therokuchannel.roku.com
If you live in the United States, it is likely that you have at least heard of Roku; I would put money on it. In fact, there is a good chance that you have used (and maybe even owned) a Roku device at one point or another, be it the Roku stick, box, or a Roku TV. As one of the first companies to make streaming widely accessible in the US, Roku has played a pivotal role in helping to grow the streaming industry into the multibillion-dollar global industry that it is today.
Today, streaming services are more important than ever for companies and TV networks. This is evident by the number of new streaming sites that have popped up in the past few years. There are now NBC's Peacock, HBO Max, Disney Plus, etc. (the list goes on and on). This trend shows no sign of slowing down. Everybody wants a piece of the streaming site pie; it would seem.
Roku is likely to create a live TV streaming service of its own because their millions of users around the world use their devices to access other streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu.
And so, Roku launched their The Roku Channel which does not require its viewers to own a device or pay a monthly subscription fee. Instead, it becomes an ad-supported free live television streaming site.
As someone who is familiar with the difficulties associated with finding a high quality free live TV streaming service, I can confidently say that The Roku Channel is an excellent option. It is easy to use, provides a great selection of content, and is always up-to-date. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good free live TV streaming site.
I am not sure if The Roku Channel allows you to watch live TV for free, but the channels on this page do not correspond with the schedules of their official live TV counterparts. You will find plenty of familiar cable channels on Roku, but they are the Pluto TV versions of these channels? programming and not the official programming of the channels themselves.
It is possible to tune into a live broadcast of Comedy Central on The Roku Channel whenever you wish, 24 hours a day. However, the schedule of programming on The Roku Channel is not the same schedule that you would be able to watch on the official Comedy Central cable network. So, watching live events or watching your favorite TV show, unfortunately, will not be possible with The Roku Channel. Nonetheless, you do get access to a lot of free live TV here!
Aside from being able to stream free live TV, The Roku Channel also has a sizable collection of on-demand TV series and movies available. The Roku Channel's selection of free TV shows and movies is constantly in flux, and most titles are available for a limited time after they are added (sometimes the availability span can be as short as a few days). The way that The Roku Channel purchases the rights to the content allows them to provide quality movies and TV shows at an affordable rate, which is why it remains one of the best free streaming sites.
Let's take a tour of The Roku Channel to see what it has to offer. We'll then check out everything it has to offer and decide for sure if it is the best free live TV streaming site on the web.
Design
The Roku Channel's standard streaming site design is fairly familiar to users of premium streaming services. This is because the site largely mimics the designs of popular streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.
You will be greeted by an extra-large banner advertising a featured movie or show when you open the page. This banner will direct your attention to a title that is slated to expire soon and will no longer be available to stream for free. Underneath this banner are several collections, each organized by content type. You can browse these collections via a side-scrolling mechanism, resulting in a very intuitive and user-friendly browsing experience.
Keep scrolling and you?ll find more categories: New This Month, Recommended for You, Live TV, Popular on the Roku Channel, and more. The Roku Channel even features a list of popular children?s entertainment characters, allowing kids to browse content by their favorite character. This list of categories and various ways to browse content continues for a very long time until, eventually, you reach the bottom of the page.
Interestingly, the Roku Channel does not have a site menu bar. This can either be loved or hated, as it lends the site a sleeker look, but may be less convenient for those who are used to site menus. The end result is that you would have to scroll a lot to find what you are looking for if you did not know what you were looking for, but if you know what you want to watch, you can type it in the search bar at the top of the site.
Content and Features
The Roku Channel offers a sleek and comprehensive live TV streaming experience on the web. In fact, The Roku Channel's free live TV streaming interface and features list are more impressive than those of some of the most popular premium live TV streaming sites that I have reviewed. If you are looking for a free live TV streaming site with a robust interface and features list, you have come to the right place.
The first feature that really stands out for me on The Roku Channel is the picture-in-picture feature. This is great, of course, for when one show is on a commercial break, and there is something else that you are also interested in watching? why should you have to miss out and constantly be switching back and forth between channels, right? Thanks to The Roku Channel's PIP feature, you don't have to. This is one of the coolest (and most useful) features that I have ever seen on a free live TV streaming site.
The Roku Channel logs your watch history to make it easy to find that surprisingly good show you randomly watched. Plus, this allows you to pick right up where you left off if you are forced to switch devices in the middle of a stream.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
Yes, The Roku Channel is available as a mobile device. Available on both Android and iOS devices, the free live TV streaming app from Roku has received a mixed bag of reviews. Some people seem to love it, while others cannot stand it. My assessment is that the mobile app has some big shoes to fill, seeing as the desktop and TV app experiences both set the bar so very high. Nevertheless, if streaming live TV for free on your mobile device is important to you, The Roku Channel will certainly get you there.
Pricing and Plans
Some people are unhappy with the Roku Channel because it is a free live TV streaming site. However, Roku makes it easy to upgrade to a premium service.
Conclusion
The Roku Channel is a great live TV streaming site that is easy to use and has a lot of content. If you're looking for a free site to watch your favorite shows, The Roku Channel is definitely worth checking out. Read my full review today to learn more!
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