Saturday, December 29, 2018

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #303





Hi, everyone !!



As you might expect, in a week encompassed by the year-end festive period, a channel publishing blackout has remained in force since my previous 'Weekly RoundUp' post appeared on this blog. As was the case for that article, it does not mean my current post is entirely devoid of new additions to the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store... because there is one new app which (somehow) defied the (temporary) shutdown at Roku HQ and, better yet, is also FREE-TO-ADD to Roku devices! ;-) :-)


Moreover, despite there being little on offer in terms of new Roku channel releases, I did manage to find some Roku-related news and special offers in the time since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published but that's all I have to share from an otherwise uneventful week in terms of Roku matters...


Firstly, though, I'd just like to mention (on a not entirely un-related note) that I have now added links to some (though, still not all) of the 'Roku Guide' reviews that were previously "missing" for many of the new Roku channels released in the last few weeks... to wit, thirty-six of these "new" reviews were for Roku channels that featured in my 'Weekly RoundUp' post from two weeks ago so, if you'd like an independent appraisal of those apps, be sure to check-out the relevant post (see link above), which (itself) contains a link to the previous week's post (and so-on, and so-forth), for details of where to find them. Unfortunately, there are still "missing" links to the 'Roku Guide' reviews for all but one of the new apps published last week, as well as the one new Roku channel released in the past 7 days... which means that, much like other posts in recent times, you'll have to do the research on those yourselves. As of ten months ago, you can choose to do that either via the built-in channel store on your Roku device(s)... or else, following the links in each post to the relevant channel description(s) from the Roku Web Channel Store. Once the "missing" reviews have been published by 'Roku Guide' I will (as I have done previously) ensure that I add the relevant link(s) to each post. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by the absence of active links to an independent review for all those apps but, like I say, it's entirely out of my hands. Hopefully they'll get a chance to catch-up on them sometime in the coming week, otherwise I may have to start doing my own reviews!?! :-O ;-) :-)


Given their time-sensitive nature, the next thing I'd like to bring to your attention is the selection of LIMITED-TIME OFFERS from various Roku-related content providers which I managed to spot in the last week. In some cases THESE SPECIAL DEALS WILL END ON 31st DECEMBER 2018 so, if you wish to take advantage of them, YOU WILL NEED TO ACT FAST... OR MISS OUT !! :-O


In case any of you don't yet have a 'NOW TV' account, there's a 'Winter Warmer' offer that you can get as a new NowTV customer when you go online to register... so, if the thought of having access to streaming content from NowTV Movies, Entertainment, and Kids TV appeals... you can always go online and REGISTER VIA THIS LINK TO GET MOVIES, TV & KIDS PASSES FOR £11.99 then add a Sky Sports Pass (after you've signed-up for their Movies, TV, and Kids passes) if you need to. Even without one of the 'Sky Sports' passes from 'NOW TV', this is equivalent to SAVING 45% OFF the usual cost of the Movies, Entertainment, and Kids passes and will net you pretty much everything 'NOW TV' has to offer for an entire month - lasting well into January - FOR ONLY £11.99 !! ;-) :-D






I should probably re-emphasise the above offer is FOR NEW 'NOW TV' CUSTOMERS ONLY and, in so far as I am aware, there is no equivalent offer that can be applied (e.g. with a voucher code) by those with an existing 'NOW TV' account... although you could always set-up a new one !! ;-) :-) :-D Full details of this 'Winter Warmer Bundle', including the T&C's (Terms & Conditions) which apply, can be seen in the screenshot below - as well as being available to read on the 'NOW TV' website:-





HINT:- Please CLICK on the above image TO VISIT THE 'NOW TV' OFFERS WEBPAGE !!


Meanwhile, for those with a 'Prime Video' membership from 'Amazon UK', there are some interesting 'DIGITAL DEALS' to be had in which you can GET THREE MONTHS FREE for select services in their range of 'Featured Channels' that can be viewed within the 'Prime Video' app on Roku devices. So, if streaming Video-on-Demand (VoD) content from the likes of 'StarzPlay', 'MGM', 'Hayu', or the 'Discovery Channel' subscription service is something you'd like to try-out, then these FREE TRIALS from 'Amazon Channels UK' are just the ticket. As with the 'NOW TV' offer (outlined above) this is a LIMITED-TIME DEAL from 'Amazon UK' and ALL OFFERS END ON 31st DECEMBER 2018 !!












