Channels & viewing

[Ophidic]

I have three devices, and not a single channel works on these any more.

I have a 20 year old PC still capable of loading YouTube or any streaming site and playing a video.

What's the excuse here?

[Strega2]

I think you’re implying that these things are really old.  If so, yeah that happens. 

As for PCs, video was pretty much happening on PCs back in the 90s so it’s not surprising that even old ones can do it.  However, I think early Rokus were probably pushing the boundaries of what you could do with cheap hardware (of its day.)

That said, I have a 9-year-old laptop and mom has a 7-year-old all-in-one and MS tells us neither of those are qualified for Windows 11, so oldness hits computers too.

[Ophidic]

But why though? Can I get a reason instead of "it's old"?

[Ophidic]

"it's old" isn't an excuse.

Is it not working because Roku just expects me to buy more of their products? Because there is no reason it shouldn't be working unless Roku made it not work anymore on purpose.

[Strega2]

Keep in mind I was only guessing oldness from your PC comparison.  Actual four-digit model numbers would be helpful.

[atc98092]

What do you mean by "HDMI" device? All Roku players have an HDMI output. All Roku TVs have an HDMI input (most have several). Without knowing the model number of your device (and it sounds like it's a player, not a TV) we can't provide any answers. 

Since you specifically mentioned YouTube, yes being old can absolutely mean it won't work. But it's not the fault of Roku. YouTube is owned by Google, and they provide the YouTube app/channel for all devices. They seem to make their YT channel no longer work on players as they get older. My first Roku was the 2 XS (model 3100). The very first channel that became unusable for me was YouTube. And when that happened my Roku was only about 3 years old, maybe close to 4. Everything else worked fine, but not YT. Remember that Google sells a competing device (Chromecast) so they have no impetus to make any effort to support older devices. 

[Ophidic]

Like an HDMI streaming stick. The little purple stick that fits in the HDMI port and connects to the internet an it's entire job is to connect to the internet and run a few aps for major streaming services.

[AvsGunnar]

@Ophidic 

Very similar to how new software/programs fails to work on older computers.  The new software just displays errors like this "software is not compatible with your computer". (usually due to missing necessary installation components).

The channels/apps on the Roku platform all interact with the Roku operating system requirements (software).

For older models of Roku, the newer Roku OS may not work on them.  Could be demands on the new OS, could be hardware limitations of the older models.  Could just be the expense or memory limitations/concerns of trying to make the Roku OS compatible with older models.

In addition to the above, some channel/app developers can also choose to omit supporting some Roku device models. (ie. easier to develop a channel/app on current software than having to adjust behavior for older models that are being used by fewer users).

A list of Roku devices that are still capable of using the Roku OS and unsupported/legacy models can be found at https://developer.roku.com/docs/specs/hardware.md.

If your models are all under the Legacy section, then chances of the channels/app still working are smaller. (unfortunately, anything purple is very likely to be found in the legacy section).

[atc98092]

@Ophidic Thanks for the clarification. As @AvsGunnar mentioned, that Roku Stick is a legacy device, meaning it is no longer supported by Roku and most service providers. The Purple Stick (model 3500) is now over ten years old, and doesn't have the performance to use most modern apps/channels. Unfortunately, it's time for an upgrade. 

[Ophidic]

Well this for sure influences any future purchases. Even my PS3 can still run YouTube with no problem.

It's a 20 year old service and I don't buy hardware just to replace it in the future because the only problem is it's old". Guess I'll just be buying small PC workstations instead of unreliable maybe maybe not gimmick devices.

Computers last way longer than 10 years as long as you treat them well. Parts might be replaced and you might need to upgrade if you want better performance, but at no point will notepad or explorer or anything else stop working because of age.