Roku Developer Program

[Hacktastic]

We maintain a non-certified channel with a 6 digit user count that would be greatly disappointed with the recent communicated change, not to mention our development team. Is there a plan to support private channels such as ours or do we need to start informing our users to look elsewhere for home streaming alternatives?

[screw]

Same, last count we had nearly 1 million installs, then they moved us to private channel which stopped the analytics, now we're wondering if we need to so the same: inform all of our viewers they'll need to watch on the web instead. Is there someone we can talk to about this?

[RokuJonathanD]

Hi @screw and @Hacktastic, 

Please see our latest developer blog post on the sunsetting of non-certified channels.

Thanks,

Jonathan

[Larrbean]

I use roku for the private channels. Why do we need roku without it. It helps differentiate it from Apple TV. This really sucks

[davidlgood]

This is the best observation yet.   I have channels that are geared to a smaller audience... typically church organizations who want to stream local services, but aren't interested in creating a "public" channel for this.  The "private" channel option has been awesome -- and is the number one reason I've been promoting ROKU all these years (professionally, but also for the non-profit work I do with organizations dealing with streaming).  

Without the private channels there really isn't much separating ROKU from, say, a Fire stick or Google Chromecast Pro option, or even Apple TV.  

I totally understand that ROKU wants to distance itself from porn and pirate industries, but there are OTHER valid users of "private" channels.  

This news is a huge disappointment and will almost certainly lead everyone I deal with to a non-ROKU-specific solution.  People (and businesses) don't like it when someone comes up and pulls the rug out from under them... so they're FORCED to build a non-ROKU-specific solution to insure that it doesn't happen again. 

What a shame.

[davidlgood]

Jonathan

Who can we contact to voice a logical opinion about why this is a bad move for ROKU?  I understand what has been publicly said about the move, but I think this will have a poor impact on the platform overall, and this opens the door for competitors to come in and each up some valuable market share that currently only ROKU provides a good solution.

[Andyouty]

Just a regular old user here, but I want to voice my opinion. Private channels are the singular reason I use Roku as opposed to a Firestick. Very disappointed in the recent direction away from them. I'm holding out on ordering replacements for my Rokus hoping for a change in decision, but the first day without private channels is my last day with Roku.

[JustAnotherDave]

---

@RokuJonathanD wrote:

Hi @screw and @Hacktastic, 

Please see our latest developer blog post on the sunsetting of non-certified channels.

Thanks,

Jonathan

---

This is the most informative answer I've found on this, but isn't "aligning with industry standards" sort of the opposite of what made Roku great in the first place -- that is, being innovative and disrupting the current trends?  It also feels a little bit like a non-answer:
Customers: "Why are you changing"

Roku: "In order to be like everyone else"

Customers: "Yes, but... WHY are you changing to be like everyone else?"

Roku: "Here are some work-arounds if you want to keep using our service"

Very disappointing

[Larrbean]

I agree.  I'm dropping Roku.  Finishing an 8 bedroom vacation home that will have 12 TV's and going with Firestick or Apple TV.  At least with Apple TV you can broadcast from iPad easier.  Roku is loosing its differentiation.