New channel version notification?

For my channels, I save the current version to the registry. That way, the first time an update is launched, I can compare the stored version with the current version and present the user with a dialog indicating what has been updated if they don't match.

"TheEndless" wrote:
For my channels, I save the current version to the registry. That way, the first time an update is launched, I can compare the stored version with the current version and present the user with a dialog indicating what has been updated if they don't match.

Yeah, I understand that's possible, but I'm really referring to the home screen, before they've decided to look into the channel. It's less of an issue for a media channel where the content is constantly updating, as the user is already conditioned to the fact that the content will be changing often and look occasionally.

Our situation may be a good example: We are updating Reversi! to have a new feature (definable board size) and a harder max difficulty level. Without a way to indicate there are new features, someone who decided they were bored with the current difficulty/features may take quite a while to check back in on it. I would rather customers feel they got a good deal for their money, and that the game/channel is actively being worked on.

Gotcha. You know, they use to push channels that had been updated to the front of the list, but that seemed to go away with the new channel store. I wonder if they could add a "Recently Updated" category to complement the "New" category.

"TheEndless" wrote:
Gotcha. You know, they use to push channels that had been updated to the front of the list, but that seemed to go away with the new channel store. I wonder if they could add a "Recently Updated" category to complement the "New" category.

Yeah, I think the old channel store actually had a sorting category for most recently updated, but I can't recall. This would address some of the issues at a minimal level, and theoretically not be very hard for Roku to implement. Good suggestion!

Yeah, it would really be nice if underneath the "New" section, there was a "recently updated" section. This could be kept from being too chatty by only listing channels that had significant changes, of course that would be up to the folks at Roku to decide. Right now, if you have a major upgrade, nobody will know about it except people who already have it installed.

- Joel

"jbrave" wrote:
Yeah, it would really be nice if underneath the "New" section, there was a "recently updated" section. This could be kept from being too chatty by only listing channels that had significant changes, of course that would be up to the folks at Roku to decide. Right now, if you have a major upgrade, nobody will know about it except people who already have it installed.

Well, it starts getting into the realm of not being as easy to implement anymore, but a box on channel submission for entering the list of (publicly viewable) changes could then be used to trigger whether it shows up in the recently updated section. Leave the change log box empty, no recently update listing. Enter something in it, show it in recently updated, preferably along with the list of changes. Although at that point it will probably take a while to get implemented, and they might as well just take their time and do it right then.

Right now I would be happy with a recently updated section in the channel store that just lists the last X recently updated by submission or Roku acceptance date, with the assumption it would be easy/quick for Roku to implement and would provide at least some out-of-channel information that a channel has changed.

Yeah Kbenson, I basically agree on this. Since they only update once a week anyway, this would be absolutely fine.

- Joel

I don't see the point of such notification and it will also be an easy target for abuse. Somebody can bump the version every day (or week, as often as that registers) and submit the app as "new" thus staying featured perennially in the "Recently updated" list.

It goes cross with the idea of a "channel" too. A channel imho specializing in delivering a multimedia experience of some sort (be it films, music or a game). If it changes its contents radially, that would be another channel, so publish it separately. If it aggregates say multiple games, get a regular schedule for publishing said new sub-game (once a week or month) and your users will come for it. You can notify your users "in situ" (when the channel is started, the idea by TheEndless) or out-of-band by any means you made the users opt-in to be bugged about updates (email etc when registering on your site).

And i personally will be unhappy if my Roku start showing some blinking or jumping or highlighting of some channel icons because it has to download new versions of them. Part of the elegance of Roku player is that it behaves like a home appliance and "simply works" (unlike say a Sony Blu-ray player that will jump on me every time i turn it on "i found new update! new firmware, i want you to update me mom, can we do that please please please!"

"EnTerr" wrote:
I don't see the point of such notification and it will also be an easy target for abuse. Somebody can bump the version every day (or week, as often as that registers) and submit the app as "new" thus staying featured perennially in the "Recently updated" list.

Public channels and their updates have to be approved by Roku, so I don't think there's a danger of someone abusing the update process.

I think there's great utility in a row in the channel store that indicates what channels have been recently updated. We're not talking about flashing lights and sirens, just another row next to the "New" row. There may be a channel I tried out awhile back, but decided for whatever reason wasn't quite useful enough to clutter my channel list. Or maybe a game that I completed and uninstalled. If I have no way of knowing it's been updated, then I may be missing out on some exciting new features and/or new levels. In-channel notification is only useful for channels I already have installed and regularly use, which I'll automatically get the updates for anyway.

"TheEndless" wrote:

"EnTerr" wrote:
I don't see the point of such notification and it will also be an easy target for abuse. Somebody can bump the version every day (or week, as often as that registers) and submit the app as "new" thus staying featured perennially in the "Recently updated" list.

Public channels and their updates have to be approved by Roku, so I don't think there's a danger of someone abusing the update process.

So Roku will have to define an objective criteria of what makes an app "new", which is impossible. Does change of the icon or font constitute new? Reformatting of the source? Adding a new content inside (which you may or not do by updating your feed but still looks like "updated channel" to the users)?

And since there could not be objective criteria, it will be subjective. There will be undue pressure to push channel "renovations" just to be featured in this way. Roku will have to hire people to review and try to adjudicate if channel is "new-worthy" or not. Judgement will cause bad blood between Roku and some developers, because as i said, there is no objective way for all sides to see the same.

And i still fail to see how an update to a channel makes it noteworthy. Most updates are not worthy of attention, the need of some we in fact don't want to point out. Say there were silly misspellings in some of my text labels and I fixed them - should I tout that? Don't want people to abandon your app - DIRFT (Do It Right the First Time) 🙂

And speaking of Roku judging what is worthy and what not... oh wait, they DO have that already, it is called "Featured" category. Someone thinks they've made major upgrade to a channel that changes the world - eh, just email Roku and persuade them to feature you.

ps. corrected DRIFT -> DIRFT