# A Question For Roku Owners **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524 "2011-07-10T18:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/1 "2011-07-10T18:03:57Z")
Hey Guys I am hoping y’all can help me determine whether I can get a certain channel free on Roku? It is a German channel called “Wieder TV” and it appears on Roku’s free international list, but when I click on that channel’s “learn more” button I find they have a $44.00 signup fee and a $28.00 a month subscription, so that wouldn’t be “free”. Another German channel is the “Tageschau” news channel, and again, it appears on the free list, but on their database it shows as “private”. So I am hoping that maybe you guys can check your units for me and confirm this one way or the other, because the availability of the German channels is going to be the deciding factor in us choosing to buy one. Thanks very much! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/2 "2011-07-10T20:20:28Z")
Wieder added free, but requires a linked account to work. I am assuming this means some fee is paid to the web site, but the Roku channel is free itself. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/3 "2011-07-10T20:22:38Z")
Tagesschau is playing free. It works just fine and even streams live to my Roku at periodic times. Wow, I actually helped! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/4 "2011-07-10T21:42:26Z")
**Mahaloth** , when you write that Wieder was added free but that a fee is paid, do you mean that Roku _shows_ it, or just has it available for purchase? And thanks VERY MUCH for your help! Q ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/5 "2011-07-11T00:11:54Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > **Mahaloth** , when you write that Wieder was added free but that a fee is paid, do you mean that Roku _shows_ it, or just has it available for purchase? It’s an addable channel, but is apparently useless without a paid subscription to their web site. It’s the same with Netflix. The channel is free, but you can’t watch anything without the monthly subscription. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/6 "2011-07-11T02:18:24Z")
No way to get if free. Roku won’t charge you anything for making it available to you, but you’ll still have to pay Wieder TV the sign-fee and the yearly fee. As Mahaloth has already pointed out, Roku offers a number of free channels, including radio stations, but many of them you have to pay for. I bought mine so I could use it with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, all of which charge for full service. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/7 "2011-07-11T02:47:15Z")
> [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > No way to get if free. Roku won’t charge you anything for making it available to you, but you’ll still have to pay Wieder TV the sign-fee and the yearly fee. As Mahaloth has already pointed out, Roku offers a number of free channels, including radio stations, but many of them you have to pay for. I bought mine so I could use it with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, all of which charge for full service. Youtube and Pandora radio are free free, though. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/8 "2011-07-11T05:26:35Z")
Can you see basic Hulu with a Roku box? or just Hulu plus? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/9 "2011-07-11T12:58:41Z")
This is exactly what I mean when I say the Dope has saved me money many times! What if I had bought this thing expecting to tune in something beside news only to find out it was going to cost me $44.00 plus a $28.00 a month subscription fee? I would have been majorly pissed. You guys rock! Thanks! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/10 "2011-07-11T14:14:12Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Can you see basic Hulu with a Roku box? or just Hulu plus? Just Hulu plus. It’s one of the weird things about it. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/11 "2011-07-17T19:14:30Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Can you see basic Hulu with a Roku box? or just Hulu plus? Just Hulu Plus. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-roku-owners/588524/12 "2011-07-17T19:29:27Z")
That’s Hulu’s strategy–only offer the free product on computers, require Hulu Plus on TVs and portable devices. Not a Roku decision.