Hi, everyone !!
Just in case it escaped your notice... this will be the last 'Weekly RoundUp' this side of the "holidays" so, before I go any further with this post, may I first wish "A Very Merry Christmas" to each and every one of you reading this blog. Thanks to all of you for continuing to read my Roku-related ramblings each week, even though I've struggled to keep up with all the news in the latter part of this year - your continued support for what I do through this blog is very much appreciated !!
Of course... Christmas is a time of giving and, in the spirit of the season, those of you who "follow" the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels will (perhaps) have noticed a few "gifts" being sent your way during the past seven days?! If not... they came in the form of several Roku private channels (i.e. "secret channels", or "hidden channels", otherwise called "beta channels" by some) which, unless you happen to know the access code (otherwise quoted as an "invitation code", by Roku), then you will not be able to add them to your Roku device(s) since these private channels (and their details) are not published via the "Official" Roku Channel Store, as found on your streaming media player(s). Anyway... in the spirit of the season I've decided to re-publish details of those "gifts", including their access codes, so that all of you can have something in your Roku "stocking" to keep you entertained over the holiday period:-
ADD "The Bat Player" PRIVATE CHANNEL to Roku device(s) VIA THIS LINK: The Bat Player
Or, LOGIN to your Roku Account, AS NORMAL, and SCROLL DOWN the page, until you come TO the 'MANAGE ACCOUNT' section, CLICK the link TO 'ADD A PRIVATE CHANNEL' and then USE ACCESS CODE: VBJV6
ADD "CN Reboot" PRIVATE CHANNEL to Roku device(s) VIA THIS LINK: CN Reboot
Or, LOGIN to your Roku Account, AS NORMAL, and SCROLL DOWN the page, until you come TO the 'MANAGE ACCOUNT' section, CLICK the link TO 'ADD A PRIVATE CHANNEL' and then USE ACCESS CODE: cnreboot
ADD "SongTweet.net" PRIVATE CHANNEL to Roku device(s) VIA THIS LINK: SongTweet
Or, LOGIN to your Roku Account, AS NORMAL, and SCROLL DOWN the page, until you come TO the 'MANAGE ACCOUNT' section, CLICK the link TO 'ADD A PRIVATE CHANNEL' and then USE ACCESS CODE: songtweet
Generally speaking, I will first publish details of any ROKU PRIVATE CHANNEL(S) that I come across via the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels so, if you're on the lookout for some EXTRA CHANNELS to add to your Roku device(s), which are NOT IN THE "Official" ROKU CHANNEL STORE as found on the aforementioned streaming media players, then you're better off signing-up for a Twitter Account and choosing to "follow" the tweets of UK Roku Channels (see link above) so that you remain "in the know" about what's going-on !!
Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without some sort of "Scrooge" character(s) just to give it some proper "Bah, Humbug!" attitude and the world of Roku is no exception to that rule !! Following on from their 2013 "holiday" theme of "self-gifting" they've spent the past week doing just that... which means, they've been "giving" lots of perks to "themselves" (i.e. Roku owners in USA) but NOT to "others" (i.e. Roku owners in Canada, Ireland & UK... never mind the 'Rest of World' option) - an unlikeable trend which began with the omission of "Amazon Instant Video" from UK Roku players, not forgetting the lack of a built-in "Search" function on Roku devices IN ALL "OTHER" REGIONS (though, of course, the USA continues to benefit from it), and was (again) highlighted early-on in the week when the announcement was made, VIA THIS POST, that a new "Roku Recommends" channel had been added to Roku players (in the USA) but NOT to Roku devices in "other" regions !!
The disappointment was doubled since the "Official" Roku Twitter Feed: @RokuPlayer, which had published the tweet (see screenshot below) that first led me to the post on the "Official" Roku Blog, made NO MENTION OF THE FACT that this new "Roku Recommends" channel was "U.S. Only" and, therefore, THAT IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO UK ROKU OWNERS when it could easily have done so (even with a 140 character limit imposed!) and not wasted my (all too precious) time !!
IMPORTANT NOTE:- "Roku Recommends" channel is NOT AVAILABLE VIA ROKU UK !!
They then added insult to injury (READ: I fell for it again) when, later in the week, a similar tweet was published to herald the arrival of a new "FX Now" channel (see screenshot below) highlighting the fact (via a hashtag) that Roku owners could now watch "Every Simpsons Ever"... unless, as it (once more) soon became apparent, you are a Roku owner who happens to reside in the "other" regions (i.e. UK). Now, even without counting the characters used, I'm 99% certain (looking at the brevity of the tweet) that (even by including an external link to the blog post) there were sufficient "unused" characters to have included "U.S. Only" in the message for Roku owners in "other" regions, but... that would mean showing consideration towards "others" which is just not done by "self-gifters" !!
