Roku owners who are eager for easy access to the upcoming final season of Game of Thrones are getting just that, as the device maker has added HBO to its Roku Channel app.
The Roku Channel is designed to allow streamers to input numerous subscription logins into one app, allowing Roku to suggest shows across premium cable brands like Showtime, Starz, and now HBO, without forcing them to download each of those companies independent applications.
The addition of HBO to the Roku Channel app means that Roku owners can subscribe to HBO with just their Roku account, making it easier than ever to add the premium cable company to their quiver of services. It also means that the user experience for those who already subscribe to HBO will be improved — allowing you to bounce between free and paid content from HBO and others without having to bounce between different apps on the Roku itself.
Roku has long been working on creating a source-agnostic interface for those who own its streaming devices, and for good reason. The company currently makes the most popular streaming TV players in the United States, and improving the user experience will likely be key to maintaining its stronghold on the market. With companies like Apple planning to roll out similar, all-inclusive interfaces, it makes sense that Roku would look to follow suit.
The addition of HBO to Roku Channel doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Apple recently announced that HBO and Showtime would both be available for easy subscription inside its upcoming Apple TV interface update.
Those interested in subscribing to HBO can do so for the same $15 per month it will cost them on the HBO Now app, and there’s also a weeklong free trial available, should you be unsure about whether you want to subscribe to the premium network or not.
For Roku owners, that means free access to at least the first episode of Game Of Thrones upcoming final season, which should spark joy around the nation and beyond, even if they don’t plan on subscribing to HBO through the Roku Channel in the longer term.
Related Posts
Stop joining group projects with a blurry laptop webcam and buy one of these instead
Laptop cameras also tend to sit far too low, especially when the computer is placed directly on a desk. Meanwhile, a dedicated webcam lets you position the camera closer to eye level. This improves the framing and brings larger sensors, better microphones, and more effective low-light processing.
I desperately want a new classic Walkman, but Sony probably can’t give me one
All of this makes it the perfect time for Sony to bring back the classic Walkman, which was a phenomenon during the 80s and 90s. I would love one. Give me a compact cassette player, physical buttons, and wired headphones. Keep the apps, notifications, and algorithms that shape your taste of music. No more AI assistants or personalzied feeds, just you and your Walkman. There is only one problem though. Recreating the Walkman that people love and remember, would be far harder than putting an old design back into production.
Proton reveals how smart TVs track you and the escape situation is pretty grim
The worrying part is that escaping this tracking is becoming increasingly difficult because many privacy controls are buried deep in settings or enabled by default. Proton argues that buying a smart TV today often means accepting a level of surveillance that most people never knowingly signed up for.