Channels & viewing

[Kenporon]

Just signed the petition. Thank you. 

[uvjjacob]

My family uses Roku exclusively on all our home tvs. It has come to our attention you will not allow our favorite channel, VidAngel, to be accessed by Roku after February 23 because it is not in your channel store. VidAngel has applied to be in the Roku channel store and Roku has denied them multiple times with little insight as to why. Please consider all of the viewers that enjoy this service and the ability it provides families to watch movies without language, sex, nudity, and other parental concerns. Allowing VidAngel to be a part of the Roku family only brings Roku more customers. Roku should include customers who do not want any filters and those who do, thus increasing their popularity. Limiting customers to only one kind of viewer loses money for Roku. Roku, ask VidAngel how many subscribers they have and consider the potential gains or losses if Roku excludes them. I don't want to be forced to switch to Android or Fire when I already own two Roku's!

[DBDukes]

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@ZL7 wrote:

I've started a petition to show support of VidAngel becoming an official channel on Roku. Please consider signing.

https://chng.it/7cs7CvtZHk

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You are familiar with the concepts of "standards" right?

Apps submitted must meet certain standards. Those standards, those criteria are listed here: https://developer.roku.com/docs/developer-program/certification/certification.md

If an app fails to meet standards, it is rejected.

Now, think about a child in school, taking a math test. The child must meet a certain standard to obtain a passing grade.

Your petition is no different than being upset a child failed a math test and responding by petitioning for a passing grade. A better approach would be to give the child a math book and suggest he read it, and try again.

Think about this. Really. You want to use the VidAngel app because you have standards that the unfiltered movies/content do not meet. Yet you want Roku to abandon its coding standards. That is what you are doing.

[ZL7]

Your analogy is not in line with the facts. The issue at hand is that VidAngel has submitted requests multiple times through 2021 and has not been given any communication as to why they are rejected. So, the issue as far as we know it, is not a coding issue. If you have some insider scoop that outlines why it is rejected, we would love to see it.

Roku reserves the right to allow and reject whatever apps they wish, but they are giving VidAngel the cold shoulder. 

Consumers vote with their money. If a device doesn’t have the apps you want, you’re free to go somewhere else for services. Most disgruntled Roku users just want Roku to know that they really enjoy Roku, but without this key channel they would prefer to move on to another device.

There is nothing wrong with presenting a list of signatures to show support for an app. It is in no way a demand, simply a request to consider the channel and its importance to a segment of their customer base.

[DBDukes]

@ZL7 

You mean the submissions during the four year legal battle where Disney sued (and won damages against) VidAngel for copyright violations?

https://copyrightalliance.org/copyright-cases/disney-v-vidangel/

Have they submitted since the settlement?

The idea of content that is family friendly is a good one. However, going about it illegally is not. Now, if VidAngel can show to Roku that they are not violating any laws further, and they submit an app that meets standards, I fully expect it will be approved.

Keep in mind that doing a good thing by illegal means doesn't mean you should excuse the illegal means. Al Capone ran soup kitchens, which is little consolation to some families who had to go to the cemetery to visit loved ones.

VidAngel has killed no one, of course, but they were violating the law with their content for years. If they've cleaned up their act to the degree they clean up movies, and can code it properly, it will get approved. If not, they, like PornHub (who is doing the same thing, complete with legal challenges), will stir up the base who will grab the pitchforks rather than research the issue.

Am I saying Roku has done a good job in communicating this? No. They're staying quiet, you may have noticed. There's not much of an upside by saying anything, because the few willing to listen to reasonable responses are far outnumbered by those that just like to get worked up about things.

Your intentions appear to be good. I do think you should do a little more research about things, and don't trust any one source -- VidAngel, a news outlet, me, any one source -- for all the information. Put it all together and somewhere in the mix you'll find the truth.

[Larrybreeden]

If the channels work already why change it. Roku this is stupid.. it's going to cost you. Have you learned nothing from the past. Goodby Roku.

[JPB]

@DBDukes, have you even bothered to check the facts here. VidAngel has submitted their app for certification review "multiple times over the years, including as recently as the fall of 2021. Each time, Roku has declined to approve our channel and provided little insight regarding that decision."

If Roku were interested in keeping channels, they would provide feedback if there were a valid reason for not approving the app.

[DBDukes]

@JPB 

I have. Have you? You're getting all of your information from a single source. That's never a good thing.

[jay_GUNNER]

Agree.  Our family frequently use VidAngel to stream/filter content.  This is so disappointing.  According to VidAngel, they have applied multiple times to get on Roku's approved apps to no avail.  I have searched the Roku website to look for a customer service contact email to just voice displeasure but that has been unfruitful.

[jay_GUNNER]

Agree with your position.  I am about to start shopping for another device as I type this.  Not sure the Roku powers that be really care.