Hi, everyone !!
After a sustained period of several weeks, during which we have seen the number of new Roku apps released increase with each of my 'Weekly RoundUp' posts, it may come as a bit of a surprise to hear that there were ZERO NEW CHANNELS RELEASED IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS but, for those who may not have been aware, it was planned that way as far back as June of this year. Anyone who has been using Roku devices for more than a couple of years should, by now, be familiar with Roku's annual publishing blackout over the 'Thanksgiving' holiday period in the United States. Well, believe it or not, that time has come around once again... with 'Thanksgiving Day' in the USA due to happen on Thursday 28th November 2019. Even if you don't happen to celebrate that particular event in your house, it's highly likely that you will be familiar with what follows on the day after. With retailers now adopting 'Black Friday' sales in other countries, outside the U.S., including many well-known UK outlets - both of the traditional, "bricks & mortar", kind as well as "online" varieties - there will be plenty of opportunities to grab a bargain (or two) on Roku products (as well as other brands) when you're struggling to fill the time that might otherwise be spent reading this blog, or browsing the app listings in the Roku Channel Store, for new channel additions. Thankfully, normal service should be resumed in a week or two... but, in the meantime, be sure to keep an eye on the sidebar of this blog (located in the top right portion of the page) for details of the best prices on Roku over 'Black Friday' week (i.e. from now until Friday 29th November) as well as through the weekend that follows going into 'Cyber Monday' on 2nd December 2019. This information will be updated daily with all the best deals! :-D
While we're on the subject of 'Black Friday', there was another announcement about 'Roku TV', from the press offices of 'Hisense' and 'Roku', that confirms their UK release date as 29th November 2019. The press release states that 'Hisense', who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, intend to launch what will be the first 'Roku TV' models for the UK market exclusively via Argos with a range of four different screen sizes (including 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch models) all of which will go on sale starting from 'Black Friday' itself, at the end of next week! :-D
First announced as part of my "Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #339" post, back in early September of this year, following their introduction by Roku CEO Anthony Wood during his keynote speech at IFA 2019 in Berlin... these smart TV's are powered by the Roku® OS, and offer consumers a premium TV experience (at affordable prices) enabling UK Roku customers to enjoy their favourite TV entertainment in beautiful HD, 4K and 4K HDR. Simple to set up and incredibly easy to use, each of these Hisense Roku TV models comes with a customisable home screen, access to over 8 thousand streaming channels, plus Freeview Play, bringing live TV and on demand content from all of the main UK free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters and UK CatchUpTV services. They also feature additional inputs for traditional AV equipment such as pay TV set-top boxes, DVD / Blu-Ray players, game consoles, AV receivers, soundbars, etc. along with advanced features like universal search, and private listening through the free Roku Mobile App for iOS and Android devices. The Roku mobile apps also enable consumers to cast photos and videos, use voice search, and control any Roku player or Roku TV (on the same network) via the built-in software remote with keyboard! :-)
Each of the four Hisense Roku TV models, all of which will be available from Argos starting Friday 29th November 2019, will come with a two year warranty - as indicated in the above screenshot taken from the product pages of the Argos website. For your convenience, I am including separate links to each of the four Hisense Roku TV models - together with their associated pricing information - as part of this post. Please be aware though that any attempt to use these links, before they officially become active on 'Black Friday', is likely to result in an "error" page being displayed because prior to that date the product pages will be "hidden" from public view. So, for future reference only:-
· 43” 4K HDR Hisense Roku TV – £329.00 GBP
· 50” 4K HDR Hisense Roku TV – £379.00 GBP
· 55” 4K HDR Hisense Roku TV – £479.00 GBP
· 65” 4K HDR Hisense Roku TV – £649.00 GBP
Commenting on their latest product line, Arun Bhatoye (Senior Marketing Manager at Hisense), said:
“We are incredibly proud to launch the first Roku TV models in the UK. These new 4K TVs offer stellar picture quality, endless entertainment and an affordable price. We are now just days away from the UK’s first Roku TV's hitting the stands; it’s very exciting!”
Meanwhile... Bart Bomers (Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Roku), added:
“We are thrilled to launch Roku TV in Europe, starting with the UK. Roku TV models have been incredibly popular in the U.S. for years. Roku TV's offer a fantastic smart TV experience: simple to use, packed with entertainment, and deliver exceptional value.”
