One of the biggest requests for streaming players has been a sleep timer that will auto stop your stream to help customers with data caps. Now Roku has finally added an option like this called Bandwidth Saver as part of its Roku OS 9.2 update.
When you turn on Bandwidth saver, if you have not used your remote in 4 hours, it will ask if you are still watching. If you don’t click OK on your remote the Roku Player will stop the stream currently playing to help you not go over your data cap.
Update: Some readers are reporting this new mode was turned on by default with the 9.2 updates. The good news is you can turn it off in your Network settings.
Here is how Roku describes the Bandwidth Saver Mode:
If you haven’t used the remote in 4 hours, a message will display asking you if you’re still watching. If there is no response the channel will stop streaming and save your network bandwidth.
The good news is this is an optional mode and one you have to opt into. So if you don’t worry about data caps, you can let you Roku stream all it wants. However there is no way to adjust the 4-hour time limit.
Now, this is not exactly the sleep timer many had hoped for from their Roku Player but its a step in the right direction. Many worry that if they fall asleep when watching TV, their Roku will burn gigabytes of data even though the TV is off pushing them over their data cap. Roku TVs do come with a standard sleep timer built-in, and hopefully, someday that feature will also come to Roku Player, especially now that many Roku Players can also control your TV.
To get this mode, you do need a Roku Player running Roku OS 9.2 that is currently rolling out to Roku Players and Roku TVs. If you want to turn this setting on you will find it in the Network Settings next to where you set up your WiFi connection.
What do you think of this new Bandwidth Saver mode? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.
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