The preprinted buttons are not changeable …

I love the ability to watch what I want, when I want … mostly for free on various app channels

Tubi
Pluto
And so many more …

Hope you find a way to enjoy it

That said ...

I guess it's a "me" thing but I really cannot STAND false advertising.

I think it is deceptive of Roku to have the product image show blank buttons and not include any disclaimer that those buttons will come pre-programmed and unchangeable, due to their contracts with whichever providers. (Apparently different people get different services - based on comments in their forum; maybe it is just the contracts change over time.)

It's a disservice to the user, but I might tolerate it better if the company were upfront about it. I might tell them that, if I don't have to create an account just to do that.

That said, they could have shown several 'localized' versions in the ad. Pictures are cheap. I agree with your attitude on truth in advertising.

It was recommended to me because of my lack of options (I do not want a satellite dish on my house along with the monthly $100+ bill.

My DH calls the controller “the banana,” as it is difficult to determine whicjph side is up and where the buttons are located

The Pre-Programed buttons don't allow for change. To get Netflix to show up, you'll need to add it to your onscreen menu. Find your HOME menu and show it on your TV screen. Go left to the list of options. There will be an option for Streaming channels or something along that line.

Click on that then the screen will change to what all is available. Scroll to Netflix and ADD CHANNEL. You will have to sign into NETFLIX on the TV or your other device, with the code NETFLIX with show on your TV.

Explore all the other 'channels' you can add.There are some good ones; some will require payment and others won't. The ones you add to your TV will show their ICONS when you go to HOME with your remote. You just scroll to the one you want to watch and there ya go. Seems weird and maybe cumbersome at first, but you'll get the hang of it quickly.

I have PANDORA on my home as we stream music here & I have the TV hooked up to my receiver which sends the audio to my good speakers. It is good to revisit what all channels are available regularly, as they change, with some being added, others disappearing. One can find channels the offer old shows free, and several that offer regular radio stations that stream, which is nice if you want to stay in touch with what's going on in places you used to live, have family, or follow local sports teams' broadcasts from where you lived or went to school.

Be patient with yourself. You'll get it and start being a Master Streamer in no time.

but that will only be good for < 11 months or so. (I am unlikely to renew Netflix after my "free" period.)

Yeah I assume I can do the channel switching through the TV interface - as I was used to doing for the apps the smart TV supported - but there is no point to having 4 buttons of which I will only use 1, and probably eventually zero. I hope they don't make it too easy to accidentally double-click and order something I don't want.

Mostly I was double checking here that my understanding is NOW correct, that I can't use the remote in the way I expected.

You might have convinced me to at least try it out.

Add your streaming apps exactly as you would for your mobile devices: Get them from the Roku Store. Then sign into the streaming apps to which you are subscribed.

You nailed it.

but I don’t quite understand why you need the button on the remote. When you go to the home page on your TV you can see Netflix at the bottom of the screen or if not you can do a search and sign in. Did I get it wrong?

I LOVE Roku. So much to offer

It is more about the uselessness of the buttons and the fact that it is not made clear in the advertising for the product.

Part of my reason for posting here was to get general feedback about the Roku service as a whole, so I can decide whether it's worth overcoming the bad taste of them not meeting my expectations with the remote.

False advertising is annoying. Funny thing is I don’t use ANY of the special buttons on my remote. All the apps I watch are free but I do understand your frustration. I hope it doesn’t sour you completely on Roku. It’s really great and I love not paying almost $100 a month any more for Spectrum cable!!😊

I use the official Roku app (there are many lookalike imitation apps) on my iPhone. Google Play has it too.

Bonus: the phone app has a popup QWERTY keyboard. Once you’ve used that, you’ll put the remote in a drawer and never use it again.

Philips universal remotes come pre-programmed for Samsung TVs and Roku streaming devices.

Every model Roku was on sale at a substantially reduced price at the end of the year, both online and in stores.

The older of my two existing Rokus, an early model, was no longer supported, so I went to Best Buy’s bricks and mortar store near me and bought, for less than Roku itself was selling them for, two new Roku units for $25 each. Best Buy shipped one, for no additional charge, to my brother in North Carolina for Christmas. The transaction could not have been easier.

I haven’t got around to setting up my new one. I’m still using my years-old Roku 3 on the TV I set over the holidays.

I have no complaints about my experience with Roku.

It was on sale for an acceptable price and I had decided to try it. Knowing that if it doesn't work well it can be returned. (I don't often return stuff at Amazon but the couple times I did, it was painless as long it wasn't some third-party no-name seller. I recently had to send something back to one of those - because it was NOT what was advertised - and that process was a bit of a hassle. Lesson learned.)

The comments here are making me decide to go ahead and sign up and try it, instead of sending it straight back. I probably should have asked here before making my first decision.

The stick was just a little bit more, but a lengthy thread on the Roku forum discussing earlier issues with its receiver unit left me wary. I didn’t feel like being a crash test dummy or making my brother and his wife crash test dummies.

I haven’t pulled mine out of the box. One TV is in a room that’s a bit on the chilly side. I took its Roku, an old Roku 3, and plugged it into the set I have on at this minute. It’s in a much warmer room.

My brother has been exploring streaming TV for the last week. I suspect it won’t be long before he drops cable.

There’s a Best Buy near where he lives, so if his unit malfunctions, he can swap it for a replacement unit quickly.

I am watching trains in Fostoria, Ohio, on the Railstream app.

I am controlling the Roku 3 with the app on my iPhone. The app has the keyboard feature that the remote lacks. I suspect Roku won’t support the Roku 3 for much longer.

The newer models become increasingly irritating to me, trying to push streaming services that I'll never watch and games I'll never play. At some point I may build my own streaming device.

Our television itself is not connected to the internet, cable, or antenna. It only takes input from the "dumb" BluRay player and whatever streaming device I've got connected.

Those blank buttons that did not turn out to be blank would irritate me too. I've been known to modify electronics like that. Physically removing the offending buttons and filling the voids with black epoxy is something I might do.