Roku 3 UK - UPDATE #1

Hi, everyone !!


A few days ago, on Monday 8th April 2013 (to be precise), there was an official announcement about an Update for Roku 3 posted on the Official Roku Blog. However, this particular Roku news bulletin amounted to little more than a heads up concerning the first firmware update for the new streaming media player since the Roku 3 launch (for the USA market) on Tuesday 5th March 2013.


Unfortunately there was still no information given regarding an official Roku 3 UK release and, although they did confirm that the minor software update for Roku 3 (Version 5.0, Build 7070) would be pushed to all Roku 3 players within 48 hours, there was no further news about the general rollout of the much touted "New Roku Experience"as featured in their video intro to Roku 3 last month.


Personally, I'm not convinced that we'll ever get such an update for Roku UK players, due to the incompatibility of the built-in "Search" function as mentioned in my post on "Roku 3 For The UK...". My concerns have since been reinforced by the experiences of one Roku Forums member, called 'Batnun', who recently imported a Roku 3 player to the UK and announced "Just got the Roku 3 in the UK - works great", only to find out subsequently that the 'search' option was missing.


So, if you have considered importing a Roku 3 player from the USA, you would be wise to hold off for an official Roku 3 UK release which, if it ever happens, will at least be for a Roku player that has been designed fully for use in the UK. Aside from which, if you do import one now, you'll be paying over the odds for something which will not be completely functional when paired with a UK Roku Account. In other words... BUYER BEWARE !!!!!!!


Elsewhere in the online forums, speculation has arisen concerning the manufacture of a new Roku box for the UK which will be exclusive to NowTV [Powered by Sky] and branded accordingly. In other words, there will be no Roku branding on the player (despite being manufactured by Roku) and, instead, there will only be brand markings for Sky's NowTV service. The fact that the owners of Sky and NowTV invested heavily in Roku last year opens up the possibility that the 'Roku 3' for the UK might actually appear to be more of a 'NowTV' player, at first glance, even if the design is essentially that of the 'Roku 3' with a re-badge. Still, with that in mind, it might just make more sense to "wait & see" if there is a Roku 3 UK release in the offing before shelling out the BIG BUCK$ on an import.


If only Roku knew just how much interest there is to bring Roku 3 to UK users, then I'm certain they would adopt a different marketing strategy. That way, instead of "Celebrating 5 million Roku players" in the USA, they could be boasting about shipping their ?? millionth Roku streaming player in the UK!


Until Roku themselves wake up to that fact, however, we are still (currently) limited to the Roku LT or the Roku XS in the UK (as outlined in my post, "It's Time To... Choose Your Roku !!"). Unless, of course, the rumours about the 'NowTV' styled Roku 3 for the UK turn out to be true !!


Needless to say, we will keep you informed of any and all Roku 3 UK news, including a Roku 3 UK release date (when it happens),  any Roku 3 updates and (ultimately) a Roku 3 channel list just as soon as they wise up and bring Roku 3 to UK purchasers so that we can get hold of one to actively compile it. Meanwhile, the Roku 3 UK search will continue on a daily basis until we can bring you the news that we've all been waiting for... the Roku 3 UK launch !!


Fingers crossed, it's coming sometime... maybe ??!!!


Anyway, that's all there is to tell you for now.


So, until next time...



That's all folks !!

Roku 3 For The UK...

It's coming sometime... maybe??!!!


Or, at least, that's what some sources might have you believe after Roku launched their latest model for the USA a few days ago - March 5th, to be precise - as a direct replacement for the Roku 2 XS.


However, a spokesperson for Roku has since confirmed that there are currently no plans to bring the Roku 3 to the UK. So unfortunately, when it comes to opportunities to buy Roku 3, UK purchasers are going to have to wait. Apparently, the best we can hope for is to be included in the rollout for the new software layout which the company says will be pushed out (via a FREE software upgrade) to existing Roku 2 players (including the Roku LT, Roku HD [Model #2500] & Roku 2 XS) by May 2013.


For those of you who would like to know what to expect from this new user experience, the following video (originally posted on the Official Roku YouTube Channel) will give you a brief glimpse:-

Now, having watched this through a few times, one of the things that struck me was how nearly all of the search results shown in the video were for either Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus or Vudu... none of which are available to Roku users via the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. This made me question whether UK owners would actually benefit in any way from this "new Roku experience" if it were even offered in this region.


Some of you may also recall an earlier improvement to the Roku software layout, again first introduced for Roku owners in the USA, which offered a one-stop search facility for movies, tv shows or actors via the new 'Roku Search' function linked to HBO Go, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Netflix (US) and Crackle. Again, there was a preview of it on the Official Roku YouTube Channel, which I am also going to include here for ease of reference:-

Anyway, the point being that this earlier 'improvement' was also of little or no use to UK Roku owners, by virtue of the fact that the services (i.e. channels) that it searched were not available in this region. As a result, you didn't find this "Roku Search" feature included on any UK models and, therefore, I suspect that (when the "new Roku experience" is rolled out come April/May) there will (once again) be no such software upgrade offered, here in the UK.


