"Roku New Channel Roundup"

I'm thinking to start a weekly series, "Roku New Channel Roundup" reviewing new channels - public, and possibly private - that have been added during the week.

Comments? Suggestions?

Please talk amongst yourselves.

First in what should become a weekly feature. Each week will be a new thread.

Each weeks review will be of the new channels I've found for the Roku.
I will NOT be reviewing paid channels unless I've been able to access them, however, I will include as much information as I can about them.

Format is:

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Channel Name
Cost: available in the channel store or private channel?
channel code
LOGO(if available)
(clickable link to add channel)
Link to related website

Short description:
(Owners' description, if available, or mine)

REVIEW
Brief synopsis
My Rating: ★★★★★ - 1 to 5 star rating.

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So, lets get started!
Roku New Channel Roundup: Week ending 2/24/2012






Behind the Brand
free: available in channel store (use your Roku channel store)
http:// (unable to locate url)
RokuLogo.png
(no logo available)

Behind the Brand | Insight to grow your business from the experts who've done it

Business advice and strategies

REVIEW
This channel, and the one that follows, Zions Direct, are the kind of channels I'm seeing way too much of lately in the channel store: Advertising / Marketing / Infomercial types of channels. Sure, if you want to start a channel, do it: anyone is welcome to have their own Roku channel. That's one of the great things about Roku channels! But please keep it private. There's already way too much in the Roku Channel store for any beginner to sort through.

I suppose my complaint should properly be directed at the Roku Channel store here - WHY are they allowing this kind of stuff to take over the Channel store? Is there no review process or quality control?

Look, if you want to build yourself a ROKU channel like this, go ahead. But for the love of Roku, make it private, and invite your customers / clients / victims with your private channel code. If it becomes popular, THEN submit it to Roku for addition to the channel store. But stop polluting the channel store with your marketing videos.

And Roku, shame on you for having such low channel standards.

//end rant.

Seriously, though, video quality is good and if you're interested in watching interviews with YouTube stars and website developers telling you that they earn money, this is the channel for you. Add it if that interests you, otherwise, it's worth missing.

Rating: ★

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Zions Direct
free: available in channel store
code: zionsdirect
zions.jpg

https://owner.roku.com/Add/zionsdirect

https://www.zionsdirect.com/

financial planning and education
REVIEW
Okay, first (See rant above).

This channel is basically an advertising vehicle for Zions Direct and Zions Bank's financial services. If you are incompetent financially, this is actually worth watching the short 2-5 minute clips ONCE, and then removing it from our channel lineup. Good video quality, no clip longer than about 4-5 minutes, and not many of them.

My Rating: ★★ (being generous here)

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The Best Of FBN - Fox Business
free (private channel):
code FOXBIZ
Fox-Business-News-logo.jpg

https://owner.roku.com/add/FOXBIZ

Fox Business | Business News & Stock Quotes - Saving & Investing

RightWayTV brings you the best of the Fox Business Network everyday. When time is limited and you want to catch up on the latest business news of the day, tune in and let "The Best Of FBN" bring you up to speed.

REVIEW

Business News.

A roundup of the "Best of Fox Business News". There are a decent number of recent clips, some of them fairly long, and the video quality is excellent. But as with Fox News, you should not expect "Fair and Balanced" reporting. For example, the night I reviewed the channel, there were five stories about rising gas prices. Four of the stories blamed the government for the price increase, and of those four stories three blamed Obama. Of course, you expected that, didn't you?

Rating: ★★★

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It's a great idea and a very information and helpful post. I hope you do new posts and not just adding on as that can make a thread super long and difficult to follow sometimes.

Yes, Orry.

Each week will be a new thread.

EDIT: Each Channel review will be posted in a new thread.

I've decided to give each channel review its own thread, to make it more organized and for easier discussion.


Talk amongst yourselves.

Update: I added the review for FBN.

Next week, we start weekly new channels reviews. Each week will be considered to end on Friday, and every new channel will be the subject of a new thread. This will allow for easier discussion about individual channels.

Format of the review will change slightly, as the actual review will be at the start of the post, after the channel name, price, and star rating. All the details on adding the channel to your Roku will follow the review.

The "Roku New Channel Roundup" is an evolving project, and I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions.

Please talk amongst yourselves.