If you click on any of the above images, you will be re-directed to the relevant 'Digital Deals' page of the 'Amazon UK' website where you can "Learn more" about each of these free trial offers. While it's possible to sign-up for more than one of the above offers, you will not be able to do so if you have had a similar previous free trial to one (or more) of the services. For example, in my case, there was no option to get a(nother) free trial of the on-demand service from 'Discovery Channel' because I took advantage of a 3-month free trial when it was previously made available earlier in the year. However, since I had never received a free trial to some of the other 'Digital Deals' in this current promotion, I had no trouble signing-up to GET 3-MONTHS FREE with the service(s) I had not tried before. Since 'Hayu' is also available as a standalone Roku channel, as well as a 'Month Pass' from 'NOW TV', it's important to NOTE THAT:- Existing 'Hayu' subscribers cannot simply login to watch 'Hayu' through 'Prime Video' on Roku... and, as with the 'Shudder' horror streaming service, you could be charged twice if you maintained an active subscription through both the original service website as well as an separate subscription to the same service through the equivalent 'Featured Channel' by 'Amazon UK'. My advice would be to cancel your existing subscription, take the 3-month free trial with 'Amazon' and then decide which you would prefer to continue with after the free trial has ended. If you decide that it's easier to leave your subscription in the hands of 'Amazon', you need not take any further action, and they will just debit your account each month (after the trial ends) until you cancel. Those who only wish to get 3-months for free (and not continue with a paid subscription) can cancel at any time before the free promotional period has ended and will not be charged. The same applies for any of the above 'Digital Deals' from 'Amazon UK', although the individual subscription fees (should you decide to continue with your subscription beyond the free trial period) may vary from one service to the next... so be sure to check all of the details before you commit to anything long-term! ;-) :-)


If you're someone who like to collect digital 'box sets' and/or the Blu-Ray / DVD counterparts, then you might like to browse through the various offers in the 'Winter Sale' from 'Sky Store'... because you can always stream any movies and/or TV shows that you purchase via the 'Sky Store' Roku app. There's a lot of significant savings to be had for those who like to 'Buy & Keep' their content in this way, with many items close to half-price... so, if you're looking for ways to spend your Xmas money, there's plenty of choice for those who enjoy films and television series in this 'Sky Store' promotion.


While we're on the subject of 'Sky', it's probably a good time for me to point-out that there is going to be another one of their "Pop-Up" channels coming early in the new year. They typically take the form of a (temporary) re-branding exercise, as opposed to being "new" channels per se, and the latest one is likely to be of interest to those with a 'Sky Sports' pass from 'NOW TV' and a passion for American sports. The reason is: that, from 3rd January to 5th February 2019, their 'Sky Sports Action' channel will become 'Sky Sports USA' with a focus on some of the biggest superstars in U.S sport! :-D






According to a press release from the 'Sky Corporate' media centre, over the course of the month, 'Sky Sports USA' will show 40 live games from across the NFL and NBA so, if you're a fan of American Football and/or Basketball, it looks like you're going to be in for a treat this January! ;-) :-D
As the race continues to Super Bowl LIII, Sky Sports USA will have every game from the NFL play-offs live, as well as the spectacular finale itself from Atlanta. Meanwhile, out on the hardwood, fans awaiting the NBA’s annual London game, will see Washington Wizards face the New York Knicks at The O2 arena. Then, on the 21st January, the league marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day with four games, headlined by the Memphis Grizzlies’ traditional celebration of the civil rights icon’s life.


