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So it's seems the latest update has removed the dev mode and the ability to sideload apps. Any existing apps are removed...
Checked my box this morning and plex wasn't on therr...
Looks like I'll need to buy a roku....
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thats a bit of a bugger, looks like i need to do the same or go fire sticks
As these are simply modified Android boxes I would imagine they have simply changed the way you activate DEV mode but not removed it entirely.
It may be a waiting game until someone discovers how to reactivate.
Cut down Roku boxesQuote:
Originally Posted by piggzy
Yes but don't roku just use a modified android/Linux variant or have I got that wrong...
Don't know piggzy, if it is a Android box I would have thought ppl would have got full Android on to it by now
Roku's aren't based on the Android OS. I did read some info released by a hardware hacking team years ago about the Roku and why you can't do much with Sky NOW TV boxes to unlock functionality etc. they are quite limited from hardware hacking point of view. I can't remember the programming language used for the Roku system but I do remember reading discussions that because of what programming language it does use, there was no easy way to adapt KODI to run on it, you'd have to write your code from scratch. Obviously, Plex was originally forked from Kodi so the dev's behind that, have taken time to get Plex running on Roku hardware and there was the modified Plex app for Roku / NOW TV boxes. I don't particularly like Plex, why it tries to transcode a Mpeg2 video file rather than just straight playing it to my Fire tablet is beyond me, Kodi does it right, no transcoding requred, direct playback! I stopped using Roku's and found Fire Stick with Kodi better but Fire Sticks are damn slow! I've been waiting a long time for Amazon to remove the ability to side-load apps from their Fire Sticks too... but Sky have always been quick to knock out any boxes that may lead to them losing profits, perhaps Amazon aren't too bothered because they don't pitch millions $$$ on football rights etc. unlike Sky / BT.
Had a quick google and the ROKU OS is a heavily modified Linux OS. So no not Android but then again Android is a heavily modified version of Linux also.
Apple is a modified version of Linux (freeBSD). That explains why both Apple And Android Apps are able to work on the ROKU then.
ALL LINUX.
Here come all the Apple (no it is not Linux brigade)
Most gadgets that need some kind of OS will generally be based on some form of the LINUX kernel as depending on what you're doing etc. it's generally free to use and can save you time from designing / writing your own OS from scratch. However, the linux kernel has grown over the years and now could be seen as quite bloated depending on what hardware you have to work with etc. I did own a few SKY NOW TV boxes (the early white ones) but got fed up with all the SKY ads and pokes towards their paid for services and they started to become slow, the more SKY kept changing / updating the firmware etc. So, eventually I switched to Roku boxes but I've not found myself using them of late. I think the Fire Stick gives me what I need (despite menus being slow) for a low powered device although the Amazon's OS is not stock Android either, so they steer you towards their own APP store rather than Google play and their services, so almost as bad as SKY but not quite! I was thinking of getting a Android TV box but my flat mate has tried most, complained they're all s**t slow and has switched to using a PC instead. I think the games are just beginning between Sky, Premier League and all the other TV/Film Rights holders and the dodgy IPTV streaming boxes (Plex / Kodi). They have now copyrighted LIVE football matches by recording the feed with a slight delay before broadcast so they're gearing up legally to stop anyone from not buying UK subscriptions and they're now tracking servers sending out illegal TV streams with the rights to block servers at ISP level. So we're back to the cat and mouse games we had back in the old days of OD cards. Sky etc. will do what they can legally to stop things and the dark side will try to keep their services running to keep their cash flowing in. Let the games begin... I guess I should get around to selling my un-opened NOW TV box, I guess it's value will have dropped now despite having a 2 month movie pass ;)