No, unfortunately this doesn't have any impact on the amount of work we will need to bring Channels to the Roku. It is only related to the HDHomeRun DVR system.
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It would be nice to have for roku devices I have the latest highest model roku device. Can we get a vote on it to see the demand for Roku
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Find the link to the channels dvr private channel and add to your roku account. Then add your fav channels in the channels dvr server settings. All the favs show up just fine. And Iâm using a old cheap TCl with Roku built in. Doesnât have a perfect channel guide but will have whatâs on now. I think the link was in this feed somewhere close to beginning.
Would love to see the Roku app come back. The Apple TV app is great. For a low cost option, the Fire Stick is just not as good as Roku. It's buggier and Amazon's UI is a lot less user-friendly.
Lack of Roku support is why I will not be subscribing. Maybe once it is added I will re-visit.
They are almost giving away the Chromecast with Google TV if you can take advantage of the Netflix offer. I have been using it the last few weeks with Channels and it works great. I also have Roku but would highly recommend giving Google TV a try.
I bought into the Roku environment during last yearâs sales and replacing 7 Rokus and waiting to break even on Netflix subscriptions is just out of the question.
My opinion is split here. Expanding on Eric's comment above.
Imagine you were a new Channels user and you saw that there was a Roku app. Let's assume that you just accept that wholesale and never look into it because that's what the 99% does. You sign up, you buy the roku because the guy at Best Buy said it was the best, and you get home and you get partial functionality. From this perspective, it makes sense to not support the platform.
On the flip side. I have everythign. Roku, firetv, apple tv, mii box, shield. The Roku ultra is the smoothest of them all and has the best remote. I find that it struggles to handle subtitles in plex well, and I have to reboot them on occassion, but they are simple, clean, and easy. This is IMO this and the apply tv are by far the best 'grandparent friendly' platforms. My parents absolutely detest the firetv and the shield. hate them.
I think channels should support Roku with a fully functional app as I think the huge volume of Roku devices out there and the continued sale of these as the easiest one with the best remote win out over the quirks of the platform.
Just my thoughts.
It's a little mystifying to me that Channels has ignored Roku. It was (sort of) explained to me in another thread that the devs "just don't like" the Roku experience. But can you imagine making a piece of software for Mac and Linux but refusing to create a functional version for Windows because the coders "just don't like" WIndows?
If this were a homebrew project on github, totally get it. But - in theory - Channels a piece of commercial software for which there is a monthly subscription. THIS IS GREAT software - it does something NO ONE else in the marketplace is doing (and it does it really well). Refusing to put meaningful effort into a streaming device with a staggering 30% market share (conservatively) seems like a really odd choice.
Again - you've created a great piece of software and you've got amazing skills sets beyond anything I could ever hope to do. This is just a guy on the outside looking in and it makes me scratch my head a bit.
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its not a matter of like or dislike. if you had read the forms you would learn that.
Roku is a locked down, limited function OS.
I tried to use Emby app on Roku, and it had a severe issue that when playing back media, especially live tv via my HDHR, the app had no acces or way to pass a function call or notice to the OS or whatever, that the user stopped the stream. thus, it would always permeant lock each HDHR tuner until you rebooted the Roku and hdhr.
The devs of Emby stated it is a limitation of the OS and nothing they can do to "fix" it and said to use some other device.
SO it is not just the Channels DVR devs that hate Roku, most others do.
How much the monthly subscription may cost has nothing to do with anything.
Rokus sucks for functionality period.
Good for you that you like the Roku ecosystem.
But no matter how much you like it or think that people can just "make it work" with their software, won't change the the technical limitations of the platform imposed by the company that makes the OS.
Feel free to direct contact the Channels devs, and maybe they send you all the technical issues they need Roku to address or open to them inorder to develop thier app better...and you can try and express your displease to Roku support. The more customers that complain, the more possible chance they will listen.
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I think you misunderstand my point. I'm not defending the Roku OS - I'm remarking that Roku has 30% of the market. That's about 2x what any other streaming device has. I'm sorry that Emby has streaming troubles on Roku but Plex works flawlessly and does pretty much exactly the same thing -- so it's not entirely on the Roku OS, right? There are loads of apps that can and do leverage that OS to great success - you can't simply blame Roku.
Anyway - I'm not here trying to tell channels what to do. As I said in my previous post, they have a great product that does something no one else does - and does it really well.
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You said it your self " it does something NO ONE else in the marketplace is doing "
It is not to hard to understand that a software, or a given product, that does one specific or special thing, can only do so on a supported OS or hardware device.
I can't take a ECU from a Dodge Viper and use it a Geo Metro.....both are automobiles, it should "just work" right? wrong.
You say just because X app works, then your app should work.
