Ladies and Gentleman, we have a huge announcement to make. No, Mom, we aren't getting married (awkward...), but we are ready to take our relationship with you, our viewers, to the next level: Now you can have the latest trends, life hacks, and recipes from The List whenever you want on your Roku! And we're not coming into this new relationship empty-handed. As a housewarming gift, we're bringing you 10 Roku hacks that are bound to make your streaming smoother, more personalized, and way cooler than ever. What a big step for us.
1. Keep Up With Your Favorites
Roku's default way of displaying your channels is in the order in which you added them. If, like a normal human being, you'd rather see your channels displayed by how frequently you watch them, go to the Home page and select Options in the upper right hand corner of your screen by using the asterisk key on your remote. There you can reorder them so your most frequently binged channels are shown at the top.
2. Hidden Channels?
Did you know that not all available Roku channels are listed in the Channel Store? Find some old gems, new gems, or just see what you've been missing out on by checking out the Roku Guide. Click the link of the channel you'd want, then hit "Add Channel". Log in with your Roku account then add the code for the channel.
3. Get Your Game On
Who needs to spend over $40 on one video game for a console when you can shop for days on your Roku! You can play anything from classics like Pacman and Galaga to new side scrolling and action games. You can even play Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. And tons of the games available are free! Make your house party central by looking through all the games Roku has to offer.
4. Stream As Smooth As Butter
Is your Roku having connection issues? Or is it buffering more often than usual? Don't miss out on any valuable episode time! Streamline your streaming by boosting your Wi-Fi signal. You can do this by updating your router's firmware to improve its performance or by getting your router a more powerful antenna. If you can't get those to work, try moving your Roku itself. Elevating your router can help it get a better signal. You can even use an app to help you find the strongest spots in your network.
5. Mmm, What You Say?
Don't you hate when you're watching a show and you miss just the last few words of dialogue that happened to be super important? "How many shots of tequila did Kristina Guerrero say to put in this margarita? I'll never know now!"
Well, say goodbye to those problems by setting up Roku's instant replay captions mode. Go to Settings, then click captions mode, and select instant replay. That will make it so when you hit the instant replay button on your remote, you'll immediately get text on the screen when you need it, then turn it off when you're done. Never miss a part of our lists again!
6. Don't Wait Like A Sucker!
Don't waste valuable Roku watching time searching to see if a new episode of your favorite show has been posted yet? Program your Roku to notify you when a new show or episode is available. Go to the main menu, select My Feed, then search for whatever movies, shows, or actors you want to stay notified about. Roku will then automatically let you know when something you've flagged is available for your viewing pleasure!
7. See You, CW
Supernatural, Arrow, The Vampire Diaries - The CW has got tons of shows that rock our world so good news for other CW show fans: The CW is now a sign in free and subscription free channel on Roku. Now you can watch the last five episodes of any CW show, and new episodes are available the day after they air!
8. Screen Star
It's 2017! Which means if you leave your TV for a while then come back to it, you don't have to watch a Roku logo bounce around your screen like DVD players of old. Upgrade your screen saver by stopping by the Screensavers & Apps menu from your Roku. You can select anything that fits your fancy, from dreamy beach scenes, to savers that look like works of art, or even a screen saver that keeps an up to date eye on the weather for you.
9. Stay Local
Don't think that grabbing a Roku means you've got to miss out on what's happening in your community or on your live TV. Check out the channel NewsOn which gives you instant access to live, local newscasts for free. They've got over 170 stations across the US to choose from. And if you're worried about missing the big game or awards show, check out Sling TV, accessible through Roku, and has a bunch of live channels to keep you up to date and in the know.
10. There's An App For That
If you feel like navigating the Roku with the remote can be a little clunky, download the Roku app for more control over keyboard and easier searching. The app also has a section called "What's On" that puts shows and movies organized into simpler categories so you know what's available and what you can watch, right on the page. The app is available for iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux.
Be sure to check out full episodes of The List on Roku!
Do you have a Roku at home? Why or why not? Join the conversation on our Facebook page, @TheListShowTV.
