Suggest a Feature

[BJB]

I thought it was made clear what we need the app to do but perhaps I can elaborate.

We watch streaming series on services such as Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and keep going. Perhaps we watch 3 or 4 series on each service. Further there are series we plan to watch in the future.

Each service tracks where you are at in a series you watch on a service. So IF you recall each and every series you are in the middle of watching, and you know what service a series is on, and IF you recall correctly and you find the series in last watched, you can pickup where you left off.  Unless you choose it from an ad banner and then it may not know you are in the middle of watching...

But what if you aren't sure what series you want to watch tonight? You have to pop in and out of each service to see what you want to watch. And then figure out if a new episode is out 

Movies...there are movies you have watched or WANT to watch in future. Movies bounce in and out of services. Rokus search helps a bit but still no central place to choose from.

There are people keeping spreadsheets to track what service their series or movies are on!

And how about looking at what someone watches across ALL services to figure out a viewers interest and suggest series or movies to warch.

I hope that helps. If you pull up TVtime app on Android that is what would work. Track what you have watched, what series you are in the middle of watching. Then use your interests ACROSS services to suggest what to watch. Not just the series or movies you might watch on that one series.

The roku favorites or whatever that is called just is supposed to tell you when next episode of something is out and it does not work well.

Hope that helps.

BJB

[BJB]

Yup, I love TVTime but it would be WAY more convenient to have that functionality built within the Roku ecosystem so it automatically knew what you watched etc and you did not have to key in everything, update what episode you are on.....etc. 

Plus I watch TV old school on a TV...the app is on my phone and tablet.:)

BJB

[Tim_Hare]

From a technical standpoint, what you are asking for is:

1) Every series you decide to watch gets reported back to some Roku central server with service name and series name
2) Every episode is reported with Service name, series name, and episode number
3) When you mark something as 'interested in watching this'
     A) if it is a series, it is put on a list with service name and series name
     B) if it is a movie, put it on a list by the name of the movie
4) All of that information is stored in your Roku account
5) Some Roku-supplied app provides you with an overview of all that, including (to borrow from way Hulu does it) letting you know if you are 'All Caught Up' or what episode you watched last (or need to watch next)
6) Some recommendation algorithm examines that data from time to time and creates a recommendation list under that account

Does that sum it up?

[BJB]

@Tim_Hare ,

Yes, that about does it. Fully understanding the complications of various apps sharing that data with Roku. But it would be a differentiator for them.

Basically TV Time running on Roku and automatically updated.

BJBBJB

[Tim_Hare]

Does the 'My Feed' thing help at all?

https://support.roku.com/article/208756898#!

[BJB]

@Tim_Hare 

Tim,

Thanks for the suggestion!

My Feed is really not that useful for this purpose and does not even always work as advertised as it is not real time. It has to be "updated" to show anything new. It also does not search all roku provided apps...like I think Netflix is excluded? One of the major steamers is... So if you know you want to watch a movie coming out or a new movie from a director, and a new one comes out AND my Feed is updated...never saw confirm on how often that was...and IF it is on a service my Feed covers, then it might show up.

I have only used it a few times for a movie I was waiting for to come out. But news of it hitting services was way before my Feed showed it.

Thanks,

BJB

[tethior]

Hi Tim,

Thank you for weighting in on this and asking the right questions.

I will add that my "dream" is for My Feed to work as I understand it should.  I have put shows in My Feed and when I select the show from My Feed at a future time I am taken to the correct show, on the wrong service and the wrong season with no options presented after I click the item from My Feed.

So my use case would look like this:

When I search to find shows I am interested in I can "bookmark" the show.  This is service agnostic much like My Feed. I would prefer the UI to list shows in a grid / channel guide format so that more than five boxes are displayed at a time as is the current UI.

From my bookmarked list I select the show I would like for the "Season / Episode" list to be displayed.  I would like to toggle "Preferred" or "Installed" channels to narrow the list.  Selecting upon an episode would present me with the service / channel list and selecting the channel would then jump directly to the service, show and episode.

As a enhancement beyond the basic above (which is nothing more than a saved search) it would be great if Roku knew that I like to watch a particular show on a specific service.  So in the toggle of "Preferred" or "Installed" channels could be "Last Watched".  I would expect this to work only if I launched the show from within the Roku, not if I were in the channel and surfed to the show from within the service.

An additional enhancement would be a toggle for "free only" to eliminate those services that have a show or movie but not included with subscription.

I know you dont like when people mention other services (what apple or google does) but in some cases it is easier to discuss software behavior in terms of something familiar.  I for one have 18 years as a Tivo user and find their interface for show selection / book marking to be an excellent reference point.  Sadly Tivo will not support the number of streaming services on their box and so I am now a Roku user (about two years in) having purchased a Roku TCL TV and now a Roku Ultra (voice remote and in private listening being the drivers).  I find that Roku does not "Curate" programming for me and finding content across the different channels is challenging.  I am intrigued by the app mentioned in this thread and will look into that.

Thanks for listening.

Dan

[BJB]

@tehior, I think you will like the app. I am a fellow ex-Tivo person myself

@tethiorand Tim_Hare,

In short, the shows you might want to record (errrr....stream in future) listed and take you there to the right service when you are ready to watch. 

And then a grid of shows you are in the middle of watching (like the old recording list) that take you right to the right streaming service at least and maybe the next episode.

I wasn't going to reply but I swear when I read the email notification on this thread I was in the middle of checking app on what series we  were watching!

BJB

[Talk2Q]

I know this topic is a bit dated, but Roku does need to step up.  The Feed option doesn't work as advertised.  It's not an option offered for every show.  I use JustWatch and Trakt apps to keep up with my shows.  Neither are on Roku, but you can use them on your phone.

[BJB]

Still using and liking TV Time app