Hi, everyone !!
Well... once again it's been a BIG NEWS week, as far as UK Roku owners are concerned, with the arrival of THE FIRST MAJOR UK PPV MOVIE SERVICE to the platform. Those of you who follow the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels may have spotted my tweet on Wednesday morning concerning the appearance of a 'Sky Store' channel in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Yes, believe it or not, the Pay-Per-View (i.e. Pay-As-You-Go) Movie Service from Sky has finally seen the light of day and joined the ever-expanding channel selection that is available on UK Roku players. Once again it's been a long time coming but should prove to have been worth the wait and, lest we forget... let's not under-estimate the part played by NowTV [Powered by Sky] in bringing this to fruition (just as they did with 'Demand 5' and '4oD', previously). In fact it's probably fair to say that, without the partnership between Sky and Roku, we might well have been waiting a lot longer for not just the 'Sky Store' but also 'Demand 5' and '4oD' to be made available on Roku in the UK and it's even possible that they may not have made it onto the platform at all. Still, based on what they have achieved so far this year, I'm fairly sure that there will be more to come from this partnership in future too... which could be GREAT NEWS for Roku owners in the UK !!
At this point, I should probably point out that the 'Sky Store' channel was also added to the NowTV Box on the same day that it surfaced in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store on UK Roku players. Doubtless owners of the streaming media player from NowTV were equally as overjoyed at this news as Roku users here in the UK. I'm certain that the addition of the 'Sky Store' Pay-Per-View movie service will prove to be as much a boon for both Roku and NowTV Box owners as it is for NowTV [Powered by Sky] and, as far as I'm concerned, it puts another "feather in the cap" of all three companies. So, I'd like to say A BIG THANK YOU firstly to Sky but also to NowTV and Roku for each doing their part in making this a reality and I look forward to a long and successful partnership between them all in the coming years. GREAT NEWS FOR UK STREAMERS ONCE AGAIN !!
Moving on, in addition to 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 the various countries that I've mentioned in previous posts but, unlike last week, there was just one country that had not yet graced the pages of this blog until now. 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 Slovakia, who each took the time to pay a maiden visit to these pages during the past seven days.
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 Film & TV, News, Weather, Sport, Internet TV, Photos & Video, International plus Religion & Spirituality genres.
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) with an independent (slightly more expansive) assessment of each one:-
iFILM ARABIC.......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
N.B. Since this channel does not currently (and is unlikely to) feature in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, the link above is for the Official Website of the 'iFilm English' channel although, if you prefer, there is a link for the website of the 'iFilm Persian' channel (below) which happens to be written in the Farsi language and may prove to be more useful than the English language version for members of the Arabic community. If you are fluent in Farsi, then you might also like to get social with 'iFilm TV' via their Official Facebook Page: iFilm TV Farsi (Facebook) and, if you are lucky enough to have access to an Android mobile device (running Version 2.2 & Up) then you might also like to take advantage of the iFilm Arabic App which is available from the Google Play Store.
As well as the Official Website for 'iFilm English' which, incidentally, offers the same content as the 'iFilm Arabic' channel but translated into English, you can also connect with 'iFilm TV' (in English) via their Twitter Feed: @iFilmEnglish or else, get social with them through their Official Facebook Page: iFilm (Facebook). Meanwhile, visitors to the English language website will find that the programming featured there has been over-dubbed with an English language audio track for their benefit. There is also a handy VIEWING SCHEDULE which can be applied to all language versions, but you may wish to use the drop-down menu and adjust it for your particular time zone.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE:- That, due to the fact that the 'iFilm Arabic' channel has not yet been (and is unlikely to ever be) added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is no Roku Guide Review available. If, however, this situation does change, I will (of course) add a link to this post.
iFILM PERSIAN.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
N.B. Since this channel does not currently (and is unlikely to) feature in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, the link above is for the Official Website of the 'iFilm Persian' channel and, as such, is written in the Farsi language which will (no doubt) prove popular for members of that particular community. If you happen to be fluent in Farsi, then you might also like to get social with the 'iFilm Persian' channel via the Official Facebook Page: iFilm TV Farsi (Facebook) and, if you are lucky enough to have access to an Android mobile device (running Version 2.1 & Up) then you might also like to take advantage of the iFilm Mobile App which is available from the Google Play Store.
