Roku Developer Program

Join our online forum to talk to Roku developers and fellow channel creators. Ask questions, share tips with the community, and find helpful resources.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
TreyG
Visitor

Update on channel publishing backlog?

I have sent a couple of emails to the Roku developer email, but have not gotten a response. I was hoping they might post an update to the backlog mess they have.

Anyone heard anything?

Going on 6 weeks for our channel, so I am hoping any day now we will be approved. But unfortunately, we have added features in the mean time and will need to go through the process again
0 Kudos
12 REPLIES 12

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

We submitted our channel for publishing on January 26th, and we're still NOT published.
So, basically: 3 months and counting.
At this point, it's safe to say that only the FCC is slower!
0 Kudos
EnTerr
Roku Guru

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

"heartlandpublicradio" wrote:
At this point, it's safe to say that only the FCC is slower!
Nah, i think FCC is fast but that's because they have outsourced the real work to intermediary companies (read some of the RokuCo filings). But try United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for a perspective on what glacier slow is.

Hmmm... are you guys saying the email i received yesterday is untrue?!
"billing@Roku" wrote:
... The current channel publishing queue is about two weeks long provided there are no major issues with your channel uncovered during testing.
I mean, wouldn't the Co. update the text if they are systematically behind?
0 Kudos
TheEndless
Channel Surfer

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

"EnTerr" wrote:
Hmmm... are you guys saying the email i received yesterday is untrue?!
"billing@Roku" wrote:
... The current channel publishing queue is about two weeks long provided there are no major issues with your channel uncovered during testing.
I mean, wouldn't the Co. update the text if they are systematically behind?

*snicker*
They've been running behind since Christmas, and that's the same text that's been in the submission email for ages (at least as far back as August 2013), so I don't think that's anything to go by.

On a side note, congratulations on submitting your first public channel!
My Channels: http://roku.permanence.com - Twitter: @TheEndlessDev
Instant Watch Browser (NetflixIWB), Aquarium Screensaver (AQUARIUM), Clever Clocks Screensaver (CLEVERCLOCKS), iTunes Podcasts (ITPC), My Channels (MYCHANNELS)
0 Kudos
squirreltown
Roku Guru

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

"EnTerr" wrote:
I mean, wouldn't the Co. update the text if they are systematically behind?

I suppose they feel that you know- it's possible that the 200 channels ahead of you could all have their devs drop dead whilst logged in so they could hit "cancel submission" on the way down, so why bother to go to all that trouble of updating the auto reply ?
Kinetics Screensavers
0 Kudos
EnTerr
Roku Guru

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

"squirreltown" wrote:
I suppose they feel that you know- it's possible that the 200 channels ahead of you could all have their devs drop dead whilst logged in so they could hit "cancel submission" on the way down...

That was intensely funny, i "Laughed Out Loud" to it!

But you know what, i think the lone* tester that is reviewing channels currently - by now is secretly wishing some of us drop dead (preferably face down over the Cancel button)... or get abducted by aliens... or move to different pastures (AndroidTV/other smart TV platforms) - anything that shortens the queue and decreases the pressure on them, really. Naturally they keep such thoughts to themselves...

"TheEndless" wrote:
"EnTerr" wrote:
Hmmm... are you guys saying the email i received yesterday is untrue?!
"billing@Roku" wrote:
... The current channel publishing queue is about two weeks long provided there are no major issues with your channel uncovered during testing.
*snicker*
They've been running behind since Christmas, and that's the same text that's been in the submission email for ages (at least as far back as August 2013), so I don't think that's anything to go by.

Why can't they update the text though, it's not like they use hot metal typesetting and have to cast a new metal plate for the email, right? Update it once a month = too much? It's not individual attention, each edition will go to at least 200 submissions - it is worth the effort. [spoiler=linotype:2lbxblhn][/spoiler:2lbxblhn]
There is something we can do communally though, to help improve the estimates (and not just wait on the Co) - and that's to keep track of review times each gets. There will always be outliers but given enough data points, we will be able to predict quite well

On a side note, congratulations on submitting your first public channel!

Yeah, that... congrats will be in order when (if) i ever see it through publishing. As things are, seems have to wait till past July 4th, just for an initial look.

(*) it's my guess that lately we have had only 1 reviewer working on the queue. Based on 3 different sources (each unreliable on its own), i estimate in recent months the public-ing speed has been approximately 3 new channels + 3 updates per work day. Which is impressive for a single person, kinda low for two full-timers. Does not explain why the Co cannot allocate more human power (AKA "another person") to the process. Even if they do "sprints" from time to time, when avg.number of submittals per month exceeds avg.number of reviews, the queue is only bound to keep growing - that's unmanageable.
0 Kudos
Ace
Visitor

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

From what I understand it's about 11-13 weeks to get approved. viewtopic.php?f=34&t=85979

I don't understand why you are not approved if you sent your in Jan!

I should be public in early June.
0 Kudos
EnTerr
Roku Guru

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

This may shed some light to it - apparently last week on Reddit there was a Q&A with Roku's founder/CEO Anthony Wood and someone asked teh question:
"Anthony_Wood" wrote:
"breaking_bad_gas" wrote:
As a Roku developer, the turn around time to get a channel approved is abysmal. I have waited for months for updates to get pushed thru for the simplest things.

I'll check in to it and see what we can do to improve.
I appreciate your support for Roku.

Sadly, it seems that the head honcho has/had no clue how breaking bad things have been for months on the review/publishing front.

My respects to the couple of RokuCo people that were left manning the channel levees' pumping stations - and their heroic efforts! But that's clearly not enough to cope with the content flood. Time to wake up the mayor and the village, you can't do it alone.
0 Kudos
RokuJoel
Binge Watcher

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

"EnTerr" wrote:
Sadly, it seems that the head honcho has/had no clue how breaking bad things have been for months on the review/publishing front.


Actually, he does.

"EnTerr" wrote:
Why can't they update the text though


I'll look into it. I don't see any place to change the text, so it may be buried somewhere on the back-end.

- Joel
0 Kudos
Komag
Roku Guru

Re: Update on channel publishing backlog?

Yeah, that interview response was just a polite response, not very informative really. I'm sure Roku "wants" to speed up the process, it's just a matter of competing priorities.
0 Kudos