Discussions

[atc98092]

You can use the Roku app on your phone or tablet and a keyboard is available. Kind of shoots your greedy Roku story full of holes. 

[Montag]

Couldn't a USB hub be used to mitigate this problem? Also, unless I'm mistaken, Roku OS is a custom Linux distribution, so it should  be able to support peripherals like keyboards and USB hubs. If I'm not mistaken, that kind of functionality is built into the kernel, so it really shouldn't be hard for Roku OS developers to enable that kind of functionality.

[atc98092]

Yes, the Roku OS is a version of Linux. However, it's highly modified and they strip out anything unneeded, so there's likely no drivers for a keyboard. Most Roku devices are tight on system memory, so the OS has to be kept as trim as possible. It might simply not be possible to add those drivers back in. And of course very few current Roku devices have a USB port. 

[Blankenship]

It needs to have tactile feedback and a lot of folks still don't use smartphones. A remote keyboard would be much better.

[Blankenship]

"If you could simply use a keyboard with no ads on it..."

I don't think that matters. There aren't normally any ads showing when you have YouTube or Netflix search pulled up on your Roku TV, even without a keyboard. Having a tactile keyboard wouldn't eliminate ads from searches because there aren't any. Also, having a keyboard would allow you to look up your shows faster than clicking on the remote, which logically could result in more cash flow for Roku and the various streaming platforms for those who prefer typing in their search over voice recognition.

[Blankenship]

YES! Up vote on this. A "smart" TV should be able to have a REAL tactile keyboard, even a palm sized one.

[ToxicCrouton]

i was referring to the advertisements on the remote itself. whether you realize it or not the hulu and netflix buttons on your remote are ads.

[ToxicCrouton]

if you think about it when you open the app the first thing you are met with is ads. so no those holes you are talking about are not there.

[atc98092]

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@ToxicCrouton wrote:

i was referring to the advertisements on the remote itself. 

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I promise you, if Roku offered such a keyboard, it would still have those "ad" buttons. Look at virtually any remote for a streaming product (Smart TV, BD Player, streaming player), every one of them has at minimum a Netflix button. Netflix pays a lot of money for those permanent billboards in front of you. And Roku isn't the only one with more than one such button. I have a Onn streaming player with multiple buttons like that, and even 3rd party universal IR remotes have at least the good old Netflix button. There's simply no way of getting past them. I've never owned an Apple TV, so can't say if their remotes have any such buttons. Buy my Nvidia Shield does, by Sony BD player, my LG, Vizio and Samsung TVs, and the list goes on.

[ToxicCrouton]

Your not understanding that i am not asking for a roku keyboard. I want to be able to use any usb keyboard with the tv. This option is available on literally every other tv on the market