Forum Discussion

sanchezjl's avatar
sanchezjl
Visitor
15 years ago

Tools to administer Roku boxes through Internet

Hello, Is there a Windows or Web based application to acces a Roku box to restart it remotely through Internet? Does anyone know about a software developer who has developed a remote control access for Roku (middleware, etc.)? We are an IPTV integrator in search of administration tools to administer Roku boxes remotely through internet.
Thanks before hands,
Regards,
Jose Sanchez
Movipbox, Inc.
Roku Developer Program

4 Replies

  • destruk's avatar
    destruk
    Streaming Star
    15 years ago
    The roku box can only be turned off by removing the power cord from a power outlet. Or, if you have your roku connected to a uninterruptable power supply, you can probably look for a tool to turn off specific outlets on that UPS.
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/38211573/UPS-PowermanagerII - that one has computer control for ON/OFF for the UPS system on page 36, so using remote desktop to your pc with the software installed will allow you to do that, provided the UPS is connected to both. Turning it back on might be a problem though...since you'd want the PC to be connected to the UPS too.
  • jbrave's avatar
    jbrave
    Channel Surfer
    15 years ago
    Several remote controls exist, like dvpremote for iPhone, but it doesn't let you use hostnames, just ip addresses, not sure if it can actually work on a wan or over the Internet, seems to be LAN only.
  • EnTerr's avatar
    EnTerr
    Roku Guru
    14 years ago
    "jbrave" wrote:
    Several remote controls exist, like dvpremote for iPhone, but it doesn't let you use hostnames, just ip addresses, not sure if it can actually work on a wan or over the Internet, seems to be LAN only.


    Next version of my app ("Remote for Roku" for iOS) will allow use of host names. You can use non-intranet IPs in some of the other remotes and that will work fine. The auto-discovery won't though, you'll need to know the IP for sure.

    Unfortunately the degree of remote control that can be done that way is fairly limited - no way to restart the player or even check in what condition it is (what's playing right now?). I don't know if Roku has hardware watchdog that will restart it in case it hangs up.
  • kbenson's avatar
    kbenson
    Visitor
    14 years ago
    "EnTerr" wrote:
    I don't know if Roku has hardware watchdog that will restart it in case it hangs up.


    Pretty sure it does, if it's an actual crash. I think that's the cause of the reboots people see when it crashes (otherwise crashes would just leave it locked up). I don't think I've ever gotten the roku to a locked state that persisted (but I have gotten it to a screwed up state where you couldn't enter any channels, but could navigate around the channel select screen).