Roku Developer Program

[WillEV]

I've downloaded the Roku External Control Protocol and am building my software now. I'm especially interested in launching specific channels with parameters that will take me straight to content.

I'm most interested in Netflix, Hulu, Amazon VOD and Pandora - I'd love to be able to launch a movie/tv episode/station directly from my software.

Are any of these channels (or any others) published with a parameter option? If not, will they ever be? There's a huge potential here for external interfaces with the Roku product to really kick the Apple TV into touch.

Will

[gonzotek]

"WillEV" wrote:
I've downloaded the Roku External Control Protocol and am building my software now. I'm especially interested in launching specific channels with parameters that will take me straight to content.

I'm most interested in Netflix, Hulu, Amazon VOD and Pandora - I'd love to be able to launch a movie/tv episode/station directly from my software.

Are any of these channels (or any others) published with a parameter option? If not, will they ever be? There's a huge potential here for external interfaces with the Roku product to really kick the Apple TV into touch.

Will

None of those (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or Pandora) have published any specs for launch parameters. There are a few channels I know that do support launch params: Shoutcast, Onion and HGTV, all from TheEndless and the MOG beta(private channel code mogbeta2), by lucasgonze.

Here's a MOG example:
http://my.roku.ip:8060/launch/2049?trac ... 937+302939
and a shoutcast example:
http://my.roku.ip:8060/launch/2115?url= ... %20Channel

I don't have examples for Onion and HGTV, but I've linked to the original threads I got the info from, above.

[WillEV]

I've written my software and it's working great - all possible features are implemented as they currently stand.

I'd really like to make contact with someone at Roku about taking this further - is there a developer contact that we can email or call?

Thanks

Will

[Anonymous]

Channels will need to be updated by the developers to accept the parameters when launched. We're hopeful channels will start to support this, but until the functionality is added to channels, there's not much more you can do other than launch the channel.

[EnTerr]

"RokuPatrick" wrote:
Channels will need to be updated by the developers to accept the parameters when launched. We're hopeful channels will start to support this, but until the functionality is added to channels, there's not much more you can do other than launch the channel.

Is Netflix player not written and maintained by Roku in collaboration with Netflix?

Because if it's Roku's channel, I'd hope you guys will allow that channel to accept parameters. The most pressing need there I believe is for a parameter to specify (or reset) the current position in users instant queue!

The way the channel behaves is that when started it positions cursor (selection) on the last selected movie from the instant queue. The problem is, there is no way to go to the beginning or the end of the queue, because the queue is actually a "ring" - scrolling to the left or right wraps around. While someone may have thought this convenient for a user, it does not allow for a remote control (over IP) application to position on correct flic requested. See DvpRemote for iPhone for a heroic attempt to make this work and how bad UI has to be, in essence saying "you requested movie X, to locate it i need to know where you stand right now - are you on movie Y now? and if not, could you please select from the list on which movie Z is the cursor, so i can find in Netflix channel the movie X you requested"

There should be a way by optional start parameter
1. to specify where in the instant queue should the selection go,
2. or more rudimentary, presence of param specify to go to position 1
3. or at least an ECP button press that will position to 1

Regarding (3), how about making "InstantReplay" button jump back to the queue beginning? This way users that have the new remote with "circle back" arrow can also enjoy this functionality!

[destruk]

Why not just make FF go to the last movie in the queue, and REV go to the first movie in the queue? Sounds simple enough to me for a gridscreen type display that I got to work. Right now FF/REV jump by 5 - which does absolutely no good at all especially if you have 5 movies in your queue.

[TheEndless]

"destruk" wrote:
Why not just make FF go to the last movie in the queue, and REV go to the first movie in the queue? Sounds simple enough to me for a gridscreen type display that I got to work. Right now FF/REV jump by 5 - which does absolutely no good at all especially if you have 5 movies in your queue.

It jumps one full page/screen's worth, which I actually find quite useful... much more so than jumping to the end of my queue would be. Maybe holding down the FF or REV could scroll to the beginning or end and stop, like it does on the non-grid poster screens.

[kbenson]

"TheEndless" wrote:

"destruk" wrote:
Why not just make FF go to the last movie in the queue, and REV go to the first movie in the queue? Sounds simple enough to me for a gridscreen type display that I got to work. Right now FF/REV jump by 5 - which does absolutely no good at all especially if you have 5 movies in your queue.

It jumps one full page/screen's worth, which I actually find quite useful... much more so than jumping to the end of my queue would be. Maybe holding down the FF or REV could scroll to the beginning or end and stop, like it does on the non-grid poster screens.

That would work well, as long as the regular left/right buttons could still pass the zero point as they do now.

[EnTerr]

"TheEndless" wrote:

"destruk" wrote:
Why not just make FF go to the last movie in the queue, and REV go to the first movie in the queue? Sounds simple enough to me for a gridscreen type display that I got to work. Right now FF/REV jump by 5 - which does absolutely no good at all especially if you have 5 movies in your queue.

It jumps one full page/screen's worth, which I actually find quite useful... much more so than jumping to the end of my queue would be. Maybe holding down the FF or REV could scroll to the beginning or end and stop, like it does on the non-grid poster screens.

That will be too slow for the intent i described (via ECP locating movie based on data from Netflix API) - my instant queue is 170+ shows and i timed it takes 7 seconds to FF/REV flip through those. And this is just to go to the beginning or end of the queue - positioning on specific item from there on will take another 2-3 seconds.

[TheEndless]

"EnTerr" wrote:

"TheEndless" wrote:

"destruk" wrote:
Why not just make FF go to the last movie in the queue, and REV go to the first movie in the queue? Sounds simple enough to me for a gridscreen type display that I got to work. Right now FF/REV jump by 5 - which does absolutely no good at all especially if you have 5 movies in your queue.

It jumps one full page/screen's worth, which I actually find quite useful... much more so than jumping to the end of my queue would be. Maybe holding down the FF or REV could scroll to the beginning or end and stop, like it does on the non-grid poster screens.

That will be too slow for the intent i described (via ECP locating movie based on data from Netflix API) - my instant queue is 170+ shows and i timed it takes 7 seconds to FF/REV flip through those. And this is just to go to the beginning or end of the queue - positioning on specific item from there on will take another 2-3 seconds.

I don't disagree, but that's a different application than the one I was referring to with destruk, who suggested changing the current behavior of the FF/REV buttons. Maybe they could add a key sequence to jump to the beginning of the queue or something, so ECP apps could trigger it without it affecting the normal end-user behavior of the channel.