Roku 2 | Roku Streaming Player

I have the Roku 2 | Roku Streaming Player but I wasn't happy because the use of the headphone feature ,which I loved, gobbled up batteries like crazy. Two weeks I think I got out of a pair of AA batteries. So, I hooked up a 5V adapter to the battery terminals and now I enjoy Roku without having the sound die on me half way through a show.



Use the two terminals near the bottom of the unit (close to the that dumb Roku cloth tag). Now, please note that the batteries supplied 3 volts. Although my unit is working fine with 5 volts, I wouldn't want your unit to burn. I had originally put in a voltage divider but it still needed batteries to work. Now, it works without batteries of any kind but at 5V instead of 3. I would have put in a 3 volt but it would have meant having to buy one. Years of gadget buying has given me a horde of dozens of adapters which I try to reuse in my maker projects.



One extra benefit was that I got the unit open and removed those damn hot keys for Netflix, Amazon, and the other bullshit. I really didn't need buttons that I accidentally kept pressing during a show. To open the unit, first remove the screw inside the battery compartment, then, use a box-cutter to carefully but into the seam (less than 1/16") while prying apart the two halves. Keep track of the "membrane" type switches. There are three, two of which you will keep and one you'll throw away (the one that switches to Netflix and Amazon and two other services). One last piece of advice. The remote's construction is a bit of a puzzle but just note how the parts fit together before assembling again.



If this trigger happy remote keeps annoying me, I'll make the "back" and "home" buttons flush with the surface so I don't inadvertently press these too.



I wish Roku had consulted with me.