Non Certified Roku Channels Can Contain Additional Content Which May Not Be Found In The Public Roku Channel Store
Roku is an interesting media streaming platform, which is setup similar to YouTube where its users and partners are the ones providing the content first as Non Certified Roku Channels.
Unlike YouTube, where a video is simply uploaded and can be watched by everyone, Roku uses a different programming language which requires videos to be played from a channel. A channel container of sorts is used which can contain several to several thousands of individual videos, songs or photos.
A Roku channel can also link to Internet streams, or play live content streams from the Internet as well.
Before a channel can be uploaded and publicly shared on the Roku channel store. It must be certified that it meets Roku's standards for published public channels.
Until the time that a channel is approved and published, it is considered a "Non Certified Roku Channel."
Certification Requirements For Public Roku Channels
Lately Roku has been clamping down on channel spam. This is where channel developers create multiple channels often under different accounts using the same content. By only changing the title and name it helps their channels get more views therefore increasing their overall ad revenue.
This hurts honest channel developers who offer unique and original content in their channel. And cluttering up the Roku platform. With multiple versions of the same content across many channels makes it harder for channel users to find high quality content.
Here's how Roku addressed this under Platform Requirements:
10.1. You will not spam the Platform with duplicative or substantially similar Applications, or distribute the same or substantially similar Applications under multiple names, or by means of multiple enrollments in the Developer Program. If you wish to publish multiple sets of serial programming (e.g., episodes from multiple television series) under the same commercial model (e.g., ad-supported, subscription-based, etc.) then you will publish them in one single Application rather than publishing each set/series in its own Application.
While a lot of these requirement deal with the technical aspects of the channel. There are several items that specifically address channels content.
For a channel to be made public it must also follow these guidelines:
6.2 Channels in the Kids & Family category only include content that is appropriate for children, do not include ads that are targeted based on user activity (behavioral advertising) and only include ads that are appropriate for children (for example, no graphic violence, adult situations, etc.).
6.3 Public channels may not contain pornographic content. With respect to channel information that will or may appear outside of the application (for example, in search results, in the platform user interface, or on Roku’s website), content and descriptions must be appropriate for all ages. This includes channel name, artwork, and descriptions appearing in the Channel Store and web, as well as any content titles, artwork and descriptions appearing in Roku Search.
More About Uncertified Roku Channels
These channel unlike Public Roku Channels have a bit more freedom unless they become too popular and someone files a copyright claim against them. Then Roku will be forced to take them down. XTV, Channel PEAR and several others were examples of these type of private channels.
Adult content is permissible on Uncertified channels and there are many popular adult channels which have been on Roku now since the beginning.
How To Find and Add Non Certified Roku Channels
Since these channels have not been published, you won't find them listed on your Roku. But here are some great ways to find new and popular Non Certified Roku Channels.
Roku Forums - Often channel developers will reach out to this community asking for help testing their new channels.
Roku News and Support Page - This is a great source for Roku player support and latest news from the company.
1900+ Private Channels Codes List - This is a list of channel codes we have assembled along with detailed instructions how to add them. If a new Non Certified channel becomes available we will soon have it added to this list.
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