That is not always the case and thus you can not just blame the developer.
The MS Store/Metro app platform, another case of limitations.
I mentioned Emby, again, the Metro is very basic, and limited in functionally compared to
its other platforms versions. Why, cause the platform is limited. Why are the devs not still working in it and decided to abandon it? Cause they tried at it, hit impassable walls trying to make it work the same as other platforms, and got many user complaints, so they stopped.
Maybe I am wrong, but far as i understand, technical limitations of the OS was the reason given as to why there is no useable Channels DVR app for Roku.
The devs can correct me or feel free to post, yet again, why they do not see Roku is worth their time.
Far as I recall, the devcies are not powerful enough hardware and or/ do not support custom media players and Channels DVR needs special codec support for the old legacy mpeg2 for OTA playback.
I tried the top of line Roku, and found it too slow, laggy, and limited.
Could not play my local media with out issues and did not have the app support i need.
Really liked the remote with headphone jack though. lol.
This thread been a thing since 2017.
Roku has not really changed much.
maybe devs might re-visit making a Roku app...some day.
Also, Plex is terrible, imo. Many users here are x plex users.
I had nothing but issues with it and also think its ugly and not very intuitive. (but that is a different topic)
And i am not so sure about Roku being so popular.
I have rarely seen them in use, aside form coming on cheap small tvs.
I see so so many Fire TV users and Apple TV user more than anything.
Also, the 30% market share you claim, is before the recent release of the TiVo Stream 4k device and Googles TV device. Android TV has greatly become far more popular than it once was.
I would like to add....that i very much do wish Channels DVR app on Roku would be a thing.
While I personally cant use Roku due to its limitations do not fit my needs.....it IS a OS for techy dummies...perfect for my elderly family members.
Though, the TS4K with its remote with the numbers on it, took the place of that need, as my elderly parents can not understand how to use most any smart tv or navigate to open apps, they just press the numbers on the remote to tune to the channel they want.
U can't do that with Roku(or Apple Tv), and, far as I tried, does not reliably work with limited selection of third party remotes. I can plug in any usb RF remote to my Shield or other Android TVs and it works perfect.
Yes they can, because Roku only allows playback via their own media player, and their media player does not support MPEG-2/H.262 video, which is what most North American TV broadcasts are. Some Roku devices did support this codec, but not all. And even fewer do presently.
So the issue actually is that Roku's ecosystem is the reason why you cannot have a proper Channels app on that platform.
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I didnât realize that Roku had a proprietary player. How do apps like a plex or Jellyfin handle live TV ?
Would an internal codec of some kind solve these issues for channels ?
Transcode it. Which might be an options for Channels, except that:
- It would lose one of Channels' key features which is its ability to quickly start a stream from a tuner.
- Not every Channels user has the DVR server. Channels supports direct streaming from HDHR tuners, which is not possible for the majority of channels.
That's the whole problem. The list of codecs that Roku's player uses does not include MPEG-2. Having it "internal" to the Channels app makes no sense, because Roku's player can't use it.
Also, to further complicate matters, Roku requires apps on their platform be written in their own programming language (BrightScript), which is like a mashup of several different languages, but without the best features of any of them.
In short, Roku is a crappy platform to develop for, requires massive compromises to make a program like Channels work on it, and overall the platform does not allow for the features/experience that the developers want their users to have. Sure, Roku may have the largest market share, but being in a race to bottom just for eyeballs is a poor way to deliver a great experience.
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So now you realize, after many many attempts to inform you, that Roku really doesnât have a great product, nor do they do it well, but one thing you did say was correct - the only thing they do correct that no one else does it like Roku - suck like Roku.
$12 for a streamer is the only reason they have a large base, because people have no idea what they are buying, all they see is $12.
Roku is an ad company that sells an ad machine that people religiously defend as the best because they have no idea how crappy it is until multiple threads like this pop up as to why âcanât I have channels on this thing!!! Everything else is on itââ. This thread, many before it and many after it is proof.
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I think it's unfair to say that Roku sucks. No it isn't a Shield. I've one of both, my Roku is an Ultra. If I didn't care about anything but watching from the apps Roku is fine. In fact it reminds me of Mac computers...it works, you don't need to know how, there's not much that can go wrong. Super simple. If you want anything else or you need to tinker you need a machine that you can move pieces and parts, add things and experiment. Sort of like a PC. Yes, you can have headaches and get confused but in the end it's the only way to get to the promised land.
Just my two cents.
My hope is that Roku will step up their game in the future and get away from their proprietary development language and the other restrictions that have been mentioned here. As the competition in the space continues to heat up, I think they will be under more and more pressure to do so.
Must admit after being given a free streambar I am very impressed. The hdhomerun clients works very well too - so I guess it is capable of direct playing live tv.