Channels & viewing

[prodriguezg]

Hello everyone,

I'm wondering why does Roku block some channels in my region, Uruguay (South America).

I can understand blocking content, when it's free or the channel is linked to a service that is not authorized in a country... but I'm paying subsbcriptions to Amazon Prime and DirectTv GO, which are obviously available in my country but Roku blocks the channels.

Is there something I can do to enable these channels?

[DBDukes · Accepted solution]

@prodriguezg 

Your assumption is incorrect. Roku isn't blocking them. The app developers are. That is, the service themselves.

If you need an explanation, sit back and enjoy. This will take a minute.

Roku isn't sold worldwide, at least not by Roku or as part of a sales agreement with Roku. Some retailers simply import devices and sell them outside of the Roku distribution chain. You are in Uruguay. Roku isn't sold there. Not officially, and not by Roku themselves. (Keep reading, there's more.)

Where Roku does sell is part of a particular region. The U.S. is a region. Canada is a region. And so on. After all the regions where Roku is sold and supported are counted, there is one more region: Rest Of The World (ROTW). That's where Roku isn't sold, and includes Uruguay.

We've now established that your are in ROTW. That's important.

Roku gives all app developers the ability to determine what devices they'll support. For example, Amazon is dropping support for the Roku 2 model 2720, but is keeping support for the Roku 2 model 4210. This doesn't play into your situation, but it could play into others. And, it shows one of the ways that Roku allows developers to pick and choose what they support.

Another choice given the developers is the region where the device is supported. Netflix supports everywhere, including ROTW. The fact that you can see that app and other apps shows that Roku will allow app developers to support where they want to. Roku won't support it, since they don't sell there, but the app developer can choose to.

Amazon, on the other hand, doesn't support Roku in ROTW. Like many companies and developers, they won't support an app on a platform in a country where the platform itself isn't supported. And, since Uruguay is ROTW, and since Amazon doesn't support ROTW for Roku, the Roku app isn't available there.

It is Amazon that made that choice, not Roku.

[prodriguezg]

Hey, thanks for the explanation.

Now I can understand why Roku Channel is not available either... it all makes sense, not that I agree with the policy, but I understand it.