Q. I am so sick and tired of waiting for DIRECTV to add the Epix channel. Is there any hope it will add it, or is there any other way to get it? — Denise, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Denise, you are right. The Epix channel is not in your DIRECTV lineup because DIRECTV does not carry the Epix channel.

Update: DIRECTV to carry Epix!

In fact, it never has since Epix’s launch in 2009. The omission is particularly frustrating because Epix is available on such major providers as Dish, Comcast, and even U-verse, DIRECTV’s sister service. (They are both owned by AT&T.)

I have no indication that will change anytime soon, but there is a way that you and every other DIRECTV subscriber can get Epix. Finally.

Roku, the maker of streaming devices, has begun selling individual subscriptions to various premium channels including Starz, Showtime and…Epix. Yes, for the first time, Epix is available as a standalone subscription.

The cost is $5.99 a month and it comes with a free, 30-day trial. You can order it by clicking on the Roku Channel in your Roku lineup. 

There are a few catches, however.

1. Roku is rolling out the subscription service gradually among its various devices, and branded TVs. For example, it’s available now on Roku’s Ultra streaming device, but not its Premiere model. So if you want Epix now, I would recommend getting the Ultra. (It will likely be on other Roku models soon, but the company has not said when. So the Ultra is your best bet as of now. Click here to order a Roku Ultra.)

2. You can only watch Epix on the Roku device. That means you can’t watch it on your PC, tablet, or laptop, or via a separate app on a different streaming set-top or Smart TV.

But if you’re cool with those two caveats, Epix can be yours today.

By the way, if you’re not familiar with Epix, the channel features first-run films from the MGM studio such as A Quiet Place (pictured above) and Arrival as well as original shows such as Get Shorty, Berlin Station and Deep State.

Update: Epix on February 10 also began offering its standalone streaming service on iOS, Android and Apple TV devices. The price is the same: $5.99 a month. 

Happy Viewing!

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— Phillip Swann