resulted in an 'Add Channel' screen (as shown above) when entered via a Roku Account online. Hopefully, this will spare you the endless stream of "We're sorry. This channel is not available in your area" messages that I must endure while testing access codes for compatibility with UK Roku players as I research channels for the purpose of making posts on this blog.


What's that?


You're welcome !!


Still, that's about it for this post. Be sure to pay us another visit soon, if you want to find out more about exactly which Roku Private Channels UK users can add to their Roku players PLUS get to hear about the very latest additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. If you are really into Roku, and don't want to miss a beat when it comes to UK Roku news and updates, then you really ought to follow the associated Twitter feed for this blog as well, which you will find @ukrokuchannels


Stay tuned for more.


Until the next time...


That's all folks !!

Roku 3 For The UK...

It's coming sometime... maybe??!!!


Or, at least, that's what some sources might have you believe after Roku launched their latest model for the USA a few days ago - March 5th, to be precise - as a direct replacement for the Roku 2 XS.


However, a spokesperson for Roku has since confirmed that there are currently no plans to bring the Roku 3 to the UK. So unfortunately, when it comes to opportunities to buy Roku 3, UK purchasers are going to have to wait. Apparently, the best we can hope for is to be included in the rollout for the new software layout which the company says will be pushed out (via a FREE software upgrade) to existing Roku 2 players (including the Roku LT, Roku HD [Model #2500] & Roku 2 XS) by May 2013.


For those of you who would like to know what to expect from this new user experience, the following video (originally posted on the Official Roku YouTube Channel) will give you a brief glimpse:-

Now, having watched this through a few times, one of the things that struck me was how nearly all of the search results shown in the video were for either Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus or Vudu... none of which are available to Roku users via the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. This made me question whether UK owners would actually benefit in any way from this "new Roku experience" if it were even offered in this region.


Some of you may also recall an earlier improvement to the Roku software layout, again first introduced for Roku owners in the USA, which offered a one-stop search facility for movies, tv shows or actors via the new 'Roku Search' function linked to HBO Go, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Netflix (US) and Crackle. Again, there was a preview of it on the Official Roku YouTube Channel, which I am also going to include here for ease of reference:-

Anyway, the point being that this earlier 'improvement' was also of little or no use to UK Roku owners, by virtue of the fact that the services (i.e. channels) that it searched were not available in this region. As a result, you didn't find this "Roku Search" feature included on any UK models and, therefore, I suspect that (when the "new Roku experience" is rolled out come April/May) there will (once again) be no such software upgrade offered, here in the UK.


Whether a separate upgrade, specific to the UK, will materialize at a later date... I really cannot say. Let's just hope that Roku do have plans for their continued expansion, here in the UK, and that they don't take as long over introducing them as they have done in the past. Needless to say... if there is any news about a Roku 3 UK release date, or any other Roku 3 update, we'll be the first in the UK to let you know the time has come to make your Roku 3 upgrade !!


Meanwhile, if you are interested in finding out about the Roku 3 (which is currently only available in the USA & Canada), then you can read a little more via this post on the Official Roku Blog:-


Introducing Roku 3


As well as confirmation of some of the details provided above, there is a photo of the Roku 3 and some additional information about this new model, including an invitation to find out exactly why the new "Action Packed. Fully Loaded" Roku 3 player is cool enough to have been labelled "the new standard in streaming" via a link to the official Roku website at the end of the post.


Speaking of the official website, if you really want to look into the nitty-gritty of the Roku 3 (purely out of interest, from a UK point-of-view, don't forget) then you can check out the dedicated support section for the Roku 3 via this link:-


Roku 3 Streaming Media Player - Roku (USA) Official Support


Also, if any of you would like to view an online PDF of the 'Quick Start Guide' for the new Roku 3, sometimes referred to as the Roku 3 'User Manual', you can do so by clicking on this link:-


Roku 3 Quick Start Guide


As I've said before, these guides are a useful way to see exactly what is included with the various models of the Roku streaming media player, as well as to gain an insight as to what is involved in setting them up. Just remember that the Roku 3 is NOT AVAILABLE IN THE UK and that your choices currently remain limited to the Roku LT and Roku XS, as outlined in my previous post entitled 'It's Time To... Choose Your Roku !!'.


Finally, to watch a complete unboxing of a brand new Roku 3 and get a different perspective on the NEW user interface (UI) referred to above as the "new Roku experience", then you should check out this YouTube video, uploaded by the folks at LogicLounge in the USA:-

If you like what you see, then you can find out more on the LogicLounge Website, which is essentially a social media news blog covering the latest web technology news. Alternatively, you can watch more of their videos via the LogicLounge YouTube Channel, where you can browse hundreds of tech videos featuring the latest tech news, reviews and how-to's. Just tell them who sent you !!


So, while we still don't know if we'll get the Roku 3 for the UK before 'Anarchy In The UK', we do know that there will be more UK-related Roku 3 info posted right here on this blog VERY SOON...

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PLEASE NOTE: There have now been several IMPORTANT UPDATE(S) since this original post about the Roku 3 streaming media player. You can EASILY ACCESS all of these Roku 3 UK Updates by clicking on the following LINK: Roku 3 UK - Update (Complete List)

If you'd like to see GENUINE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE as to the existence of a UK Edition Roku 3 player, then you should ALSO make a point of reading the introductory paragraphs to my Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #26 that includes a PACKSHOT PHOTO showing the front of the box which (itself) features images of the CHANNEL ICONS for UK ONLY CHANNELS such as BBC iPlayer and NOW TV which can only mean one thing...

So, if you're one of those people who have been asking themselves, "when will Roku 3 be available in UK?", rather a lot lately... I believe the answer to that question is about to be revealed any day now !!

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In the meantime, as always, if you want to find out what new & exciting Roku channels 2013 has in store for UK Roku owners, you need to keep it right here for an up-to-date Roku UK channel list and for more UK private Roku channels (coming soon). Be sure to visit often and, for the latest, follow the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels


For now, though...


That's all folks !!