Channels & viewing

[MichaelJensen98]

Time to switch to Apple TV 

[awrasman]

Not exactly happy about this myself. I've been using Roku since 2012 and avoided smart TV's. I also get moving to only having the official store for channels. But come on tell companys/developers why you won't accept their channels into the store so you get more content and more customers. 

So more ways to contact people at Roku.

Copied from https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/roku/ :

customerservice@roku.com
customer.advocate@roku.com


Executive Contacts
Primary Contact
Vince Thai
Director, Customer Advocacy
150 Winchester Circle
Los Gatos, Calif. 95032
vthai@roku.com

Scott Rosenberg
Senior Vice President and General Manager of Platform Business
150 Winchester Circle
Los Gatos, Calif. 95032
srosenberg@roku.com

Chief Executive
Anthony Wood
Founder,Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and President
150 Winchester Circle
Los Gatos, Calif. 95032
awood at roku.com <-- change the at to an @ they block the CEO's email address directly in the forums.

Also try anthony@rokulabs.com

[makaiguy]

For years, Roku has cracked down on channel apps that carried pirated content for which the channel did not have access rights.

I have no direct knowledge of VidAngel or this issue but my GUESS of why Roku has not accepted VidAngel as a certified channel app is that VidAngel alters and presents program content that is owned by others. 

And now all uncertified channels are being removed.

[TSC1104]

Ditto.  We love Roku and we love VidAngel.  If I have to choose one over the other, it’ll have to be goodbye to Roku.  I can use Firestick if I have to, but there’s no replacement for VidAngel.  It’s one of a kind.

[atc98092]

@makaiguy has a valid point. If VidAngel is altering the content of the media without authorization of the content owners, that is a violation of copyright and could be the cause of their channel rejection. Since we have no idea about that status, we're all simply making guesses. But if that is true, it opens Roku to legal liability that they don't want to have. It has happened to them in other countries that caused their equipment to be completely banned from sale, so they have to take a hard line about such content.

[Hannahkfoley]

Roku, we are so upset by this!!! We use VidAngel all the time and just bought our 4th Roku TV BECAUSE OF VIDANGEL and RIGHTNOWMEDIA. Why won’t you let them add the app to your store?! This is ridiculous! #vidangel

[tm2020]

On the topic of copyright infringement, I can see how this might be a factor in Roku's decision. If it is, they should say it, though, and not leave VidAngel in limbo with non-responses. That's still a bad play by Roku.

And, if that really is the reason, then I think there is still some grey area there but perhaps it's time to start standing up against Hollywood bullies. At one point in 2018, Mia Love introduced a bill (H.R. 6816) that would update the FMA so it "allows you to watch movies from all studios, using your favorite devices while skipping whatever you choose." I have no idea what happened there, but assume the bill is dead. Maybe someone should re-introduce it and we can voice our support there?

Really, legalizing "filtering" will be the only way to ensure that what is happening to VidAngel on Roku today doesn't end up happening to them on FireTV or Android tomorrow.

[jwaite]

Roku needs to approve VidAngel's app!

[Wraith1000]

It's not a violation of copyright. All the streams are licensed streams. The only reason VidAngel has access is because you subscribe to them.   VidAngel is not altering anything. It's just a fancy remote to mute and skip scenes.

You must work for the opposition lawyers or something because that would be their argument. The only reason they lost the court case is because they were literally ripping DVDs and Blu-Ray to their servers (in pieces) and then reconstructing them when streamed.  Even though they (or you) owned the physical disk, they didn't have permission to decrypt, copy, or stream the media.  With Amazon, Netflix, etc.... they are ALL licensed streams.

[PCnetMD]

I bought Roku devices to be able to filter streaming content through VidAngel, also.

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@Warrenoh88 wrote:

We watch [m]ost of our shows and movies through VidAngel due to wanting to filter out unwanted language and sex scenes.  I just got a note that VidAngel will no longer be supported on Roku.  We bought our Roku to be able to use this service, now it's obsolete.   Any other ideas, or do we just have to switch to a FireStick???  VidAngel said they will be launching a channel there.  VERY disappointed with Roku.

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I guess I'll be buying FireSticks to replace all of my personal Roku devices (4)  and to replace all of the Roku devices (27) that I bought for my kids and grandkids for Christmas this year.

See ya. Roku.