The question of the operating system underlying Roku devices is a common one. Roku’s operating system is a proprietary Linux-based system, developed independently from Android. It is specifically designed for media streaming and focuses on simplicity and efficiency within that context.
The development of a dedicated platform allows for optimization specifically tailored to the streaming experience. This can lead to advantages in speed, stability, and resource management when compared to general-purpose operating systems. