Roku remotes with channel numbers?
Wow, my parents and I are having this problem with the lack of numerical buttons with a TCL HDTV (28S305)'s Roku RC. They watch it from OTA (antenna) and Internet apps (Spectrum, YouTube, CBS News, V...
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If that's true, then why does Roku number all their streaming stations? What's the point of numbers if you can't use the numbers to access them? As to why it can't access OTA stations, because different areas have different numbers doesn't seem relevant, because if that made a difference, then no generic remotes would ever work, since the numbers may not be connected to the same network channel, but they do. It doesn't matter to the remote what's on these stations, its only job is to take us to them.
But even if I were stuck having scrolling as the only way to access OTA stations, that would not be an issue, as there's less than 70, while the Roku streaming channels go from around 111 to 1100 or 1200. And it's the Roku stations & scrolling through them all, where most of the issues appear. It's bad enough having to try to get to 1080 from 325, as there is no function that speeds up the scrolling, but too often it flips back to the previous channel, before I can reach the other. And attempting to pause and read what's playing on the channels is a roll of the dice, for time may run out at any moment.....
You actually can enter numbers for streaming channels and it will jump to them as you'd expect. You need a remote with numbers of course. I use a Logitech Harmony remote.
Currently OTA channels do not offer this functionality or I haven't figured out how to do it. You need a way to enter the decimal point is my guess
As Brandito induicated, you can use numbers to navigate the Roku Channel both Streaming Guide and OTA Guide. You can easily do it with the keyboard feature of the Roku mobile Remote App.
Currently, the easiest way is with the Voice Remote (or voice feature on remote app) to just jump between Channels (again in both Roku Channel Streaming and OTA Guides), by announcing the Channel number or the Channel name.
Like the others has mentioned, these methods do not yet work across the platform in the other Channels/apps. Would be nice if the ability is being actively developed.
StevenCee It's the Roku app on your phone or tablet. Rokus don't have on-screen keyboards, other than what is built into a specific channel usually for logging in. And they don't support an external keyboard (USB or wireless). The app has a keyboard that works for some actions within the Roku, although not everything. When you have the Roku app set as the remote, there's a button that will open the keyboard. You should see it below the virtual directional pad.
I'm not familiar with the keyboard option with the Roku app. Is it something onscreen, or do I need to connect an external, bluetooth keyboard? But whether I use the keyboard or voice, which is great if I already know what channel I want to watch, neither helps with the issue of trying to read the program guide, to see what's playing on each channel. Why there seems to be some sort of (too short) time limit on scrolling, is very puzzling. Yet, it somehow knows when I've scrolled far from the station I'm watching, to see what else is on (during a commercial), and hoping it will soon bounce me back, it won't!!
Often, I don't even remember what number station I was currently watching the show, but even when I do, it means scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, to get back to where I was. How it will mess with me like that, as it does so almost every time, while bouncing back when I don't want it to, is a head-scratcher for sure, something only Rod Serling could explain....