As with the 'iFilm Arabic' channel (above), if you would prefer to read about the 'iFilm Persian' channel in the English language, you can always visit the Official Website for 'iFilm English' which offers the same content but translated into English, along with programming that has been over-dubbed with an English language audio track. As stated above, the same VIEWING SCHEDULE can be applied to all language versions, but you may wish to use the drop-down menu and adjust it for your particular time zone. Meanwhile, you can connect with 'iFilm TV' (in English) via their Twitter Feed: @iFilmEnglish or else, get social through their Official Facebook Page: iFilm (Facebook)
AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE:- That, due to the fact that the 'iFilm Persian' channel has not yet been (and is unlikely to ever be) added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is no Roku Guide Review available. If, however, this situation does change, I will (of course) add a link to this post.
CLASSIC ROMANCE.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
JELLY TELLY......................................................COST: $5.00 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- That there is the option to TRY-BEFORE-YOU-BUY with this channel which offers you a FREE 4-WEEK TRIAL PERIOD in which to explore the variety of Christian family videos that this channel can provide to entertain & educate your children. To take advantage of this offer, when you subscribe to the 'JellyTelly' channel, USE SIGN-UP CODE: JTROKUNEW during the relevant stage as you CREATE AN ACCOUNT for your Club JellyTelly Membership. Once registered you will be able to stream over a hundred hours of programming on your Roku player(s), including favourites like: "What's In The Bible?", "Adventures In Odyssey" and "Timbuktoons". Better yet, you'll be able to watch via computer and/or smartphones or tablets too !!
If you love your CLUB JELLY TELLY MEMBERSHIP, and decide to continue with it after the trial period, you don't need to do anything because it WILL AUTOMATICALLY CONTINUE at the subscription rate of $5.00 every month UNTIL YOU CANCEL so please be aware of the financial responsibilities associated with your membership. That said, you can CANCEL AT ANY TIME by logging in to 'JellyTelly.com', clicking on "Your Account", and then FOLLOW THE SIMPLE CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS to do so. Unfortunately, there are no refunds or partial credits available for cancelling your membership part way through a billing period but you have the assurance that you will not be charged for the 'JellyTelly' channel from the next billing period onwards (unless you decide to renew your membership at a later date, of course).
CHANERU REV 2...............................COST: $10.00 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- That there is (again) the option to TRY-BEFORE-YOU-BUY with this channel which gives you a 30-DAY FREE TRIAL PERIOD in which to ensure that this channel meets any specific requirements for your particular setup. Essentially, 'Chaneru Rev2' is the latest version of a previous Roku channel (hence, "Rev2" in the name) & has been designed for streaming media from your local network to your television. It offers external linking, HLS streaming support & UPnP discovery with full documentation plus installation instructions available from their Official Website VIA THIS LINK. It's an extremely versatile addition to the Roku channel selection, which will allow you to access files from your PC or Apple Mac computers, Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices as well as from the built-in USB drive found on the Roku 2 XS and Roku 3 models, if you have one of those. You'll soon discover that this Roku application provides a fairly comprehensive solution which is capable of being used with a wide range of media managers, including: PS3, XBMC, Plex, Twonky, Huawei Media, Logitech (Squeezebox, etc), Media Monkey, Vuze, Serviio, Wild Media, Windows Media Player, TVMOBiLi (for both Windows and Mac), Samsung AllShare, GoFlex NAS, Windows 8 Media Server, Buffalo Linkstation plus, of course, Chaneru Server... and even more besides those !!
