Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #7

Hi, everyone !!


Well, here it is... better late than never, right ?!!


For, as the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait" which (believe it, or not) applies to more than just a pint of the black stuff (did someone say "Guinness", surely not? Oh, go on then !!). No, wait... better not. I need to concentrate, here, to bring you details for the HUGE NUMBER OF CHANNELS that were added to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store during this past week. In fact, at one stage, there was even ONE EXTRA new channel added (whose details I won't divulge just yet, in case it re-emerges in the coming weeks) which was swiftly removed again shortly afterwards. There was a link for it's description in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, an image of the Channel Icon & everything PLUS it was fully functional (as I found out, when I added it to my Roku XS) and FREE but STILL it disappeared. So, it seems Roku giveth... and they taketh away. How very dare they ?!!


To make up for it, there is an ADDED BONUS of a Roku Private Channel within the details for one of the NEW ADDITIONS outlined below. It's actually more of a FREE TRIAL VERSION for a NEW PAID CHANNEL that now features in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store, as you will find out if you continue reading. So, don't say I never reward you for your loyal readership at this blog... because I do (well, from time-to-time, at least !!) as evidenced below.


Anyway, before we get down to business, let's continue by extending a warm welcome to some new readers of this blog. Again, they have come from far & wide and, since the last 'Weekly RoundUp', we have had visitors from as far afield as Belgium, Serbia, Hungary, Israel, Ghana, Bangladesh & Taiwan... to name but a few. So, as you can see, the word continues to spread around the globe about this fantastic little streaming media player we know as "Roku", however you pronounce it (don't get me started!!), and interest in it now goes way beyond the four principal regions to which it has, thus far, been marketed (i.e. USA, Canada, UK & Ireland). For our part, we aim to make sure that word continues to spread as much as possible, until the 'Roku Revolution' has spread worldwide.


To this recent influx of new readers, and to everyone else who continues to read my Roku-related ramblings, I'd just like to say... "Thanks for stopping by" & long may you continue to do so because, without you, the name of "Roku" will not reach to the far corners of this earth and others may miss out on THE CHANCE TO FULFILL THEIR STREAMS (ahem)... sorry, couldn't resist that one !!


Right, enough of all that... because you've all waited far too long already for this current 'Weekly RoundUp' of NEW ADDITIONS to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store to be published. I've already made my excuses via a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT over the weekend, so I won't repeat myself here. Instead, we'll get straight onto the details of the TWENTY-FOUR NEW CHANNELS that have been added to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store in the past seven days. These latest additions provided FRESH CONTENT to the Film & TV, Games, News, Weather, Sport, Music, Internet TV, Photos & Video, Special Interest, Screensavers & Apps plus Religion & Spirituality genres (i.e. categories). In other words, ALL GENRES, except for the 'Food' (which remains at 19 channels) and the 'International' genre (which lost 'HTC' - Haitian TV Channel - to the "Internet TV" genre, following a rebrand to the 'Onelink TV Network') that, as of now, is comprised of 27 channels.

In keeping with previous installments from the 'Weekly RoundUp' series, details of these new channels have all been listed below, together with links to obtain further information {by clicking on the channel name(s) beneath the channel icon(s) pictured} and to read a 'Roku Guide' review (where available) for each one:-

GEM GIRL............................................COST: £1.49 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

PLEASE NOTE: There are 400+ levels included with the PAID VERSION of the game (above) but you can effectively "TRY BEFORE YOU BUY" if, instead of purchasing it right away, you choose to add the FREE BETA VERSION of this channel. The Gem Girl Beta channel offers FREE ACCESS to 50+ levels of PRE-UNLOCKED puzzling fun and will help you decide if this game is really for you without having to fork out £1.49 for the full paid version of the game. The ACCESS CODE for this BETA version has been very kindly provided by Roku Forum Member and Developer of this channel, Nathan Whitehead, so please be sure to visit the Roku Forums and say "Thank you" to him, by posting a message there. Assuming you enjoy the FREE BETA VERSION of the game, don't forget to show your support for this independent Roku Developer by coughing up for the PAID VERSION afterwards which, as I said before, will then grant you access to 400+ levels, compared with only 50+ levels in the free test version of the game. To take advantage of the FREE BETA VERSION of the Gem Girl game for Roku, please use the following direct link:-

ADD FREE BETA VERSION: Gem Girl Beta

Or, if you'd prefer to first access your Roku Account online (without using the 'ADD FREE BETA VERSION' link, above) you can, instead, 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: GemGirlBeta

N.B. The channel icon you will see for this FREE BETA VERSION of Gem Girl looks identical to the 

channel icon for the PAID VERSION so, if you go ahead and purchase the full version with the extra levels, I'd recommend either keeping the two versions separate in your channel list (if you intend to keep the free BETA version, that is) or, simply deleting the FREE BETA VERSION before you go through with the purchase of the full PAID VERSION, to avoid any confusion between the two !!

CALENDAR STREAM..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

FFTV - FAMILY FRIENDLY TELEVISION..................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

TMP OUTDOORS....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

ANAND MEDIA.................................COST: £12.00 / £17.00 [Silver Pack / Gold Pack] (MONTHLY)



PLEASE NOTE: The Anand Media channel requires a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION and YOU WILL BE CHARGED either £12.00 per month (if you opt for the 'Silver Pack', feat. 6 channels) or £17.00 per month (if you choose the 'Gold Pack', feat. 10 channels) until you decide to cancel the service. For details of the exact Terms & Conditions that apply, I would advise that you first contact the Anand Media Sales Team, in London, on: (020) 8586 6511 and discuss it with them because, as of this current time, the Terms & Conditions published on the Anand Media website are a little vague, to say the least. Incidentally, because the 'Anand Media' channel does not currently feature in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, the link beneath the channel icon (above) is for the Official Website of Anand Media instead. Likewise, and no doubt due (again) to the fact that the 'Anand Media' channel has not yet been added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is no Roku Guide Review available. If, at some time in the future, this situation changes, I will add both links to this post. Meanwhile, here's a list of the various channels that are included with each of the packs:-

SILVER PACK: This includes the following SIX CHANNELS of premium Malayalam TV:-
Kairali, Kairali's We, Kairali's People, Amrita TV, Mazhavil Manorama and Manorama News

GOLD PACK: This includes ALL CHANNELS listed in the Silver Pack (above) PLUS an extra FOUR CHANNELS of premium Malayalam TV:- Asianet, Asianet Plus, Asianet News & Asianet Movies

GO FIGHT LIVE......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]


N.B. Although the GoFightLive channel is FREE TO ADD to your Roku player and does contain SOME FREE CONTENT, it also gives you access to their Pay-Per-View (PPV) and Subscription content - BOTH of which MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FEES. It is also worth noting that you WILL BE REQUIRED TO first ACTIVATE / REGISTER your Roku player, using the code from the GoFightLive channel on your streaming media player, via this link:- gfl.tv/roku BEFORE YOU CAN WATCH THIS CHANNEL. If you have any questions, we suggest using their Twitter Feed: @GFL or the Support and Feedback form, accessed by clicking on the "Contact Us" button which can be found towards the bottom of the page, on their Official Website: gfl.tv

H*E*R*O*................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

JOYCE MEYER MINISTRIES...................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

BIBLE TALK TV.......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

EVANGEL TEMPLE.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

RIVER OF LIFE.......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

KANTER HEALTH NETWORK..................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

CARTOON CLUB.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

THE ARTISTIC BLOG..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

VICTORY WORLD CHURCH.....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

THE VENTURE CHANNEL........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

ROK HARD KUNG FU...........................................................................COST: £1.49 (MONTHLY)

N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £1.49 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 ROK Hard Kung Fu 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.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE: That, since this channel does not currently feature in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, the link above is for the Official Website of ROK Global; the parent company of ROK Operations, who developed both the ROK Hard Kung Fu channel & the ROK Cinema channel. If you visit the ROK Global website, you will find their worldwide contact information PLUS their product details & other associated websites. You can also connect with ROK Operations via the ROK Global Twitter Feed: @rokglobal if you'd like to know more about their current / future plans for Roku channel development. Additionally, and no doubt due (again) to the fact that the ROK Hard Kung Fu channel has not yet been added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is no Roku Guide Review available. If, at some time in the future, this situation changes, I will add a link to this post.

AWARE CHANNELS................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

FIGHTBOX LIVE....................................................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 Fightbox Live 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.

NATURE WINDOW TV LITE.....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

PRESS TV..............................................................................................................COST: FREE

PLEASE NOTE: That, since this channel does not currently feature in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, the link above is for the Official Website of Press TV. If you visit the website, you will find details of News, Programs, Interviews, Photos & Documentaries as well as their full schedule PLUS links to their US Desk, Audio Stream & MUCH MORE. You can also connect with Press TV via their Official Twitter Feed: @presstv if you'd like to know more about the news anew going on in the world. Additionally, and no doubt due (again) to the fact that the 'PressTV' channel has not yet been added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is no Roku Guide Review available. If, at anytime in the future, this situation changes, I will add a link to this post.

ZOE STREAM NETWORK........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

BACK STREET RADIO............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

RETRO SOUL RADIO..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

Well, I'm relieved to say, that is your lot for this week and, whilst it doesn't quite the match-up to the thirty-eight channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame, I still think we've been pretty fortunate to have been offered SO MANY NEW CHOICES.

Hopefully, you will all manage to find something you like within the twenty-four channels outlined above. In fact, you could even say it's twenty-five channels, if you include the Roku Private Channel with it's ADDED BONUS of the Gem Girl Beta Channel. Not forgetting, of course, that it was very nearly twenty-six new channels and would have been, were it not for the one that got away. Still, let's ignore the numbers for a moment because, when it comes to adding new channels to your Roku player, IT'S YOUR CHOICE and, as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS !!

Meanwhile, be sure to come back in seven days' time for my next 'Weekly RoundUp' and, if you can't wait that long, remember you can always keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) throughout the coming week, by following our Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels where up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related (here in the UK) is posted on a daily basis (well, almost).

Until the next time, then...

That's all folks !!