Saturday, November 4, 2017

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #243





Hi, everyone !!



If you've been following my series of posts in the Countdown To Hallowe'en 2017, published as part of my month-long blogathon entitled "Awesome Horror Streams for Hallowe'en Screams On Roku", then you will know that 'Halloween' itself came and went on Tuesday 31st October and to mark this occasion, Roku created another of their featured themes... as evidenced by the screenshot below:-





HINT: Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE THEM for easier viewing !!



However, before you go rushing to your television(s) to see whether this latest 'Halloween' theme has been applied to the background of your Roku device(s), I'm both saddened and disappointed to report that Roku have ONCE AGAIN decided not to extend their theme to Roku users in the UK... meaning there was NO 'HALLOWEEN' THEME FOR UK ROKU DEVICES despite us celebrating the exact same event, on the same date, that they did in the United States. Quite why Roku appears to treat the UK with such disdain is beyond me... this latest snub followed similar incidents (earlier in the year) by Roku which meant that (not for the first time) there was no "Happy Valentine's Day" theme in UK, no "Happy Mother's Day" theme in UK and no "Happy Father's Day" theme for Roku users on this side of the pond. So, "THANKS, YET AGAIN, ROKU!"... FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING !! :-/ :-(



Meanwhile... on a happier note, and coming by way of an update to other recent Roku-specific news shared via this blog, Roku OS 8.0 has finally begun rolling out to Roku-branded devices in the UK:-






Anyhow, with little else aside from details of the latest in an ever-increasing line of snubs by Roku to impact on UK Roku users plus confirmation of the arrival of OS 8.0 on Roku streaming devices in the UK (in terms of newsworthy items) to bring you from the last seven days, I'd best turn my attention to getting you up to speed with the latest Roku channels for the UK since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post and, while it was slightly less than last week, there have still been quite a few new additions! :-)


If you did happen to read my previous 'Weekly RoundUp' post, in which I commented as to how 'Roku Guide' had fallen short of compiling a complete set of reviews for all of the new channels which were released in the seven days preceding their article, you will doubtless be pleased to hear that I have since posted active links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for many of them. Sadly, as their most recent article (dated 3rd November 2017) does little more than to play "catch-up" with reviews that were absent from the previous week, it means there were very few 'Roku Guide' reviews for the channels which were actually released between 28th October 2017 and 3rd November 2017. As a direct result, there are currently "missing" links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for almost twenty percent of the new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store from this particular 'Weekly RoundUp' post. Unfortunately, this (once more) leaves UK users a little short of additional info... and, much like the last month or so, rather than simply regurgitate what is written in each channel description from the channel store, I'm (again) going to have to leave it for each of you (individually) to access those details via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s). Needless to say, once the "missing" reviews have been published by 'Roku Guide', I will (as I have in previous weeks) ensure that I add the relevant links to this post. Apologies (yet again) for any inconvenience that may have been caused by the absence of active links to an independent review for so many of these new apps but, like I say, it was entirely out of my hands. Meanwhile... I advise scanning the list below, to see which channels (if any) you think are likely to appeal. If you then go to the built-in channel store found on your Roku device, you can read the description(s) there, for precise details on your pick of the latest new Roku channels (apps) which have been added to UK Roku devices during this past week! ;-) :-)


While it again falls short of equalling the epic list of fifty-plus channels from four months ago, or the equally impressive tally of forty-six channels we were treated to a few weeks ago, you'll find there's still a good amount of new channels in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store this week. These latest additions include a few extra choices under "Kids & Family" plus "International", as well as a couple more options for those into "Music" or "Film & TV", along with a brace of new additions to each of the "Screensavers", "Religious", and "Sports" categories (i.e. genres). There's also been the odd new addition to each of the "Games", "Educational", plus "Food", "Lifestyle", "Shopping", and "Travel" genres (i.e. channel store categories). In fact, with such a varied selection of channels to choose from, there should be something to please most streamers here. If not, I again shared details for some private channels (via social media) and some more special offers related to various Roku channels that are available in the UK. Check out my Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels if you'd like to know more about those and, while you're there, maybe "Like" and/or "Retweet" some of my messages to spread the word about what's happening Roku-wise in the UK and beyond! ;-) :-)


Anyway, back to the list... which, as always, will help you to identify the very latest apps which 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! ;-) :-)


Before I run through the new channels, however, a reminder that UK Roku users are still subject to restrictions (imposed by Roku) and (bizarrely) remain unable to access the channel descriptions from the web store on the Roku (USA) website. That said, the majority of text in those web listings can also be found within the individual descriptions from the built-in "Channel Store" (accessed via "Streaming Channels" from the main menu) on all Roku devices and, together with the associated screenshots (where available), should give a pretty good indication of what those channels are about.


