Roku in Canada - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

Tato · 2012-07-23, 04:47 PM

Hello,

Just bought a Roku streaming media at WalMart, seems alright. Setup was to my surprise easy and it worked first attempt... Though some channels seem to have poor quality? is it just me? Wanted to hear what others think about it? Anybody else using it?

thenewdc · 2012-07-24, 11:24 AM

I use ROKU, works great. I use it mostly for USTVNOW .

wetlabk · 2012-07-24, 07:34 PM

I use it with playon and unblockus

North_of_Calgary · 2012-07-24, 08:48 PM

PLEX works well on it too.

Stefer · 2012-07-28, 11:18 AM

Did you check private channels yet?
http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/

There's a few good ones, just log in your roku account (on the roku website) and add the channel codes, and it will add the private channel once you go in and out of the channel store.
Nowhere tv as some decent content, channel code H9DWC
Also mummybox as some ok to decent content, of course some of those channels have really bad quality, others good, channel code livetvnow
It does have 2-3 good music channels (in mummybox) that are HD or mostly HD

jft436 · 2012-07-29, 07:23 PM

When Roku was first introduced into Canada the netflix canada web site did not work.

It kept defaulting to netflix usa which you could not received because of your Canadian IP address.

Has that issue been reolved....... does it now find netflix canada?

North_of_Calgary · 2012-07-29, 09:11 PM

Yes of course, Netflix Canada works fine on a Roku and has for over a year. After all, that's the "killer app" for the Roku.

Mexicanuck · 2012-07-29, 10:36 PM

I'm using Roku with unblock-us. The Roku 2 XS was bought in the US.

I'm thinking of getting a second Roku 2 XS. Can anyone confirm that a Canadian bought Roku 2 XS can be used with unblock-us and have no problems?

I had read some time ago that there was some concern the the Canadian serial number on Canadian-bought devices might restrict the user to Roku services that are available to Canadian IP addresses.

Thanks

johnnyzee99 · 2012-08-11, 02:36 PM

From what I can tell and reading all the info from Roku, the Canadian boxes are restricted to the Canadian market. I'm not sure if there is a way to hack it, but all info says that there is a difference between the UK, Canadian and US boxes and they all have preloaded the apps that are available in that region.

John

North_of_Calgary · 2012-08-12, 08:39 PM

I don't think that's the case. I think it is based on where your roku account is homed when that's taken into consideration during the activation. But I haven't bought one in Canada to test that.

Jim9guitars · 2012-09-06, 08:23 AM

I just stumbled across this thread, never heard of Roku before. Is it any different than streaming online content from a home computer? I connect my laptop to my HDTV to watch some shows but find it a bit tedious to search for a show and go through all the steps to watch it. I'm looking for any way I can to avoid going back to cable but if you've seen my posts in the OTA section you'll see that I live in a bad spot for that. It would be really nice to just grab a remote and surf without paying a big fee for a bunch of channels I don't want.

North_of_Calgary · 2012-09-06, 10:38 PM

Well it's similar to an Apple TV. It's just a small, light weight, low power device that will let you stream internet content. But the key difference from your laptop is that you're restricted to streaming through their "apps". If there's not an app for what you want then you're SOL. And if you want good content then you're probably going to have to pay a provider still (i.e. Netflix, or Amazon or Hulu, or iTunes).

The Sony Google TV offering might be more of an "in-between" for you since it has the chrome browser. But it's almost twice the price of the Roku or ATV3.

I think in the future we're still all going to be paying. But paying a different set of companies. Paying Netflix, or iTunes, and only paying for what we actually want. Instead of paying Shaw or Bell and being force to pay for a lot that we don't want just to get the little that we do.

rusty12 · 2012-09-07, 04:14 PM

Jim9guitars, I'm looking for the answer to the same question as you. I'd like to be able to watch a few primetime shows and rent movies on my TV without connecting a computer. Sounds like you're restricted to the apps that each system uses. Anybody else have any info on this? Thanks.

Mexicanuck · 2012-09-07, 05:49 PM

@Rusty12

Depending on what prime time you want to watch, you may be able to do it with any box that provides for Hulu Plus. This includes the Roku, the Apple TV and the PS3. In order to get Hulu Plus you need to use a service like unblock-us or a VPN.

Hulu Plus includes many current season TV shows often within a couple of days of the original broadcast. We watch Revenge, Modern Family, Raising Hope and others.

rusty12 · 2012-09-08, 04:49 PM

Thanks for the reply Mexicancanuck, I'll check into it.

2012-07-23, 04:47 PM	#1
Tato Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 77	Roku in Canada Hello, Just bought a Roku streaming media at WalMart, seems alright. Setup was to my surprise easy and it worked first attempt... Though some channels seem to have poor quality? is it just me? Wanted to hear what others think about it? Anybody else using it?