Among the highlights from 'Sky Sports USA' in January are:

40 live games from across both sports

Every game from the NFL play-offs, including Super Bowl LIII from Atlanta

• NBA London Game 2019 on 17th January between Washington Wizards and New York Knicks

All four games from the NBA’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Episodes of NBA Classic Games, NBA Champions, A Football Life, SFX and America’s Game


Barney Francis, Sky Sports Managing Director, said:

 “Every year, the NFL and NBA London games sell out in a matter of minutes and every year the following for both sports in the UK gets bigger. It’s a big month for both, with the road to the Super Bowl in NFL and the London and Martin Luther King games in the NBA – it’s a perfect time to launch a channel to make sure our customers get the very best of American sports.”


With so much stateside sporting action available, and 'Sky Sports Action' being 1 of 4 'Sky Sports' channels included with the 'Sky Sports Mobile Month Pass' from 'NOW TV', this might be one of those rare occasions when (for some) it might actually be worth the monthly subscription. For me, I'm just happy to have my full (10-channel) 'Sky Sports Month Pass' locked-in at a huge discount for the best part of 2019 - thanks to their 'Black Friday' sale in November - but, however you get to view this huge range of programming, it's definitely worthy of it's own channel... if only for one month! ;-)






In other news, there was more reason to be cheerful over the festive period when this press release by the good people at Ofcom revealed their plans to ensure that all Video-on-Demand (VoD) services are made more accessible for people with hearing or sight impairments. Recommendations were made by 'Ofcom' to the Government, on 20th December 2018, as to how new rules could help guarantee that at least 80% of programming from VoD providers comes with subtitles... much like traditional broadcast companies are already doing. The regulator has said that, in addition, they’d also need to offer audio description on 10% of content, and signing on 5%, within four years of the rules coming into force. It then softened the news by stating that exemptions may be offered to providers based on affordability, audience benefit, and technical difficulty. Although they do want VoD providers to report on how they meet targets, and what plans they have to ensure that accessibility improves continuously for those who use their service. If you'd like to see a short (8-minute) subtitled video about these proposed rule changes, just visit the 'Ofcom' webpage containing the full press release (see link above) to watch it... and keep your fingers crossed that they come into effect soon! ;-) :-D


By now, I would imagine that most (if not all) of you have seen your Roku device(s) software update to Roku OS 9.0 and (with it) witnessed the return of the 'Spotify' app to the built-in channel store that can be accessed via 'Streaming Channels' from the 'Home' screen main menu. From a UK perspective (at least) Roku somewhat jumped the gun with their announcement, published on 31st October 2018, that "Spotify is back on the Roku platform" because the updated 'Spotify' channel requires compatible Roku streaming devices to be running Roku OS 9.0 (though, for Roku TV's, OS 8.2 will do) and that was still a long way from being rolled-out in the United Kingdom when the news was first posted. It was even further removed from the original heads-up, via a 'CNET' news article, which suggested we would see Roku OS 9.0 "...from November onwards", ultimately making what would otherwise have been a nine-month absence from the Roku platform turn into a full year - and that's if you ignore the issues (dating back to the Spring of 2017) which led to the (eventual) removal of 'Spotify' from Roku devices altogether. Anyway, better late than never, the new-look 'Spotify' channel (app) for the Roku platform has finally seen the light of day in the UK... and I'm pleased to say it's better than ever! :-D


Whereas the original 'Spotify' app for Roku devices required users to have a paid 'Premium' account to even have access to their music streaming service on the platform, at least this latest version makes it possible for both 'Premium' and 'Free' members to access their music and now works with their app for mobile devices to initiate playback on Roku with the help of 'Spotify Connect' if need be. Once it has connected to your Roku, and you see the 'Spotify' menu on your television screen, it will then be possible to search for albums and playlists, or browse music recommendations from Spotify, directly on your Roku device. Whether you are a free or paying customer, 'Spotify' lets you discover, manage, and share, over 40-million songs and you can either choose to navigate the channel using your Roku remote, or via Spotify Connect, which can control the app through laptops, tablets or mobile phones.


