Expanding IR Remote
Control
Designing a setup experience so Roku remotes can control soundbars, AV receivers, and projectors — making the Roku remote the only remote users ever need.
One remote to rule them all
Roku's streaming players have long supported controlling a TV's power and volume through infrared (IR) signals — a feature that has been consistently well-received since launch. But for users who connect their Roku player through an AV receiver, soundbar, or projector, that experience breaks down entirely. They're left juggling multiple remotes, a frustration point that shows up loudly in community forums and support tickets alike.
This project expands Roku's IR universal remote support to include soundbars, AV receivers, and projectors. The goal is to make the Roku remote the only remote a user will ever need.
UXDR 1
Scope & Vision
UXDR 2
Mild–Wild Concepts
UXDR 3
Final Design
UX Spec
Eng Handoff
Ship
Summer 2026
In compliance with my non-disclosure agreement, I've omitted confidential information from this case study. The insights shared here are my own and don't necessarily represent the views of Roku.
A long time coming
For years, expanding IR control beyond TV power and volume has been a target feature on Roku's roadmap. Previous attempts were committed and then closed due to a combination of technical constraints and legal blockers around the remote setup flow. The current push clears those blockers — a robust legal review agreed on a path forward, unblocking design work that had been on hold.
The feature ships in two phases. Phase 1 adds soundbar support. Phase 2 expands to AV receivers and projectors. Both are integrated into Guided Setup (the first-run experience) and into Settings for users who want to configure or update their setup later.
Phase 1 — Spring 2026
Soundbar support integrated into Guided Setup and Settings. Detects if volume is being routed through the TV via CEC, and supplements with direct IR control where needed.
Phase 2 — Summer 2026
Expands to AV receivers and projectors. Introduces user-selectable control methods (IR or CEC), brand selection flows, and multi-device power management.
The broader mission is consistent with Roku's streaming player strategy: make Roku devices as interoperable as possible with competitive TV ecosystems, positioning the Roku remote as the central hub of a user's entertainment setup.
More devices, more friction
The core design challenge isn't purely technical — it's cognitive. Users arrive at Guided Setup in a new device moment: they want to start streaming, not configure a remote. Every additional step, decision, or failure state erodes that first impression.
IR database limitations
The system relies on a third-party IR code database. Not all soundbar or AVR brands are guaranteed to be covered, which creates fallback edge cases at scale. When a device can't be identified automatically, users are dropped into a manual brand selection path that must feel just as simple as the automatic one.
CEC vs. IR complexity
Users connecting through an AVR or projector need to choose between IR (line-of-sight, widely compatible) and CEC (no line-of-sight needed, but requires device settings). Explaining this meaningfully without overwhelming a mainstream user is a significant copy and UX challenge.
A matrix of setups — all must feel simple
The combination of device types, connection methods, and control protocols results in 30+ unique flow paths. Each must feel effortless to the end user while remaining correct and fully testable for engineering. Here's the full matrix of setups the design must support:
TV Only
Roku → TV. Volume via TV IR. Most common, shortest path.
TV + Soundbar via CEC
Soundbar volume routed through TV CEC. Existing TV IR solution already works — no extra setup.
TV + Soundbar via IR
Soundbar needs its own IR codes. User confirms brand so correct codeset can be loaded.
AVR Direct
Roku plugged into AVR via HDMI. CEC recommended. IR available as fallback.
Projector Setup
Projector as primary display. CEC or IR based on user's setup.
Guided Setup timing and tone
This feature launches inside Guided Setup — the most important first-run experience Roku has. Getting the tone, brevity, and visual hierarchy right matters more here than anywhere else, because a poor first impression can permanently affect device NPS.
Lead Product Designer
As the UX DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) on this feature, I owned the end-to-end design process — from framing the problem in the initial design review, to presenting three mild-to-wild concepts, to shipping the final UX spec for engineering handoff.
Cross-functional partners
Product Management
Collaborated on feature requirements, user stories, and priority decisions across Spring and Summer 2026 milestones.
Firmware Engineering
Worked closely with firmware and remotes firmware teams to understand IR code delivery, CEC detection logic, and hardware constraints.
UI Engineering
Partnered on scope estimates and design feasibility. UI engineering provided effort quotes for each mild/medium/wild approach to inform direction decisions.
Software Engineering & QA
QA mapped out platform coverage across RTVs, non-RTV players, and WiFi and BLE remotes. Software engineering validated integration work between remotes and the UI layer.
UX Research
A usability study was planned and executed to validate the approved design direction and surface friction points before engineering handoff.
UX Writing & Visual Design
Copy was developed and refined with the UX writing team. New visual patterns were reviewed with the Roku Design System team before finalization.
Why this matters commercially
Unlike many Roku features, this one is not primarily a monetization play. The business case centers on product NPS — star ratings, press reception, and consumer loyalty.
Goal: Position Roku players at the center of the user's TV experience — not as a peripheral attached to it. Winning the remote means winning the room.
What the data revealed
Before designing a single screen, I worked with product and analytics to understand the current state of remote setup — including where and why users fail.
EDID detection as a shortcut
HDMI EDID data is used to predict likely IR codes, reducing the burden on users to know their device's brand. When this succeeds, the flow is dramatically shorter.