IMPORTANT NOTE:- "FX Now" channel is NOT AVAILABLE VIA ROKU UK !!
- The inclusion of an ethernet port, to establish a WIRED CONNECTION
- The inclusion of a USB port, to PLAYBACK VIA USB storage devices
- The inclusion of a MicroSD port, to provide EXPANDED MEMORY for channels
- An upgrade to DUAL-BAND WiFi, via DUAL ANTENNAE, with MIMO
- An upgrade to 1080i over HDMI, for improved picture (previously 480p, 720p only)
So, why the interest if it's not available in the UK? Well, this could be an indicator as to what we might expect from any second generation NowTV Box that may (or may not) be on the horizon. On that note, I'm also curious to see if the German / Austrian equivalent is any less ring-fenced than the current NowTV device, considering that it bears "Sky" branding (along with a "Roku Powered" tag) and not the name that we are familiar with here (i.e. NowTV). There are (English language) articles for both the 'Sky Online' OTT service, FOUND HERE, and the launch of the 'Sky Online TV Box', VIA THIS LINK, which were published via the 'Broadband TV News' website giving a greater insight for those who are interested. There's also a (German) Quick Start Guide, HERE, for those who are fluent in the language. Although, even if you're not, the pictures (i.e. line drawings) offer sufficient detail to be of interest to "others" (sic) with a thirst for knowledge when it comes to new technology !!
Another thing which crossed my mind was whether this 'Sky Online TV Box' could turn out to be the forerunner for some kind of "Sky Go" type device which could become the new (cheaper) multi-room hardware offering from Sky instead of the (relatively) expensive hardware used in the Sky HD Box?!! That being the case, maybe they'll drop the requirement to pay such a high fee just to watch their service in another room of the house, when you already pay so much for the first Sky HD Box! Should that ever come to be, let's hope there's (finally) a 'Sky Go' channel for Roku / NowTV Boxes so that "early adopters" are not left out in the cold and Roku owners still get access to all the extra channels that (currently) remain inaccessible to owners of the NowTV streaming media player !!
Anyway, before I proceed any further with this 'Weekly RoundUp'... a brief reminder that, whilst I had hoped I'd be able to catch-up on the missing Roku-related news from this blog in recent weeks, with all the extra work I've been burdened with of late it remains unlikely that I'll be fully caught-up anytime soon. Until I do find the time... my one saving grace is that (as mentioned previously) I have somehow managed to remain up-to-date with all the latest additions to the "New" category of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store and will endeavour to flesh-out what's missing ASAP! Admittedly, there are quite a few articles that I need to catch up on but, rather than post links for individual weeks, I'll simply refer you back to my "Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #78", which contains all of the pertinent information you might need when researching back over the items in question. Again, I'm sorry this has dragged-on (far) longer than anticipated, and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you, but (all being well) things will be back up to speed soon!
For now... all I can offer you (once more) is a brief summary of the latest channel additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store from the past seven days. As with my other recent posts, you can expect any additional Roku-related news from the past week, along with details of any changes to the channel selection found on NowTV Boxes, to be added at some point in the near future. As for "mending" all of the "broken" links from previous 'Weekly RoundUp' posts, I still can't put a time-scale on how long that is going to take but (like I said before) if you "copy" the existing link(s) and change the "http" prefix to "https", as well as removing the "forward slash" between 'channels' and '#!details', so that "channels#/!details" becomes "channels#!details" in each weblink, you should find that they will all work for you and redirect to the new-look version of each individual channel description. As with the last six 'Weekly RoundUp' posts, every link from this week (plus all future posts) will use the new format, so it's only those from 'Weekly RoundUp #1' up as far as 'Weekly RoundUp #86' which you'll have to amend... at least, until I can edit/repair the links for you !!
