Channels & viewing

[dwo]

We have a subscription to The Weather Channel and it's running fine on one TV.

When trying to add and login on TV #2 it always says wrong email/password - even though I know it's right because its' the Roku account.

I found out I cannot delete the app (in case it's corrupt) unless I cancel the subscription - which will reset charges and all that.

We do not have a cable TV subscription account to use.

And yes, I reset the Roku device.

[renojim]

Is your subscription through Roku or directly with The Weather Channel?  You can check your Roku subscriptions at https://my.roku.com/account/subscriptions .  Are both TVs linked to the same Roku account?  You can check by looking at the email address that's displayed under Settings->System->About on each TV.

No channel/app will (or should) ever ask for your Roku credentials, so if it's asking for a login it's either asking for whatever credentials you used for a subscription taken out directly with The Weather Channel or the TVs are linked to different Roku accounts so the channel app can't find your Roku subscription.  If your subscription is through Roku and the TVs are linked to the same Roku account the login happens automatically since subscriptions through Roku are linked to the Roku account.

You say you can't remove the channel/app, but does the option to remove it appear when you highlight it on the Home Screen and press the * button on your remote?  If it does, that would indicate that your subscription is not through Roku.  Are the * options different on the two TVs?

[dwo]

Thank you for your suggestions:

"*" does not offer "Remove" on either TV

The Weather Channel is subscribed through Roku - it is listed in our Subscriptions

Both TVs are using the same Roku account.  Is there a place on the Roku website that lists what devices are registered?

When I select The Weather Channel, it opens and asks "Start 7-day free trial" or Sign In as a subscriber, or access through your TV provider.

We select "Sign In" and it confirms to use Roku email.  Next screen is for either Paid Subscribers, or Cable / Satellite customers.  I select Paid Subscribers, and that's when it asks for a password, and then says invalid.  I've gone through the "Cable / Satellite Customers" but after selecting provider and signing in it says "That didn't go as planned"   We Do Not have a cable TV provider, just internet.  So I didn't expect that to work anyway.

Thank you

[renojim]

---

@dwo wrote:

"*" does not offer "Remove" on either TV

---

Does it offer "Manage subscription"?  My understanding is you get the either the remove or the manage option, but I don't have any Roku subscriptions to check this.

---

@dwo wrote:

Both TVs are using the same Roku account.  Is there a place on the Roku website that lists what devices are registered?

---

You can see what devices are linked to your Roku account at https://my.roku.com .  Scroll down a little and you'll see "My linked devices".

[UserOfStreamers]

@dwo 

Unfortunately due to Roku's braindead subscription design you cannot remove any app that you are subscribed to service from.

You'll need to cancel your subscription first in order to remove the app (dont forget to RESTART your Roku before reinstalling the app).

You won't lose any remaining time on your subscription, and you can add it again after reinstalling the app if you wish.

However, I highly suggest you instead subscribe directly to The Weather Channel instead of using Roku (or another third-party subscription res-selling service) in order to avoid issues like this in the future.

[makaiguy]

---

@UserOfStreamers wrote:

@dwo 

Unfortunately due to Roku's braindead subscription design you cannot remove any app that you are subscribed to service from.

---

I wouldn't call it braindead.  It serves a function by preventing one from removing the channel while leaving the subscription and its continuing payments in force.

What IS braindead is not explaining that removing the channel does not automatically cancel the paid subscription and then forcing the user to choose whether to keep the subscription or end it before the channel is actually removed.

[UserOfStreamers]

@makaiguy 

It's utterly braindead because it prevents the simplest most obvious and recommended action for an app problem:  removal and reinstall of an app.

There is absolutely no good reason to inhibit or prevent app removal - none.

The only function it serves is to confuse and frustrate users that are trying to resolve app issues/problems.

If you accept the "cant remove due to subscription" argument, then the argument could be made that NO app should be allowed to be removed if it has ANY subscription (first or third party), which would be a great many apps. After all, what is the distinction between first or third party subscription aside from billing entity? 

Its not like Roku cant tell if an app has saved user credentials (which means an account/subscription level of some kind).

The entire purpose the braindead Roku-based subscription app removal prevention is the assumption that users are mostly idiots and don't understand that removing an app does not cancel a subscription.

Apparently it's still 2005 or 2010 or so in Roku management's mind...

There are two EASY ways to handle this perceived "problem" in Roku's mind:

1) A simple modification to the remove procedure for apps with Roku-based subs would be to WARN the user with an on-screen dialog box that "Removing the <APPNAME> app does NOT cancel the subscription - to cancel your <APPNAME> sub please go to my.roku.com/account/subscriptions - Do you still want to remove the app?  <proceed> <cancel> or <yes> <no>"  That covers the "stupid user" assumption and still allows immediate app removal.

2) Even a "In order to remove the <APPNAME> app, you must first cancel your <APPNAME> subscription at my.roku.com/account/subscriptions  <Ok>" would work to at least indicate the process to the user.

But no, because Roku is braindead neither of these two things occur.

Roku does inform users about the app removal process for Roku-based subs - its all explained in this support article:  https://support.roku.com/article/232010488 

I'm sure every user that encounters the issue has read the article, which is why it doesnt frequently come up here at the community forums (or perhaps email/chat CS) time and time again, year in and year out...

Clearly its inherently obvious to users that choose Roku-based subscriptions for apps/services that the app management process is going to be different...

FTR, none of Roku's competitors' platforms prevents app removal due to a third-party/platform based subscription, perhaps because synaptic activity is still ongoing in the platforms' subscription management's minds...

[makaiguy]

@UserOfStreamers-

I think you're being too harsh, but differing opinions is what makes horse races.

[UserOfStreamers]

@makaiguy 

Possibly, but its "harshness" they need to see/hear in order to correct this historical flawed Roku-based subscription app removal philosophy & process.