cfg83While I can only speak for myself, having owned first, second, third and fourth gen Roku players I've yet to have problems with remotes though I've never owned a 'stick', Roku TV or budget model. The remote with my previous Roku 3 performed equally to the Roku Ultra I own now. I sold the Roku 3/remote for more than I paid and the buyer was ecstatic after setting it up.
Regardless of the brand or tech, the number of complaints is a fraction of the sales volume, so keep that in mind 🙂
My luck has been good as well. I think my Dad mashes down pretty hard on the remote, so he may have contributed to the issue.
However, it's still NO EXCUSE to go cheap on the buttons. With streaming devices like Roku, it's reliable hardware that counts. That's how they got their foot in the door of the streaming wars.
Since the Roku's PRIMARY interface is the remote, it needs to be more durable than it is. If nothing else, Roku should offer a "hardened" remote for hostile environments like restaurants and such. I would pay $100 for a remote that my Dad couldn't break because the hastle ruins EVERYTHING that makes Roku good.
I am on my third remote in less than one year. I use it daily but it seems that over time the buttons to navigate the channel line up will degrade to the point that I have to press harder to get the remote to initiate the command I am sending. When I purchased this third remote, I had to pay for an extended warranty just to ensure I could replace it when it begins to malfunction. I would like to see Roku develop a durable remote that can endure normal use.
Roku also needs to design remotes that don't drain the batteries too quickly and don't spam the TV screen with malfunctioning low battery pop ups randomly.
There are many things wrong with these badly designed Roku remotes and Roku seems unwilling to address any of them. These remotes have been a problem going back at least 6 years now.
Emissary35 wrote:Roku also needs to design remotes that don't drain the batteries too quickly and don't spam the TV screen with malfunctioning low battery pop ups randomly.
I don't have any of these issues, and pretty much have the breadth of Roku remotes, including the latest Voice Remote Pro. My battery powered remotes generally go several months at a minimum, and the rechargeable Pro only gets used when I travel, and remains in my suitcase the rest of the time. It's never shown any significant loss of charge between trips, and even heavy use during the trip might only take 10-15% of the charge.