2012-07-29, 07:23 PM	#6
jft436 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Toronto/Thornhill Posts: 250	Netflix work? When Roku was first introduced into Canada the netflix canada web site did not work. It kept defaulting to netflix usa which you could not received because of your Canadian IP address. Has that issue been reolved....... does it now find netflix canada?

2012-07-29, 10:36 PM	#8
Mexicanuck Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cowichan Bay, BC Posts: 1,381	I'm using Roku with unblock-us. The Roku 2 XS was bought in the US. I'm thinking of getting a second Roku 2 XS. Can anyone confirm that a Canadian bought Roku 2 XS can be used with unblock-us and have no problems? I had read some time ago that there was some concern the the Canadian serial number on Canadian-bought devices might restrict the user to Roku services that are available to Canadian IP addresses. Thanks __________________ "Don't quote me on this." - Anonymous

2012-09-07, 05:49 PM	#14
Mexicanuck Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cowichan Bay, BC Posts: 1,381	@Rusty12 Depending on what prime time you want to watch, you may be able to do it with any box that provides for Hulu Plus. This includes the Roku, the Apple TV and the PS3. In order to get Hulu Plus you need to use a service like unblock-us or a VPN. Hulu Plus includes many current season TV shows often within a couple of days of the original broadcast. We watch Revenge, Modern Family, Raising Hope and others. __________________ "Don't quote me on this." - Anonymous

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2012-07-24, 11:24 AM	#2
thenewdc Veteran Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 2,309	I use ROKU, works great. I use it mostly for USTVNOW .

2012-07-24, 07:34 PM	#3
wetlabk Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Thunder Bay Posts: 92	I use it with playon and unblockus

2012-07-24, 08:48 PM	#4
North_of_Calgary Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Calgary Area Posts: 2,074	PLEX works well on it too.

2012-07-28, 11:18 AM	#5
Stefer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Moncton, NB Posts: 121	Did you check private channels yet? http://streamfree.tv/apps/roku-private-channels/ There's a few good ones, just log in your roku account (on the roku website) and add the channel codes, and it will add the private channel once you go in and out of the channel store. Nowhere tv as some decent content, channel code H9DWC Also mummybox as some ok to decent content, of course some of those channels have really bad quality, others good, channel code livetvnow It does have 2-3 good music channels (in mummybox) that are HD or mostly HD

2012-07-29, 09:11 PM	#7
North_of_Calgary Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Calgary Area Posts: 2,074	Yes of course, Netflix Canada works fine on a Roku and has for over a year. After all, that's the "killer app" for the Roku.

2012-08-11, 02:36 PM	#9
johnnyzee99 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Mississauga, ON Posts: 30	From what I can tell and reading all the info from Roku, the Canadian boxes are restricted to the Canadian market. I'm not sure if there is a way to hack it, but all info says that there is a difference between the UK, Canadian and US boxes and they all have preloaded the apps that are available in that region. John

2012-08-12, 08:39 PM	#10
North_of_Calgary Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Calgary Area Posts: 2,074	I don't think that's the case. I think it is based on where your roku account is homed when that's taken into consideration during the activation. But I haven't bought one in Canada to test that.

2012-09-06, 08:23 AM	#11
Jim9guitars Rookie Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Kingston Ontario Posts: 13	I just stumbled across this thread, never heard of Roku before. Is it any different than streaming online content from a home computer? I connect my laptop to my HDTV to watch some shows but find it a bit tedious to search for a show and go through all the steps to watch it. I'm looking for any way I can to avoid going back to cable but if you've seen my posts in the OTA section you'll see that I live in a bad spot for that. It would be really nice to just grab a remote and surf without paying a big fee for a bunch of channels I don't want.

2012-09-06, 10:38 PM	#12
North_of_Calgary Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Calgary Area Posts: 2,074	Well it's similar to an Apple TV. It's just a small, light weight, low power device that will let you stream internet content. But the key difference from your laptop is that you're restricted to streaming through their "apps". If there's not an app for what you want then you're SOL. And if you want good content then you're probably going to have to pay a provider still (i.e. Netflix, or Amazon or Hulu, or iTunes). The Sony Google TV offering might be more of an "in-between" for you since it has the chrome browser. But it's almost twice the price of the Roku or ATV3. I think in the future we're still all going to be paying. But paying a different set of companies. Paying Netflix, or iTunes, and only paying for what we actually want. Instead of paying Shaw or Bell and being force to pay for a lot that we don't want just to get the little that we do.

2012-09-07, 04:14 PM	#13
rusty12 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	Jim9guitars, I'm looking for the answer to the same question as you. I'd like to be able to watch a few primetime shows and rent movies on my TV without connecting a computer. Sounds like you're restricted to the apps that each system uses. Anybody else have any info on this? Thanks.

2012-09-08, 04:49 PM	#15
rusty12 Rookie Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	Thanks for the reply Mexicancanuck, I'll check into it.