Unfortunately, no-one from either 'Hisense' or 'Roku' has reached-out to me regarding a possible post reviewing the new line-up of 'Roku TV' models for the United Kingdom, as requested in my previous 'Weekly RoundUp #339' article (see link above) from September. For the record, I would just like to finish by saying that the offer still stands... so if anyone from 'Hatch Communications', who represent 'Hisense UK' as far as their 'PR' goes, would be kind enough to leave a comment advising how/where I can get in touch to start the ball rolling on this, I'd be very grateful. This is, afterall, the only blog in the UK to have provided regular updates - 100% dedicated to Roku products and Roku-related news - for the last six and three quarter years, so you know that reader interest is assured! ;-) :-D
Another regular source of Roku-related 'Black Friday' news in recent years has been 'NOW TV' who have established a reputation for offering deep discounts to those who are prepared to commit over a longer period than they otherwise might. Fortunately for UK Roku users, 2019 has proven to be no exception... and I'm pleased to say there is ANOTHER 'BLACK FRIDAY' SPECIAL OFFER from the folks at 'NOW TV' whereby both new and existing customers can SAVE 41% OFF the usual cost of an 1-Month Sky Sports Pass and PAY ONLY £20 PER MONTH FOR SIX MONTHS as opposed to the usual price of £33.99 per month to watch all 'Sky Sports' channels live - via the 'NOW TV' app on Roku devices - by simply USING VOUCHER CODE: SPMUNOWDK7A3 in conjunction with the 'Apply a voucher' option found under the relevant purchase section for a 1-Month Sky Sports Pass within your online NowTV account. With both the '1-Day' and '1-Week' passes having gone-up in price (twice) in the last year, this deal on the '1-Month' pass becomes even more attractive when you consider the fact that you are (effectively) getting access to 'Sky Sports' over a whole month for the same price that you would otherwise pay for just two '1-Day' passes from 'NOW TV'! :-O ;-) :-D
ONCE AGAIN: Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE THEM for easier viewing !!
If you are a new 'NOW TV' customer, you might wish to consider one of the other special offers or pass bundles - e.g. for Sky Cinema, Entertainment, etc. - when you first register for your 'NOW TV' account, and then claim the sports pass offer (using the voucher code above) once you are already subscribed through another offer/bundle and, therefore, qualify as an "existing" customer for the sports pass. It's better to do it that way... because, if you signed-up as a new customer through the sports pass offer, you would no longer be eligible for the new customer deals among the other special offers and/or pass bundles. So, if you think you're likely to want Movies, Entertainment, and Sports (or any combination thereof) be sure to sort-out the Movies and/or Entertainment pass(es) when you first sign-up for 'NOW TV' and then add the Sports pass to your account after the fact. Just be sure to do it before 4th December 2019 (when the six-month offer for 41% OFF the 1-Month Sports Pass ends) and to cancel your pass(es) well in advance of their full price auto-renewal date... as you can still keep watching until that date - even after you cancel! ;-)
In other 'NOW TV' news, this past week (finally) saw the introduction of 1080p Full HD streaming to the service which, until now, offered a maximum streaming quality of only 720p HD across all of the passes on each of their supported devices. As well as 'HD' picture quality, there is now an option to listen with enhanced 5.1 surround sound. Unfortunately, rather than simply roll these features out to all customers (as standard) with no extra cost... the
AS BEFORE: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
Currently, if you visit the dedicated webpage for 'NOW TV Boost' online, you will see 'NOW TV' are promoting this for use with one of their 'Sky Sports' passes. Whatever other reason(s) they may have for so-doing... it's worth noting, unless you already have their 'Entertainment', 'Sky Cinema', or 'Kids' pass(es), that you have no choice but to pay £3.00 right away if you've only got (or wish to purchase) one of their range of 'Sky Sports' passes. Conversely, if you do happen to have one of the other passes (i.e. Entertainment, Sky Cinema, or Kids), you can start a FREE 7-DAY TRIAL of 'NOW TV Boost' whenever you fancy. Just head over to the 'Passes & vouchers' area of 'My Account', and simply click on 'Start free trial' at the bottom of the page. Your trial will then cover all active passes, including any 'Sky Sports' passes purchased after the fact. However... if you've only got a 'Sky Sports' pass, and no other 'NOW TV' passes, you won’t be eligible for a free trial and must pay the extra:-
