Saturday, July 28, 2018

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #281





Hi, everyone !!



For the second week in a row I'm pleased to say there has been a Roku-specific announcement made during the seven days since my previous 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published, only this time it is Roku users in Canada who stand to benefit from the news... since, much like last week, it does not concern any region outside of North America - which means, unless you're a Canadian with a Roku device that's set-up for streaming in Canada, chances are it will be of little significance to you! :-/ :-(


Even so, for the sake of enlightenment, I've decided to provide some basic details as part of this post so that those who are interested can follow the links I'll be providing to get more information about it. The announcement first came on Monday 23rd July, courtesy of this press release from the newsroom at Roku's HQ, but was swiftly followed by a related post on the "Official" Roku Stream Blog which (as is often the case) did little more than paraphrase the original press release... although there was a publicity shot - which I'm including below - to add a little "colour" to the news that, building upon it's success in the USA, "The Roku Channel" is now being rolled-out to Canadian consumers, too! :-)





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



While there's (still) no mention of an UK release for "The Roku Channel", long-suffering customers of the California-based company, here in the United Kingdom, can (at least) console themselves with the fact that this channel is (for the most part) made-up from a selection of content already offered by existing channel publishers on the Roku platform, so there's a good chance those of us in the United Kingdom can access any films and TV shows that might otherwise appear in the curated video library of any would-be UK equivalent to the existing versions of "The Roku Channel" in North America, without needing to have this channel installed. Sure, the streaming choice is further boosted by the inclusion of various box office hits and/or classic movies... but, when you consider that the Canadian version is largely populated with content from the likes of American Classics / Hatch Farm Studios, FilmRise, and Total Content Digital - who were the only named publishers participating at launch in Canada - it does make you wonder whether "The Roku Channel" is little more than a vehicle for Roku to make a decent profit from their in-app advertising, while offering little more than customers can already get from existing apps available via the built-in channel store on their devices. Even the promise that other publishers "...are expected to be added over time" could mean very little if they come from any of the channels that are already there. Likewise, while the ad-supported channel is thought to average about one-third less advertising per programming hour than ad-supported linear TV, it could only be a matter of time before that situation is reversed. Given that "The Roku Channel" has already begun it's roll-out in Canada, and is expected to be complete within the coming weeks, perhaps any Canadians who have already spotted this new app in the "Official" Roku Channel Store on their device(s) can install it and leave a comment at the end of this post with any thoughts and/or criticisms that come to mind when availing themselves of what "The Roku Channel" has to offer!?!


Since we're on the subject of Roku channels that are not (yet?) available in the UK - even though they (probably) should be - I thought I'd also take this opportunity to offer my six-pence worth on a small matter surrounding the non-availability of UK-based football club channels on the Roku platform. This came to mind (again) quite recently, when I discovered 'MUTV - Manchester United TV' have extended their digital presence to Roku devices (along with Fire TV, Apple TV, and Xbox consoles) by releasing a dedicated channel (app) through which to access their online streams as shown below:-






MUTV - Manchester United TV..........COST: FREE + $7.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That this 'MUTV - Manchester United TV' channel, despite being devoted entirely to an English football club, is NOT AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM seemingly due to deed of licence restrictions imposed by the Premier League. So, while MUFC fans in the USA can now enjoy the 24/7 live stream of 'MUTV' plus a large library of Video-On-Demand (VOD) content on their Roku device(s) for a little over GBP £6.00 per month, the only option for those of us in the United Kingdom is to pay GBP £7.00 per month for it as an extra add-on to a basic satellite or cable subscription (i.e. through Sky, or Virgin Media) which means forking-out an extra twenty-five pounds (or more) for the privilege and no-one should have to pay upwards of GBP £32.00 per month for that. To put things into perspective, even the annual subscription option for 'MUTV' in the United States is priced at USD $47.99 per year (i.e. around GBP £36.60 annually) so people in UK are being asked to pay almost as much for 1-month as those in the U.S. are paying for a full 12-months' access! :-O :-/






