Just a few short days after retail availability the first Roku 2 update has hit. And it can’t come soon enough for those us experiencing some typical early release crashiness (as described here and here). From the version 4.1, build 1255 release notes:
• Improved playback support in Crackle
• Fixed an occasional crash on entry into Angry Birds
• Fixed an occasional crash during video playback
Roku firmware updates are automatic and most players will be updated over the next week. If you would like to get the latest firmware version immediately, please visit Settings > Software Update on your Roku 2 Streaming Player to manually trigger the update.
I suspect the Roku crew is already hard at work on their next update, as these sorts of issues are all too common in new products… and this is an entirely new hardware platform for them. But I’m hopeful we’ll see even more improved stability, reliability, and responsiveness within a couple of weeks.
In addition to the Roku 2 software update, EPIX and AOLHD channels have been released. EPIX requires a subscription via your cable or satellite provider. Beyond a high def movie television channel, EPIX offers online streaming… now back to the TV. Which is probably most useful in rooms without a cable box or if you take your Roku on the road as I’ve been known to do. And then there’s AOLHD. I don’t know much about it other than it features an area dedicated to my pals at Engadget – all their videos in glorious HD. But it could use some organizational assistance.
Chucky, I finally started researching Plex for testing and blog coverage… but it turns out the Roku 2 either has some issues or unpublished API/SDK changes that have killed the app. Perhaps I need to hang onto that Roku 1 XDS?
“Chucky, I finally started researching Plex for testing and blog coverage… but it turns out the Roku 2 either has some issues or unpublished API/SDK changes that have killed the app. Perhaps I need to hang onto that Roku 1 XDS?”
Given the dual-band wireless, I’d do that if I were in your shoes.
Roku 2! A smaller box with fewer features!
I’m not sure how I like the adaptive streaming within Netflix on the Roku 2 XS. I just got mine yesterday and started to stream Scream 3 (first HD title I saw) & when it snapped in to HD, the audio and video were off. I’ve tried several different HD titles today & they all seem to work without problem. Tried Scream 3 again and the same issue occurred. Have you had any issues like this?
Jason, you may want to post a note on Roku’s forum – I think they’ve been compiling titles that have had or caused issues (playback, crashes, etc).
Speaking of the forum, the second Roku 2 update has hit:
http://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=41905
Improved playback reliability with v4.1 build 1256.
We know that some of you are experiencing issues that result in reboots during playback. The problem appears to be more prevalent for users with WiFi networks under specific bandwidth conditions and you should see a significant improvement with build 1256.