You should be pretty familiar with Roku devices by now. What can be seen using a TV antenna in conjunction with aerial antennas? What can you watch using a TV antenna? What if there was a cheap and legal way to get access to many of the big networks? You would probably turn around. Well, it turns out there is! The trusty TV antenna advances. Read More
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This content is delivered through channels, which is Roku-speak for apps. Channels are divided into two groups:public (available through the Channel Store) and private (only accessible via a unique code).
Confused? Don't worry. Here's everything you need to know about using Roku channels.
The word "channel" is a misnomer. Roku channels are not like typical TV channels. You can't scroll between them to navigate the channel, and each channel houses a lot of content. It's actually easier to think of Roku channels as apps.
You'll find approximately 4,500 official Roku channels in the Channel Store. Combined, they'll give you access to over 450,000 movies and TV episodes. There are also several thousand private channels that you won't find through the usual methods. More on these shortly.
Unfortunately, some of the channels are geo-blocked, you will not be able to access them outside of the destination country. Even if you can install them, no content will play. You can fix the problem by installing a VPN on your router and creating a new Roku account in the desired country, but a step-by-step guide to the process is beyond the scope of this article.
Finding Roku channels is pretty straightforward, but the process varies depending on whether you're looking for public or private channels.
Depending on your location, there are two ways to find public channels. Anyone can use their Roku device, while only people based in the United States can use the web store.
To use your Roku device, simply select Channel Store from the menu on the left side of your screen. You can then browse the channels by category.
To use the web store, go to channelstore.roku.com. Categories are displayed on the ribbon at the top of the screen. Scroll down to browse through the different channels.
Finding private channels is a bit more complicated. Our guide to the best private Roku channels. 20 Private Roku Channels You Should Install Now. 20 Private Roku Channels You Must Install. Here's how to add private channels to your Roku, along with some of the best Roku private channels you can install right now. Read More
Fortunately, there are some Internet sites dedicated to registering and cataloging private Roku channels. Here are three of the best:
Ok, so you have found some channels that you want to install on your Roku device. Now what?
Again, the process for installing channels differs depending on whether you are installing public or private channels.
If you're setting up a public channel, it's as simple as pressing Add Channel in the channel list. However, if you are setting up a private channel, the process is more complicated.
First, you need to make a note of the private channel code. You'll find it listed on the three sites I mentioned earlier. You can also find codes from time to time on public forums like the Roku subreddit on Reddit. Next, sign in to your Roku account on a computer. Simply navigate to my.roku.com/account and enter your credentials.
Scroll down the page and go to Manage account> Add channel with a code . Enter the code you wrote down earlier and press Add channel .
Click OK on the warning screen, and the site will show you the channel you are about to add. Verify that it is the one you want, and click Yes, add channel .
So far so good. However, if you now go back to your Roku and try to locate your channel, there's a good chance it's not there. Why not? Well, Roku says it can take up to 24 hours for new private channels to appear.
Fortunately, there is a solution. On your Roku device, go to Settings> System> System Update> Check Now . Give the process a couple of minutes to run, and you should see your new app in Home .
For all the great features packed into your Roku device Get More From Your Roku With These 10 Tips Get More From Your Roku With These 10 Tips OK, so you've got your Roku up and running, but you're probably not maximizing its usefulness. These 10 tips will help you get the most out of your Roku. Read More One of them is how the channels are displayed on the home screen.
If you have installed many channels, browsing all of them can quickly become a nightmare. There is no way to group channels into custom folders or sort them by category, most used, alphabetically, or any other useful order.
The best you can do? Rearrange Channels How to Rearrange Roku Channels in 4 Easy Steps How to Rearrange Roku Channels in 4 Easy Steps If you have a lot of Roku channels, keeping them organized becomes much easier when you know how to rearrange them to your liking. Read More
To reorder channels, click on Home and highlight the channel you want to move. Then press star on your remote and select Move channel . Using the D-pad on your remote, move the channel to its new spot, then press OK .
Deleting channels is easy. Click Home and highlight the channel you want to remove. press the star button on your remote, and choose Remove channel from the menu.
However, before you delete a channel, keep in mind that (unlike the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store) Roku does. no Maintain a centralized list of the channels you have installed. Once you've deleted a channel, it's gone from your account forever.
If it's a public channel, this might not be a problem:you should be able to find it again without too much difficulty. However, if it's a private channel, the only way to reinstall it is to relocate the channel's unique code. That might be easier said than done.
It would be wrong of us to explain everything there is to know about Roku channels without discussing their legality. If you're new to the world of Roku, it would be wise to educate yourself on the legality of Roku channels.
First, let's clear up a common misconception:If you can find the channel on the official Roku Channel store, it's 100% legal. It has passed Roku's internal testing and has been deemed legitimate by the company.
Private channels are a different story. In fact, the entire existence of private channels is somewhat accidental. Roku only made private channels to "thing" so developers can test their apps before releasing them on the main store.
These days, Roku has become a hotbed of illegal content through private channels. Many of the apps even require a monthly subscription.
However, Roku has, of late, been taking a much stronger hand with such apps. Many illegal app developers have abandoned their projects and brought their work to Android TV instead.
So if you're expecting to find a ton of pirated content on Roku, prepare to be disappointed. And under no circumstances should you give money to the developer of an illegal app.
We hope this piece has explained everything you need to know about Roku channels. If you followed through, you should now have good control over how to find, install, organize, and delete Roku channels.
Only one question remains:which channels should you install? And that's where you come in. We'd love to hear about your favorite Roku channels. Both public and private. What Makes These Roku Channels So Good? If they are private channels, be sure to share the channel codes so we can see them ourselves.
You can leave all your suggestions, recommendations, queries and codes in the comments section below!