ONCE AGAIN: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
While this may seem particularly unfair to those who only use 'NOW TV' for access to 'Sky Sports', especially since another caveat is that you won't be able to get 'NOW TV Boost' at all if you've only got a 'Sky Sports Mobile' 1-Month pass, similar exclusions apply to anyone billed for their 'NOW TV' pass(es) through a third party - such as iTunes or Vodafone. Others who are likely to feel somewhat aggrieved at not being eligible for 'NOW TV Boost' include those with one (or more) of the following non-compatible devices, who are (currently) stuck with being able to stream only in 720p HD:-
• White NOW TV Box
• Android *plus* iOS Smart Phones and Tablets
• PC and Mac Computers
• PS3
• EE TV
• Chromecast
• Apple TV
• YouView
According to this related help article 'NOW TV' are looking to bring 1080p Full HD to more devices in the future but, for the time being, non-supported HD Boost devices (as outlined above) remain capped at 720p HD quality. Given how the original (white) 'NOW TV' box was based on a 'Roku LT', I would expect that model to also be among the non-compatible devices, though 'NOW TV' have yet to officially confirm or deny this. In fact, they have been rather conservative when it comes to listing which of the UK Roku models (i.e. those introduced after May 2011) are actually capable of working with 'NOW TV Boost' - as the following list of 'HD Boost' compatible devices (at launch) shows:-
• NOW TV Smart Stick
• Any NOW TV Box except the white box
• Roku Express or Roku Streaming Stick
• PS4
• LG Web OS TV (50fps not currently available).
Having already taken advantage of the free trial for 'NOW TV Boost' myself, and tested it across my collection of (still in use) Roku devices, I can confirm that the following UK Roku models definitely support 'NOW TV Boost' and should also have been included on the list of compatible devices:-
• Roku 3 (Model 4200EU)
• Roku 2 (Model 4205EU)
• Roku Express (Model 3900EU)
• Roku Streaming Stick+ (Model 3810EU)
• Roku Premiere (Model 3920EU)
Given the limitations over swapping devices linked to my 'NOW TV' account, I have not been able to ascertain whether (or not) some of the other legacy UK Roku models are also compatible. So, if you are still streaming 'NOW TV' using an 'Roku 2 XS' (Model 3100EU), or 'Roku 1' (Model 2710EU), or 'Roku 2' (Model 2720EU), or the HD-only (purple) Roku Streaming Stick (Model 3500EU), then please leave a comment at the end of the post and (once confirmed) I'll update this article accordingly. Assuming you do have a Roku player (or other device) that is compatible with 'NOW TV Boost', as well as capable of providing some (or all) of the features offered, here's what you can expect from it:
In addition to having a device that supports 'NOW TV Boost', you will also need the following:-
HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
- Full HD: Watch all the Sky Sports channels, plus selected shows and movies, in 1080p video quality instead of the usual 720p.
- Smoother sporting action: Two Sky Sports channels – Main Event and Premier League – are available at 50 frames per second (except on LG TV).
- Awesome audio: Got a surround sound speaker system or soundbar? Boost lets you enjoy a fully immersive audio experience with Dolby Digital 5.1.
- An extra stream: Another handy benefit is that you get to stream on 3 devices at the same time. Perfect for families that can’t agree on what to watch!
In addition to having a device that supports 'NOW TV Boost', you will also need the following:-
- An HD TV
- An Entertainment, Sky Cinema or Kids pass or a Sky Sports Day, Week or Month pass bought from NOW TV (Boost isn’t available with passes from third parties, like iTunes or Vodafone)
- A minimum internet speed of 12Mbps
- Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound speakers or sound bar, for the optimal audio experience.
With all of the necessary components in place, as outlined above, here's what you can expect to be able to stream in '1080p Full HD' picture quality with a 'NOW TV Boost' pass, or free trial period:-
- All the Sky Sports channels – plus, you can watch Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League at 50fps (unless you happen to have an LG Web OS TV, as outlined above)
- All the live Sky Cinema channels, plus all on-demand movies
- All the live Entertainment channels except Fox and Gold, plus selected box sets
- All the live Kids channels except Cartoonito and Nicktoons, which aren’t in HD, plus limited on-demand kids' episodes.
ALSO KEEP IN MIND: That 'Hayu' box sets aren’t currently available in HD with 'NOW TV Boost'.
