Why does Roku want 3 of my remote control buttons to be useless?

chupa7 · Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:30 am

Having just purchased a Roku Ultra, I have a problem with the remote control. Netflix is so ubiquitous it's understandable why it has a dedicated media button, but I have absolutely zero interest in Sling, Showtime, or Hulu. I would not use them if you payed me. Why does Roku not allow us to reprogram these buttons? I chose Roku instead of Apple, Amazon or Google, and all those alternatives offer remotes that don't cater to whoever they have contracts with, they are interested in refining them to be as customer friendly as possible. I really, really hate having 3 ugly, useless buttons on my remote control. If Roku doesn't change this policy I'm considering returning this unit (which I otherwise love) and not recommending it to friends and family.

Elijah_Baley · Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:43 am

My sympathies on your purchase of an Ultra. You have much frustration and issues to look forward to. but that is a subject for another thread.

As far your question: The reason is simple. Those companies paid Roku for placement on the remote. If you want to use them is irrelevant as their positioning is already paid for.

The reason that they cannot be reprogrammed is the same.

I solved the issue for me by physically removing the buttons. I also removed the useless and intrusive (for me) voice search button that I would sometimes press by accident forcing the Roku to exit whatever I was watching.

But, to be honest, I use the physical Roku remote only occasionally as my primary usage is split between a top end Harmony remote and RoByte. (The best of the Android remotes for Roku) I do use the Roku's remote but I just use the others more.

knuckle · Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:46 am

because deals are struck between Roku and programming "Partners " I have made the feature request that those buttons be reassigned to the first four entries of ones channel list if the partner channel is not installed -- to date this has not been implemented

Elijah_Baley · Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:57 am

knuckle wrote:
because deals are struck between Roku and programming "Partners " I have made the feature request that those buttons be reassigned to the first four entries of ones channel list if the partner channel is not installed -- to date this has not been implemented

You actually think that is possible? I thought you had outgrown that level of innocence. :mrgreen:

That would be much too "user friendly" for the current mold of the company called Roku. Four or five years ago, maybe. But now there is no way such would seriously be considered. As Roku has grown they have lost the need/desire to be customer friendly. But they are still the best streamer, for me, there is but they are no longer the most customer friendly company I deal with.

twiceover · Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:38 pm

I know I hate it when companies try to stay in business.

Get over it people. Don't like the buttons, remove them.

And here comes the "I paid for the box why would there be any more cost involved" people...

Basil · Sun Jun 11, 2017 6:36 pm

There's always not pressing the buttons. On my Roku remote, they're the lowest rows of buttons, and furtherest from the thumb I use to press the buttons/etc on the remote, so it's real easy for me to not press them. It's my superpower, I suppose.

davidjazz · Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:38 pm

Look at it this way: Those buttons help subsidize the cost of the Roku to you.
If that advertising revenue were not there, how much more might the retail price be?

chupa7 · Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:39 pm

twiceover wrote:
I know I hate it when companies try to stay in business.

Get over it people. Don't like the buttons, remove them.

And here comes the "I paid for the box why would there be any more cost involved" people...

Apple and Amazon don't require tacky, useless buttons on their remotes to stay in business.

chupa7 · Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:45 pm

davidjazz wrote:
Look at it this way: Those buttons help subsidize the cost of the Roku to you.
If that advertising revenue were not there, how much more might the retail price be?

As it stands, the only thing these buttons will do on my roku is get hit on accident and take me out of the show I'm watching.
If the option for re-programmable buttons was offered as an added cost instead I would opt for it.

mikebdoss · Mon Jun 12, 2017 2:11 pm

chupa7 wrote:
twiceover wrote:
I know I hate it when companies try to stay in business.

Get over it people. Don't like the buttons, remove them.

And here comes the "I paid for the box why would there be any more cost involved" people...

Apple and Amazon don't require tacky, useless buttons on their remotes to stay in business.

Apple and Amazon are orders of magnitude larger than Roku, and their media players are a tiny, tiny portion of their overall business.

twiceover · Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:35 pm

chupa7 wrote:
davidjazz wrote:
Look at it this way: Those buttons help subsidize the cost of the Roku to you.
If that advertising revenue were not there, how much more might the retail price be?

As it stands, the only thing these buttons will do on my roku is get hit on accident and take me out of the show I'm watching.
If the option for re-programmable buttons was offered as an added cost instead I would opt for it.

It now asks you if you intended to press them and doesn't immediately take you away. Also, you can just remove them if it's that bad.

twiceover · Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:38 pm

chupa7 wrote:
twiceover wrote:
I know I hate it when companies try to stay in business.

Get over it people. Don't like the buttons, remove them.

And here comes the "I paid for the box why would there be any more cost involved" people...

Apple and Amazon don't require tacky, useless buttons on their remotes to stay in business.

You mean two of the 3 largest tech companies in the universe are able to subsidize their boxes through their other services? I mean, they also like to get in pissing matches with eachother. I think Amazon finally bent over for Apple and is putting their app on the AppleTV, which is something like V3 and they scrapped the first two generations entirely, making them basically paperweights.

JMgoBlue · Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:52 pm

Totally get it that you guys hate the buttons, but I'm trying to set up my parents with a DirecTV Now subscription and I'm wondering - will they have a button like Sling does? Would make it much easier for them.

Thanks!

Tivoburkee · Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:51 pm

JMgoBlue wrote:
Totally get it that you guys hate the buttons, but I'm trying to set up my parents with a DirecTV Now subscription and I'm wondering - will they have a button like Sling does? Would make it much easier for them.

Thanks!

If you had remote that takes pronto hex, there's a code for Directv now:
DirecTV NOW

0000 006D 0044 0022 0157 00AB 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 05E7 0157 00AB 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 05E7 0157 00AB 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0040 0015 0040 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 0015 05E7

atc98092 · Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:22 am

I believe he's referring to the Roku remote. No, there's no way to modify what channel a button opens. Unless DirecTV pays Roku for a button placement, I doubt there will ever be one. I have several remotes that all have different buttons on the second row, and at least one channel no longer exists. But the button is still there...

Why does Roku want 3 of my remote control buttons to be useless?

Why does Roku want 3 of my remote control buttons to be useless?

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