Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #11

Hi, everyone !!


After the TOTAL WASHOUT that was LAST SUMMER, followed by that LONG COLD WINTER and the HIT & MISS nature of the weather during the FIRST FEW MONTHS of 2013, here in the UK, you could easily be forgiven for thinking about traveling to warmer climates & escaping from it all. Well, it seems like the Roku channel developers must have had similar thoughts & collaborated somewhat, especially judging by the selection of new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store this week. Amazingly, EVERY NEW CHANNEL released during the past seven days lends itself rather well to a general theme of travel / relaxation plus "getting away from it all", as you will soon find out !!

Meanwhile, in addition to those new channels, we've also had some more new readers coming to the pages of this blog. Once again, there were many repeat visits from countries I've mentioned in previous posts but this time, as with last week, there was just one country that had not featured previously. So, before we go any further with the current 'Weekly RoundUp', I'd first like to extend a warm welcome to those new readers from Cambodia, who each took the time to pay a maiden visit to these pages at some point during the past seven days, or so.

To those new readers, and to everyone else who continues to read my Roku-related ramblings here on this blog, I'd just like to say... "Thanks for stopping by" & long may you continue to do so.

Anyway, let's get on with the details for the current 'Weekly RoundUp' of NEW ADDITIONS to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. This time, there are EIGHT NEW CHANNELS which have been added during the past seven days. These latest additions to the Roku UK Channel Store provided FRESH CONTENT to the Games, Music, International & Special Interest genres (i.e. categories).

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 respective channel icon(s) as pictured} and to read a 'Roku Guide' review (where available) for each one:-

MY YOGA ONLINE........COST: FREE + $9.95 / $89.95 (MONTHLY/ANNUAL) [Roku Guide Review]



PLEASE NOTE: Although the My Yoga Online channel is FREE TO ADD to your Roku player, there is only a LIMITED AMOUNT (approx. 4 hours worth) of content that is FREE TO WATCH so, you'll need to sign-up for either a monthly or annual subscription to take advantage of the full range of videos on offer to those who choose to pay for unlimited access. You can LEARN MORE about the channel and the benefits of a My Yoga Online Premium Membership subscription VIA THIS LINK.

N.B. If you do decide to opt for any of the MONTHLY / ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION packages, then YOU WILL BE CHARGED either $9.95 (PER MONTH) or $89.95 (PER YEAR) until you cancel. You can cancel, at any time, from within the Roku Channel Store. Please bear in mind that subscriptions to the My Yoga Online 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.

ALSO: You may have noticed that the My Yoga Online channel requires a PAID SUBSCRIPTION to GAIN ACCESS TO the FULL LIBRARY of video content. 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 My Yoga Online Premium Membership. 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 entirely on the applicable exchange rate at the time you take out your subscription and may also vary based on your chosen method of payment.

SHARK PLAYER...........COST: FREE + $9.00 / $90.00 (MONTHLY/ANNUAL) [Roku Guide Review]



PLEASE NOTE: Although the Shark Player channel is FREE TO ADD to your Roku player, please be advised that YOU WILL NEED to set up a GROOVESHARK ANYWHERE ACCOUNT which, itself, MUST BE PAID FOR via a separate MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION of $9.00 after registering for an account by clicking on the orange "Create Account" button at Grooveshark.com

N.B. There is ALSO an option to pay an ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION of $90.00 which brings the relative monthly cost down to only $7.50 but does require that the FULL AMOUNT is paid upfront and NOT in monthly installments. Regardless of whether you choose to opt for the MONTHLY or ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION package, YOU WILL BE CHARGED either $9.00 (PER MONTH) or $90.00 (PER YEAR) until you cancel. You can cancel, at any time, from within the Roku Channel Store. Please bear in mind that subscriptions to the Shark Player 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.

The prices have again been quoted in $USD (U.S. Dollars) because that is how they are shown on the website, when you follow the link to take out your 'Grooveshark Anywhere' premium 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 applicable exchange rate when taking out your subscription & may also vary based on your method of payment.

ALSO: Before you subscribe, there is a very useful HELP ARTICLE within the Grooveshark customer support pages that outlines the costs & benefits of their 'Grooveshark Anywhere' premium subscription service PLUS details of how to upgrade / cancel your subscription AS WELL AS providing contact info for sending an email to customer support, if that proves necessary.

INNOVATIVE GERMAN.........................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £0.69 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 Innovative German 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.

INDIMUSIC TELEVISION.......................................COST: £1.49 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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 IndiMusic Television 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.

INNOVATIVE JAPANESE......................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £0.69 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 Innovative Japanese 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.

TORAH WORD SEARCH GAME..............................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF) [Roku Guide Review]

INNOVATIVE KOREAN..........................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £0.69 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 Innovative Korean 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.

INNOVATIVE RUSSIAN.........................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

N.B. This is a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION channel. If you subscribe, YOU WILL BE CHARGED £0.69 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 Innovative Russian 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, if you're planning a holiday anywhere from Russia to Germany, or from Korea to Japan, these LATEST ADDITIONS to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store can help you brush up on your daily conversational skills before you go, as well as providing useful cultural tips where needed. Not forgetting, of course, that we have similar courses already available in the channel store for the Spanish, French, Chinese & even the English language if that matches your particular needs. You can also wind down in readiness for your departure by doing some yoga classes. PLUS, if you remember to pack your Roku player & take it with you, you would then have both an audio AND a (music) video player at your disposal, AS WELL AS a word search game to pass some time if need be. Not bad, eh ?!! I feel more relaxed & rejuvenated already... and I haven't even left my desk yet !!


Of course, the other thing that ALL of the above channels have in common (aside from their obvious links with vacation time and/or rest & relaxation) is that, just like any holiday you may use them for, they will ALL leave you with a hole in your pocket to one degree or another. Yes, sadly, EVERY NEW ADDITION to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store this week either wholly, or in part, will require that you get out your wallet/purse to partake of their wares, since even where they might be FREE-TO-ADD there is a requirement for a THIRD PARTY SUBSCRIPTION in order to utilize the channel(s) to their maximum capacity. In fairness, we have done pretty well lately in terms of the number of FREE CHANNELS that have been made available to add to UK Roku players. However this week, in particular, does give further creedence to the expression, "There's no such thing as a free lunch"... and, if you pay for all of these, you may have no option but to eat your Roku for lunch !!


Anyway, I'm afraid to say, that is your lot for this week and, whilst it doesn't quite the match-up to the sixteen channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame, I always think it's better to have SOME NEW CHOICES than none at all, don't you ?!!

Still, hopefully you'll manage to find something you like within the eight channels outlined above. If not, then just pay us a visit another time when, with any luck, there will be something more to your liking. Afterall, there's no point installing every channel because, as I've said before, when it comes to adding new channels to your Roku streaming media player, IT'S YOUR CHOICE and, as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS !!

So, 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 !!