Anyone looking to bring additional smarts to their TV has credibly stumbled uponRoku . The twist is available in multiple format — but its distant ascendence has remained largely untouched with these novel Cartesian product launches . There have been a few tweaks over time , but by and large , Roku is using the same remote today as it did age ago .
One of the most compelling features of the Roku remote ascendance is the Star release . Its manipulation is n’t immediately obvious , but it essentially works as a mode to access various menus or toggle different video options . For example , depending on what app is dilute on your screen , the Star clitoris might let you twist on subtitles change display and sound preferences .
Whether you own a Roku musician , Roku video , or are thinking about adding one to your home theater , here ’s everything you need to do it about the Roku distant Star clit . Keep in judgment that functionality is subject to change with software update and feature film may vary depending on your Roku twist .
The Star button on the home screen
This one ’s mostly universal whether you ’re using a Roku television set or Roku player . While you ’re on the home projection screen ( that is , the part with all the apps and whatever else you ’ve got loaded — Roku calls them “ channels ” ) , pressing the Star push button will open up some information specific to whatever channel is choose .
You then get some info and options . Let ’s use YouTube TV as an example .
First , you ’ll note the interlingual rendition and work up numbers for the communication channel . That ’s really only useful if you ’re a developer or are helping a developer troubleshoot some effect .
After that , there ’s the star rating — yes , you may rate distribution channel . Then there ’s the really important stuff . If you want to deepen the order of the canal on your home screen , this is where you ’ll do it . Select Move channeland you ’ll be able to change the location of the groove on your home projection screen .
The rest is pretty obvious . Remove channelremoves the channel . Check for updateschecks to see if there ’s an update to the channel . ( It ’ll say it ’s been updated whether or not it ’s in reality been updated.)Give us feedbackallows you to give Roku feedback .
If you ’re using a Roku tv set , you ’ll also be able to stumble the Star clit on other stimulation . So if you have , say , a soundbar , antenna , or secret plan console plug into your Roku TV , you ’ll have alternative to move the input on the home screen , rename it , or withdraw it on the whole .
The Star button in video
When it comes to using the Star clit while you ’re in the midst of watching telecasting , it catch a little complex .
allow ’s begin with Roku TV , which relieve oneself up the majority of sassy idiot box out there . They ’re so democratic thanks to being light to use , with a tidy sum of relatively inexpensive options . And they all have the same remote mastery , more or less .
The Star button does the same on the household screen as what we ’ve remark above . There ’s no difference there .
But when you get into watching a video , you ’ll note how the Star push read you to things that affect what you see and hear on the TV directly . On a several - class - quondam TCL Roku goggle box , for example , you might see pick for the sleep timer , characterization circumstance , sound options , and accessibility .
There ’s also an interesting option just calledPicture off , which turns off the presentation but still keeps whatever was on screen running in the setting . So you could take heed without watch . That ’s kind of nerveless .
If you ’re using a Roku instrumentalist — that is , a pour stick or the similar — your options will be far more limited because it ca n’t directly insure pic scope on the TV . For exemplar : I ’ve got a stick plugged into an LG OLED TV , and the only selection I get when pressing the Star button while a video is playing are for approachability and to change the volume mode . That ’s it .
Can the Star button do more?
If you read through the Roku developer documentation , you sort of get the sense that the Star Button can do all sort of things . There ’s a fun caution tuck in there , though . “ Do not design your channel to use the Star / Option release during telecasting playback . ”
OK , then .
For the non - developer folks out there , which is most of us , it ’s best not to overthink any of this . Hit the Star button every now and then to see what it does . It ’s possible that software system updates may change thing . Or that there ’s simply an option or setting you had n’t seen before .
Regardless , all acclaim the Star button . Long may it dominate .
