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Psilobite
Roku Guru

Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

Thanks very much for the recent Roku Media Player updates.

However, the problems that have plagued Roku Media Player since version 5.0 continue.

Currently on 5.5 Build 9.

- Music playback (in my case via Twonky) does not work with the screensaver active. I can get the next music track to play with the screensaver active, if the screensaver was not active when the current music track started. But the next music track *after that* does not play, and playback stops, until the screensaver is exited. So, it seems that if a music track starts to play when the screensaver is active, it cannot proceed to the next track until the screensaver is exited.

- Multiple audio track select. This now works *better*, but it is still not fixed. I can now select multiple English audio tracks during playback of an MKV file, but **only** if those tracks are all stereo tracks. If the default audio track is in 5.1 format (in my case m4a six channel), then the audio select greys out and other tracks cannot be selected if they are present. This is pretty common for movies that have for example a 5.1 English main track, and 2.0 stereo tracks for commentary or other languages.

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10 REPLIES 10
atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

There hasn't been any development to RMP since March. I don't know what's happening back there, but RMP really doesn't seem to get much attention from Roku. And that's a shame, because they are getting more and more competition in the inexpensive player market. Walmart just released a 4K media player under their house Onn brand for $30, and since it's Android based it does quite well with local media. Not perfect, but for the price it can't be beat. The hardest part is configuring a media player app like Kodi.

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

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Psilobite
Roku Guru

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

It seems that every time I see that Roku Media Player is updated (in today's case, there were actually two updates) and I post about it, the first response is from someone saying that there actually has been no recent development on Roku Media Player, which I have never understood. (No development, but updates being pushed.)

As far as I'm concerned, there really has been extremely little development since last year, as most of the bugs and problems have not been fixed.

If Roku doesn't want any more feedback, then maybe they should stop pushing updates that fix nothing?

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

I can't disagree with you. I am a beta member for testing RMP, and it's been crickets in that part of the forum since March 27 with build 8. They released build 9 in early April with no information about what it had, even after I asked. There's been no post there since then. I don't know why they aren't putting more effort into it. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

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Gary-94080
Roku Guru

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

I occasionally pass the Roku campus near the San Jose airport and over the years I can say that they have been consistently expanding into new buildings.

they must be adding space for billing, finance and licensing because it sure does not seem to be any great expansion of their software and customer support capabilities.

today I got an email from Roku staff stating that there have been OS updates that should have fixed the resume play problem.  I had to inform them that the problem is still there.  the resume play marker for the audio player does not get erased when a file is played to the end.  I can still get RMP audio player to repeat the last 5-10 seconds of a file over and over again.  they certainly are not aware that the resume play problem is in the RMP and not the OS.

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RetiredTechie
Reel Rookie

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

Dan: As for the now $20 .onn streaming device, I just use the VLC app to access my WD NAS to stream most anything on it. VLC also works well on the Chromecast with Google TV.

It's too bad VLC is not available for Roku.

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

VLC is a great player with a terrible user interface, at least on Android devices. They have been asked about a Roku app, but the programming language they use is incompatible with the Roku OS, and they don't feel it's worth the effort to port it into Brightscript. On the Onn device, I would suggest using Kodi, as it has a much better user interface and is just as capable as VLC for playback. But it is a bit more involved to set up.

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

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RetiredTechie
Reel Rookie

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

Thank you for your response. I've looked at Kodi as well as Plex, but what I liked about the 'old' RMP was simple access to my MyCloud NAS without needing another device running (computer) or an internet login like WD's OS5 requires.

As for VLC on Android, I only use it to select Network and my NAS and for that, it works well enough.

I think my WD NAS solution for now to to use the Twonky app. But it seems I need to periodically uninstall and reinstall Twonky for RMP to see it. Twonky doesn't have thumbnails, but I don't really need them.

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

I don't know if Serviio is available for your NAS, but you might check. www.serviio.org                                    

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
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RetiredTechie
Reel Rookie

Re: Roku Media Player 2021 5.5 updates

Sadly, no. It has very few apps since OS5 went live. Enough negatives to make me think about replacing the MyCloud with something better supported.

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