Once you've got 'NOW TV Boost', you will be able to tell precisely which of the films or TV shows are available in '1080p Full HD' picture quality because there'll be symbols for 'HD' and/or '5.1' audio displayed as part of the information pertaining to the particular content you have chosen, as shown:-
According to the 'NOW TV' website, "Most new shows and movies added to the Entertainment and Sky Cinema passes will be available in HD", so even if some of the existing content is still of a lower resolution their 'NOW TV Boost' pass should prove more worthwhile over time. They have also said they'll be working hard to upgrade what's already there and advise customers to "keep checking back" if their chosen content isn't yet available in '1080p Full HD' picture quality when they first check! ;-)
For those with a surround sound system, or sound bar, wishing to enjoy sports, movies and TV shows in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound quality, it's probably worth checking beforehand that you've adjusted your audio settings as needed. Here's what to do if you own a Roku player or NOW TV streaming device:
To select surround sound:
• On your box or stick, go to the right-hand menu and select Settings, then Audio.
• The Audio Mode should be set to Auto and HDMI set to Dolby D+.
To select stereo:
• On your box or stick, go to the right-hand menu and select Settings, then Audio.
• The Audio Mode should be set to Stereo and HDMI set to PCM-Stereo.
If you're reading this post but plan on using another compatible device with 'NOW TV Boost', you'll find full instructions for switching to surround sound (or stereo) on PS4, Samsung TV, or LG TV's, in this handy help article from the 'NOW TV' website on "How To Adjust Your Audio Settings"! ;-) :-)
Questions regarding other aspects pertaining to the 'NOW TV Boost' pass, such as auto-renewals and cancellation, etc. are covered in the 'FAQ' section of this dedicated 'NOW TV Boost' help article from the 'NOW TV' website so, if you didn't find the answer(s) you were looking for in this blog post, you might want to browse some of the "Frequently Asked Questions" on this subject from there.
One last word on this subject, by way of a shred of good news for those of you who don’t have any devices that support 'NOW TV Boost' for whatever reason... is that the extra streaming allowance you get with 'NOW TV Boost' applies across all devices, not just the ones that support 'NOW TV Boost', so you can still take advantage of the free 7-day trial (or purchase the 'NOW TV Boost' pass) to gain an extra simultaneous stream for those times when your household is in need of streaming on three separate devices at the same time. Sure, it's not the same as having a fully-featured 'NOW TV Boost' pass, but you never know when that situation could arise and (if it does) this may come in handy! ;-)
Also in the news this week, although not due to take effect until 2020, was an announcement from the 'BBC' regarding forthcoming changes to their 'Interactive Services' on TV. From the end of January next year, there will be three significant alterations to how they operate... although the first of those, which is solely concerned with the removal of the text-based element from their red button service, is unlikely to have any major impact on the majority of Roku users. However, the second of the planned changes - details of which were published via a post on the 'BBC Blog' from Monday 18th November - involves the consolidation of existing apps for connected TV (specifically 'BBC Sport', 'BBC News', and 'BBC iPlayer') all of which currently have their own channel (app) on the Roku platform. That may well no longer be the case when, sometime early next year, the 'BBC' will be retiring the sports and news apps as part of a move which will see much of the video content (currently available on the 'BBC Sport' and 'BBC News' apps) moved to a new home within the 'BBC iPlayer' app. Fortunately, aside from losing those two Roku channels, the third change which the 'BBC' has proposed involves the creation of a new 'BBC Sounds' app for connected televisions which will bring 80,000+ hours of radio, music and podcasts from across the 'BBC' to the big screen and should (hopefully) include a new Roku channel (app) for 'BBC Sounds' to make-up for the loss of 'BBC Sports' and 'BBC News'.
