ROKU, HBO GO

I agree.  We pay for it so don't know why we can't enjoy all the service features.  Comcast, there are too many other providers who are offering this service!!!

Well officially Youtube is on and only on Roku 3. Maybe that's a good sign that HBO Go will finally be on Roku 3 or other versions next year? Hopefully because I keep on hearing if you're not a huge Apple user, Roku 3 is far better.

I spoke with a large retail provider of Roku boxes about this issue.  According to him, Comcast has "lost almost 50%" of their revenues by people looking to be creative with the few dollars they make or those who want keep up with the technological curve.  By not allowing you to interact with your Roku box on your tv - you have to keep your cable box!  The more upgrades or channels you have, the more rent they can charge you for your box.  That simple!

They'd be wiser to offer an option that allows you to 1) select al-a-carte stations that you can't get on Roku and 2) stream directly from your internet connection without the necessity of the cable box itself.  I'm a news junkie and  want my local news as it's broadcast.  I can't get that on Roku, nor can I live-stream online, hence, I'm keeping my cable account.  I'll be downgrading it to the absolute basic because the other choice is to pay $200/month for services I no longer need.  There's really nothing in between that offers the options I'd be interested.  So... cancel the triple bundle?  Nope - they still have me there.  I need my internet and apparently I need my cable.   

Why?  Because I received a message from the ABC app on my i-pad yesterday stating that effective January 6th, I was going to have to log in through my cable provider in order to watch any and all content.  Apparently the large providers have lobbied the networks effectively and this is one more way to force people to buy cable.  

Does anyone remember "going digital" meant everyone had to have a box to descramble the signals? I do!  I had to help my 93 year old neighbors set up their new cable box, etc. because they couldn't receive any channels.  With all due respect, every few years, the big corporations like Comcast (sorry, Moderator) figure out new ways to get more money from us even though the economy is in the toilet and we don't have any more to give!  Maybe they'll next get into being a cell provider!  That's where the money is!

Come on, Comcast!  Work WITH us, not against!  Please??!!!

I just got Roku 3 for Christmas and one reason is that it offered access to HBO Go.  However, to my dismay, I found that it wasn't available thru COMCAST on my Roku.  I'm able to get it on my Apple computer and ipad but not thru Comcast on my tv using Roku.  I recently considered switching to FIOS and didn't because of the aggravation and the prices were similiar.  However, this would be a strong incentive to switching.  My daughter, who has FIOS in Richmond, just watched Don Jon which was not out on DVD yet.  It cost $14.95 which is less than what a movie for two would cost at the theaters.  I also don't see this availability on Comcast.  I pay over $1800 a year for cable (a little over $150 a month) including HBO.  I think I should have a right to access HBO Go thru Comcast on Roku for the amount I am paying.  If not, I think it is obvious that Comcast is putting profits far ahead of satisfying their customers.  Why is this available on Cox but not Comcast, the largest cable operator in the country?    

Honestly if you really want to watch HBO GO on your HDTV with Comcast. All you have to do is buy an Apple TV. I love my Roku 3 but I wouldn't mind buying an Apple TV. I even have an XBOX 360 but that thing is super loud and the audio isn't that great. So... Stop complaing face the facts Roku will NEVER EVER be on Roku if you have Comcast. Even DirecTV doesn't allow HBO Go on Roku but allows it on Apple TV. So you know Apple TV does have it's benefits. 

Authur...your post is informative...but the real point to this long long thread, is that there is a principle involved.  That customers who pay for a product (in this case HBO Go), ought to be able to watch/use that product in whatever way they choose.

After all, the product is BOUGHT AND PAID FOR.  The contractual arrangement of the sale of the good or service has been completed, and ownership and/or right-to-use has passed legally and COMPLETELY to the purchaser.

Yet Comcast thinks, even AFTER that legal process has been completed, that they still have the right to restrict how their customers watch/use that product

That is simpy sickening, disgusting, slimy, greedy, unethical, immoral, and just plain WRONG...and courts have found in similar cases, that it's also illegal.

And then what's worse...is when their customers complain about their dispicable practices, they respond by saying "we try everything we can to please our customers...we are working on it...our engineers are doing their best...customer satisfaction is number 1..."

