Roku Developer Program

[EnTerr]

I am expecting an "Apple TV Developer Kit" in the mail this week. Before general availability. For free. Apparently Apple has found some love - bless their heart - for long-established-if-not-top-grossing iOS developers too. I am salivating to try&see what Apple's new microconsole can do, now that they are opening the app floodgates. Mmm, motion remote. Mmm, touchpad. "Mmm, donuts!"

And so i thought - rumor has it, Roku 4 is imminent. I'll even wager it will be announced this week. Because BestBuy.
Hmm. Hmm. I wonder if RokuCo will do the same, show some love and send to proven developers some of the new boxes after announcement and before general availability. The exclusivity of early access will get the attention and preferences of developers, at a measly cost (aka "peanuts", about $50 to manufacture if following the standard price structure for MSRP $150-200). If there are new hardware features (e.g. gamepad), that may give us a head-start to use them. And even if the changes are not development disruptive (4K, quad-core cpu, extra ram, meh), it's a lot of good will that the warm and fuzzy feeling of "being special" will bring.

Hintity-hint-hint, RokuCo.

[kbenson]

My guess is they had a closed beta for a few developers that they sent dev units to a few weeks ago so they could test it out and make sure there were no problems. I know for a fact that was the case with the Roku 2. I have no idea what the selection criteria entails, so it could be somewhat random. Coupled with long cycles between hardware releases, it may be unlikely for any one developer to be selected.

[EnTerr]

Closed beta is a different subject. It's smaller by at least a magnitude and to smoke-test the hardware in the real world, under hush-hush conditions.

What i propose is about winning - on the cheap - the hearts and minds of developers, who in 2015 are in a world of multiple fertile choices.

[BradC]

hehe. I like you Enterr. :mrgreen:

[destruk]

Roku4 is now available for preorder.
https://www.roku.com/products/roku-4

[EnTerr]

"destruk" wrote:
Roku4 is now available for preorder. https://www.roku.com/products/roku-4

Mmm?! How is this related... unless you were trying to say there is little time, since general availability is late October.

The point of this thread is seizing an opportunity to attract coders from outside RokuCo. The proposal might be flying in the face of NIH syndrome, sure - but nurturing good relationships with the developers would be one determining factor in whether there will be a Roku platform two years from now. So pride aside, if you ask me.

[EnTerr]

Wow, so Apple are really going for the kill with this new release!
The box i received has a retail finish look (stylish black box, sticker with S/N and UPC) - but check this out - next to the SKU on the sticker, it says "Apple TV Developer Kit" and on the box sides it says "Developer Kit" and "As (not yet) seen on TV". So these are not just production units but they have gone to the botheration of custom packaging just for the developers' sake!

Not everything is rosy with the new ATV - for example i now have to go spelunking Frys for a conversion cable because of the <dang> USB-C (type C) connector they opted for - but seems they have carefully (pre)planned and are forcefully executing their game now. As a Roku fanboy, i find this mildly disturbing.

[steveintheukok]

Oh my, I need to vacuum the floor!

Didn't realise it was so dusty, until I fell of my seat laughing!

Free Roku 4, good one, hilarious!

( I do love Roku, honest! But nothing in their makeup suggests they would ever do this, well that's how I see it )

I apologise for being so negative but I've spent a good portion of the last year dealing with Roku messes and its beginning to get me down, it seems never ending. I know there are good people at Roku but it's been a fight. I love the platform or I wouldn't be so passionate about it.

I did try to get a developer box when the roku3 came out but hit a brick wall.

Being in the UK, I can't access a roku4 by normal means as its only out in the US but I do need to support my many US customers and a developer box, would be a major help.

[RobSMS]

I've always found the staff at Roku to be awesome. Though I'm sure their over worked, they still make time to come by here and chat.

That being said, I've always found their developer relations a bit lacking. When 2 other companies launched new devices I got an email from their respective managers asking me if I would be interested in a development box (for free, no strings attached). I wasn't even aware that they knew who I was, so it was a bit of a shock.

I do not believe that it's that Roku is ignoring this on purpose. Maybe they just need a Developer Relations person to interact with us?

Either way, I need a Roku 4 to develop on so I will buy one.

[renojim]

Just wondering, why do you feel you need a Roku 4 on which to develop? I still use my N1000 as much as any other unit for developing.

-JT