Features, settings & updates

[Art101]

Amen, Emissary35. Great comments.

This is symptomatic of a core problem at Roku. The user interface was buggy from the start because it wasn't truly about providing a great user experience. It wasn't about building a product users could trust. It was about short-term corporate greed... and an inability to see the big picture.

I remember the day I bought, unboxed, and set up my Roku TV. I was sick to death of cable TV (aka Comcast, Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, etc.) and wanted to cut the cord. Roku's marketing team is great at selling something we all want to believe. I was so hopeful.

But after a few weeks with Roku, I realized my hopes are futile. It's just more of the same.

Channels I "hide" mysteriously reappear. New channels I didn't ask for and will never watch suddenly appear and I must "hide" them. And there's the never-ending assault of ads, ads, ads, and more ads. I began to hate the advertisers and all advertisements.

I could go on and on, but what good would it do? Roku is what it is.

As for the issue we're talking about — Roku messing with our home screens via that horrible "Recommended" junk — I have an idea.

It might be fun if someone at Roku support could escalate this entire thread to somebody who might actually profit from fixing it. I'm thinking about a billionaire called Anthony Wood. Last time I checked, he's the CEO of Roku.

[anandaruchira]

Hi, @Kimber004, Tell me how it got removed? I'm still hoping to get it off my screen.

[Kimber004]

I doubt it was anything I did. The first day I saw it I thought maybe deleting the “Roku Channel” app would make it go away, but even with the app gone the section was still there. It stayed on my home screen for almost a month then just disappeared. 

[anandaruchira]

@Kimber004  thx. Maybe, then, like a bad dream, maybe it just needs time to go away. 🤣

[Art101]

It's good to see interest in this thread. It would be better if someone in a position to make meaningful changes at Roku helped grant us the freedom to disable that obnoxious new "Recommended" junk on our Home screens.

That said, I have good news to report. I helped a total stranger decide not to buy a Roku TV today.

I was at a big box retailer shopping for a new TV. A fellow shopper approached me.

"Excuse me," she said. "I noticed you looking at a TV. May I ask a few questions?"

An interesting conversation followed. Here's the short version. She wants to cut the cable. Like millions of consumers, she's sick to death of corporate greed. She was considering a Roku TV.

She asked if I trusted Roku. "No," I replied. "The TV I'm buying does have a Roku logo or operating system."

Today was a good day.

[justinator519]

I really hope this gets looked into. Today is the first day this popped up and I’m honestly upset that I can’t do anything about it. I never cared for the ads, I understand they need to have consistent income. But interrupting the rhythm of switching channels is something that would actually consider me to switch.

[Lackey123]

Any updates on removing this 'feature'?

I'm currently in the market for a new tv, features like these are influencing my opinion on my next TV and streaming device.

[tomkiv897]

Do not buy a TV based on "smart" capabilities. I would avoid Roku TV completely if I were you. Just look for TV specs that you need (resolution, size, display type, etc.). Then just get any 3rd party streaming device you like - Roku\Apple TV, Fire..etc. Personally, I find Apple TV least invasive (no annoying ads), but it's the most expensive. Roku is cheap, but seems to be getting deeper in the market of ads. I have also heard that Roku branded TVs may inject on-screen\pop-up ads during viewing, but it's not the case for Roku based streaming hardware as far as I know.

[Lackey123]

and 'streaming device'

Honestly, I do like the smart features of a built in roku, but stuff like this makes it less desirable. I'm just expressing some of the considerations I, as a someone in the market for a tv is looking at.

[Art101]

Congratulations @Kimber004 ... I'm happy to know the torture has stopped for you.

Like you, I tried deleting the Roku Channel app. No joy. I tried everything I could think of. I looked at every setting. Hours of my life melted away.

It's still here. Every time I see it, I'm angry all over again. I suspect it's still assaulting millions of Roku users across the globe.

Here's what I think happened...

Somewhere in the bowels of Roku's corporate mindset, a marketing team thought it was a good idea.

Somebody said, "Hey! Let's add a new Recommended section to everybody's Home page! It'll be fabulous! We'll shove recommendations at them and they'll eat it up! And better yet, we won't give them an option to turn it off! What could go wrong?"

This could be speculation. But given Roku's track record, it's probably close to the truth.

Whatever. Until Roku gives us an official explanation, allows us to delete or remove this wretched "feature" I will never ever buy another Roku product forever.