Today's set-top boxes do not all come from the cable or satellite provider and they frequently contain much more functionality than those that do come from the big providers. One is Roku, a company that has been innovating and upgrading at a rather quick pace recently, having only just released the Roku 3 with added functionality.
Now the company rolls out version 2.2 of its mobile apps for both the Android and iOS platforms. Roku promises that this latest update addresses feedback received from users.
Indeed, there are a number of additions in this latest release. Deep scanning is added to look for Roku players on your network using multiple methods. If the first scan does not succeed, just tap "Try again" and give the app another shot. Users can also enter the Roku player’s IP address to connect manually and automatically pair with a Roku when that device is the only player associated with a particular Roku user account.
According to Roku's Tom Markworth "version 2.2 adds the ability to play photos and music simultaneously in Play On Roku without pre-selecting music in slideshow settings. Simply start photos, then music. Or vice versa".
Roku is an excellent alternative to mainstream TV providers and this functionality only adds to the tiny device's ability to take over your living room. However, until the company integrates a browser, I will stick with Google TV. This is nothing personal -- I just need that functionality.