So while it's not all bad, as far as existing (and new) content on Roku from the 'BBC' is concerned, one area where 'The Beeb' did lose-out this week was the revelation - via 'Broadband TV News' - that 'Sky Sports' are to become the exclusive live broadcaster of 'The Masters' in the UK... meaning 'BBC' won't show any live golf next year, for the first time since 1955, having lost all live coverage rights. It began in 2011 when the BBC's live coverage of 'The Masters' was reduced to just two days. Just five years later 'BBC' then lost the rights to 'The Open', thus ending a 60-year run with Britain’s flagship tournament, and (from next year) terrestrial viewers will only be able to watch highlights of the golf. Meanwhile the new agreement with Sky Sports, which begins with 'The Masters' tournament in April 2020, will see their existing partnership extended into it's second decade. Luckily for Roku users, the availability of 'Sky Sports' via the 'NOW TV' channel (app) for the platform means that all four days of tournament action at the 'Augusta National' will be streamed on Roku from 9th-12th April! :-D ;-)
One Roku channel which has come along in leaps and bounds, since launching on UK Roku devices in October 2018, is 'Pluto TV - It's Free TV' which featured only 12 live streaming channels when it first featured on this blog as part of my "Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #291" post that very same month. Barely more than one year on from their humble beginnings, there are now more than fifty live streaming channels with the promise of more to come between now and the end of the year. Their latest offering, details of which were published through the 'Variety' website on Thursday, came about as the result of a deal between Viacom-owned 'Pluto TV' and 'Signature Entertainment' for a collection of films by Woody Allen (mostly from the nineties) that will be streamed as part of a dedicated season, known as "Woody Allen Fridays" and playing via the "Pluto TV Movies" channel, set to run for the next for weeks and featuring a double-bill of the filmmaker’s pictures each Friday. The season actually kicked-off yesterday (22nd November 2019) with a double-bill that featured the comedy-drama "Celebrity", along with crime comedy "Bullets Over Broadway", and will continue every Friday with a fresh double-bill of Woody Allen movies every time. Other films include titles like "Mighty Aphrodite", "Sweet and Lowdown", "Everyone Says I Love You", and "Deconstructing Harry", while Barbara Kopple’s portrait of the auteur himself, "Wild Man Blues", will close-out the four-week spotlight on Friday 13th December 2019. Putting the spotlight on one filmmaker in this way is a first for Pluto TV in the UK, but hopefully not the last of these themed double-bills we'll see on Roku! ;-) :-D
Finally, although there are no Roku channels for me to list in this 'Weekly RoundUp' post, there have been a few more 'Roku Guide' reviews published during the last seven days... the links to which have now been added to the relevant posts on this blog. From their perspective, the absence of any new apps to review means the ongoing issue of "missing" reviews from the 'Roku Guide' website has (at least) not worsened since my last mention of it on this blog. In fact, as they managed to produce another eight reviews, with five from last week, plus; one more from the week before that, and; another one from as far back as five weeks ago, along with; one US-only channel, means that the deficit has actually been reduced for once! :-O Even so, they remain more than seventy-five percent shy of where they should be and when things pick-up again (once the current channel publishing blackout ends) there could be hundreds (if not thousands) more Roku apps with no corresponding independent review for me to provide a link from the 'Weekly RoundUp' posts on this blog. I hope that shortfall is addressed soon because, as mentioned 43 weeks ago, the current situation isn't good for anyone connected to Roku: be they end-users, developers, bloggers like myself, or even Roku - whose platform provides the very source from which 'Roku Guide' compile their reviews! :-O
• On your box or stick, go to the right-hand menu and select Settings, then Audio.
• The Audio Mode should be set to Auto and HDMI set to Dolby D+.
To select stereo:
• On your box or stick, go to the right-hand menu and select Settings, then Audio.
• The Audio Mode should be set to Stereo and HDMI set to PCM-Stereo.
If you're reading this post but plan on using another compatible device with 'NOW TV Boost', you'll find full instructions for switching to surround sound (or stereo) on PS4, Samsung TV, or LG TV's, in this handy help article from the 'NOW TV' website on "How To Adjust Your Audio Settings"! ;-) :-)
Questions regarding other aspects pertaining to the 'NOW TV Boost' pass, such as auto-renewals and cancellation, etc. are covered in the 'FAQ' section of this dedicated 'NOW TV Boost' help article from the 'NOW TV' website so, if you didn't find the answer(s) you were looking for in this blog post, you might want to browse some of the "Frequently Asked Questions" on this subject from there.
One last word on this subject, by way of a shred of good news for those of you who don’t have any devices that support 'NOW TV Boost' for whatever reason... is that the extra streaming allowance you get with 'NOW TV Boost' applies across all devices, not just the ones that support 'NOW TV Boost', so you can still take advantage of the free 7-day trial (or purchase the 'NOW TV Boost' pass) to gain an extra simultaneous stream for those times when your household is in need of streaming on three separate devices at the same time. Sure, it's not the same as having a fully-featured 'NOW TV Boost' pass, but you never know when that situation could arise and (if it does) this may come in handy! ;-)
Also in the news this week, although not due to take effect until 2020, was an announcement from the 'BBC' regarding forthcoming changes to their 'Interactive Services' on TV. From the end of January next year, there will be three significant alterations to how they operate... although the first of those, which is solely concerned with the removal of the text-based element from their red button service, is unlikely to have any major impact on the majority of Roku users. However, the second of the planned changes - details of which were published via a post on the 'BBC Blog' from Monday 18th November - involves the consolidation of existing apps for connected TV (specifically 'BBC Sport', 'BBC News', and 'BBC iPlayer') all of which currently have their own channel (app) on the Roku platform. That may well no longer be the case when, sometime early next year, the 'BBC' will be retiring the sports and news apps as part of a move which will see much of the video content (currently available on the 'BBC Sport' and 'BBC News' apps) moved to a new home within the 'BBC iPlayer' app. Fortunately, aside from losing those two Roku channels, the third change which the 'BBC' has proposed involves the creation of a new 'BBC Sounds' app for connected televisions which will bring 80,000+ hours of radio, music and podcasts from across the 'BBC' to the big screen and should (hopefully) include a new Roku channel (app) for 'BBC Sounds' to make-up for the loss of 'BBC Sports' and 'BBC News'.