Should you not yet have 'Spotify' installed on your Roku device(s) it can be added online, through the dedicated webpage on the Roku Web Channel Store, or you can use the built-in 'Search' feature found under 'Streaming Channels' from the 'Home' screen menu to locate it by typing the name of the app. If you add 'Spotify' to your Roku account online, it will only be installed on supported Roku devices but not to any unsupported devices that may (also) be linked to your account. If you are browsing for the 'Spotify' app via the built-in 'Channel Store' on your Roku device, and you can't find it, then chances are that your device does not support it. To determine whether your Roku player supports 'Spotify', you need to know the software version and device model. To find this information, go to the 'Home' screen on your Roku device and select Settings > System > About. The 'Spotify' app is supported on Roku streaming player models 3600 and above. Given how we do not have any Roku TV models in the UK at this time, the minimum software version required for 'Spotify' to function is Roku OS 9.0 and, if your Roku device does not have that, you will not be able to install 'Spotify' without it.


Another useful feature of Roku OS 9.0 that I happened to notice, while digging around the 'Settings' menu, is a built-in speed test under the 'Network' sub-menu which now includes your download speed whenever you check your internet connection. This is something I'm particularly pleased about given how support for the 'Speedtest' private channel, upon which I used to rely for this purpose, was ended earlier this year. So, although this new feature of Roku OS 9.0 is not as fully-featured as 'Speedtest', it does (at least) allow for a basic "on device" speed test to be performed, which is better than nothing!


Still, back to this week... and, as always, my list will help you identify the very latest apps that 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! ;-) :-)


With twice the number of active links to check out, not just for this week... but each and every post that has been previously published as part of my 'Weekly RoundUp' series over the last five and a half years, there's a *lot* of reading to catch-up on. So, without further ado, here's my 'Weekly RoundUp' of all the new Roku channels I found between 23rd December 2018 and 29th December 2018:-







CLASSIC HORROR TV...........................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

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




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Anyhow, like it or not, that is your lot this week and, while I don't yet have an exact figure for the new apps which were added to the "Official" Roku USA Channel Store in the same time-frame, at least you have 1 NEW CHANNEL, a few external links to further reading on the news items I shared, plus some Roku-related SPECIAL OFFERS to keep you occupied while I check the numbers! :-D Meanwhile, for those still clinging-on to their NowTV device(s) for whatever reason, I'm afraid to say that, much like most weeks, there were zero new Roku channels (apps) added to the 'App Store' on NOW TV products... meaning the total number of available apps remains at just forty-five! :-(


Moreover, with no 'TVPlayer' or 'Prime Video' app(s) among the selection of channels found in the NOW TV 'App Store' (to name but two) - despite there being dedicated channels for both of them on UK Roku devices - the range of NowTV-branded products continues to fall short of the mark in terms of current streaming needs for many in the UK. So, the best way to increase your choice of streaming services, is to swap any NowTV-branded products you own for genuine Roku-branded media players which can provide access to 5,700+ apps of content from a vast assortment of providers! ;-) :-D


In any event, hopefully everyone in the UK with a Roku player managed to find something they like within the assortment of special offers, or the one new "public" channel, outlined above. However, if you didn't find anything from what was mentioned 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 app because, like I say... when it comes to adding new channels to your Roku devices, IT'S YOUR CHOICE and, as with all things Roku... THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS YOURS!



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As touched upon 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 devices to carry on in future posts. Meanwhile, whether you happen to own a Roku player, 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 two hundred and twenty-nine preceding weeks and then come back again in seven days' time for my next 'Weekly RoundUp' post.


With nothing else of a Roku-related nature to report, all that remains is for me to wish each and every one of you a "HAPPY NEW YEAR" and to give you a heads-up that the coming week, starting with and continuing beyond the New Year celebrations on Monday thru' the continued channel publishing blackout (due to end on Wednesday 2nd January 2019) could well prove to be even less fruitful than the one we've just had. If so, I may yet get the opportunity to look back over the year and provide a summary of what were the high (and low) points of 2018 as far as Roku users are concerned, but I can't say for certain if that will be the case. If not I'll do my best to find some more special offers for you, and hopefully tide everybody over until whatever comes our way at CES 2019. Meanwhile, keep an eye on this blog for any "New Year" UK Roku bargains I come across and be sure to stay tuned for any further offers on Roku-related products and services I come across in the January Sales! ;-) :-)



Until the next time, then...



That's all folks !!