Which is complete PACK OF LIES...and they tell those lies right to the customer's face.

Wow Comcast executives are trash.

LOL It's not the end of the world. It's messing with the underdog and that is Roku. Obviously they are not in the leagues of Microsoft or Apple. So this is a money issue or  maybe Comcast are in contract with Microsoft and Apple, or maybe it's because I heard Roku is a huge cable killer. I don't know but all I know is that I can get an Apple TV and I have a Roku 3. Problem solved. Cave in and you'll be less stressed about it.

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@ArthurHammer wrote:

LOL It's not the end of the world. It's messing with the underdog and that is Roku. Obviously they are not in the leagues of Microsoft or Apple. So this is a money issue or  maybe Comcast are in contract with Microsoft and Apple, or maybe it's because I heard Roku is a huge cable killer. I don't know but all I know is that I can get an Apple TV and I have a Roku 3. Problem solved. Cave in and you'll be less stressed about it.

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The point is, we don't want to "cave in".  We want what should be - and actually already legally is - ours.  I don't want to have to buy another device to watch one channel!  Not to mention we don't have enough HDMI inputs for a DVR, DVD, and two streaming boxes.  I've already had to switch my DVD over to component inputs.  Now you want me to climb behind the TV and start swapping HDMI's???  I can already do that to watch HBO GO, if I want to climb back there, and swap in the HDMI output from a laptop.  So they aren't keeping me from watching it on my 50" anyway - they are just making it difficult, cumbersome, and a PITA.  There is no excuse for this.  Customer satisfaction my AZZ.

I just got a Roku for Christmas and am very upset I can not access HBOgo.  It makes no sense why every other cable company is listed BUT comcast.  Based on all these threads it looks like they have been "working" on it for years.  This is very upsetting.  I can't even return my Roku for an AppleTV because I don't believe comcast supports it on there either.  My only option is to purchase an Xbox or change cable providers 😞

Arthur,

"Cave in"?

That's simply not what good people do...what Americans do...when faced with adversity...when fighting for justice.

Yes, maybe that sounds rediculous since we are talking about cable TV.  But justice IS justice, and the right thing to do IS the right thing to do.

Almost none of the contributors in this thread are the kind that "caves in" when they see Comcast treating their customers in a fundamentally unfair way.

It's our jobs as consumers and good citizens to fight the good fight.

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@Pamelapink wrote:

I just got a Roku for Christmas and am very upset I can not access HBOgo.  It makes no sense why every other cable company is listed BUT comcast.  Based on all these threads it looks like they have been "working" on it for years.  This is very upsetting.  I can't even return my Roku for an AppleTV because I don't believe comcast supports it on there either.  My only option is to purchase an Xbox or change cable providers 😞

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Apple does support HBOgo on Apple TV. But beware, Apple TV doesn't have Amazon and is in general  a less satisfying experience than Rokuf.

I think if COMCAST does not include HBOGo to the Roku I am going to leave COMCAST. There are plenty of other options out there without being duped into buying cable. 

COMCAST, can you hear me? You suck and your cable is horrible. 

PamelaPink -- comcast does support HBO Go on Apple TV.  I disagree with priziedog on which is better, but that doesn't really matter right now - you can't get HBO Go on Roku with Comcast 😞

He is right that Apple TV doesn't support Amazon Video (which makes sense for Apple, but not for us consumers).

Dan1975 - if you have an option for a different cable provider, then take it!  Every time I talk to the Comcast people about anything and they send 'Thanks for chosing Comcast' I make a point of telling them that it's not a choice for me - and if it was, I wouldn't choose Comcast.

Makes no difference to anyone at Comcast, but always makes me feel a little better.

Honestly Amazon Prime Instant Video isn't all that great. Yes, They have exclusive rights to Justified but that's about all. I mean you can literally find the same content on Netflix. I can understand people's frustration with Comcast and Roku.Trust me I am incredibly frustrated.  But Roku is less strict than Apple TV and 360 I heard.  So you can pretty much take Roku anywhere and watch HBO Go on any HDTV around the world. So that's a huge reason why the biggest providers Comcast and DirecTV won't allow this. If you browse though this thread somebody better explains it.