Roku Developer Program

[mikek999]

I've looked and I can't find it anywhere... what is the cut-off date channel submissions for the holidays?

[belltown]

This might answer your question:  https://blog.roku.com/developer/2016/09/19/september-updates-16/

Channel Store blackout notice
The channel certification process shuts down every December in observance of the year-end holidays. Accordingly, we ask that developers note the following dates:

• Friday, November 18th, 2016: Submission deadline for channels to be reviewed before the Channel Store blackout begins


• Thursday, December 15, 2016: Channel Store blackout date – No channels will be published or updated after this date


• Monday, January 9th, 2017: Channel certifications resume as usual

Note also that channels will not be published or updated during the week of Thanksgiving (Friday, November 18th through Sunday, November 27th). Please plan appropriately.

[softworkz]

I wonder if we would submit a new channel on Friday that gets rejected due to a few minor issues - would we have an opportunity to fix these issues before the final deadline or does any kind of rejection automatically mean that there will be no other chance to fix those submission problems until January?

[speechles]

Thats what it sounds like sir. Same way it was last year.

After Nov18 you can't submit your app for the review process. So do not wait. If it is after Nov18 it wont be looked at until Jan9. After Dec15 no channels that require review will be updated or published. Nov18-27 is thanksgiving vacation. Nov27-Dec15 is approval or denial of apps left to review submitted before Nov18. Dec15-Jan8 is vacation for holidays. Jan9 resume normal operatioms.

With private channels, none of the above applies, these will auto publish like normal.

[EnTerr]

Anybody else think that's ridiculously snooty?
I mean, Apple and Amazon grant themselves only 1 week between Christmas and New Year.
RokuCo on the other hand? "Nah, we are good - we have made it, have nothing to compete for. Let's take a 6 week break, eh?"

[RobSMS]

"EnTerr" wrote:
Anybody else think that's ridiculously snooty?
I mean, Apple and Amazon grant themselves only 1 week between Christmas and New Year.
RokuCo on the other hand? "Nah, we are good - we have made it, have nothing to compete for. Let's take a 6 week break, eh?"

I'm ok with the long break.   It's annoying, but it could be worse.
What I have a big problem with is developer support and the approval process itself.  
For instance, I submitted an update for both Roku & Amazon on October 26.   On the 27th my Roku app was rejected for a P1 error as well as a P2 error.   I immediately emailed Roku because the errors didn't actually exist (or at least couldn't be replicated on my end) and asked for clarification.   Here it is November 16 and I still haven't gotten a reply from Roku.  I ended up submitting the same PKG file last night just so I could hope to get my fix out before the holidays.
That same day (October 27) I emailed Amazon regarding an issue I was having.   I received a prompt reply 2 days later from their development support and they fixed my issue.
What the heck is the point of having "Developer Support" if you don't really plan on offering it?   I still don't have answers for my previous posts here regarding clarification on RAF or my issue with direct publisher regarding thumbnails.   And that doesn't even include the emails to advertising@roku or developer@roku that have never been answered.
Lately I've recommended against clients offering a Roku app because of these constant delays and lack of communication.   It's not good business for me to say "Hey that project I'm working on for you is really late because I still don't have any answers from Roku developer support". 

[EnTerr]

"RobSMS" wrote:
That same day (October 27) I emailed Amazon regarding an issue I was having.   I received a prompt reply 2 days later from their development support and they fixed my issue.

Hmm, that's disturbing. I had to contact amazon dev.support last year and it was rather bad, took them over a month to solve an issue with publishing an app. But that support traffic is for everything Android, so huge. And also i think they had to fix something in their platform - my case was unusual because i was publishing *only* for FireTV and nothing else (typically it's the opposite, FTV or AndroidTV is after-thought to already existing movile app. That RokuCo performs worse in support is not a good thing.

What the heck is the point of having "Developer Support" if you don't really plan on offering it? [...] And that doesn't even include the emails to advertising@roku or developer@roku that have never been answered.

IDK. What's the point of having "invisible evangelists"? One more of Roku's mysteries.

Lately I've recommended against clients offering a Roku app because of these constant delays and lack of communication.   It's not good business for me to say "Hey that project I'm working on for you is really late because I still don't have any answers from Roku developer support". 

That seems a tad severe. But yes, we should speak up so they can hear.

I actually think "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity". If RokuCo can laser-focus on improving the streaming platform (much narrower job than iOS and Android) - and wins developer hearts and minds through accessible and pro-active support (think Discover card live-human support vs bankes' automated support for Visa/Mastercard) - it can make itself the preferred first platform for publishers.

[RobSMS]

Lately I've recommended against clients offering a Roku app because of these constant delays and lack of communication.   It's not good business for me to say "Hey that project I'm working on for you is really late because I still don't have any answers from Roku developer support". 

That seems a tad severe. But yes, we should speak up so they can hear.

It probably sounds a bit more militant than it was intended.   I'm just saying it's hard to counsel clients to utilize a platform which doesn't have a proper response system for developer support.  

If RokuCo can laser-focus on improving the streaming platform (much narrower job than iOS and Android) - and wins developer hearts and minds through accessible and pro-active support (think Discover card live-human support vs bankes' automated support for Visa/Mastercard) - it can make itself the preferred first platform for publishers.

In my humble opinion, it should be the #1 platform already. My dollars per viewer are still higher than on other platforms, but those other platforms are catching up quickly.   But it seems like RokuCo are losing their head-start by having this "hit and miss" developer support.   If they could just get it up to par, they could maintain their lead... or at least that's my perspective.
I don't think it would take much, but they need to get someone in charge of developer relations.   If there is someone like that, they either need more resources or they need their knuckles whacked for dropping the ball.
Just a simple response goes a long way to keeping us happy.... but silence aggravates the situation...

[EnTerr]

"RobSMS" wrote:
In my humble opinion, it should be the #1 platform already. My dollars per viewer are still higher than on other platforms, but those other platforms are catching up quickly.   But it seems like RokuCo are losing their head-start by having this "hit and miss" developer support.   If they could just get it up to par, they could maintain their lead... or at least that's my perspective.

The Co might be losing their edge, is my fear. Case in point, in September Twitter launched live streaming (NFL games) for AppleTV, Amazon FireTV and XbOne - and this month, AndroidTV. Where is Roku? "A Twitter spokesman declined to comment on whether apps for Roku or other devices are forthcoming."

I don't think it would take much, but they need to get someone in charge of developer relations.   If there is someone like that, they either need more resources or they need their knuckles whacked for dropping the ball.
Just a simple response goes a long way to keeping us happy... but silence aggravates the situation...

Very true. I don't think they realize how much damage does the failure to communicate cause to Roku's umm, cause. Only if they'd answer 90% instead of <10% of their emails - that would make a world of difference. I have suffered so much in 2015/2016 from Co's "no response" dev.support

[dbowman]

"RobSMS" wrote:
I have exactly the same problem and it is still unresolved.  Over two months have transpired and Roku Developer Support does not respond to emails. My submission on Oct 1,  2016 still sits in a state of  "Your channel has been submitted for publishing and is being reviewed". The Developer Relations Manager does not even respond or attempt to offer resolution or an escalation path of any kind.  The do not communicate rejection or cite issues with needed corrective action.  The submission simply sits an a perpetual unpublished state.  The emails to developer@roku.com get no reply with no update and no attempt to set expectations or clarify a problem. Why have a developer program at all?   Does Roku even want SDK publishers or is this how they shift completely to a Direct Publishing only model.   Does anyone have any advice or any insight as I've exhausted every avenue for support and I am wondering if anyone else is having this problem?  Is anyone else experiencing this problem?