Channels & viewing

[MrMark]

Here's the thing - there is a feud going on between Roku and Google.  There is talk that there may be no more YouTube app for Roku after December 2021.  So in that context, it makes perfect sense to me that neither Roku nor Google are going to fix this problem until such time if/when the disagreement is settled.  I wouldn't expect Google to care one bit about doing what's right for anyone other than themselves, but I honestly expected more from Roku.  Apparently that expectation has been invalidated.  I'm really disappointed in Roku.  All the neutral party business sounded pretty good until they started pushing their own channel, and thus ceasing to be neutral.

So yeah, if you want YouTube to work, I think an Android device would be a pretty good bet.  Trouble is that Android being Google, there are other things that don't work on Android because of Google attitude.  And Apple TV device may be a better option, but Apple has hated Google ever since they ripped off their user interface for Android, and whatever it was that happened with Google maps that irked Steve Jobs enough to direct Apple to develop their very own map app just for the spite of it.

What does that leave?  Other than a lot of people not getting what was implied/expected?

Don't say Chromecast, because that's just another flavor of Google.  And don't say Amazon Fire because that's both Amazon AND Google.  What could be more self-interested than that combination?

It seems possible that it will always work on Apple devices because Apple is a big company with a more customer-centric attitude than Google/Android/Chrome, Amazon, and now Roku.

What do you guys think?  If I can sell my many Roku devices to someone who doesn't care about anything Google, what should I buy to replace them?

[MrMark]

I tend to agree, but what shall we throw our money at next?

[atc98092]

@MrMark you have some valid points. But unfortunately, there's only three flavors of streaming players on the market now. One is the Apple ecosystem, one is Roku and one is Android. There are literally hundreds of Android based players, but since Google supports Android there's no getting around that. Yes, most TVs and Blu Ray players also offer streaming apps, but most are limited in what they offer, and in some cases (Sony), it's still Android. 

If Roku is being completely honest about their dispute with Google, I take their side. Google does push their weight around, which is one reason I use Bing as my primary search engine. But I will continue to use my Roku devices where they work best, and my Android (Shield) players where they work best. At there time, there is no one single streaming player that covers all the bases, and most likely there never will be. 

[edburgos]

Got a source for information in the Google vs Roku feud? Never heard of it and I’m just curious, if true then I’ll have to switch devices.

As for the issues with saving search history and/or not seeing anything on the search page like i stated before I no longer have the problem since removing the AdGuard DNS from my network. I strongly believe thats the root cause of the problem, perhaps there is some blocking going on in your networks unbeknownst to you, at the ISP level maybe?

[MrMark]

Search the web with DuckDuckGo for "youtube roku feud".

I have two ISPs and it's the same with either one, so I'm going to rule that out as the main issue.  And I never had AdGuard, so I'm ruling that out too.  And just for grins, I switched back to Google DNS, and that didn't help either.  The only thing that works at all is to avoid using my YouTube brand channels, which is disorganized at best.

[MrMark]

I agree with you about the players.  You could say that there are smart TVs that don't depend upon any of the major three, but in my experience, they're also not very good, hampered by a lack of processing power and/or poor interface design..

As for honesty, Roku is not *completely* honest, because they can't be neutral while aggressively pushing their own channel and programming.  I'm no Google fan, but let's face it - Google has the weight to throw, so all Roku can accomplish by not playing ball is to disenfranchise their customers.  Maybe some will say that they don't care about YouTube, but as much as I hate Google, I'm not going to waste an HDMI port on any streaming device that doesn't work with YouTube.

[atc98092]

True, Roku does offer TRC and pushes it pretty hard in North America. But I've never seen any sort of issue that they cause with Google channels. Specifically the issue of this thread. Search history within YouTube is under the sole control of Google. There's nothing Roku can do about the functionality within a channel, as long as their OS and programming language support such functionality. People blaming Roku because of a missing feature within a specific app/channel simply don't understand how programming works. 

[MrMark]

Try as I might, I just can't hold Roku blameless in this problem.  I just don't believe it's that simple.  FWIW, I am a programmer.

[RokuDanny-R]

@foresthillsbob @MrMark

Thanks for the posts.

For more information about that channel's features and functionality, you'll want to contact YouTube support directly to inquire further. Many channels on Roku are developed and maintained by the channel provider themselves. 

Thanks,
Danny

[MrMark]

If only it was that simple:

For more information about that channel's features and functionality, you'll want to contact YouTube support directly to inquire further.