When the original announcement was made, back in February 2017, that Manchester United planned to launch a worldwide app for their in-house TV channel, MUTV, in more than 160 countries... their Executive Vice-Chairman, Ed Woodward, made it clear that it would not be available in the United Kingdom "initially" but went on to say that they "...believe the mobile and the content side of this business will grow over the years to come", giving the impression that it might be possible to install the app within the UK at a later date. The reason for it not being available "initially" to UK fans was:

"The app cannot go into the UK, because of the deed of licence restrictions with the Premier League. So it's not in the UK, and it's not in many countries worldwide where we have sponsorship deals in existence with partners who can utilise exclusive content within those territories"

However... almost eighteen months later, when the latest announcement was made on 16th July 2018 that the app was being expanded to a number of 'Connected-TV' platforms (as outlined above) there was no further update as to if / when the service will be extended to the United Kingdom, be that for their direct-to-consumer mobile and web platforms (i.e. iOS, Android and MUTV.com) or the more recent connected TV options (i.e. Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Xbox) any / all of which can be used by existing subscribers for free via a universal login feature, that allows the same credentials to be used across several devices and/or platforms. Although, while this continued expansion does provide 'MUTV' access to the club’s fan-base in the United States (plus selected countries across Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa)... it's still not an option for fans in the country where the club is based! :-(






Why is it that, in territories where where the competition and partner rights allow them to do so, this service can offer paid, premium-content with prices from as little as GBP £1.49 to £4.99 a month but still expect UK customers to pay in excess of thirty pounds per month without the same access across all platforms as enjoyed by the remainder of their 659 million followers? Surely if they can have the ability to watch 'MUTV' from the comfort of their living room(s), without the need for any satellite or cable subscription, then the same should apply to those of us in the UK!?! Manchester United’s CEO of Media, Phil Lynch, might have observed how "...the launch on these platforms expands our reach, opens up new audiences, and provides millions of fans access to our award-winning on-demand and linear programming, without having to leave their set-top box environment”, but he needs to have a word with the Premier League about this "deed of licence" nonsense and get these apps available to UK fans and put an end to all the money-grabbing we've endured in "Rip-Off Britain" since 'MUTV' was first launched, so we can enjoy footage like this without paying through the nose:-






The same goes for all the other football club channels, past and present, which presumably are bound by the same prohibitive practices that the Premier League (possibly in cahoots with Sky & Virgin) are employing to make UK football fans fork-out an arm and a leg just to watch their favourite sport. All of them could easily have Roku channels (and other apps) for their 'Club TV' services that needn't be tied to satellite and/or cable, were it not for these crazy deed of licence restrictions... so, maybe it's time for 'Ofcom' to get involved and do something about it - because I fail to see how 'MUTV' and all those connected with it are "doing the best for all of us" with things being as they currently stand! :-/


So, if you would like to see the likes of 'Chelsea TV', 'LFC TV', 'Rangers TV', or 'Celtic TV' plus (perhaps) even 'Arsenal TV' and/or Middlesbrough's former 'Boro TV' delivered to your TV screen via their very own Roku channel or other mobile app, then make your feelings known by leaving a comment at the end of this post or (better still) by contacting your football club(s), Ofcom, and the Premier League, etc. to request that we (the fans) are given a better / fairer deal over these apps for their respective football club channels and the freedom to watch on whatever platform we so choose, without the need to pay for a cable and/or satellite subscription on top of the streaming costs! ;-) :-)


Anyway, with no other Roku-related news to share with you at this time, I'm now going to focus on the equally important matter of bringing you details for all the latest new Roku channels (apps) which were released during the seven days since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published and, with a bumper crop of more than forty new Roku channels to browse through, it should hopefully be enough to keep you occupied while I see what other snippets of Roku news I can find for you! :-D


Firstly, though, I'd just like to mention (on a not entirely un-related note) that I have now added links to some (though, still not all) of the 'Roku Guide' reviews that were previously "missing" for many of the new Roku channels released in the last few weeks... so, if you'd like to see an independent appraisal of those, be sure to check-out my post from last week (see link above), which (itself) contains a link to the previous week's post (and so-on, and so-forth), for details of where to find them. Unfortunately, there are more "missing" links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for over eighty per cent of the new Roku apps which were published during the last seven days... which means, much like many other posts from recent months, I am going to have to leave it for each of you to access those details on your own. As of five months ago, you can choose to do that either via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s)... or else, by following the links provided in each post to the relevant channel description(s) from the Roku Web Channel Store. Meanwhile, once the "missing" reviews have been published by 'Roku Guide', I will (as I have done previously) ensure that I add the relevant links to each post. Apologies (as always) for any inconvenience that may be caused by the absence of active links to an independent review for so many of these new apps but, like I say, it's entirely out of my hands. Hopefully they will get a chance to catch-up on them sometime in the coming week!?! ;-) :-)