Still, with all the "missing" Roku-related news (and links) yet to follow, let's now press on with the current 'Weekly RoundUp' of NEW ADDITIONS to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. This time there are (as with last week) once again TWENTY-FIVE NEW CHANNELS which have been added during the preceding seven day period. These latest additions to the channel line-up provided FRESH CONTENT in each of the Film & TV, Games, News, Weather, Sport, Internet TV, Special Interest, plus Screensavers & Apps genres (i.e. categories). Specifically... this means there have been TWELVE EXTRA CHANNELS added to the "Film & TV" genre, plus SIX EXTRA CHANNELS in the "Screensavers & Apps" category, and THREE EXTRA CHANNELS in the "News, Weather, Sport" section, as well as TWO EXTRA CHANNELS in the "Special Interest" genre in addition to ONE EXTRA CHANNEL in both the "Games" and "Internet TV" categories, among the selection added to the channel store on all Roku streaming devices in the UK during the last week.
In keeping with previous installments from the 'Weekly RoundUp' series, details of these new channels have 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:-
ADVENTURE AWAITS.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
AYURVEDA ROCKS............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
MLG.TV...................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
BUCKING BULL TV..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
PRINCETON TV......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
AMGTV...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
WSCS SHEBOYGAN.............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
TIME LIFE...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
BINARY CLOCK SCREENSAVER...........COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- That the 'Binary Clock Screensaver' channel for Roku devices was, along with the subsequent four clock-based screensavers in this list, originally released (and is still available) as part of another Roku channel, called 'Clever Clocks Screensaver', by the same developer (see additional note, below, for details). So, needless to say, if you already own that channel (DETAILS SHOWN HERE) then you need not bother purchasing any of these individually packaged screensavers. Likewise, if you would prefer to SAVE SOME MONEY on the overall cost BY BUYING "IN BULK", then you may wish to consider purchasing the 'Clever Clocks Screensaver' channel package for £1.99 (instead) which can also be found in the "Screensavers & Apps" category of the Roku Channel Store along with those listed here. Better yet, for those purchasing the 'Clever Clocks Screensaver' channel package, is that (as well as the five clock-themed screensavers shown in this post) it includes a further three screensavers, in the shape of 'Illusion', the interestingly named 'Googly Eyes', and 'Matrix' which you (probably) won't be too surprised to learn is based around the green "digits" used in the movie of the same name. It's not yet clear whether the developer intends to release "the other three" as individual channels (in their own right) like he has done with these but, if you like the look of them from the screenshots provided in the channel details (see link above) you could always contact 'The Endless' and request them !!
DAYLIGHT CLOCK SCREENSAVER......COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
ANIMATED FLIP CLOCK......................COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
NIXIE CLOCK SCREENSAVER............COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
WORD CLOCK SCREENSAVER..........COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
I'D JUST LIKE TO MENTION... That, when I first glanced at the name of this Roku channel, I mistook it to be "WORLD Clock Screensaver" but fortunately for it's developer, 'The Endless', the error was soon spotted and corrected (prior to publishing) to spare my blushes! Even so, it got me thinking that a "World Clock Screensaver" channel for Roku devices might not be such a bad idea! You could (perhaps) code it so that you could add several "clocks" with different time zones (say, up to four) and include a 'Settings' option whereby Roku owners could choose which city / country / time-zone they would like displayed on their screen. With Roku devices (currently) being supported in four regions (i.e. USA, Canada, UK & Ireland) you could easily see what time it is in any given Roku region! Plus, with "Roku Powered" devices now being sold in parts of mainland Europe, it won't be long before the ability to display the time across multiple time-zones is essential and less of a novelty for Roku users. So... if 'The Endless' (Twitter Feed: @TheEndlessDev) or any other Roku developer likes that idea then I (for one) would be very happy to see it come to fruition !!
ART STREAM VIDEOS........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
EXTREME SPORTS...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
FILM FESTIVAL FAVORITES................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
PARTY TRIVIA................................COST: £1.49 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
BakoTUBE...............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
CB24......................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- Due to the fact that "CB24" is not (currently) available in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, the link above will (instead) take you to the "Official" Website of 'CB24tv' around which this particular Roku channel was developed. Essentially, what you've got here is a 24-hour news channel for Central America which operates out of Costa Rica. In addition to visiting their website, you can also connect with them via their Twitter Feed: @cb24tv or else, get social with them through their Facebook Page: CB24 TV (Facebook) to discuss current affairs in that part of the world. For those fluent in the Spanish language there is also a brief article, AVAILABLE HERE, which was published by 'NexTVLatAm' (when the channel first launched in May 2013) giving a basic overview of the channel, if my description of 24-hour news from Central America does not suffice.
ALSO:- By virtue of the fact that the "CB24" channel does not yet(?) feature in the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store, there is (currently) no active link to a 'Roku Guide' review available. Needless to say, if the situation alters, I'll add the details to this post as soon as they are made known to me.
