Roku 3 UK - UPDATE #3

Hi, everyone !!


Thought I'd better let you know about some news concerning the "new Roku experience" as featured on the Roku 3 player (that is still, shamefully, ONLY AVAILABLE in the USA, by the way) and was supposed to have been rolled out to earlier Roku models (i.e. Roku LT, Roku XS, etc.) sometime this month. It's not really a surprise (to me at least) that nothing has happened in that regard, here in the UK, but there has been A LOT OF UNEASE among our friends from across the pond, who are becoming increasingly concerned over the lack of action on Roku's part, with this particular update.


During the past few days, I came across a tweet by self-confessed "Geek Blogger", Dave Zatz, of zatznotfunny.com who announced, via his Twitter Feed: @davezatz, that the "new Roku UI" had been "pushed from April to May for older boxes" and he supported that claim by including the following image from an official email to Roku Developers by Roku, themselves:-

HINT: Click on the above image to ENLARGE IT for easier viewing

You will notice FROM THE HIGHLIGHTED TEXT at the bottom of the image that the rollout has apparently now been delayed (yet further) and will now happen "by the end of May" and NOT simply "by May" (i.e. completed during April) as we were all led to believe previously. This additional delay has been made even more infuriating by the fact that (in the USA, at least) Roku have, for some weeks now,  been running "Teaser Ads" for the "new Roku experience" on their streaming media players, hinting that it's "Coming Soon" when, as seems likely, this won't be soon enough for most !!

This "Teaser" campaign has also prompted many remarks from owners of older Roku players, several of which were featured comments in a similar news article from engadget.com such as:- 

(i) Mark Schroeder, who says: 

It's terrible to see the tab in the menu talking about the upgraded menu like I have it already. It's just a stupid tease that they need to take down since it's still a month away.

(i) John M. Bergman, who adds: 

I completely agree.  When it first downloaded, I thought it was the actual interface update. I was really excited, but quickly became equally as upset when I found out it was merely a teaser channel that I would prefer to not have at all.

and;

(iii) TBSteph, who summed it all up by saying that:

The coming soon upgrade tease on the Roku 2 Menu is already stale let alone if it is delayed for another month.  At this point it's kind of like waiting for paint to dry - a boring exercise in futility.   

However, there was also a suggestion that these people may have been getting themselves all worked up over nothing because, as pointed out by another engadget.com reader:-

Anjenaire, who commented:

I like the new layout but it isn't really that much quicker than scrolling side to side. Now you get to scroll up and down. It does scroll smoother, and you can hold the button down and it will rotate through without the audible noise, but in the end it is very, very evolutionary rather than revolutionary. 

Although, in fairness, he did finish by saying:

I do like it and will enjoy the interface update when it hits the other boxes but not worth checking every day for.

Before adding:

I too am peeved by the update channel tease. Just roll it out already. 

So, from what I've read elsewhere, it seems like the general opinion is that Roku have been dragging their heels for WAY TOO LONG over this particular matter and, despite their best efforts to reassure people via their own comments on the Official Roku Twitter Feed: @rokuplayer, they really ought to GET THIS SORTED as soon as possible or else risk alienating their existing loyal fanbase.

Overall, from the looks of things, the news is... THERE IS NO NEWS, ONLY DELAYS... which means we'll have to wait AT LEAST ANOTHER MONTH until we know if UK Roku players are going to benefit from this "new Roku experience", or not (as I suspect will be the case). 

And there you have it... that's as much as we've been able to find out thus far. Needless to say, we'll continue to keep our ear to the ground and our eyes on the computer screen for any further Roku 3 UK update or details of any software rollout that may materialise and, rest assured, you will hear about it right here if & when it happens.


Meanwhile, remember that you can keep up-to-date with all things Roku-related in the UK via the companion Twitter Feed to this blog: @ukrokuchannels where (as always) you'll find up-to-the minute information being posted on a daily basis (well, almost).



Until the next time, then...



That's all folks !!