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JeRrYFaR's avatar
JeRrYFaR
Channel Surfer
2 days ago

Why are you removing Photo Streams?!

I've been uploading photos regularly to multiple streams to be used in Photo Streams and today when I went to upload I found Photo Streams will be replaced by Backdrops. I then found a link that confirmed it. I'd be fine with it, but it only allows you to stream one album rather than a mix of all of them. I have 204 in one and 5 in another and maybe 10 in another, etc...

Now I can select one album and that's it?! That shouldn't be forced upon your users. I know many people that use their family photos as their screensaver and the other app supports 1000 pictures per stream. Backdrops supports 100 (or 200, can't remember) photos in total. Even if you select multiple photos as "favorites" it will error if there are too many.

I never had this issue with Photo Streams. Why are you removing such a useful channel?

 For those unaware here is ROKU's official link announcing Backdrops is replacing Photo Streams:

https://support.roku.com/article/36075194719383

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4 Replies

  • krkaufman's avatar
    krkaufman
    Streaming Star
    2 hours ago

    FYI... link to Google Photos album for testing Backdrops slideshow:

    • https://photos.app.goo.gl/Vv7nkVGMuEqkhqzG9
    • JeRrYFaR's avatar
      JeRrYFaR
      Channel Surfer
      2 hours ago

      I looked through it and it seemed to display 200, then 100, if I looked at it correctly which isn't bad, but you said it stopped below 200 (178) and then kept re-displaying the same photo over and over which isn't great.

      We don't have many other options and I don't care about displaying art.

  • krkaufman's avatar
    krkaufman
    Streaming Star
    2 hours ago

    Seriously! Even with its flaws*, Photo Streams is vastly preferable to what Backdrops currently has to offer ... from the screensaver integration to much more flexible photo selection and display.  I'm currently running a test on a Google photo album with 1400 photos, and initial findings are...  

    • Backdrops only lists the first 1000 photos (per photo order set for the album within Google Photos)
    • Backdrops displays the photos in order, without randomization, so every instance will produce the same slideshow
    • TBD how deeply into the 1000 photos Backdrops will dive; currently at photo # 110; need to get a vidcam on the job, as it may have restarted around photo # 130. 
      edit: Most recent test stopped at photo # 178, and just kept displaying photo # 178.

     

    \* Re: Photo Streams flaws ...  

    "and the other app supports 1000 pictures per stream"

    I think you'd find that Photo Streams would never display all 1000 photos, outside manual navigation. The Photo Streams screensaver is limited to only ever displaying a max 100 photos during a given slideshow, and the photo selection algorithm has a glitch that limits how deeply into the enabled photo streams that it will dive, along with only including the 20 most recently enabled streams. (Photo Streams photo selection limitations are detailed in a separate thread)

    • JeRrYFaR's avatar
      JeRrYFaR
      Channel Surfer
      2 hours ago

      I didn't go as in_depth as I should have, but you're correct. Definitely a limitation, however it does occasionally show different photos as I've seen it choose others randomly. 

      It may not display all of them, but you're not limited to one stream. I have 5 photos in one of my streams (I'm trying to redo them as HD, 16x9, etc) and it's helpful to choose multiple streams at once. I haven't tested Google Photos on my account. I did on my wife's and she had A LOT of duplicates so that didn't help much.

      I just want them to allow more than one stream. I'll redo my Google Album if that's what I need to do, but based on your tests it seems to stop anyway.