Remotes

[Maliska]

@atc98092  --> Kiss ass

[Sabrina11]

I hate these buttons with a passion! They completely destroy the entire watching experience! Like you, I either hit it on accident or my cat steps on the remote while I'm in the middle of an important scene and I'm launched into something completely different! LITERALLY THE MOST RIDICULOUS REMOTE FUNCTION I'VE EVER SEEN! I've tried using the remote app on my phone but it doesn't stay connected and it takes too long, plus I have to stop whatever it was I was already doing on my phone in the first place. It's just ENDLESSLY IRRITATING and I'm seriously considering switching brands entirely now because I am SO SICK OF THIS! How would taping the buttons help? I think I'm going to slice them off level with the remote and see if that works 🤷‍♀️ IF NOT I'M REPLACING EVERY ROKU IN MY HOUSE!

[atc98092]

@Sabrina11 virtually every streaming device has a Netflix button on them, and many have buttons for other providers as well. It's not unique to Roku, although the button size is a bit larger than normal, and their size does make them easier to hit by accident. However, my Shield has a Netflix button that probably double the size of the one on the Roku remote. I hit that one as well on occasion. The thing to do with the remote is once you've started playing something you put the remote in a more secure location. Somewhere you don't accidentally bump it and the cat can't walk on it. 

[desertpir8]

You know, someone could make a killing with a good 3d printer selling replacement remote top covers WITHOUT those buttons.    Pop the old cover off, cut the rubber membrane to remove the offending buttons, and then snap the 3d printed cover on and never worry about it again.   Another even easier alternative would be to 3D print an insert that replaces those buttons and blends in with the original remote cover.    Just some ideas for anyone with some entrepreneurial spirit.    If Roku doesn't want to make money doing it, everyone else can....

[KCinID]

1

[Sabrina11]

Well that would be lovely but I don't get to do that. First of all I don't get to sit uninterrupted for very long at all to be able to just set the remote off to the side and sit back and chill while my movie plays. Second of all I have hearing issues so I have to keep the TV up fairly loud but then when the commercials come on they are blaring and I have to be able to turn the volume down during the commercials so as much as I would love to just work around this very inconvenient remote that's not really an answer. However, I did go ahead and slice off all the buttons flat with the remote and that has completely solved my problem because now even if it's stepped on those buttons cannot be accidentally pushed and if ever someday I can't push the two buttons to get to a channel I can still use them without having to worry about prying my remote apart or filling up the holes 🤷‍♀️

[Sabrina11]

Yes! This is the answer!

[Rlodato]

The buttons are annoying. I never use them even though i have 2 of the 4 services. Why would i use a different method to access those 2 apps than i use for all the others? Would have to retrain my brain and remember to do something different. And sometimes I accidentally press them in the middle of watching something and that is very annoying. A decent solution would be to pop up a confirmation message before going straight to the other app.

Similarly the volume and mute buttons on the side are in a bad place and get pressed quite often. They only work for tvs, not home theaters. But they pop up messages on my screen, and when mute is pressed it stays up until I unmute it. So they are useless and annoying. I have to use another remote just for volume.

So overall the remote is quite annoying, and good customer experience focus would dictate a redesign. But they probably make bank on the ads.

[atc98092]

The four preprogrammed buttons are paid for by the content providers. Since Roku accepted payment for the placement on those buttons, they legally can't permit the user to change their programming. They have to honor the contract they signed with the providers. Yes, the button placement isn't ideal for some users, but I would guess they don't want to invest in a remote redesign since it likely would have little impact on overall sales. 

[pronator]

If it helps anyone, I was able to take apart my new Voice Remote Pro and shave down the buttons.  It came out fine, and fixed the problem, but now that I'm looking at it, I would prefer to have lined the back side of the button holes with some plastic.  The sliced rubber looks a bit unprofessional.