Channels & viewing

[Simon_Templar]

Hi, @AvsGunnar:

Thanks for your attempts to help us understand this matter.

I wouldn't have thought it possible for a new feature to suddenly appear without a corresponding software update, but it seems this is what happened.

Also, to address part of your last comment, I did go to "Settings" > "Home Screen" and set the "Live TV" shortcut to "Hide."  All this does is hide the menu option on the left side of the Home screen.

When "Live TV" is set to "Show," my Home screen menu options are:

• Home
• Live TV
• Search
• Streaming Store
• Settings

When "Live TV" is set to "Hide," my Home screen menu options are:

• Home
• Search
• Streaming Store
• Settings

This latter list is the state of my current Home screen, as shown in image IMG_1493.JPG.  While this setting does alter the available menu options, it does not affect the "Live TV" shortcut tile.

At this point, short of a Roku engineer telling us otherwise, I guess there's nothing that can be done.  So, I'm just going to assume that the unwanted shortcut will remain.

My additional thanks to:

@djkdlhsfjk4489 for the original post about the issue

@Anonymous for the subsequent post and contributions

@FrequencyBebop for doing what I didn't want to do -- a factory reset

Best to all,

Simon

[AvsGunnar]

@Simon_Templar 

When you select Settings/Home Screen, you should see a list of "Menu Items" that you can Show or Hide on the Home Screen.  These are the Menu Items that appear on the left hand side of the screen. (in the Home Screen Menu).  [image 1]

Under Settings/Home Screen, you should also see a category labeled "Shortcuts".  These are some features/buttons that will be added to the Home Screen at the bottom, or end, of the channel/app list.  These are generally able to be enabled or disabled by checking/unchecking the box.  They will basically be a tile with a white icon. [image 2]

Under Settings/Home Screen/Shortcuts is where this new LiveTV Shortcut should be able to be disabled (although it sounds like it cannot currently from user descriptions).

-----

We began noticing Roku testing features on some select user devices a couple of years ago when trying to address issues and wondering why a user would reportedly be seeing or experiencing something that was not a universal part of the Roku platform.  Some users currently have an additional Search bar on the top of their Home Screen that they have to navigate past in order to get to their channels/apps.

https://community.roku.com/t5/Features-settings-updates/Remove-the-big-search-box-from-Roku-home-scr...

These users have also been informed in a thread that this test feature cannot be hidden or removed at this time which leads me to believe you and others are experiencing another one of these features.

I have expressed my displeasure in the continued decision to test features on user devices without their knowledge or way to opt out.  Best you may get is a response in this thread acknowledging the feature is being tested and to provide/leave feedback.

----

Of course, this may also be just a bug and the Shortcut button will disappear. 

------

Image 1 

Image 2

[Simon_Templar]

@AvsGunnar,

Thanks for your reply.

When you select Settings/Home Screen, you should see a list of "Menu Items" that you can Show or Hide on the Home Screen.  These are the Menu Items that appear on the left hand side of the screen. (in the Home Screen Menu).  [image 1]

Indeed, that's what I observed and mentioned in my last post.  I just added THIS VIDEO showing all of those items being hidden.

Under Settings/Home Screen, you should also see a category labeled "Shortcuts".  These are some features/buttons that will be added to the Home Screen at the bottom, or end, of the channel/app list.  These are generally able to be enabled or disabled by checking/unchecking the box.  They will basically be a tile with a white icon. [image 2]

Yes, I've had those disabled by default for a long time.  I just added the two Shortcuts "Add Channels" and "TV Off" to the Home screen.  (see THIS IMAGE)  Next, I was able to remove them successfully, using the "Hide Shortcut" option.  (see THIS IMAGE)

Under Settings/Home Screen/Shortcuts is where this new LiveTV Shortcut should be able to be disabled (although it sounds like it cannot currently from user descriptions).

Agreed.  This is what I was thinking, too -- that the "Live TV" tile should be listed under "Settings" > "Home Screen" as a SHORTCUT, rather than a menu option.  On the Home screen, the "Live TV" tile is grouped with Channels like YouTube and Pandora, rather than grouped with Shortcuts like "Add Channels" and "TV Off."  I'm being very specific with my language and descriptions, so I hope I'm making sense.

Anyway, the difference in these two (Channels vs. Shortcuts) may be why the "Live TV" menu options look like THIS, while the "Add Channels" and "TV Off" menu options look like THIS.

Thanks again and be well.

Simon

[Anonymous]

Yes, we both have tried the same exact steps, with the same exact results. And you are welcome for the info I gave too.

It is odd that nobody from Roku had been in on this conversation. We gave enough info for them to say that they can check this out or if this is indeed a new feature being rolled out or tested. I quit Motorola for this exact same reason..... I will never get another Moto anything. I'm leaning that way with Roku. This is another slap in the face, from all the past slaps in the face we customers have been given.... loss of private channels, adult channels, wireless (Wifi only) connections on soundbars, YT TV cancelled for a while over arguments, along with this. And they just welcomed new mods on here.

Hmmmmm!

[Simon_Templar]

In your original message about this issue, I see that AvsGunnar pointed RokuCarly to this thread.  So, there's still a chance that Roku Support can help figure out what's happening.  Maybe it's something that can be addressed in a future software update.  Being a low priority issue, though, it could take some time.

[Anonymous]

Being a public display of people not being happy with Roku doing this and other things.... Should make it a higher up issue, especially if it is a tradable stock (symbol is "ROKU"). But like I had said many times before.... Roku made some boneheaded choices. Now that there are more player brands out there, logic SHOULD indicate to them to fix the issues. But it's the stockholders' money wasted and going to drain.

[Simon_Templar]

Since this thread was posted, there have been two other threads reporting this same issue:

https://community.roku.com/t5/Channels-viewing/New-quot-Live-Channels-quot-tile-in-the-Channels-area...

https://community.roku.com/t5/Channels-viewing/Can-I-Remove-the-quot-Live-TV-quot-Icon-From-the-Home...

@RokuCarly was flagged in the first URL above and a link to this thread was also provided.

[JDnTX]

It is illegal in the state of Texas to put this on my Home screen without a way to parental control.

[Simon_Templar]

For anyone who may be interested in this issue, I contacted Roku Support via chat and a gentleman reviewed this thread, took some additional information, and checked with some of his colleagues.  The response was that it's a known issue and Roku is actively working to address it.  There's currently no timeline for a resolution, but at least the issue is known and is being investigated.

[Anonymous]

So in other words, "F--k You" is the Roku response. It's just that Roku didn't use those exact words. Same response, different company. I assure you they are doing nothing to look at the code or programming on the Roku platform. I'm not easily passified, when I spend good money for bad service or a bad product.