My advice to any UK-based readers of this blog is to ignore the links below (and to the left of) each channel icon shown here and (instead) rely on the link to the right (below each channel icon) which (where available) will redirect you to an 'Roku Guide' review for additional details on that channel. As it stands, the links below (and to the left of) each icon are (currently) only of use to readers of this blog from the USA. This means that Roku users from the other "supported" regions of the world (i.e. Ireland, Canada, France and Mexico) are, like those of us in the UK, unable to browse the Roku Web Channel Store - which for now (at least) remains an exclusive privilege of Roku users in the USA. :-(


Hopefully Roku will (one day) wake-up to the fact that improving the experience for users in "other" Roku "regions" is just as important as it is for those who buy & use their products in the U.S. and that denying access to the Roku website does not help the end-user experience for those of us (outside the USA) who wish to browse the web channel store. Meanwhile, that which Roku (apparently) doesn't want UK Roku users to see on their website (i.e. the list of new channels) is regularly summarised on this blog in my 'Weekly RoundUp' posts. So, without further ado, here's my 'Weekly RoundUp' of all new Roku channels released between 29th October 2017 and 4th November 2017:-







CHICKEN COOKIN CHANNEL............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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


PLEASE NOTE:- That, since this 'Chicken COOKIN Channel' was first made available to U.S. users via the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store back in October 2016, you will not find it listed among the latest additions within the 'New' category (i.e. genre) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. So, if you wish to install the 'Chicken COOKIN Channel' in the UK, you will need to either look for it among the selection of apps in the 'Food' genre... or else, use the built-in Roku 'Search' feature to find and then add it to your device(s).

ALSO:- Given how the 'Roku Guide' review (see link above) was written at the time of it's original release in the United States, you can ignore the pricing information and references to 'YouTube' as the newly updated and revised version (as was just extended to UK Roku users) has no additional charges associated with any of the content therein. So, if you are looking to make your own American-style chicken (be it fried, BBQ'd, grilled, roasted, strips, wings, soup, or popcorn/nuggets) plus other tasty treats, such as peach cobbler, bacon pecan pie, or pumpkin bread... you'll find video tutorials for all of them (and lots more besides) - each with a full list of ingredients - in this latest addition to the 'Food' section of the UK channel store which is both FREE-TO-ADD and FREE-TO-STREAM on Roku! :-)







FOX SOCCER MATCH PASS..COST: FREE (7-day Trial) + $19.99 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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


PLEASE NOTE:- That, having attempted to sign-up for this service through the official website for 'FOX Soccer Match Pass', it would appear that this Roku channel has been erroneously added to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. The image below is a screenshot of the webpage to which I was re-directed when trying to register for the 'FOX Soccer Match Pass' service from the UK... and, as you can see, there are geo-blocking issues which prevent any of the events being shown here:-






Additionally, when the 'FOX Soccer Match Pass' channel is launched on UK Roku devices, the app fails to load the main menu - despite having displayed the initial 'Splash Screen' without any issues - and a constant "Loading" message (with the familiar spinning cog/wheel icon) is all you will get. It's a real shame that we cannot access the channel here because, at twenty bucks per month, it gives much better value for football fans than we are used to getting from 'NowTV' as well as featuring the UEFA Champions' League matches, for which 'BT Sport' has the UK rights, plus lots more besides:-


  • UEFA Champions League
  • UEFA Europa League
  • UEFA Qualifiers
  • Bundesliga
  • 2Bundesliga
  • Major League Soccer
  • FA Cup
  • Copa Libertadores
  • Copa
  • Sudamericana
  • Rugby League World Cup
  • FIFA U-17 World Cup
  • FIFA U-20 World Cup
  • FIFA Confederations Cup
  • International Friendlies
  • USA Soccer Friendlies
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup
  • National Rugby League
  • Super Rugby League


With the annual subscription plan, at only $139.99 USD, reducing the equivalent cost per month even further... it's another case in point for "Rip-Off Britain" and the prices we are expected to pay for live sports coverage. The fact this also includes full match replays "on-demand", plus countless highlight videos, as well as game schedules, only strengthens the value of what is on offer for subscribers. Had this been available in the UK, it would have provided some much needed competition for 'Sky Sports' / 'NowTV' in addition to bringing UK Roku users access to the competitions for which 'BT Sport' has (thus far) done nothing to extend coverage to the streaming platform. However, I'm sad to say that it's a waste of time adding this channel (as of now) in the UK... because it (currently) won't work in this country and, based on my findings, I would expect it to be removed from UK Roku devices soon! :-(







REAL WISDOM TV...............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






WILD WEST CLASSICS CHANNEL....................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






REAL ESTATE INVESTOR CHANNEL.................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






SMOOTH JAZZ RADIO CAFE PREMIUM...............COST: £0.69 (ANNUALLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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






CERTV CANAL 4.........................................COST: £0.69 (ANNUALLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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






COLOR VISION 9 HD....................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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






TELEANTILLAS 2..........................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






THANKSGIVING SCREEN SAVER.........COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

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






ELITE SHOPPING TV...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






MATTHEWS RADIO...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






KIDS TV ESPAÑOL LATINO.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






CELEBRITY PAGE TV..........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






MIAMI HURRICANES.........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






PROCLAIM HIM TV..............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






MOLLY MONSTER................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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






NEW YORK CAM...........................................COST: £0.69 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

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






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

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






MERRY CHRISTMAS SCREENSAVER....COST: £1.49 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

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



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Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot this week and, while it's barely more than sixty percent of the thirty-six channels that made it into the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store in the same time-frame, it's still better to get a choice of 22 NEW CHANNELS than none at all... as I'm sure you will agree?!


In any event, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the twenty-two "public" channels outlined above... or else from the "private" channels, whose access codes were "gifted" to you via the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels to this blog, at various points throughout the past week. However, if you didn't find anything to add to your Roku channel selection from the assortment of channels 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 channel 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 mentioned 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 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 earlier posts (as mentioned before) for all the new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store in each of the one hundred and sixty-nine 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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