Still, back to the list... which, as always, will help you to identify the very latest apps that have been added to Roku devices in the UK. Other websites offering Roku channel listings will base their contents on the Roku USA Channel Store, which means they also include apps that are unavailable to UK Roku users. So, like I've said before... if you really want to know what's available channel-wise, for owners of Roku devices in the UK, you need to be reading this blog each and every week! ;-) :-)


With twice the number of active links to check out, not just for this week... but each and every post that has been previously published as part of my 'Weekly RoundUp' series over the last five years, there's a *lot* of reading to catch-up on. So, without further ado, here's my 'Weekly RoundUp' of all new Roku channels released between 22nd July 2018 and 28th July 2018:-






FOX CAROLINA NEWS..........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "NEWS & WEATHER" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

PLEASE NOTE:- That, because this 'FOX Carolina News' channel was previously made available via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store on 28th June 2018, you will not see it listed among the more recent additions to the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Instead, you will need to scroll down a bit further - past the current crop of new channels which make up the bulk of this post - until you spot the above channel icon (aka 'HD Poster' image) for the app. That's if you wish to install it via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s) as opposed to the online method (via the web channel store) using the link above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon). Of course, you could also choose to find and then add this app by way of the built-in 'Search' feature on your Roku device(s) by typing-in the channel name as your search term. Chances are, you won't have to finish entering the whole thing before you see the name of the channel listed among the results on the right-hand side of your screen - in fact, you may not even need to complete the first word... but, the main thing is, it's now available to install on your device(s) if you so wish! ;-) :-)







WNEM TV5...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "NEWS & WEATHER" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

PLEASE NOTE:- That, because this 'WNEM TV5' channel was previously made available via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store on 28th June 2018, you will not see it listed among the more recent additions to the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Instead, you will need to scroll down a bit further - past the current crop of new channels which make up the bulk of this post - until you spot the above channel icon (aka 'HD Poster' image) for the app. That's if you wish to install it via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s) as opposed to the online method (via the web channel store) using the link above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon). Of course, you could also choose to find and then add this app by way of the built-in 'Search' feature on your Roku device(s) by typing-in the channel name as your search term. Chances are, you won't have to finish entering the whole thing before you see the name of the channel listed among the results on the right-hand side of your screen - in fact, you may not even need to complete the first word... but, the main thing is, it's now available to install on your device(s) if you so wish! ;-) :-)

ALSO:- Despite having been available via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store for a whole month already, this 'WNEM TV5' channel appears to have escaped the attention of the folks at 'Roku Guide' and, as a direct consequence, there is currently (still) no active link to an independent review for this channel on their website. Needless to say, if / when any such 'Roku Guide' review does get published to provide additional insight on this particular Roku app then I will (of course) update this article with the "missing" link. Meanwhile, please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that may have been caused by it's absence from this 'Weekly RoundUp' post... which was completely unavoidable, given how the publication of these 'Roku Guide' reviews is entirely "out of my hands", as the saying goes.







FOX5 VEGAS............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "NEWS & WEATHER" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***

PLEASE NOTE:- That, because this 'FOX5 Vegas' channel was previously made available via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store on 28th June 2018, you will not see it listed among the more recent additions to the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Instead, you will need to scroll down a bit further - past the current crop of new channels which make up the bulk of this post - until you spot the above channel icon (aka 'HD Poster' image) for the app. That's if you wish to install it via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s) as opposed to the online method (via the web channel store) using the link above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon). Of course, you could also choose to find and then add this app by way of the built-in 'Search' feature on your Roku device(s) by typing-in the channel name as your search term. Chances are, you won't have to finish entering the whole thing before you see the name of the channel listed among the results on the right-hand side of your screen - in fact, you may not even need to complete the first word... but, the main thing is, it's now available to install on your device(s) if you so wish! ;-) :-)








VICTORY BAPTIST WORSHIP............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That, since this 'Victory Baptist Worship' channel was previously made available via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store on 11th July 2018, you will not see it listed among the more recent additions to the "New" category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Instead, you will need to scroll down a bit further - past the current crop of new channels which make up the bulk of this post - until you spot the above channel icon (aka 'HD Poster' image) for the app. That's if you wish to install it via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s) as opposed to the online method (via the web channel store) using the link above (below, and to the left of, the channel icon). Of course, you could also choose to find and then add this app by way of the built-in 'Search' feature on your Roku device(s) by typing-in the channel name as your search term. Chances are, you won't have to finish entering the whole thing before you see the name of the channel listed among the results on the right-hand side of your screen - in fact, you may not even need to complete the first word... but, the main thing is, it's now available to install on your device(s) if you so wish! ;-) :-)

ALSO:- Much like the 'WNEM TV5' app (outlined previously in this post) despite already having been in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store for more than a month, this 'Victory Baptist Worship' channel also appears to have escaped the attention of the folks at 'Roku Guide' and, once again, there is (still) no active link to an independent review for the 'Victory Baptist Worship' channel on their website. Needless to say, if / when any such 'Roku Guide' review does get published to provide more insight on this additional Roku app then I will (of course) update this article with the "missing" link. Meanwhile, please accept my apologies (once again) for any inconvenience that might have been caused by it's absence from this 'Weekly RoundUp' post... as with the other app, this was completely unavoidable, given how the publication of these 'Roku Guide' reviews is totally beyond my control.







GOLF LIFE....................COST: FREE (7-day trial) + $5.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That, although this "Golf Life" channel is FREE-TO-ADD to Roku devices and does feature a number of videos that are FREE-TO-STREAM by anyone (as well as the opportunity to enjoy a FREE 7-DAY TRIAL of the service), those wishing to maintain full access to the content library (once the promotional period has ended) should note that A SUBSCRIPTION IS REQUIRED at a cost of USD $5.99 PER MONTH to watch the vast majority of videos. That said... if you plan on sticking with your subscription, once the free trial is over, there's a chance to make significant savings by choosing their ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION OPTION at a cost of just USD $49.99 PER YEAR for which you stand to benefit by SAVING ALMOST ONE-THIRD OFF THE COST of the equivalent monthly fee(s) over the full twelve-month period. To get a rough idea of what you can expect from the channel, before you begin your free trial (and/or commit to a subscription), I recommend taking a look at the content therein - given how the video library can be browsed with no payment necessary - and also having a read of the 'Roku Guide' review (see link above) which breaks down and itemises the categories that are available and even features a video, from the Golf Life 'YouTube' channel, to give you a better idea of what's in store. In addition to that, there's always their official website which can be visited for further details... or, if you'd prefer to connect with 'Golf Life' via social media, it is also possible to message them through either their official FB page: Golf Life (Facebook) or else, their Twitter Feed: @GolfLife, where I'm sure they will be only too pleased to answer any questions and/or hear any feedback you may have for them about this golf-related streaming service! ;-) :-)







CHARLOTTE HOTEL TV.....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






BEST OF MOZART MUSIC................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






KARATE COMBAT...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






TV PLUS PANAMA..................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

***FILED UNDER: "NEWS & WEATHER" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN RELEASED***






DEEP TECH MINIMAL.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN.............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






ROY ROGERS.......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE LAWLESS YEARS.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE LONE RANGER TELEVISION...................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






ROBINSON CRUSOE...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






TPG SYFLIX UNRATED........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE JOHN WAYNE CHANNEL..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DEEP BLUE - OCEAN EXPLORATION................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






EXYPLAYER 2.0.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






FREE FOUND FOOTAGE MOVIES....................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DICK TRACY........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






CLASSIC VARIETY SHOWS...............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