CEC as a silent first attempt
For soundbars connected via TV, the system first tests whether CEC-based volume control through the TV already works — only prompting IR setup if it doesn't.
How others solve this
A competitive audit of Google TV (Chromecast) and Amazon Fire TV was conducted during the initial scoping phase.
Relies heavily on HDMI CEC for AV control, routed through Google Home. Setup is streamlined but assumes CEC compatibility — users with IR-only devices face a harder path.
Uses an IR blaster on select models for non-CEC devices. Setup requires manual brand search — no automatic EDID detection. Useful as a benchmark for what a non-streamlined IR setup experience looks like at scale.
From mild to wild
At the second design review, I presented three design directions — each representing a different level of ambition and engineering investment.
Why Medium won
Design leadership directed the team to pursue the Medium approach: maintain the existing Guided Setup visual design, while applying the new Wizard design pattern specifically to the AV remote setup module.
What Mild gave up
Least engineering impact, but a missed opportunity to improve the setup experience during the legal review window that had just opened up this design work.
What Wild required
UI Engineering estimated significant effort to build the full wizard version across all of Guided Setup — too large for the current shipping timeline.
Listening before designing
An in-lab usability study was conducted in September–October 2025, with 8 participants (mixed Roku and non-Roku users) evaluating the remote setup flow for soundbar and AVR control.
Full research findings are available as an executive summary. View the research report →
I feel like I'm stuck... is this going to keep going forever?
Participant · IR Code Testing · Dead Loop Confusion — P0 Critical FindingTop 5 headline insights
Progress visibility during IR code testing
Users felt trapped in a "dead loop" when testing multiple IR codes. Fix: make progress persistent and prominent throughout the IR testing loop.
IR vs. CEC choice confusion
Users unfamiliar with technical terms struggled to choose between IR and CEC. Explanatory text needs to be grouped with each option and made more visual.
Redundant questioning in IR trials
Asking "Is music playing?" immediately after the user confirms "Music didn't stop" feels unnecessarily repetitive and frustrating.
MUTE button test clarity
100% of participants clearly understood the MUTE button instructions — a major improvement over the current production version.
Brand selector usability
Alphabetical organization was intuitive. Users naturally navigated Star → A → B → C → D to select "Denon." No guidance was needed — the pattern worked out of the box.
Recommended next steps from research
Redesign progress indicators (P0)
Make "Trying code X of 5" more prominent and persistent throughout the IR testing loop.
Improve IR/CEC choice screen (P1)
Group explanatory text with each highlighted option. Add a visual diagram illustrating the line-of-sight requirement for IR control.
Simplify redundant questions (P1)
Investigate engineering feasibility of combining "Did music stop?" and "Is music playing?" to reduce perceived redundancy in the IR code testing flow.
Monitor data in Alpha/Launch
Set up logging to track users repeatedly clicking "Keep trying" without changing CEC settings, users skipping Power button instructions, and overall setup success rates.
Feature shows strong potential with 100% MUTE test success, but the critical P0 progress visibility issue must be addressed before launch to prevent user frustration and setup abandonment.
The final experience
The approved design applies the Wizard pattern to the AV remote setup module — a clear, step-by-step flow that guides users through identifying their audio device, testing IR or CEC control, and confirming success.
Design approach
Testing IR codes with real-time feedback
When the system can't silently identify the right IR codeset, the user is guided through a short testing sequence. A numbered progress indicator ("1 of 5") directly addresses the P0 "dead loop" confusion found in usability research.
Alphabetical brand selection — simple by design
When automatic EDID detection fails, users enter a brand selection flow organized alphabetically with a lettered sidebar. Research confirmed this was intuitive out of the box.
Device-specific copy, AVR illustration
The music playback screen adapts its body copy and illustration to the connected device.
Device-specific copy, soundbar illustration
Soundbar-specific copy with an illustration showing the soundbar beneath the TV.
Device-specific copy, TV illustration
For audio routing through TV speakers — the illustration shows the TV prominently with no external audio device.
Device-specific copy, projector illustration
The illustration swaps in a projector with a projection beam — the most distinct visual in the set.
View the full design file
The complete annotated design — all happy paths, error states, additional codeset flows, and edge cases — is documented in Figma. The file is view-only.
View complete flows in Figma →The complete setup experience — integrated into Guided Setup and Settings — for all Roku Players and Streambars, supporting WiFi and BLE remotes, across the full matrix of device types, control methods, and error cases.
What this project taught me
Edge cases are the UX
When a feature has 30+ flow paths, the error states aren't secondary concerns — they're half the design work. The quality of recovery flows determines whether users trust the product when things don't go perfectly the first time.
Align on scope before designing screens
The three-tiered design review process exists for exactly this reason: align on vision and constraints before committing design resources to pixels. The mild-to-wild framework forces honest conversations about tradeoffs earlier, when course corrections are cheap.
Technical constraints can unlock better solutions
The IR database limitations — initially a concern for the team — actually shaped a better user experience. Detecting device context automatically via EDID meant we could skip manual brand selection for most users entirely, dramatically shortening the common-case flow.
Copy is UX, especially on TV
On a 10-foot interface with a remote as the only input, every word costs attention. Rewriting "Use CEC" to "Control volume without pointing the remote" meaningfully improved comprehension in research — without adding a single screen or a single step.