Whether a separate upgrade, specific to the UK, will materialize at a later date... I really cannot say. Let's just hope that Roku do have plans for their continued expansion, here in the UK, and that they don't take as long over introducing them as they have done in the past. Needless to say... if there is any news about a Roku 3 UK release date, or any other Roku 3 update, we'll be the first in the UK to let you know the time has come to make your Roku 3 upgrade !!


Meanwhile, if you are interested in finding out about the Roku 3 (which is currently only available in the USA & Canada), then you can read a little more via this post on the Official Roku Blog:-


Introducing Roku 3


As well as confirmation of some of the details provided above, there is a photo of the Roku 3 and some additional information about this new model, including an invitation to find out exactly why the new "Action Packed. Fully Loaded" Roku 3 player is cool enough to have been labelled "the new standard in streaming" via a link to the official Roku website at the end of the post.


Speaking of the official website, if you really want to look into the nitty-gritty of the Roku 3 (purely out of interest, from a UK point-of-view, don't forget) then you can check out the dedicated support section for the Roku 3 via this link:-


Roku 3 Streaming Media Player - Roku (USA) Official Support


Also, if any of you would like to view an online PDF of the 'Quick Start Guide' for the new Roku 3, sometimes referred to as the Roku 3 'User Manual', you can do so by clicking on this link:-


Roku 3 Quick Start Guide


As I've said before, these guides are a useful way to see exactly what is included with the various models of the Roku streaming media player, as well as to gain an insight as to what is involved in setting them up. Just remember that the Roku 3 is NOT AVAILABLE IN THE UK and that your choices currently remain limited to the Roku LT and Roku XS, as outlined in my previous post entitled 'It's Time To... Choose Your Roku !!'.


Finally, to watch a complete unboxing of a brand new Roku 3 and get a different perspective on the NEW user interface (UI) referred to above as the "new Roku experience", then you should check out this YouTube video, uploaded by the folks at LogicLounge in the USA:-

If you like what you see, then you can find out more on the LogicLounge Website, which is essentially a social media news blog covering the latest web technology news. Alternatively, you can watch more of their videos via the LogicLounge YouTube Channel, where you can browse hundreds of tech videos featuring the latest tech news, reviews and how-to's. Just tell them who sent you !!


So, while we still don't know if we'll get the Roku 3 for the UK before 'Anarchy In The UK', we do know that there will be more UK-related Roku 3 info posted right here on this blog VERY SOON...

*************************************

PLEASE NOTE: There have now been several IMPORTANT UPDATE(S) since this original post about the Roku 3 streaming media player. You can EASILY ACCESS all of these Roku 3 UK Updates by clicking on the following LINK: Roku 3 UK - Update (Complete List)

If you'd like to see GENUINE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE as to the existence of a UK Edition Roku 3 player, then you should ALSO make a point of reading the introductory paragraphs to my Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #26 that includes a PACKSHOT PHOTO showing the front of the box which (itself) features images of the CHANNEL ICONS for UK ONLY CHANNELS such as BBC iPlayer and NOW TV which can only mean one thing...

So, if you're one of those people who have been asking themselves, "when will Roku 3 be available in UK?", rather a lot lately... I believe the answer to that question is about to be revealed any day now !!

*************************************

In the meantime, as always, if you want to find out what new & exciting Roku channels 2013 has in store for UK Roku owners, you need to keep it right here for an up-to-date Roku UK channel list and for more UK private Roku channels (coming soon). Be sure to visit often and, for the latest, follow the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels


For now, though...


That's all folks !!

Roku... To Buy, Or Not To Buy?

That, is the question.

So, if you're still unsure about what you'll get for your money when investing in a Roku streaming media player, especially if you're based here in the UK, then why not take a look at this YouTube video review posted by 'Techmoan' back in April 2012. It shows around one hundred channel icons, during the course of the review, and gives a good feel of what the Roku user interface is like. The good news is that, unlike many reviews, this one has actually been done by a Roku user based in the UK and, consequently, features a UK specific Roku Channel Store throughout the video.

I, personally, found this video review very useful when making my own buying decision for a Roku player and I thought I'd post it here for the benefit of other potential UK purchasers of the product. Needless to say, there have been many more channels added to the Roku (UK) Channel Store since the above review was posted but I intend to bring you all up to speed on what those are, over the coming weeks and months, on this blog.

Special thanks to 'Techmoan' for taking the trouble to post the review in the first place. Please feel free to check out the Techmoan Video Dump on YouTube for more useful gadget reviews.

Meanwhile, be sure to come back and check out my future posts on this blog, to find out more about exactly what's in the Roku (UK) Channel Store and what other Private Channels can be added to your Roku streaming media player, here in the UK.