COSMIC KIDS YOGA....COST: FREE (14-day trial) + $9.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That, while this 'Cosmic Kids Yoga' channel is FREE-TO-ADD to Roku devices and does permit you to browse the entire content library for free as well as having several videos that are FREE-TO-STREAM by anyone, those wishing to maintain full access to the complete collection of yoga & mindfulness videos (for kids aged 3 to 9) beyond the FREE 14-DAY TRIAL PERIOD that is offered to newcomers should be aware that A SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE REQUIRED at a cost of either USD $9.99 PER MONTH as outlined above. That said, there are significant savings to be made by anyone choosing the ANNUAL PAYMENT OPTION available for USD $64.99 PER YEAR when you pay for a full twelve months in advance: equivalent to paying just over half-price, versus the cost of their regular month-by-month rolling renewal over the same period. Either way you can subscribe directly via the channel but, if you're only interested in the freebies, there are additional video clips on the official 'YouTube' channel of 'Cosmic Kids Yoga' which can be enjoyed for free without a sub. Further information, including a breakdown of the various categories within the video archive for this channel, can be found in the 'Roku Guide' review (see link above) which also features a sample video taken from their 'YouTube' channel of the kind of healthy screen time vids made specially for kids! :-)







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

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






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

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






TRAV AND COR......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






ANDREWS TOY CHANNEL..................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






KENNEN NAVARRO.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






CAKES BY CHOPPA.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






JERRY DIRMANN.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DEION'S PLAYTIME...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DAMIAN & DEION IN MOTION...........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






NINJAS IN PYJAMAS............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






THE GENE AUTRY CHANNEL..........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






BETTY WHITE CLASSICS..................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






DOGS ACROSS AMERICA....................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






BEST RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA..............................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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

PLEASE NOTE:- That, although this 'Matrix-esque' screensaver is FREE-TO-ADD to your Roku device(s), the description of the app from the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store does include the warning that it "May require additional fees" to access certain features. That said, there are currently no obvious charges associated with the app (as things stand) at the time of it's initial release. It may be that the developer has chosen to include this warning with a view to making extra (paid) content available as an option at some time in the future but for now, at least, you can enjoy it for free! ;-) :-)







SPACE COAST TV.................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






OKLAHOMA SPORTS NETWORK (OSN).........................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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



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Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot this week and, while it barely amounts to sixty per cent of the 67 apps that were added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store in the same time-frame, it's better to get 42 NEW CHANNELS than none at all... as I'm sure you agree!?! I should probably also point out that, of the 25 channel shortfall, thirteen of those new apps were related to individual US-based church organisations which (for most UK Roku users) it could be argued will carry little significance. There were also a couple of new apps in the "Movies & TV" plus "Special Interest" categories which require login credentials from a participating cable or satellite provider in the United States so, once again, their absence from the Roku UK Channel Store will mean very little to most UK-based owners of Roku streaming media players. Another was simply a "Teenage" versions of the "TPG SyFlix" app for which their equivalent "Unrated" version was featured in the above (UK) list and (therefore) was little more than a (moderately censored) clone of the channel released for the United Kingdom - with (perhaps) a handful of film titles that may differ in the USA, from those we got in the UK - so no loss there, either. So, all in all, of the remaining "missing" channels, there were perhaps half a dozen that I would have liked to see added to the Roku UK Channel Store as well as the U.S. one and, if / when I get the chance to do so, I'll contact the developers to request they make their channels available in the United Kingdom (as well as the United States) but, when all is said and done, the difference in new releases was definitely not as significant as the app totals for each region might suggest. Meanwhile for those still clinging-on to their NowTV device(s) for whatever reason, as with most weeks, there were zero new Roku channels (apps) for the NOW TV 'App Store' once again... meaning the total number of apps stays at just forty-five, with no 'Prime Video', no 'TVPlayer', and still no 'Netflix'! :-O


In any event, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the forty-two "public" channels outlined above... or else from the "private" channels, whose access codes have been "gifted" to you via the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels to this blog, at various points over the past months and years. However, if you didn't find anything to add to your Roku channel selection from the assortment of apps on offer this week, you can always pay us a visit another time when, with any luck, there will be something more to your liking. After all, there's no point installing every app because, like I say... when it comes to adding new channels to your Roku, IT'S YOUR CHOICE and, as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS!



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



Until the next time, then...



That's all folks !!





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