Roku Developer Program

[EnTerr]

I feel this must have been asked before or is explained somewhere but can't find it, so: assume my app has a movie in mind, how can it show the screen from "unified search" that shows all possible sources for a movie, so that user can further select how to watch it?

Here is a scenario: i make a channel that maintains bookmarks to favorite movies. It will show image, some info on the flic, allow to manage the list, reorder/add/remove/sync/who-cares-what. But when i am on particular item - say "WarGames", i want to add code so that pressing "play" will link out to the "unified search" movie screen which shows the streaming sources available for that movie. I don't expect the list of sources to be returned to my program; rather i am surrendering control to Roku's unified sources screen and can put up with control not returning back to my channel afterwards.

Is it doable?

[squirreltown]

My memory of this being asked before is that only big important Roku partners can use this feature, maybe it's changed.

[TheEndless]

"squirreltown" wrote:
My memory of this being asked before is that only big important Roku partners can use this feature, maybe it's changed.

Only Roku partners can participate in providing search results. As far as I'm aware, no one can actually launch the search feature directly.

[EnTerr]

Yes, big difference between the two directions: one would be for Roku search to shill for my own content (with potential risk to pollute search catalog and taint company&partners reputation). What i am asking is the other way: me bringing viewers to existing video content, with the providers en masse (no Netflix vs Amazon vs ... bias). It's about friction-less linking to content, which will add value to the platform as a whole.*[last sentence = tribute to marketing buzzwords]

I have the vague feeling i have seen this linking at work already with a side-box ad for particular video content that linked to page to select the streaming source. Can't swear by that memory of mine, i did not particularly pay attention.

Comment from inside RokuCo, please?

[RokuJoel]

There are several topics covered in this thread, I'll bite:

* Currently If you want your content in Search, you need a contract with Tribune Media Services, so if you have an extra $2000 or so per month to spend... Hopefully this requirement will change in the future, but I don't expect that to happen in 2014.

"EnTerr" wrote:
I feel this must have been asked before or is explained somewhere but can't find it, so: assume my app has a movie in mind, how can it show the screen from "unified search" that shows all possible sources for a movie, so that user can further select how to watch it?

* Something like this was supposed to be in 5.4 ECP update, but I don't know if it actually will be, I asked, but haven't heard back yet.

Joel

[EnTerr]

"RokuJoel" wrote:

"EnTerr" wrote:
I feel this must have been asked before or is explained somewhere but can't find it, so: assume my app has a movie in mind, how can it show the screen from "unified search" that shows all possible sources for a movie, so that user can further select how to watch it?

* Something like this was supposed to be in 5.4 ECP update, but I don't know if it actually will be, I asked, but haven't heard back yet.

Thank you Joel (mwah!)
So i can work on my idea - proper implementation will take months - knowing there are reasonable odds of linking to movie item being available by then.

PS. Huh. One of my all-time favorites, the movie "Dogma" is not in Roku search catalog. Isn't this weird? I don't know if it is Kevin Smith's most famed flic but everything else by him seems to be already in. How bizzare.