Roku Developer Program

[EnTerr]

Some of the Roku system apps already have app-ids and get reported in when doing /query/apps request - namely ""Roku Spotlight" (app id=5127) and "Roku Channel Store" (app id=11) - even if they are not "regular" in the sense they cannot be re-ordered nor deleted from the list. However this is not the case with "Settings" - the very first item in the Roku start menu as of yet is not included in the /query/apps list.

The reason i am asking for this is that in a remote app (that i am writing and toying with) that presents menu of all channels for quick launch, would be best if all icons from the top menu can be presented (for completeness and better UI). I understand that "Settings" might not technically be a channel and is probably just a subroutine of the outermost UI shell, yes. Nevertheless it could still be (fake)reported with some pre-set id (like say "0") and when /launch/0 is invoked, Roku can go to the settings screens. Which will make it no more magic than Spotlight and ChannelStore already are.

Back on the example of the "Roku Spotlight" that got added recently - to my amazement (and mild irritation actually) one day it "Crackle" icon showed twice in my iphone app. Huuuh, a new bug i thought? No, just Roku in update added new item to the /query/apps list. Well ain't that neat (now i think) - since the new system channel followed the ECP conventions, it just worked out of the box!

And so, i am thinking perhaps Roku can add Settings to the list... please?

PS. also side suggestion - perhaps is best that the main menu current item always be maintained the last started (i.e. after ECP /launch it should change - currently it stays to the last position it was navigated with the remote - seems a bit inconsistent, "wait, i just listened to Pandora, why pressing Home shows me centered on Netflix?")

[TheEndless]

"EnTerr" wrote:
PS. also side suggestion - perhaps is best that the main menu current item always be maintained the last started (i.e. after ECP /launch it should change - currently it stays to the last position it was navigated with the remote - seems a bit inconsistent, "wait, i just listened to Pandora, why pressing Home shows me centered on Netflix?")

Just as a counter point to this suggestion, I can see a benefit to both behaviors, so I'd like to see it as an option to do either (maybe via querystring?). Two of my channels allow launching of other channels from within them, and particularly with my "My Channels" channel, it's very beneficial to have the UI return to the last channel launched from the home screen (my channel) rather than the last channel launched. Changing this behavior without the ability to use the current behavior would be detrimental to that app.

Incidentally, I've also had users ask if I can add Settings to the My Channels channel, so I second the request for that.

[EnTerr]

So Roku stars (Roku*), can anyone comment?

See the third snapshot from http://itunes.apple.com/app/remote-for-roku/id438407178 to visualize how having "Settings" pseudo-channel in the line-up would be useful: