Remotes

[atc98092]

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@Guamguy wrote:

I will never purchase another ROKU product at all stemming from the remote. Great job!

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Certainly your privilege, but I think that's a bit over the top solely because of the remote. The remote for my Shield is annoying, and Nvidia must have agreed since they redesigned it for their newly released model. But the player itself does so much I like that I can deal with the remote. 

The lower four buttons allow Roku to keep the player price at a lower amount. How much? I have no idea. Maybe $1, maybe $10. But in the business world cost matters. I'm more annoyed with the half screen advertisement than the buttons on the remote, but I spend so little time on the home screen it really doesn't matter to me. 

[WontBuyOneAgain]

Those stupid buttons on the remote is the single reason why I refuse to buy a Roku. I'd pay up for a remote that didn't have them, but it's not even an option. Way to not care about what your customers want Roku.

[JimL]

Correction to my prior post.  Roku does not have an available remote without the buttons.  I had found an 'official' replacement remote at Amazon but it turns out that only the images on the buttons in the pic were blacked out.  The description states that the buttons are pre-programmed, so they are still there.

I think Dan is right.  It's probably saving Roku some money, and in turn is why we're able to get such a great deal on these players.  As much as I get annoyed when I accidentally hit one of those buttons, I wouldn't part with my Roku's as a result.  I replaced an old Roku XD with a Roku Ultra, and then got a Roku Express for another TV.   It's also nice that additional channels are added on a regular basis. 

[HelloMiakoda]

I took mine apart and put a little rectangle of plastic film between the rubber buttons and the circuit board 

[redgar]

I took apart my remote, then I used a combination of a thin razor and a pair of toenail clippers to remove the bumps on the rubber buttons. The buttons still work - but you would need to push them really hard to get them to work. 

[Imreal]

It is so annoying that these keys are so big while the needed keys are almost tucked away.

It is unfortunate that they have chosen this design.

While I used to like Roku, if I knew then what I know now about the remote, I would have certainly considered other options.

In fact, because of this alone, I may be done with Roku forever. I hope they made a lot of money from this because these are the decisions that kill companies.

It is amazing. So much money and thought was put into the design and some idiot does this with the remote and destroys the user experience.

Just. Like. That

And then I see all these comments and there is no good way to disable the buttons.

[mo1954]

I agree, Apple should being paying for those  !$@&$#* buttons since they are the prime beneficiary.  I have accidentally pressed them on too many occasions, especially in the dark.  I hate them so much I will never subscribe to those specific channels.

Roku needs to wake up, their remote sucks and it is losing them customers.  It might be a good compromise to allow them to be re-programed, but also allow companies to pay Roku to make their channels be the defaults.

Besides the PITA buttons the remote is almost impossible to position in the dark because the front and back are mostly identical.   The remote should be tapered somehow like most TV remotes are.

The Android application for Roku does not have the buttons, but it is not very convenient to use.

PS: On the newest model of the remote the mute button is too close to the volume control.

[NetflixSux666]

Finding your topic was like having my mind read. In my case, it is the dreaded NetFlix app. Every time I look at my remote wrong … “Welcome to NetFlix”. To **bleep** with NetFlix. I mean, if the NetFlix marketing team is purely dependent upon new customer acquisition after all these years then … Well, it doesn’t say much for their abilities. Likely spent too much on political activism to afford the talent to market their product.

Your post generated a few good suggestions irrespective of the woke and tone deaf ROKU admin community crowd. I’m thinking a good approach might be along the lines of popping the buttons and Supergluing the **bleep** out of the micro switches. Otherwise, I love my remote. Agree the voice command is limited. A standards issue I suspect.

Thank you for posting!!

[NulodPBall]

In the dark, I feel for the volume buttons (on mine it's in the upper right, on the side) or I feel for the finger divot on the underside, or the smoothness of the IR end, or the 4 buttons that I've disabled. 

I'll create another post on how I disabled the "paid sponsorship" buttons.

[NulodPBall]

For me, 

1. Remove batteries.

2. Unscrew the tiny Phillip's-head screws (4)(using an eyeglass screwdriver) and put them on a magnet so I don't lose them.

3. Use a butterknife to >GENTLY< and persistently pry off the top and bottom halves without breaking the top half (no, it's not quick or easy).

4. Put a piece of tape, or superglue over the PCB traces under the 4 stupid buttons you want to disable (I used several, THIN layers of superglue). If you use superglue, let the final layer drip completely.

5. Put everything back together.

Done!

For me, I have a TCL/Roku TV and if I rewind on an OTA program (meaning I have an 8G USB in place), and I accidentally hit one of the hated 4 buttons, I dump all of my unseen temp. recording. ALL of it!

Unacceptable!!!

Sometimes I'll leave the TV on, on the channel that has the program I want to see if I'm going to arrive within an hour and a half of the program start, so I just rewind to watch the program (I can't permanently record...this is a TCL thing, and you can't increase the storage of the USB thumb drive to increase recording time...even if you could, as soon as you move away from the recorded channel, the recording is dumped).

For the longest time, I used superglue to build a ridge just above the hated 4 buttons so I'd know if my finger was wandering in forbidden territory.

Gluing the hated 4 buttons themselves doesn't work unless you build a dome over the 4 buttons.

I was comfortable with doing this because I had a second remote (but someone lost it...I know I'll find it eventually), and I have an app on my phone so I can control my TV.

If you break the top of the remote doing this, you weren't careful enough. YMMV.