Recently Amazon started testing a new Amazon Video Channel for Roku Streaming Players, which takes the Roku and turns it into a Fire TV.
Some lucky Roku users have had the new Amazon Video Roku Channel for some time. Now Roku and Amazon have started to roll it out to more devices including the new Roku models.
If you have ever used the Fire TV you will be right at home in the new Amazon Video Channel. The grid layout has been replaced with a new row-based system, and you can now sort what content you see. This will allow you to only see Prime content, videos you own, content available to buy or rent, or all of it at once.
There are some drawbacks because some users may not enjoy the new layout. One area I wish they would change is the Content tab. In the old Roku Channel you could view a row of movies you own and a row of TV shows you own on the screen at once. Now instead of getting two rows—one for TV shows and one for Movies—you just get a single row. You can sort it to show “just movies” or “just TV shows” but it adds an extra step to the process.
Overall we enjoyed the new channel but did find it slow at times and the new requirements to confirm you want to go back to the Menu when playing a video was annoying.
If you have not received the new Amazon Video Roku Channel sit tight. It seems to be slowly rolling out to new and old Rokus.
You can see our full review of the new Amazon Video Roku Channel here:
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