'What is The Roku Channel?': A guide to Roku's home for free and premium TV, movies, and more

From May 13 through May 20, the Roku Channel is running a promotion called "National Streaming Week." Over the course of the week, Roku will be featuring free content from premium channels like HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax, along with exclusive cable shows that aren't yet available on other streaming platforms.

Alongside this promotion, Roku is also running a giveaway for a Roku TV and wireless speakers, and offering a sale on many Roku models.

This will all be capped off at the end of May by the launch of Stingray, a free (ad-supported) Roku Channel-based service for streaming music videos.

The Roku Channel offers a wide range of content. You can subscribe to premium channels now too. They offer HBO, Showtime, Starz, Epix, and Cinemax subscriptions in one service. The pricing is nearly identical to competing streaming-only services and standalone subscriptions, but you pay only one bill.

The Roku Channel is free, so the premium channels alone are what you pay for, instead of a monthly access fee plus premium channel subscriptions as with other streaming providers (and traditional cable/satellite).

Pricing for each of the most popular premium channels isn't any different when you purchase directly from the provider. Cinemax does not have a standalone subscription service available so the best way to stream is through a service such as The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu + TV.

In addition to popular movie channels, you can also subscribe to a selection of other paid channels such as Smithsonian Channel Plus, History Channel Vault, Lifetime Movie Club, and Noggin. A varied selection of family and lifestyle channels round out the premium channel subscription options.

The Roku Channel is available on many devices. One of the easiest ways to watch is from a Roku streaming device. You can add the Roku channel just as you would any other channel app.

The Roku mobile app features all Roku Channel content. You can watch from an iOS or Android device without logging into a Roku account. The Roku Channel content is featured on the home screen of the app so you can start watching as soon as you launch it.

You can also watch from a web browser on a computer or mobile device. You must be logged in to watch. You will be prompted to create an account if you don't already have one. It's free to sign up for a Roku account, even if you have never purchased a Roku device.

If you don't own a Roku streaming device or want to watch from another device, you have a few options. Since Roku is a competitor, The Roku Channel is not available as an app for Apple TV or Amazon Fire Stick. You can, however use AirPlay to cast The Roku Channel to your Apple TV. To watch on an Amazon Fire Stick, simply go to rokuchannel.roku.com on one of the device's web browsers.

• How to add channels to your Roku device in three ways
• The 5 best ways you can watch live TV on Roku
• How to watch local channels on your Roku device
• The best Roku channels you can add to watch free movies