It's no secret on this blog that I really enjoy my Roku as the best source for cable-free TV (check out my article here). FilmOn TV is a terrific free Live TV service available from the UK that is now available, though in limited fashion, as an unofficial "private channel" for the Roku.
You won't find any live streaming TV channels on the app, though, that's the limitation that the Roku channel sadly has. Presumably it's a regional licensing issue locked down by the broadcasters, but gladly these restrictions are not on the website version of FilmOn TV. There is a way to get all of FilmOn TV's streaming channels on the Roku, with a little time and effort. Instead, the native Roku channel carries the FilmOn-produced online channels geared towards specialized interests and tastes.
If you want to check out the live channels and on-demand content available with the native app, simply sign into your Roku account online (( https://owner.roku.com/Login/ )), go to the "My Account" section and click on the "Add a Private Channel" link on the page. FilmOn TV's private channel code is WM6BC.
Looking at the FilmOn channel guide online (( http://www.filmon.com/group/ )), what's missing on the Roku app are the Live TV streams from UK Live TV, Latino TV, Canadian TV, German TV, French TV, Italian TV, Australian TV, Kazakh TV, and African TV. All other channels that are present and accounted for are mainly owned by FilmOn TV or aggregates of podcasts and on-demand content.
Guest users of the FilmOn TV website have access to low to mid resolution streams of all of the available channels. Register a log in and you can also set up a Favorite channels list and receive 10 hours of storage space for DVR recordings. Additionally, sign up for a monthly subscription to get high quality versions of the streaming channels as well as additional DVR storage.
It's important to mention a caveat to the HD streams advertised on the website: Look closely in the Subscriptions page and you will see that $14.95/mo will allow you to watch "High Quality Video", which does not mean actual High Definition, but higher quality versions of their standard feeds. Testing a paid subscription for 30 days, there is a difference, however slight, between the SD and "HD" (I'm gonna call it HQ) streams. I'm not yet convinced it's worth the monthly expense considering that the HQ streams are not available for all channels. For example, I noticed a small increase of sharpness in the stream for the ActionZone channel when switched to HQ, though the HQ stream for Horror Channel did not provide any difference at all (which is a shame because the Horror Channel is one of the best channels on the service).
As for the variety of channels that are available from FilmOn TV, it's mostly UK-located channels such BBC and ITV, but a handful of UK channels dedicated to American series, along with classic TV shows and movies, are quite enjoyable.
As I mentioned earlier, Live TV from FilmOn TV is not included as part of the native Roku channel, but with a bit of effort and the help from the PlayTo app for Android-based tablets and smartphones and its Roku channel, casting the live streams to the Roku greatly expands the viewing options from the FilmOn TV service. A PC-based solution to cast FilmOn TV streams to the Roku is available with the Plex server installed onto the PC and its associated channel for the Roku, but more on that method later.
The "Lite" version of the PlayTo Android app is all you need to make this work with your Roku, so there is no need to dish out 5 bucks for the full version of the app. (The free version has some limitations, but I haven't come across any while testing this method.) The Android PlayTo app has a pre-installed list of media links including the mobile-web version of the FilmOn TV service, with all live channels intact. A bit of set up is needed in the app for it to "see" the Roku device to cast to, but the easiest method is to manually "Add Device" and type in the Roku's IP address in the configuration. On your Android device, tap onto the PlayTo Lite icon, tap "Online", tap "TV", tap the FilmOn TV icon, find the channel that you want to watch from the various categories listed, get the video started in the device then tap the flashing cast icon on the screen to send the video to the Roku. If all is set up properly, the live stream should transfer instantly to the Roku's PlayTo channel. (During my testing, I could disconnect my Android device from my network and the Roku stream wouldn't be interrupted, so I didn't have to worry about tying up my smartphone for other tasks or draining the phone's battery while watching FilmOn TV.) For PC users, getting the FilmOn TV live channels to the Roku can be accomplished using different apps.
I am currently testing the FilmOn TV app that appears by means of the Unsupported App Store plug-in for the Plex Media Server installed on my PC, in addition to the Plex Channel app installed on both my Roku boxes. I will have a more detailed review about Plex in a future article, but for those already familiar with Plex, be sure to install the plug-in to access the FilmOn TV channel. (The Unsupported App Store plug-in for the Plex Media Server is something like the private channels for Roku, it aggregates channels that are not officially supported or endorsed by Plex for various reasons as the apps may be unstable, unfinished, or otherwise. It's from within this plug-in where you will find the FilmOn TV channel, complete with all of the live TV streams found on their website, but use at your own risk as it is unsupported. My experience with the app so far, though, has been fine, I haven't been hit with any instability or incompatibility issues yet.) Once the FilmOn TV channel is installed on the PC server, it will appear in the menu inside the Plex Roku channel. Click on the FilmOn TV channel within Plex and up will load a fairly attractive interface with all of the channels and content. Set up the Roku app with your FilmOn TV log in credentials and you will even have instant access to your Favorite channels and DVR recordings. Sweet!
FilmOn TV makes it easier to consider cutting the cable TV cord for good. Though US-located channels aren't available with this service, there are still quite a few channels available from the UK dedicating their programming line-up exclusively to American shows and movies. Making the full FilmOn TV service work with the Roku is well worth the effort.
As always, I welcome your feedback in the comments section or by email at thatthriftyguy@gmail.com anytime, let me know about your experience with FilmOn TV, Roku, or any of the other apps mentioned in this article.
Yours truly,
That Thrifty Guy!