ART OF SEDUCTION....................COST: FREE + £5.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- That, although the "Art Of Seduction" channel is FREE-TO-ADD to your Roku device(s), the description from the "Official" Roku Channel Store states that this particular channel "May require additional fees" in order to view the content. What this means is that, whilst a limited amount (approx. 85 videos) of what's available is FREE-TO-VIEW on your Roku device(s), the MAJORITY OF VIDEOS (approx. 160 titles) which qualify as PREMIUM CONTENT will require a subscription of $5.99 PER MONTH (as indicated above) in order to watch them. The 'Roku Guide' review (see above link) makes it quite clear that the content of this channel is INTENDED FOR ADULT AUDIENCES so, you should BE AWARE that it MAY NOT BE SUITABLE, especially FOR YOUNGER VIEWERS and take any necessary precautions should you decide to add it.
FAMILY CHRISTMAS CINEMA...............COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]
REAL MARINES.............................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
REWIND..............................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
VHX.....................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- That, although the "VHX" channel is FREE-TO-ADD to your Roku device(s), and any content you have (previously) purchased to add to the 'VHX Library' associated with your FREE 'VHX Account' is also FREE-TO-VIEW via your streaming media player(s), there will (of course) be the initial cost for you to purchase that content from any of the artists, creators, distributors, developers and/or crowdfunders who use the VHX website, FOUND HERE, as a platform to sell their work. In essence, VHX is a distribution platform which was built for premium video and allows for all content which (previously) would have been sold on DVD to be sold on VHX by empowering artists to sell their creations (directly from their own websites) to fans and/or consumers. So, depending on which artist(s) you have purchased from, your 'VHX Library' may contain anything from films and documentaries to stand-up specials, or live concert footage, to lectures, web series and more! You need only take a look at the screenshots in the channel description from the Roku website (see link above) or some of the preview clips shown on the VHX website to know whether this is for you... personally, they had me at the "Sound City" documentary, directed by Dave Grohl !!
In addition to streaming on your Roku device(s) there is also the facility to watch and share videos via the VHX app for iOS mobile devices. You can LEARN MORE about the app, VIA THIS LINK, and discover how it can be used to beam content to any Airplay-enabled device. There is also the option to download your videos so that you can WATCH OFFLINE at your convenience. For the benefit of all Roku users who (also) happen to own an iOS mobile device, here is a link to download the app:-
DOWNLOAD FREE "VHX" APP (from iTunes Store) - VHX for iOS (requires iOS 7.0, or later)
PLEASE NOTE:- That this app is compatible with iPhone, iPad and/or iPod Touch but has been optimised for use with iPhone 5 so please read any reviews specific to your device before installing.
Should you need to connect with VHX, you can do so easily via their Twitter Feed: @vhxtv or else, get social with them through their Facebook Page: VHX (Facebook) if you have any further questions. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can use their CONTACT FORM to submit a message, HERE, and you will find additional links for technical support, FAQ's, etc. alongside the form.
SUNDANCE NOW DOC CLUB....................COST: FREE + $6.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]
PLEASE NOTE:- That, although the "SundanceNow Doc Club" channel is FREE-TO-ADD to your Roku device(s), the description from the "Official" Roku Channel Store states that this particular channel "May require additional fees" in order to view the content. What this means is that, whilst a limited amount of what's available is FREE-TO-VIEW on your Roku device(s), the MAJORITY OF VIDEOS will REQUIRE A MEMBERSHIP PREMIUM in order to watch them. This can be paid in one of two ways: either $6.99 PER MONTH (as indicated above) or $59.99 PER YEAR (saving you approx. $1.99 per month) as you please. Due to all of the films having been shown at one of the many film festivals from around the world, there is a good range of quality films available to satisfy movie buffs. If you'd like more information, I recommend that you first read the 'Roku Guide' review (see link above) and check out a few trailers (each movie has one) to preview what's on offer.
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Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot for this week and, whilst it doesn't quite match-up to the twenty-nine channels which made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store during the same time-frame, I always think it's better to have SOME NEW CHOICES than none at all, don't you ?!!
Meanwhile... hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the twenty-five channels outlined above. If not, then you'll just 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 like I say, 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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As mentioned earlier in this post, you can expect my usual summary of all the goings-on (or not) in the (severely restricted) Roku Channel Store that features on NowTV Boxes 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 previous posts (as mentioned above) for all the new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store in each of the twenty preceding weeks and then come back again in seven days' time for my next 'Weekly RoundUp'. However, 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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