Has Ananda explored the possibility of creating a Roku Channel? Thank you all for your amazing service!
—doreen, USA
I like how you think! The short answer is that we hadn’t explored it until you wrote.
Let me share some ways that you can watch Ananda videos on your TV now, then I’ll answer your specific question.
Roku, as I understand it, is like Apple TV and similar devices that connect services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video to your TV. My wife and I own an Apple TV, so I have a little experience here. We’ve found some ways that work well, and they may work for Roku.
Ways You Can Watch Ananda on Your TV Using Roku, Apple TV, and Other Devices
Watch our videos on YouTube. This is the easiest way if you have one of the Roku devices that support it. Look for the AnandaWorldwide user on YouTube or other Ananda channels like Ananda Sangha and Nayaswami Asha, or add videos to a playlist on your own account and then watch them on your TV.
Sync with the YouTube app on your smartphone. This works on Apple TV and might work on other devices as well. You can start up the YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad, start playing a video, and turn on AirPlay on your iPhone or iPad.
Plug a laptop into your TV and visit www.ananda.org/video. Many modern laptops and televisions let you do this with an HDMI cable, but you may need a little help figuring this out if you aren’t technically inclined.
Watch Sunday Services live with the Livestream channel for Roku. At Ananda Village, we broadcast our Sunday Services live at 11:00 am PST. I don’t know how this works, only that it exists! The name of our Livestream account is “Online with Ananda.”
Could Ananda Create a Channel for Roku or Another Device?
At this point, with the budget we have, and just two people working full-time on Ananda.org, we have to focus our energy on what reaches the most people: universal platforms like YouTube let us do that.
From a brief exploration it seems like it would take too much effort to create a channel for Roku. Let’s keep it in mind for the future and hope that it becomes feasible. In the meantime, hopefully you can use one of the above methods. Send us an email and let us know!
With the video section on Ananda.org and all the videos on YouTube, there’s the potential for devotees to replace evening television watching with something more inspiring. That’s certainly my hope!
Thanks for writing,
And many blessings,
Nabha Cosley for the Ananda.org team
