Suggest a Feature

[gjwiley]

This is the most frustrating aspect of the Roku UX design. 

The play/pause button should do just that. Instead, it depends on if the screen saver is showing. When the screen saver is showing, the play button can launch advertised content rather than resume what I just paused a few minutes ago. In fact, it will fully install a channel if the advertised content's channel is not installed.

This violates the principle of least surprise in the user interface. I often pause content during the day working from home because I need to attend meetings. I expect that when the meeting is over, I can just press play and the content will resume. But that only happens if the screen saver hasn't kicked in yet. So instead, some new random channel gets installed instead of just resuming the content I was listening to.

I love Roku but this design decision is one of the worst I have seen anywhere.

[C_I]

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@gjwiley wrote:

This is the most frustrating aspect of the Roku UX design. 

The play/pause button should do just that. Instead, it depends on if the screen saver is showing. When the screen saver is showing, the play button can launch advertised content rather than resume what I just paused a few minutes ago. In fact, it will fully install a channel if the advertised content's channel is not installed.

This violates the principle of least surprise in the user interface. I often pause content during the day working from home because I need to attend meetings. I expect that when the meeting is over, I can just press play and the content will resume. But that only happens if the screen saver hasn't kicked in yet. So instead, some new random channel gets installed instead of just resuming the content I was listening to.

I love Roku but this design decision is one of the worst I have seen anywhere.

 Why wouldn't you just click the OK button to activate the screen saver then press the Home button to get out of the screensaver? Why do you have to press the play/pause button to activate/deactivate the screen saver? 

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[Garymon]

I came here today just to rant about this. If I am watching a movie and take a break. The natural thing to do is hit play when I return. 

The default screen saver is double bad since you lose the show you were watching AND get some channel forced on you.

I switched the screen saver to something else without ads. I just hit play while the screen saver was going and rather than play the paused video, roku exited the channel and dumped me on home. Now I need to go dig into my YouTube history to find the video I was was watching to continue. 

This is the least user friendly feature on roku. How does play, not play the video? 

[tc24]

Glad to see I'm not the only one experiencing this.  I thought it was a recent change in behavior for a specific channel, but no.  I only have this problem with the Streaming Stick remotes, not with the 4k Ultra - so I'd say this is a bug that needs to be fixed.  Luckily I found that the "OK" and ">" buttons do the right thing, and resume Play when the screensaver is active.  Still I end up pressing ">||" anyway by mistake too many times.  

Fix it, Roku.

[C_I]

The question is- do you pause the program you are watching or listening to?  Generally you have to press Ok to get out of the screen saver. It would then show the program you were watching when you came out of the screen saver. When you click on the play/pause button your program should resume where you left off. 

[captkeebz]

This constantly causes me pain. I watch youtube content a lot, much of which is after an already relatively painful search process. Not only does pressing play on the screensaver insanely abandon the app, but starts installing another app I probably don't want and wasn't aware I was going to install (aka malware). I have to cancel the install, relaunch youtube, redo the search, find the video I was watching again and scrub to where I was.
This is the point where I abandon a company's products altogether. I've had 4 roku devices/tvs, but don't think I'll continue with them due to this type of disrespect for the customer.

[romanthree]

This is so freaking annoying and it didn’t always do this. I can’t tell when it started but pressing the play/pause button used to return to the app that was running. Now it’s been repurposed to launch Roku ads or promoted channel/app. 
PLEASE SWITCH THIS BACK ROKU! 

[Roger1818]

I agree 100%.  The play/pause button should do exactly that when you are watching a program, even if the screen saver comes on.  If they want a button to install/switch to the channel for the ad, the select button would be a much better choice.  Even then, it should confirm that you want to quit the channel you are currently using.

[Roger1818]

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@Garymon wrote:

I switched the screen saver to something else without ads. I just hit play while the screen saver was going and rather than play the paused video, roku exited the channel and dumped me on home. Now I need to go dig into my YouTube history to find the video I was was watching to continue.  

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That's a good tip.  I will use a different screen saver that doesn't have ads.  Seems counterproductive to for Roku to encourage users to not see their ads. 

[schworak]

I wonder if some advertisers are charged by click and this is Roku's way of scaming them out of money by tricking customers into clicking ads they don't mean to click.

It is a foul and dirty way to abuse the play/pause button and the end user.