Hey Roku owners please help

[Fanatical Meat]

My Dad has really started to like YouTube on their Samsung smart TV. He does have trouble using the remote to enter text to search for stuff. Does the Roku 3's voice search function work for searching YouTube videos?

 

[MustISO]

From what I've seen online it doesn't work with the YouTube app. Does your dad have a smart phone or tablet. I use my phone to search and then cast to the TV.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

From what I've seen online it doesn't work with the YouTube app. Does your dad have a smart phone or tablet. I use my phone to search and then cast to the TV.

I've tried to synch a cheap android tablet I got him for sirius radio but the app for the TV sucks, you have to launch it multiple times for it to connect, the buttons are weird. Honestly its easier for him to press a remote button 700 times to spell out "D-Day". However maybe a chromcast?

 

[SithSolo1]

With the Roku app you can type using a phone/tablet KB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFJ2taHM2UM

I got my mother one of the 2016 Roku sticks(black stick) and so far its been great.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

With the Roku app you can type using a phone/tablet KB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFJ2taHM2UM

I got my mother one of the 2016 Roku sticks(black stick) and so far its been great.

Just to confirm. The Roku app would allow you to search YouTube with the full keyboard?

 

[SithSolo1]

I have not tried using it yet, I just assumed if it worked in the regular menus it would work in youtube. I'll go over there and test it tomorrow just to make sure and I'll let you know.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I have not tried using it yet, I just assumed if it worked in the regular menus it would work in youtube. I'll go over there and test it tomorrow just to make sure and I'll let you know.

Thank Captain

 

[mdram]

you can also get a bluetooth keyboard for most samsung tv's

 

[MustISO]

I've tried to synch a cheap android tablet I got him for sirius radio but the app for the TV sucks, you have to launch it multiple times for it to connect, the buttons are weird. Honestly its easier for him to press a remote button 700 times to spell out "D-Day". However maybe a chromcast?

I haven't used the app in a while but when I was using it a lot it worked fine on two different Samsung TV's. Never had to do anything except press the "cast" button when I wanted to push something from my phone to the TV. Did it using iOS devices so maybe that's the difference.

Chromecast might be worth looking into.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Just to confirm. The Roku app would allow you to search YouTube with the full keyboard?

Yes, it will.

Edit: I just tested this because although the keyboard in the Roku app works on every other channel, the Youtube channel has always sucked. Well, I can confirm it still sucks because the keyboard does, in fact, not work. This is another reason I still prefer Plex (watch later) for Youtube videos on the Roku.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Yes, it will.

Edit: I just tested this because although the keyboard in the Roku app works on every other channel, the Youtube channel has always sucked. Well, I can confirm it still sucks because the keyboard does, in fact, not work. This is another reason I still prefer Plex (watch later) for Youtube videos on the Roku.

Thank you I appreciate your testing. Looks like the chromecast is a better option for what he needs.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Thank you I appreciate your testing. Looks like the chromecast is a better option for what he needs.

The Roku will still do screencasting just like the Chromecast will, but more importantly it comes with a real remote. The android app is great for keyboard searches (when it works), but I use the remote the other 99% of the time. Having only the app to control the Roku would annoy me to the point I would almost never use it.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

The Roku will still do screencasting just like the Chromecast will, but more importantly it comes with a real remote. The android app is great for keyboard searches (when it works), but I use the remote the other 99% of the time. Having only the app to control the Roku would annoy me to the point I would almost never use it.

Thanks. Right now its only YouTube he's into and understands. I honestly can't imagine explaining different roku channels, what to look for, add apps it would end up being too frustrating for him & I.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Thanks. Right now its only YouTube he's into and understands. I honestly can't imagine explaining different roku channels, what to look for, add apps it would end up being too frustrating for him & I.

Oh yeah, I understand. Still, you can use the Android Youtube app to cast to the Roku, but once it starts the remote can be used to pause/play/ff/rw, whereas he'll have to exclusively use the android app to do that with the Chromecast. Another option with real remote is the Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. It also has an Android app.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Oh yeah, I understand. Still, you can use the Android Youtube app to cast to the Roku, but once it starts the remote can be used to pause/play/ff/rw, whereas he'll have to exclusively use the android app to do that with the Chromecast. Another option with real remote is the Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. It also has an Android app.

I just remembered my sister gave them a reasonably new iPad to replace their first Gen iPad. Will the roku remote fast forward YouTube like a VCR or DVD player does?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Will the roku remote fast forward YouTube like a VCR or DVD player does?

Yes and no. It does fast forward, but it's more like skipping forward in 5 second increments instead of just speeding up like a VCR does.

But I have to say, I don't use the YouTube channel very often, and testing today reminded me why. It is extremely laggy on my Roku Streaming Stick. While the Streaming Stick was a little laggy in Netflix, it generally is very responsive in every other app, but wow, the YouTube app is so laggy it's unusable. I remember it was just as laggy on my Roku 2 XS, but I don't know if it is any better on Roku 3. If you do go with a Roku for YouTube, skip the Streaming Stick.

That said, as I mentioned earlier, I use Plex It! to watch YouTube videos. With Plex Media Server installed on a local PC, a free account, and with the Plex app on your TV or Roku, you can add videos to your "Watch Later" queue and watch it on your TV. Videos can be added with a bookmarklet in your browser or by sending a link to your queue email address. A huge list of supported websites is here. Use your PC/Smartphone/Tablet to find and send links to your queue, then watch them whenever you want (they stay in your queue until deleted). Use the remote to play/pause/ff/rw without lag.

I also just tested this Plex YouTubeTV plugin and it works with the virtual keyboard in the Roku app. It's also lag-free compared to the official YouTube app.

EDIT: Basically, if you can install the Plex app on your Dad's Smart TV, then you can get a free solution to your dilemma.

 

[SithSolo1]

I know it's already been said but the keyboard does not work in the YouTube channel. Casting from the browser on the Android tablet didn't work, it could never find the stick. That said casting from the YouTube Android app worked flawlessly. I could search w/ the KB in the app and as soon as I hit cast the Roku stick showed up. Also stayed connected until I canceled casting. FF works but it's like a slow Blu-ray player where you get little scene boxes and skipping to the next takes a few seconds.

 

[JeffMD]

Try the amazon fire stick instead, it actually uses full on android apps which while don't all support the voice search function, most atleast support bluetooth keyboards.