Channels & viewing

[niran]

Hi,

I do not see channels like amazon prime video or Disney Plus do not exist in the channel store I am located in Israel and the services like Amazon prime video exist in Israel and work but do not exist in the store Is there a solution in the matter

[DBDukes · Accepted solution]

@niran 

Roku is only supported in a few countries in the Americas and Europe. Elsewhere, Roku isn't sold through official channels and is officially unsupported.

Roku allows app developers to determine where their apps work (and likewise show up in the Channel Store). Roku also allows app developers to select the devices on which their apps work. Roku doesn't determine where apps work or don't work; they leave that fully up to the developers.

Most developers, including Amazon and Disney, choose to not support their app on Roku in countries where Roku isn't sold. However, Roku doesn't prevent them from supporting and an app working (or being available). Some apps do work outside the officially supported regions, as you may have noticed.

Whether or not the service is otherwise available on other platforms does not matter. If the developer chooses to not support their Roku app there, then it's not available there. Roku does not make that decision; the app developer makes that decision.

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Supported countries:

• United States
• Canada
• France
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Mexico
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Peru

[ArthurDent]

It is definingly a Roku problem and not Amazon's fault in any way. Roku has decided to block non US buyers out of many apps that are offered in the US (and maybe a few others, l don't know). I don't know why they do that, but that's an incredibly stupid act on their part. I would not recommend anyone outside the US to buy Roku boxes, although the machines are excellent. Too bad they are making bad marketing decisions like that, when they have such a good product.

However, if you do want a solution, you have to use a VPN service (or, if you know anyone in the US, you can do it through them). Factory reset your machine, close your Roku account, and then start the VPN service. After that, set up a new account and restart your machine, and set it up as you are in the states. The whole process changes. You get Prime video installed (and also Hulu, Disney+ and a lot more).

Please be advised that your Prime Video will be your local one, so you won't get American content (and you are not infringing any rights because of what you do). Since you can't install VPN on the Roku machine itself, it recognizes where you are and offer you local content.

Good luck

[RokuDanny-R]

@ArthurDent

Thanks for the post.

Channel availability/access on Roku devices will vary from region to region. A Roku device will work in any location, however, channels may not be available on your device in that location, based on each channel provider's discretion. For more information, you'd want to contact any specific channel/service provider to inquire further about whether they offer their channel/service on the Roku platform in your region. 

Thanks,
Danny

[ArthurDent]

That's just wrong, and I guess you know it. 

First of all, I spoke with an Amazon representative. He assured me that it wasn't their decision. They have an app, which works perfectly on all platforms. There is no reason why it shouldn't be available, as is, on Roku machines. Secondly, it does work perfectly, if you install it with an account made in the US, no matter where you are physically, so it is Roku's (awful) decision to block it in most countries. Thirdly, it's not just the apps that change. It's the whole menu. When I first installed it through a local account, there wasn't even a search option. However, installing it through an "American" account, made the whole menu change. Not just more apps, but more options on the menu. 

So please stop with the automatic reply of "A Roku device will work in any location, however, channels may not be available on your device in that location, based on each channel provider's discretion" (unless you are a bot an then it's understandable). The poor decision to not support your machines on most countries of the world, is Roku's, and trying to pin it on other people is just plain wrong. A lie doesn't become true just because you repeat it.  

[niran]

I do not know these official answers in the end it is a problem of Ruko you block your devices based on isp for the purpose of installing applications I do not know this decision of course the solution works but it sounds like something unprofessional to answer about it I think if you want to make more money you Need to open the platform to all countries of the world as well as increase sales officially in other countries but rather your decisions and your money and probably do not really care about it

[DBDukes]

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@niran wrote:

I do not know these official answers in the end it is a problem of Ruko you block your devices based on isp for the purpose of installing applications I do not know this decision of course the solution works but it sounds like something unprofessional to answer about it I think if you want to make more money you Need to open the platform to all countries of the world as well as increase sales officially in other countries but rather your decisions and your money and probably do not really care about it

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You are missing, or deliberately ignoring, the key point. Roku is doing what the app developer said. Each app developer chooses where the app works. If they say it works in a county that Roku itself doesn't support -- Netflix does this, for example -- then the app would work. Roku follows the app developers instructions.

If the app developer says they will not support the Roku app in any specific country, then Roku doesn't let it work, because the app developer said so. Amazon, Disney, and many many others do it this way.

Roku does not make the decision. << Read that again. And again. And again, until you get it. Roku does not make the decision. Roku follows the decision of the app developer.

If somebody told you Roku is the one making the decision, that person lied to you. Do not trust them. They will lie to you. Roku lets the app developers make the decision. Anyone who told you otherwise told you wrong.