Let me consolidate my later posts on the subject:
"beq" wrote:
There are a couple variants of the new enhanced (Wi-Fi) remote with the added TV power and volume buttons. The 2017 Streaming Stick/+ remote just has the voice search. Only the 2017 Ultra remote has the headphone jack private listening, remote finder, and gaming buttons.
Will either new remote work with the 2016 Ultra, older Roku 3, etc?
Can the new remote with headphone jack also work with the new SS/+?
When will Roku start selling them as extra accessories?
How do the TV power/volume buttons work? Continues to rely on the Roku player to send HDMI-CEC commands, or the remote itself sends (auto-programmed) IR codes? Both methods have been mentioned in the press.
Can the new remotes work with an actual Roku TV? I assume the factory enhanced remote that comes with a Roku TV performs the TV power and volume controls via a more direct method over Wi-Fi? Plus it has a mute side button in addition to Vol +/-.
"beq" wrote:
The website pictures of the remote for all the new Roku players show the same 3 out of the 4 shortcut buttons (Netflix, Sling, Hulu, then a variable 4th shortcut based on the Roku model). Will all the new retail SKUs follow this arrangement, or for example will Best Buy's stock have a different pattern?
Incidentally all the 2017 TCL Roku TV's that I bought have the same first 3 remote shortcut buttons (Netflix, Sling, Hulu), plus Starz. Even though TCL's website pictures show a different arrangement (Netflix, Sling, HBO Now, Amazon).
Anyways, sure wish we could choose the shortcut buttons that we want. For example I'd like to get the Streaming Stick+ for travel, but its 4th remote shortcut is PS Vue which we don't use. We'd like DTV Now instead, which is the 4th shortcut on the remote bundled with the regular Streaming Stick.
FWIW Cord Cutter News says that these new remotes have an IR transmitter to control the TV power/volume (while using Wi-Fi Direct to communicate with the player). And that a
ll the new players sold at Walmart have Vudu as the 4th remote shortcut button.I wonder what happens if Roku can't autodetect the TV model and correctly load the IR code, is there a menu to do this manually?
Anyways, Roku customer support doesn't know when these new remotes will be available to buy as extra accessories.
I want several of the new remote that comes with the 2017 Ultra -- would like both TV power/volume
and headphone jack private listening. That is, assuming these functions will work with the 2017 Streaming Stick+ 4K, 2016 Ultra, 2016 Streaming Stick, and older players such as the Roku 3 (after they've been upgraded to Roku OS8)?
