Features, settings & updates

[paulerts21417]

Hi there ROKU Users in the Philippines! 

This was created for ROKU users in the Philippines to discuss about their ROKU devices.

What free Filipino channels are currently available?

Roku Support, is there any chance soon that the search, voice, mobile app and highly commercial channels like HBO, Prime Video, Hulu and Disney+ be available soon?

[DBDukes]

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@paulerts21417 wrote:

... is there any chance soon that the search, voice, mobile app and highly commercial channels like HBO, Prime Video, Hulu and Disney+ be available soon?

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Roku is not preventing them from supporting their apps there. Roku leaves it completely up to the app developers to determine both 1) on which Roku devices an app will work, and 2) where an app will work.

Those companies' apps not working is because those companies made that choice.

Do not confuse their services otherwise being available. Roku itself does not have both 1) governmental approval, nor 2) distribution agreements there. The whys of international business complexities are way too varied to discuss here, and do indeed vary from country to country, but that's the current situation. As a result, Roku itself is officially unsupported there, meaning use at your own risk. And most app developers choose to not support their app on a platform that itself is not supported.

[paulerts21417]

I have another streaming device that runs on Android and I can use HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming apps there so these companies allow their apps to be used in the country/region. I even have those on my mobile both on the IOS and Android platforms. 

So it puzzles me why Roku does not allow those in their platform for the country/region. 

Also that other streaming device has all features enabled - search, voice, bluetooth, etc. So that is another puzzling thing for me on why Roku is restricting these features based on country/region. These are default features that any streaming device should have. I can understand content being restricted but the device features? It should be availabe once you buy it. I mean what harm can those features do? 

[DBDukes]

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@paulerts21417 wrote:

... So it puzzles me why Roku does not allow those in their platform for the country/region. ...

I already explained that Roku isn't preventing them from working. I'll explain again. Follow along. Remember where I wrote:

Roku leaves it completely up to the app developers to determine both 1) on which Roku devices an app will work, and 2) where an app will work.

Those companies' apps not working is because those companies made that choice.

Here's what that means: Roku is not preventing anything from working. Roku doesn't care. Read that again. Roku is not preventing anything from working.

Next, Roku lets the app developers determine where the apps work. Roku doesn't. The app developers make that choice, not Roku.

Look for Netflix. Found it? It works there on Roku, right? That's because Netflix supports their app on Roku. Netflix chose to support their Roku app there. Roku isn't stopping them.

Now, the apps that don't work? That's because those companies made the decision to not support them on Roku. They made the choice. Not Roku.

[makaiguy]

To add to what has already been said...

When a service submits a Roku-compatible version of its channel app to Roku, it is given a checklist of the geographical regions officially supported by Roku and must specify in which of those regions its service is to be available. There also is a "Rest of World" option that may be selected to instruct Roku to make the app available without restrictions even in areas not specifically supported by Roku. Roku honors these choices and will only make the channel app available where specifically authorized by the service provider.

If a particular channel is available in your region via other platforms but not on Roku, then it's likely the channel has not authorized Roku to enable it in your region. I would suggest you contact the channel about this directly, but don't be surprised if all the front line people at the channel know is the content of their own press releases and do not understand that Roku is following the restrictions placed by their own service when submitting their app to Roku.

[paulerts21417]

What about the device features? Other streaming devices has all features enabled - search, voice, bluetooth, etc. So that is another puzzling thing for me on why Roku is restricting these features based on country/region. These are default features that any streaming device should have. I can understand content being restricted but the device features? It should be availabe once you buy it. I mean what harm can those features do? 

[macu]

I do completely agree with this:
“I can understand content being restricted but the device features? It should be availabe once you buy it. I mean what harm can those features do? “

Even the simple “Search” function has been completely disabled. I just can’t find any valid reason why Roku has to block this feature. This is probably the most selfish act that Roku has made to its Philippine buyers.
Without this search feature, I always have to browse repeatedly from over hundreds of apps everytime I like to get updates on new Roku supported applications.
I am just quite thankful lately that Roku has finally allowed its Bluetooth functionality under its Version 11.5 release.