ALSO: If you decide to purchase this channel for the one-time charge of $10.00 you should be aware that, if using PayPal for the payment, there will be an ADDITIONAL FEE of $0.61applied to the cost of your transaction. You may also pay directly by credit card, if you so choose. Prices are shown here in US Dollars ($USD) because that is the way they are shown on the website when you follow the link (above) to the Official Website for 'Chaneru' although the price you actually pay will depend entirely on the applicable exchange rate at the time. Bear in mind that it could also vary based on your chosen method of payment, so please be sure to check the exact figures before confirming your purchase. Unfortunately, there are (currently) no prices quoted in £GBP (British Pounds) for this channel... even in the details of the channel description from the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store but, if that situation changes, I will add the details to this post for the benefit of UK purchasers.
INNOVA SPORTS TV.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
SKY STORE......................COST: FREE-TO-ADD + PPV FEES (see below) [Roku Guide Review]
N.B. Since this channel does not currently (and is unlikely to) feature in the Roku (USA) Channel Store, the link above is for the Official Website of the Sky Store which, whether you've previously subscribed to Sky's satellite TV service or not, should already be familiar to most of you. It's addition to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store marks another long overdue boost to the PPV (i.e. pay-per-view) movie aspect of the Roku player and will no doubt be welcomed by many UK Roku owners, as well as those with a NowTV Box or YouView (on which it also features). Of course, if you are an existing Sky TV Customer, you can still access the 'Sky Store' via your connected Sky+ HD box (as previously) but now anyone in the UK with a PC or Apple Mac computer can watch online too !!
Those of you with either a current 'Sky ID' or 'NowTV ID' can use those details to sign in right away. If you're not a Sky or NowTV customer, you can still SIGN UP FOR FREE via the Official Website for 'Sky Store' which can be accessed using the link provided (above). DON'T FORGET... that, although it's free to sign-up, this is a PPV (i.e. pay-per-view) movie rental service and (as such) requires you to pay-as-you-go for each film that you watch. With 'Sky Store' you can watch many of the latest blockbusters (from the same day as their DVD release) for £3.49 as well as being able to rent hundreds of your favourite movies & all-time classics starting at just 99p (or €1.49 for those of you in Ireland) with many additional films available for £1.99 with exact pricing details available in the description of every movie in the 'Sky Store'. HINTS: Check the 'OFFERS' section to view the range of titles that are available at the lowest rental price of 99p and 'NEW RELEASES' to see the latest additions available to rent at the premium rate of £3.49, with 48 hours to view any of the movies (once you've pressed 'Play' for the first time) and 30 days to start watching any of the films from the time that you rent them.
Interested parties can 'FIND OUT MORE' from the 'Sky Store' website, where additional 'HELP' is available in the FAQ section as well as via the 'Sky Store' Help Forum which can be FOUND HERE.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE:- That, due to the fact that the 'Sky Store' channel has not yet been (and is unlikely to ever be) added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is no Roku Guide Review available. If, however, this situation does change, I will (of course) add a link to this post.
GAMESPOT TV.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
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So, whether it's instant streaming of the latest blockbuster new-release movies, as well as your old film favourites, on a pay-as-you-go (browse > rent > watch) basis with no subscription necessary, or watching gaming shows, reviews, trailers, previews & eSports tournament exclusives, as well as game play marathons, developer interviews & more, or free (ad-supported) access to some of the biggest stars of classic movie romance (incl. Bogart, Cagney, Olivier and many more), or 'tier two' sporting action (incl. live & archived video) from NCAA and NAIA college, minor league & scholastic events PLUS an array of additional annual sporting events & related programming, or access to 100+ hours of ad-free family-friendly videos for kids, or the best of Iranian film & tv dramas in both Arabic and Farsi (Persian) as well as other sitcoms, quizzes, documentaries, reviews, short films and entertainment for the Arab community, or (perhaps) even a facility for playing music, videos & slideshows from your local network with external linking, HLS streaming support & UPnP discovery, we've got all of that covered with these latest NEW ADDITIONS to the Roku UK Channel Store.
