PLEASE NOTE: I have chosen not to list the nineteen videos included in the "Popular Videos on Other Channels" category (at the time of this review) partly because they are the same selection of videos that can be found towards the end of the main menu for other channels developed by AdRise (e.g. Asian Crush) and also, because they are not Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada or Telugu (as with all the other videos on the Bollyverse FREE channel), I did not feel their inclusion was warranted here.
DISCLAIMER: Please accept my apologies for any typographical errors in this post. I do not pretend to be in any way fluent at speaking, or proficient at writing, in any of the four Indian languages featured on this Roku private channel (i.e. Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada or Telugu).
All of the run times quoted were taken directly from the information displayed for each individual film (as listed in the various sub-categories of the main menu) on the Bollyverse FREE channel. Most of the other information (e.g. Film Title, Year Of Release, Director, etc) was also taken from this source. However, in some instances this information was missing altogether so I filled in the blanks from various other sources. These included, but were not limited to:
IMDB,
GoMoLo,
IndiaGlitz, etc. and also the credits from the films themselves. Be advised that I did notice some discrepancies between the names of directors quoted in the main menu film description(s) and those quoted on the play menu within the individual films. As a result, you may find that some of the details provided above are
slightly inaccurate but, on the whole, you should have a good idea which films I'm referring to.
As far as the actual content goes, you have the option to watch each film for FREE but
please bear in mind that, if you do so, the films will be ad-supported (i.e. there
will be advertisements). Typically, these will last no more than a couple of minutes in total (even when there are two or three of them in a row). However, you can also choose to watch each film WITHOUT ADVERTISEMENTS by paying a small fee of $0.99 (approx. £0.69) per film. My advice would be to first try watching a film for free, to see if the advertising is likely to be a problem for you (which, in my case, it was not) and then to opt for the paid (ad-free) version(s) if you found the advertisements too much of a hindrance. Basically, if you would normally only watch films on BBC, because they are always ad-free, you might prefer to pay the $0.99 (approx. £0.69) and avoid the ads. However, if you are usually content to watch films via commercial television (e.g. ITV, Channel Four, etc) and to put up with a few advertisements, then I believe you will be equally happy watching the films on Bollyverse FREE for, erm... FREE, ahem !!
Quality-wise, there is a lot of variation between the films on offer via the Bollyverse FREE channel. The more recent films, perhaps unsurprisingly, provide a much cleaner & sharper image as well as a better audio experience. However, some of the older movies (which were shot on reels of film) can suffer as a result of the degradation of the film, over the years, and this is visible on some films here. In some ways, this does lend an old-school kind of charm to the experience which I must admit I liked. Having said that, it may not offer the same appeal to younger viewers (especially those born in the digital age) who have only known HD television and expect nothing less than a perfect picture. Where I did feel somewhat let down, though, was with some of the audio for a few of these films. Specifically, the volume level was found to fluctuate beyond reasonable limits on occasion and, on certain films, the clarity of sound suffered to the point that the dialogue became almost inaudible. Now, whether my lack of fluency in the four Indian languages featured on the Bollyverse FREE channel (i.e. Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada or Telugu) exacerbated the problem, I cannot say. Perhaps, to the trained ear, this would not be as much of an issue. However, I can only sum up what I saw and heard from my own, personal, experience of this channel. To that end, I believe it is fair to say that (depending on your choice of film) you
will notice some minor defects in sound and/or visual quality in places.
On a more positive note, the fact that there are (currently) two hundred and eighty-five films to choose from does increase the likelihood of finding something you will find both entertaining & enjoyable. The problems mentioned previously certainly DO NOT APPLY to
all of the 285 films on offer here. So, if you regularly watch the Yupp TV channel
or happen to be fluent in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada or Telugu, then I imagine you will certainly benefit from the addition of the Bollyverse FREE channel to your Roku streaming media player. If, like me, you do not fall into either of those categories then you'll probably be in need of a few language lessons before adding and/or watching this particular Roku private channel on your Roku player.
Anyway, if you
do speak the language and you like the sound of this private Roku channel from what you've read here, then you will probably now want to add the 'Bollyverse FREE' channel to your Roku streaming media player. In which case, you can do so (via your online Roku Account) by clicking on the following direct link:-
ADD CHANNEL:
Bollyverse FREE
Alternatively, you can access your Roku Account online (without using the 'ADD CHANNEL' link, above) and from there, use the 'Add a Private Channel' option to then enter the access code manually, yourself. That being the case, the code you will need to type in is:-
CODE: bverse
If you'd like to know more about the developer of this channel: whether as a viewer, keen to discover what other channels this developer has been involved with, or; as a content owner, looking to engage their services to help broadcast your content across multiple platforms or, perhaps even; as an advertiser hoping to target a specific internet TV audience... you can do so, via their Official Website, at:-
DEVELOPER'S WEBSITE:
AdRise.com
For those of you who may prefer to use Twitter to keep up with the latest news from one of the most prolific Roku channel developers and from the creator of this internet TV ad platform, you can follow them at:-
DEVELOPER'S TWITTER FEED:
@ad_Rise
Finally, if Tumblr is more your thing, the Official Blog for the AdRise content distribution and monetization platform can be found at:-
DEVELOPER'S TUMBLR PAGE:
AdRiseTV
Meanwhile, if this particular channel was not your cup of tea (so-to-speak), just remember to visit this blog again at sometime in the future, when there will be plenty more Roku channel codes for you to read about & to try out on your Roku streaming media players. For, when it comes to publishing details of all UK Roku Private Channels, UK Roku Hidden Channels, UK Roku Beta Channels and 'Other' Roku channels... call them what you will, they will ALL be found right here (alongside all of the other UK Roku-related goodness on offer), via the pages of this very blog.
Our continued aim is to provide details that are relevant to UK Roku users, with the further assurance that any Roku channel codes that are published here will
always have been tested first on a UK Roku player. In this way, you know for certain that they
will work on Roku streaming media players, here in the UK (at the time of publication) and that the code(s) used will have all resulted in an 'Add Channel' screen (as shown above) when entered via a UK Roku Account online.
So, when it comes to extending
your Roku UK channel list, no matter whether it's by adding Roku private channels or any of the "Official" Roku channels 2013 may have to offer, you will
always find the information needed for the Roku channels UK users can add to their players published here. Suffice to say that no Roku channels UK list would be complete without at least one of the Roku hidden channels written about here. In fact, when it comes to UK private Roku channels (specifically) there is no source more reliable for these hidden Roku channels and other new channels for Roku United Kingdom than what you find right here. With that in mind, be sure to visit this blog again soon if you want details on what UK Roku users can add to their Roku UK players.
Not forgetting (of course) that, as well as finding details of all the Roku Private Channels UK users can add to their Roku players, you will also be getting the scoop on all the latest additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. This comes to you, courtesy of our NEW 'Weekly RoundUp' FEATURE (published every Saturday) although, as readers of the
Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #3 will attest, some weeks have fewer new channels than others !!
Still, that's about it for this post. There will be more articles on Roku UK coming to these pages sometime soon. Meanwhile, for those of you who are
really into your Roku player(s), and don't want to miss a beat when it comes to Roku UK news and updates, may I suggest that you also keep an eye on the associated Twitter Feed for this blog:
@ukrokuchannels for all your interim Roku UK tweets.
Until the next time, though...
That's all folks !!
