Oh okay, I was worried for a second in case I wasted hours using Requiem to strip DRM from my whole library.
I was talking about locally downloaded iTunes files, not streaming them from iCloud.
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Roku Announces Five New Streaming Devices Between $30 and $130
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Well I guess you've never used the Roku remote. Think of a cheaply made plastic older Apple TV style remote and how much fun that was.
But we all have our preferences. Its cool.
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I've had several Rokus. The remote is fine IMO. I also liked the older Apple TV remote because of its simplicity. The most important thing for me after a good UI is to be able to operate the remote without looking and/or searching for buttons, and that works best with remotes that have a small number of physical buttons in a good layout. The new Apple TV remote works pretty well too, even though the touchpad has its pros and cons.
yeah but don't i need to strip the DRM? I honestly would hate to have to go through all of that, but with wife, little kids, don't have time for that fun stuff anymore. I just need easy and quick. Its the one thing about my Roku that sucks. I can't stream my Apple Movies. I love using VUDU the Roku does that great too.
Roku interface is horrible.....I've had Apple TV since the 1st version, and now have Amazon Fire TV as well. Got Roku because I ditched cable for Playstation Vue (wish PS Vue had an App on ATV) and then grabbed the Fire TV for my bedroom because I disliked Roku so much. But I am finding that I am using Apple TV more and more with my PS Vue credentials and getting better access than just those single channels.
I really am looking forward to a single device that allows me to watch Netflix, Amazon, HBO and my local library that supports 4K and HDR. Having to use a combination of my smart TV, Apple TV and UHD BluRay player to watch these is kind of annoying.
I have Roku, Apple TV (3 and 4) and chromecast. If I need to rewind or forward, ATV4 remote does not work well. Chromecast is worse. In those situations, I like to use Roku or ATV3 remotes.
That sort of proves my point. Their remote design, which is a very important part of big-screen user interface, is not influenced by what is best for the consumer. I don't know how much they get per unit from those app makers to make a dedicated button, but I can't imagine it's worth it from a consumer perspective. Just charge me the extra $5, or swallow that cost, and make the remote actually good.
Maybe you're right and I'm an idiot, because the differences are not obvious to me. Though I have never mixed up the Enter key and the Backspace key. Also, the open bracket is not used navigationaly, at least as far as I know.
Nevertheless, as an idiot consumer, the Roku buttons do confuse me. All of these buttons look like they would bring me to where I was before in the UI:
Maybe a smart techie understands that one is rewind, one is back, one is left, and one is jump back 15 seconds (or reload?). But these things are supposed to be used by non-techie grandparents, spouses, and the like as an alternative to cable. Roku will never succeed until it figures out that UI, and that includes remote design, is of paramount importance. And that they are failing at it.
Weird. I have several "non-techies" in my household and so far nobody has had problems with this. The function of the buttons is pretty obvious by their placement next to other related buttons (and, in case of the "left" button, color).
The remotes I hate the most are the ones with gazillions of buttons that usually come with disc players, TVs, A/V receivers etc. ...
$69 gets you Android TV from Xiaomi, the Mi Box (which has really nice specs and is 4K capable);
![10325300_717584834973223_3725636753872199966_n1.jpg]()
Also included is a USB port that you can attach devices to including USB sticks and external hard drives for native playback of MP4/MKV files WITHOUT having to rely on another device:
![Xiaomi-Mi-Box-3-Wifi-3840x2160-Quad-Core-TV-Box-Android-4-4-4k-Internet-IPTV.jpg]()
What the hell was the point of Apple putting out their AppleTV with a USB port that you can't use?!
Anyway, it's way better deal than Apple TV and by that extension, better than the Roku as well.
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Plex is awesome. I've got it running via Chromecast for 40 bucks. I used to use a Boxee Box but haven't touched it in almost a year. I love the fact that my phone is my remote control.
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He meant the arrow buttons, not the app shortcuts.
That looks like a good option. For all the flak smart TV's receive (admittedly the UI is awful) I can plug in an external drive and play almost all of my local content. It's a nice option and hassle free. No server or NAS required. I don't think I could pay money for a box that doesn't include this feature.
I agree with this! To me, the aluminum Apple TV remote was pretty close to perfect. No unnecessary buttons, very clicky buttons, well-balanced body, pretty much indestructible.
I don't think Apple has any interest in developing any device that sells for $29.99.
I can't wait to see more reviews. I really don't want to always have my computer on or NAS just to playback media on ANOTHER device. For myself, I'm waiting on the 2nd Gen Nvidia Shield TV (Plex can act as the server there) however I'm definitely eager to see the reviews on the Xiaomi Mi Box, that price and the features are exactly what I'm looking for my parents and sister.
I got a smart TV with USB ports as well, but it takes ages for it to recognize my media. have about 200+ movies on one drive and it completely freezes up when trying to read that. For now, I'm using Chromecast with Plex on my hackintosh... it works quite well, but prefer a standalone solution.
That's what makes the Chromecast app so great. You don't have to mess with the UI or the device. You just open the app and use like you are used to. Netflix is Netflix, Hulu is Hulu, YouTube is YouTube.
Just open the app and use it like you regularly used it instead of device specific implementation that is never as updated as promptly or as well as on the true app itself. That alone is the genius of Chromecast or Googlecast or whatever it's called.
It's the sheer simplicity to set up and use. And that it's the cheapest option is only the icing on the cake.
I appreciate your innovated ideas to prolong your Roku, But that should not have to happen where you manipulate the product, to keep it from over heating. It's product hardware control that could use future improvements.
Roku is great, but its user interface is butt-ugly, even with the latest updates. This is the main reason why I prefer Apple TV 4.
If Roku updated their user interface with something more suitable for 2016 (and less suitable for the La-z-boy crowd), then it would be a formidable player.
I hate it that Apple TV 4 does not have Amazon Prime.
I hate it that Apple TV 4 cannot control my receiver over HDMI without a line of sight -- Apple makes some really annoying decisions to save a penny....
If Roku updated their user interface with something more suitable for 2016 (and less suitable for the La-z-boy crowd), then it would be a formidable player.
I hate it that Apple TV 4 does not have Amazon Prime.
I hate it that Apple TV 4 cannot control my receiver over HDMI without a line of sight -- Apple makes some really annoying decisions to save a penny....
No, it shouldn't happen; but it does.
It appears to be a common issue with the Roku 4 that I've seen elsewhere online.Yeah, but I don't like first turning on and unlocking my phone and looking for a button every time I want to pause/rewind etc.. Much easier just to push a physical button, especially if it's a well designed remote that I don't even have to look at. Besides, I don't watch Netflix etc. on my phone, so I'm not really used to their tiny screen UIs.
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I find the ATV4 remote to be the best for rewind and fast forward if the apps use it properly. In Netflix is super easy to get where you want. The faster you move your finger the faster it skips. The slower you move your finger the more fine grained you get. The Roku probably comes in second.
When you present anything out of context, like you did with the buttons there by cutting them out individually, you can manipulate things to make it look a certain way. In context (and in practice) however, the buttons are not at all confusing unless you're trying to make it appear that way.
At work we call them "stubusers" (stubborn users that abuse the luddite philosophy, yet still need tech). People that force themselves into the "idiot" category when it suits them or is of benefit to them, even though they purport to be smart and insist on being taken seriously in other, closely related categories (again) when it suits them or is of benefit to them. They feel very entitled to having it both ways so they can "be right" without regard for any argument to the contrary no matter how much fact is presented.