Anyway, like it or not, that is your lot for this week and, I'm both amazed and delighted to say that, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG WHILE, we've managed to exceed the number of channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame (there were six, in case you were wondering). Again, it was a close-run contest and there wasn't much in it really. Still, no matter which side of the pond you are on, we can all count ourselves lucky to have been given SOME NEW CHOICES this week, RATHER THAN NONE AT ALL, I'm sure you agree ?!!
Still, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the eight channels outlined above. If not, then you'll have to 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 player, IT'S YOUR CHOICE and, as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS !!
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Meanwhile, for my last seventeen 'Weekly RoundUp' posts, I have been suggesting we spare a thought for all the poor folk who handed over their hard-earned cash for one of those NowTV Boxes [Powered by Sky] which, as you may recall, have (so far) totally failed to live up to their full potential. Likewise, the original promise from NowTV of "more apps being continually added", is yet to be adhered to, since there has ONLY been ONE NEW CHANNEL ADDED to the Roku Channel Store on the NowTV Box SINCE THE PRODUCT LAUNCHED. So, after an absence of just one week, it seems that the tumbleweed has now blown back into town just in time for the festive season...
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HINT: Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
PHOTO SOURCE: pat-aviewfromtheedge.blogspot.com
Like me, I expect you've all been wondering what NowTV would do with all of that tumbleweed that they have been continually gathering (instead of adding more apps to the Roku Channel Store) during the past four months or so. Well, just one look at the above photo and you'll have your answer... they've donated them to the town of Chandler for their annual tumbleweed xmas tree !! All together now.... let's hear you... "O' tumbleweed, O' tumbleweed... How lovely are thy branches! They form a ball when summer's here... And in the coldest time of year... O' tumbleweed, O' tumbleweed... How lovely are thy branches!". Of course, if they did record a 'NowTV' version of the traditional seasonal folk tune "O' Tannenbaum", it could well be a surprise candidate for the Christmas No.1 here in the UK but, what I'd really like to know is... what kind of gifts the folks at NowTV will be leaving under the tree for their customers this festive season? Rumour has it that one of them could be the much-anticipated 'ITVplayer' which will (hopefully) join the other UK CatchUp TV services on the NowTV Box (as well as UK Roku players) at sometime in the future... however, I'm sceptical of others who have alleged that 'BlinkBox', 'LoveFilm', 'Wuaki.TV' or (perhaps) the 'KnowHow' movie streaming service from the Dixon's Group are also "under wraps" in the above image, largely due to the crippling approach that NowTV has taken towards the hugely restricted Roku Channel Store that is included on their NowTV Box. That's not to say that I've abandoned any hope of those channels being added to the "Official" Roku Channel Store that features on UK Roku players but, rather, that my own experience of NowTV (thus far) suggests that their focus lies within making improvements to their own 'NowTV' & 'Sky Store' channels and not adding more apps to the Roku Channel Store on the NowTV Box.
Consequently, it's likely to be of no surprise to any of you that (as with EVERY WEEK BAR ONE since it was launched) there has (again) been literally NO ACTION in terms of NEW ADDITIONS to the Roku Channel Store selection on the NowTV Box. What this means is that, over the course of the past week, NowTV have produced a (NOT SO) GRAND TOTAL of ZERO NEW CHANNELS to add to their (already SEVERELY REDUCED) version of the Roku Channel Store as included on their NowTV Box. Meanwhile, the "Official" Roku Channel Store that features on all UK Roku players has added EIGHT EXTRA CHANNELS during that same period of time. To keep things in perspective, in the nineteen weeks since the launch of the NowTV Box, there has been a total of ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN EXTRA CHANNELS added to the "Official" Roku Channel Store on UK Roku players, as compared with ONE EXTRA CHANNEL being added to the Roku Channel Store on the streaming player from NowTV. That, surely, must tell you something ?!!!
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Still, whether you happen to own a Roku player, a NowTV Box, OR BOTH, as I do... 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 all the UK Roku action (as it happens) throughout the coming week, by following the companion 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 !!
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