Improve Roku Fast Forward & Rewind functions

When forwarding or rewinding Tablo recordings on the Roku, please change the display to better indicate how far you are forwarding or rewinding the recording (in minutes & seconds).  The current forward/rewind works, but you have to pay very close attention to the initial time display (shown in minutes only) when you start forwarding to know how far you’ve gone; it’s very easy to overshoot.

This is especially true when using the lower forward/rewind buttons on the Roku controller, once it starts forwarding you have to make sure to hit play again else it just keeps forwarding.  Hit the lower forward/rewind buttons multiple times and it really speeds up, most times going too far!

The top directional control works better, but the jump is too short, 15 or 20 seconds (just a guess).  Maybe the jump time could be set by the user?

@mbellaire - We’re looking into whether we can program the directional control for this. Stay tuned. 

Correction:  The Roku top directional control forwards 10 seconds per right press.

@mbellaire - it seems to be a different time based on the model of Roku you have. 

It would be great to also see a small thumbnail of how far forward we have fast-forwarded.

I also use Roku 3 wired to router.  The fast forward and rewind button should display “screen shots” so you can tell when the advertisement is over. For example, like “amazon instant video” does.  Now you have to just guess where to stop, always either under or over shoot.

So… one of the question marks for me was whether or not Tablo would pass the “wife test”.  She has less of the DIY spirit than I do, so the experience needs to be fairly intuitive for her to love it.


Overall, Tablo has passed the wife test pretty darn well.  But the fast forward experience is definitely something that she isn’t a fan of, and I agree.  On our Roku 2, the directional control gives you a 10 second skip.  We were watching a show last night that had 3 minutes worth of commercials.  Some quick math means you have to hit that button 18 times to be near the end of it, which feels ridiculous when you’re trying to do it.   On our old satellite remote, the forward skip was 30 seconds and the back button was 8 seconds, which felt much more natural.

All of that to say - I agree.  The Roku app needs thumbnails as well as a more natural skip. 

@bencounter - We’re looking to see if we can program the remote to have a set amount other than 10 seconds. Agreed that’s a little crazy :) 

Programming the Roku button(s) should be no problem!  (The Aereo guys have already done it…  just sayin’)  :slight_smile:

@mbellaire - There’s LOTS of stuff we want to do. Just a matter of time & resources! 

@TabloTV - I totally understand.  Us customers see the funnel from the large end, you see it from the small end and wonder how it can ever be cleared (especially with customers continually refilling it with new ideas and requests).

The list does seem long right now, but lots of customer feedback and options for new features is a good problem to have!


We have an awesome platform that will allow us to do all sorts of amazing things. The more units we sell, the more dev team folks we can hire which just means more awesome new features :) 

Aereo Roku had one click Two Minute Skip.  After 15 Years of various
DVR use, the Two Minute forward skip (and one minute backward skip)
only found in Aereo Roku was far and above the single best feature ever
-  Please include ASAP on at least one device client.  Commercial
breaks are usually two minutes or three minutes in length.  With Aereo
Roku - Bang!  one click and done! 

I understand there is some
historical sentiment in favor of 30 second skip.  If 30 second skip
cannot be discarded as I would recommend, please provide a method for
two minute skip forward, one minute skip back in at least one type of
device client (Roku would be #1 choice) - but I’d take any of the device
clients.  You could either provide multiple sets of buttons (say 2
minutes F, 1 minute back one one set of buttons and 30 forward/10 back
on another set of buttons).  Or, provide SETTINGS options to choose
duration of forward/reverse skip times.  If so, default settings should
always be 2 minutes forward - makes everyone fall in Love and become
Loyal Life Long Customers 100% of the time.

Thanks for considering 2 Minute Skip - a Better way!

This is a very important area in which to focus.  I think Roku is a natural and likely common use case for a Tablo, and people have grown accustomed to and require simple, usable commercial skip capabilities.   I own 3 Roku units myself.  I like to watch TV on a TV… I often use the “second screen” of a tablet or laptop for something else while I’m doing that.  

My preference is a 30 second fwd and 10 sec rev.  Some of the shows I watch now, I have to hit the forward 20-24 times to advance back into programming.  Thanks.

Programmable skip settings would be nice but if not user selectable then 30 second forward and 10 second reverse would be really nice.