So while it's not all bad, as far as existing (and new) content on Roku from the 'BBC' is concerned, one area where 'The Beeb' did lose-out this week was the revelation - via 'Broadband TV News' - that 'Sky Sports' are to become the exclusive live broadcaster of 'The Masters' in the UK... meaning 'BBC' won't show any live golf next year, for the first time since 1955, having lost all live coverage rights. It began in 2011 when the BBC's live coverage of 'The Masters' was reduced to just two days. Just five years later 'BBC' then lost the rights to 'The Open', thus ending a 60-year run with Britain’s flagship tournament, and (from next year) terrestrial viewers will only be able to watch highlights of the golf. Meanwhile the new agreement with Sky Sports, which begins with 'The Masters' tournament in April 2020, will see their existing partnership extended into it's second decade. Luckily for Roku users, the availability of 'Sky Sports' via the 'NOW TV' channel (app) for the platform means that all four days of tournament action at the 'Augusta National' will be streamed on Roku from 9th-12th April! :-D ;-)
One Roku channel which has come along in leaps and bounds, since launching on UK Roku devices in October 2018, is 'Pluto TV - It's Free TV' which featured only 12 live streaming channels when it first featured on this blog as part of my "Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #291" post that very same month. Barely more than one year on from their humble beginnings, there are now more than fifty live streaming channels with the promise of more to come between now and the end of the year. Their latest offering, details of which were published through the 'Variety' website on Thursday, came about as the result of a deal between Viacom-owned 'Pluto TV' and 'Signature Entertainment' for a collection of films by Woody Allen (mostly from the nineties) that will be streamed as part of a dedicated season, known as "Woody Allen Fridays" and playing via the "Pluto TV Movies" channel, set to run for the next for weeks and featuring a double-bill of the filmmaker’s pictures each Friday. The season actually kicked-off yesterday (22nd November 2019) with a double-bill that featured the comedy-drama "Celebrity", along with crime comedy "Bullets Over Broadway", and will continue every Friday with a fresh double-bill of Woody Allen movies every time. Other films include titles like "Mighty Aphrodite", "Sweet and Lowdown", "Everyone Says I Love You", and "Deconstructing Harry", while Barbara Kopple’s portrait of the auteur himself, "Wild Man Blues", will close-out the four-week spotlight on Friday 13th December 2019. Putting the spotlight on one filmmaker in this way is a first for Pluto TV in the UK, but hopefully not the last of these themed double-bills we'll see on Roku! ;-) :-D
Finally, although there are no Roku channels for me to list in this 'Weekly RoundUp' post, there have been a few more 'Roku Guide' reviews published during the last seven days... the links to which have now been added to the relevant posts on this blog. From their perspective, the absence of any new apps to review means the ongoing issue of "missing" reviews from the 'Roku Guide' website has (at least) not worsened since my last mention of it on this blog. In fact, as they managed to produce another eight reviews, with five from last week, plus; one more from the week before that, and; another one from as far back as five weeks ago, along with; one US-only channel, means that the deficit has actually been reduced for once! :-O Even so, they remain more than seventy-five percent shy of where they should be and when things pick-up again (once the current channel publishing blackout ends) there could be hundreds (if not thousands) more Roku apps with no corresponding independent review for me to provide a link from the 'Weekly RoundUp' posts on this blog. I hope that shortfall is addressed soon because, as mentioned 43 weeks ago, the current situation isn't good for anyone connected to Roku: be they end-users, developers, bloggers like myself, or even Roku - whose platform provides the very source from which 'Roku Guide' compile their reviews! :-O