Community discussions

[XplosiveL]

Roku is the worst streaming choice on the market. I mean can't even connect a Bluetooth keyboard. I'll never own anything Roku again in my life. They give you no choice but to buy their product in every home entertainment upgrade catagory, surround sound, sound bars.  I mean it's trouble just trying to cast my phone to my Roku tv.  My android TV and my FireTV so much more used friendly. Just frustrating how they force you to use their accessories. Total scam. 

[Strega]

My Roku is plugged into a Yamaha AVR driving B&O speakers.  Works great.  I've never felt any push or need for a Roku-branded audio product.

[Ello2022]

@XplosiveL  Roku has built an ecosystem like Apple. You can buy a Roku TV and pair the Roku Wireless speakers and subwoofer with it. But no one forces you to use it. My iPhone pairs perfectly with my Roku TV and devices. I stream music with no issues. I have a Roku Ultra hooked to a Samsung TV with a Samsung soundbar (ARC) and have no issues 

[atc98092]

Not following your issue. There's practically no use for a keyboard on a Roku, so what purpose would having one offer? Yes, entering authentication info is easier with a real keyboard, but that's not an everyday need to accomplish. Also, there's a keyboard available in the Roku app for your phone that will work with some places you might need a keyboard. That said, not every channel will accept the keyboard entry from the app, so having a keyboard connected to the Roku would also likely not work.

I'm not following your complaint about using Roku "accessories". Other than the remote, there are no accessories for a Roku player. Roku TVs can use the wireless speakers and subwoofer, but many brands that offer similar products also only work with their specific brands. The only Roku accessory I see on their web page that absolutely has to be used specifically for a Roku is the USB power cable that includes the WiFi antenna. This is required for the Roku Stick it's designed for. And that would be consistent with any brand offering a similar product. 

As to your screen casting issue, it's almost always a network issue that causes such problems. I can cast to every one of my Roku devices from my iPhone or iPads, as well as my Windows 10 laptop. It's likely a network issue you're having. If you'd like some assistance with that, please provide a few more details, such as the model Roku you have, what device you're trying to mirror to the Roku, and a basic explanation of your your home network (ISP, router hardware)

[andyross]

And to add: many Android phones will only cast to genuine Chromecast devices or devices that pay Google to use their protocol.

[Nomie]

I totally agree. Their remote eats up batteries like Pac Man is on a rampage. So what to do? Spend another another $30 on a rechargeable remote or buy stock in the Energizer bubby. I'm sorry I got involved in Roku.  Support service is NON-Existence. I wont recommend Roku to anyone.

[OwnerofDevices]

I have never had to change the batteries in my 4 Roku devices. I am still using the same batteries that came with the devices. One TV was made in December of 2018 and I still have not changed the batteries in this device either. I don't know what you are doing wrong to go through your batteries faster than I. 

[OwnerofDevices]

The community is the support. Where I get support all the time and I offer support to other people here too. 

[atc98092]

IR remote batteries should last a very long time. Almost all Roku TVs I'm aware of come with IR remotes. The battery eaters are all WiFi Direct models. Normally you would expect from 3-6 months on a set of batteries if the remote is working correctly. But some are finding the batteries dead in weeks or even days.

The one thing for everyone to remember is that if you use the headphone jack in the remote, it will use the batteries faster, as they are now powering an audio amplifier in the remote. If you don't unplug the headphones when not in use, the batteries will drain in days, because that audio amp is powered up at all times when the headphones are connected, even if they aren't being used. 

[JjgrmMD]

I’m not paying Roku anything but the cost of the smart TV. To me Roku is a server of my various streaming and antenna based services. I do the same thing with Apple as much as I can.