Roku Developer Program

[casolorz]

I have a phone app that is sending a photo slideshow to the Roku however the screensaver kicks in after a bit of time. How can I make it so the screensaver timer resets each time I update the photo?

Thanks.

[renojim]

So the app is running on your phone or you have a Roku app/channel that's displaying the slideshow or both?  Is this just for your own use?

[casolorz]

I'm the developer of the app. The app sends the pictures to the roku channel. The roku channel shows whatever pictures the phone app sends. 

This is a released app and channel, not just for my personal use. 

[renojim]

I'm still a little confused.  It doesn't help that there's a channel called "The Roku Channel", but I assume that's not what you're sending the pictures to.  There's a function to update the last remote key press timer, but it now appears to be undocumented, so use it at your own risk.  It will also throw an error (not just a warning, like it should) in the Static Analysis report, so be prepared to explain why you're using it in the notes when you submit your update.  Yours is the perfect case of why this function is necessary.

appmgr = CreateObject("roAppManager")
appmgr.UpdateLastKeyPressTime()  ' <- call with every photo change or periodically

[casolorz]

That was our solution in the past but after our latest update we got an error on the package analysis because of that call. 

Right now we are solving it by sending a key press with each new photo but that makes a sound, which isn't ideal. 

[renojim]

I have recently updated channels while still using that function, so I'd give it a try.  Just explain in the notes why you're using it.

[casolorz]

Turns out the error was just on the analysis but they did accept the channel, I assumed they wouldn't. Not sure if it is a warning that it won't work in the future or what. Wish there was clear guidance on that. 

[renojim]

I agree!

[Anonymous]

FYI, I sent an email to Roku tech support regarding the same issue (and more) with their own Roku Media Player version 5.0. Their response was to publish the 4.0 version as the upgrade to 5.0. IOW, they pulled it.

If RMP v5.0 reappears without the problem of the screensavers interrupting slideshows (they don't interrupt video streams), maybe you could check yours again without the workaround. FWIW.

https://community.roku.com/t5/Roku-Device-Features-Settings-Updates/Roku-Media-Player-5-0-broken/td-...

[casolorz]

Thanks for updating me on that, I'll keep an eye on it.