ROKU, HBO GO

I can get netflix thru my TIVO

I just got off the phone with RUKU...the worst customer service. Well actually Comcast is the very worst. But, they could not give me an answer as to why Comcast is not listed as a cable provider for premium channels. It renders the unit useless.

There should be a disclaimer on the box the "this unit will not work with xyz calbe systems". 

Where is the customer service anymore?

HBO is not "blocking" comcast subscribers.  HBO would love you to watch on Roku -- BUT they want to verify that you are a paying subscriber -- they (or a Roku proxy) do that by interfacing with the cable provider's database and checking that you are a paid up HBO subscriber.  If Comcast does not cooperate - HBO/Roku cannot do this authorization check.  So it is almost certainly the case that the fault lies with Comcast -- afterall, nearly every other Cable company works with HBO Go on Roku.

Now you may ask, why doesn't HBO just offer their services "over the top" w/o regard to whether or not you subscribe via your local Cable Company...    Technically HBO could do that, just like Netflix.  BUT they've got contracts and agreements with nearly every Cable Company -- even if they re-negotiated those or let them all run out -- they'd be cutting off their major source of revenue.... Roku people who want HBO and would be willing to pay extra for it are a tiny faction of HBOs audience.

I do subscribe to HBO thru Comcast in another city. I know it's Comcast and now RUKU, but I do think they neeed a disclaimer on the box...it's just good customer service.

Not sure exactly what "RUKU" is, maybe a chinese knock off of a "Roku"? But why should a device put a disclaimer on a box due to BS from Comcast?

What I think you ment to say is, "why didn't Comcast tell you HBO Go won't work on a Roku" when you signed up for it.

I just got my Roku in and discovered this limitaion of Comcast. Oh well, guess it's time to fully cut my cable from them. I'd rather give my money to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus.... Yes, I know Hulu is partly owned by Comcast, but a few pennies being pushed their way is better than what I pay now.

+1 for authentication for HBO GO app on the Roku. It's really frustrating to pay for content every month and not be able to access it on the devices we want to.

Nutz is the word. This is the single greatest tool providers have to keep customers. Instead of being worried about loosing 10 bucks on a box rental they are willing to risk loosing the 100-250 bucks a month people are paying for the actual content.

But Comcast/Roku/Espn all play together.  If the world were consistent we would have Comcast/Roku/HBO.  Somebody is nuts here!

Dear Comcast:

Please embrace innovation and try to resist the attraction of short-term gains through exercising restrictive access for streaming content.  We pay you to have access to HBO GO.  We do this willingly so we can watch it.  We don't expect you to restrict the platform or to search through web forums to understand what is and is not allowed.  We certainly don't like trying to register our device to find out that Comcast is not a participant (it is particularly troubling when the list of participants is VERY long.. RCN and Verizon are both participants).  I ask again that you please embrace innovation and try to be a company that has a future rather than only a label of "resistant to change". 

As you currently treat customers, nobody would use you if you did not have a near monopoly in some markets.  Instead of living out these final years as an increasingly outdated residual of cable from the 90's, you have the chance to be nimble and innovative.  Please choose the latter and, in a gesture of sincerity, allow Roku users to watch content that they already pay for.  It serves your interests as much as ours.

All the best,

Any user of your service (seriously...  all of us)

I think it's similar to the "Pay us money or our customers suffer" junk Comcast pulled on Netflix. Roku is a smaller company and can't afford to bribe Comcast for HBO Go support, not yet at least. Microsoft, Apple and Google all paid up, and so Comcast supports HBO Go on those platforms, but they're huge companies and that's for numerous platforms. It also seems that neither Sony nor Samsung have paid up.

Same here, they offered HBO GO to stay in Comcast, and all I have is a Roku. Their support staff don't even know it is not compatible.

So are  you gone or was the threat hollow?

Do you have any evidence that Comcast is asking for money from Roku?  

According to another poster, it is just a sign-off.

I tend to believe that.  It looks like a stupid policy decision by someone somewhere in the Comcast organization.

HBO is okay with Roku, based on the long list of other Cable companies that support HBOgo on Roku.

Someone in Comcast is okay with Roku based on the FACT that ESPN is availalbe on Roku to Comcast subscribers,

based soley on a paid up Comcast Cable subscription that includes ESPN.  (My family and I watched the world cup on Roku - because they wanted to hear the commentary in Portuguese... As a bonus there were less and less obnoxious commercials on the ESPN/Roku/Portuguese streaming feed.)

My guess is that some nutty guy at Comcast sees Roku as competition, and maybe it is, but it is nuts because they DO let you watch Streamflix and HBOgo on just about any Android device>, and I can plug that into my TV and so use any Android device with a video out as a "competitive" cable box.  As an added bonus HBOgo supports the Chromecast stick, so that works for me even with my Android devices that do not have a video out connector.