RokuGuide Review: The press release announcing the release of the Showtime Roku channel promises to let Roku users "watch HD-quality video webisodes, highlights, behind the scenes interviews, and even sample full episodes of the hit shows SHAMELESS and HOUSE OF LIES." The channel lives up to those promises, but this is clearly a promotional channel, more in line with Disney than HBO Go.
Showtime is free to all Roku users, but it's not a replacement for the premium Showtime service that subscribers receive from cable and satellite providers. Currently, there are six fill-length episodes. There is a season premiere for each of the following series: House of Lies, Dexter, Homeland, The Big C, The Borgias, and Nurse Jackie. You will also find the aforementioned highlights, interviews, and other short videos for Shameless, House of Lies, Californication, Homeland, Dexter, and Weeds. I would expect additional content to be added as Showtime rolls out new series.
The Showtime channel also carries a Sports category, which is also more promotional than informational. For example, there is currently video titles "News Update: Rockhold vs. Jardine". This is a minute-and-a-half video of the two headliners in the first MMA fight to be shown on Showtime under a deal with Strikeforce.
This channel will be of interest to those who want to sample Showtime's offerings before subscribing through their satellite or cable TV provider, and to those who are fans of the shows listed above and want to see some behind-the-scenes videos.
Developer's Channel Description: Watch webisodes, interviews, and free full episodes from some of Showtime's critically acclaimed shows.
CHANNEL STORE CATEGORY: Movies & TV
DEVELOPER: A DIFFERENT ENGINE LLC
FEES: None
RELATED LINKS:
Showtime Website
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HBO GO / ShowtimeAnytime on ROKU
Let me be another to cast a vote in favor of ShowtimeAnytime on ROKU. While I don't particularly like the fact that I have to subscribe to HBO to get HBO GO on ROKU, I do understand how contractual agreements work with the cable companys - so I doubt much will be done about it. Seriously though - my ROKU box out-performs my cable box on digital sound and It's my go-to preference for Game of Thrones over the cable box.
I hope Showtime follows suit.
HBOGO without subscription
HBO IS currently working on a way to deliver HBOGO without having a subscription. As always, they are probably ironing out the payment options. But it's coming, just a matter of when.
Roku - HBO Go/Showtime
The whole purpose of me buying the Roku box was to ditch my expensive cable company. Why would Roku offer channels that require a cable subscription doesn't make any sense to me.
So far I have been able to watch Season 7 ep 1 of Dexter on the Showtime channel offered on Roku - Go Roku! Hopefully more will be add.
There are also a lot of unnamed/unheard of channels offered on the Roku box which doesn't offer anything useful to watch.
Hear Hear! Anyone at ROKU and showtime listening?
As someone who has tried Netgears Neo, Sony's media player and after setting each on up to each flat screen -along with the cheapest basic Roku- I CHOSE ROKU over all the others [replaced them all!!]
Thet are hands down THE best selection and quality and easy to set up. I am just yet another who broke the cable codependency and went digital media only. The clincher for me was the channles offered on them that NO ONE else has on media players....
Info wars for one,..and TONS of great indie
And ..... I'm voting for Showtime to LEARN something from HBO go's success!
C'mon Roku! [and Showtime stick in the muds? GET with THE program!
ROKU- its the only serious game in town,..c'mon! stop being prima donnas SHOWTIME! Bring YOUR best to the new media champs and your best and brightest LOST and LOYAL cutomers will welcome you with gratitude and increased revenues doncha know>???
Roku showtime
Why can't these companies open up to an avenue that use a pay for channel option. I would love to simply pay $ for the channel with out having a cable carrier. Hbo go is a great idea and this gave me hope for showtime. But $90 a month for the 5 or six channel's I watch plus 10$ for the dvr lease/use and 10$ to get it in HD. It's b's. I would pay 5$, 8$ or even 10$ a month to watch showtime and hbo go on my roku. Its bad enough U have to use cable for Internet. Great shiws on great channel's to get someone to pay for the top tier and get 72 channel's they dont even turn too ever... Its b's
Agree Totally
I connected cable TV for three days and then took the set-top box back to Charter. I kept the Charter internet connection and bought Roku. It is GREAT! But I would like to watch HBO, Showtime, and MSNBC without having to buy 300 channels of cr*p to go with them. Now I watch Netflix and Amazon only.
+1 Could not agree more..just
+1
Could not agree more..just recently dropped DirecTV with Everything: HD DVR,All Premium Ch's package & International.
Sho & HBO must adopt changes & their prices shall reflect that.
Roku here I come , don't let people like me down.
Why do they feature these wortless stations?
Seriously, only way you can add HBO or Showtime to Roku is "if" you already subscribe via Cable or Sat......
You know wasn't that the reason why we have a Roku Box is because I don't subscribe to Cable or Sat?
This is not only worthless but completely ludicrous that the channel is even offered. If I had a Sat or Cable box don't ya think I'd be using it to watch on my TV????????
Well said... "this is utterly ridiculous"
The only reason I got a Roku box was because I disconnected my Sat provider.
And Roku is missing a HUGE opportunity to add a set of premium channels
Showtime On Roku
Showtime Anytime, like HBO GO, has all the seasons of many of its series (as well as more movies)unlike HBO On Demand or Showtime On Demand. That's the big selling point of HBO GO and of Showtime Anytime. As a subscriber to both services that's a good reason. Although I can watch Showtime Anytime on my PC I prefer it on my TV and the depth of offerings makes it a desirable channel to add to the Roku universe of offerings.
completely agree
even spent some time chatting with a ROKU rep today on exact topic - ROKU offering Showtime Anytime (as in HBO GO), but "beatrice" said i needed to contact SHOWTIME for that option... Showtime says to contact my cable company (Cablevision). Been trying to contact them and keep losing signal. I really hope ROKU adds Showtime Anytime ... soon.
Agree wholeheartedly. I just
Agree wholeheartedly. I just dumped cable for the same reason. Neither cable nor satellite will ever give us the better channel selection people have been asking for since cable's inception. Roku would be a great way to offer individual channels we want and are willing to subscribe to. I thought about this too with the Showtime samples which I watch and hope to be able to get the ones I like from Netflix. Perhaps you could offer both - a a free 'sample' and a full pay for channel. I know I'd buy some.