What are the main differences between the Lite and Full versions of the channel?
There are a number of performance tweaks and behind the scenes benefits to the full version, but the main differences are:
- The full version uses a more up to date catalog than the lite version. I host my own catalog that I update nightly for the full version, whereas the lite version uses the Netflix hosted catalog which sees some neglect by them, often taking days to weeks to get updated.
- The full version allows you to manage your queue directly from the channel. The lite version doesn't provide any links to your Netflix account.
- The full version includes additional genres for HD television and movies, as well as more genres yet to come. The lite version is limited to the genres provided by the Netflix catalog.
- The full version displays all genre results. The lite version is limited to 100 titles in each genre.
- The full version allows rating of titles within the channel.
- The full version allows searching based on title. The lite version only allows searching by actor and/or director. This is a limitation of it not being linked to a Netflix account.
- The full version allows viewing related titles based on similarity. The lite version is limited to related titles by actor. This is also a limitation of it not being linked to a Netflix account.
- The full version will continue to be enhanced based on feedback from the user community.
Due to Netflix API restrictions, video playback isn't allowed unless you're an official partner. The channel does provide an icon at the top and bottom of every grid screen that will launch the official Roku Netflix channel directly from within the channel.
Why can't I jump directly to a title in the official Netflix channel instead of just launching to the main screen?
Unfortunately, the official Netflix channel does not currently support launching directly to a title. Roku have suggested that that may change in the future. If/when it does, it will become a feature of the channel.
There are genres listed that I really don't want to see. Can I hide them?
Yes! Simply highlight a title in that genre's row, and press either the * or Play/Pause button on your remote. That will bring up a dialog with several options, including one that allows you to hide the genre.
I'm really only interested in a few genres. Can I limit the genres to just those without hiding all of the genres I'm not interested in?
Yes! This works very much like hiding a genre. Highlight a title in the genre you're interested in, press the * or Play/Pause button on your remote, and choose the "Add to favorites" option. Any genres that have been marked as favorites can be viewed via the "Favorites" option on the main channel screen.
Is there a way to view every title in a given genre?
Yep. Browse to the genre row you're interested in, and scroll over to the "More Titles" icon. When selected, all sub-genres of that genre will be loaded. Locate the sub-genre you're interested in, and scroll over to the "All Titles" icon. Selecting this option will show every title in that genre with 5 titles per row, so there's no need to scroll left or right, just up and down!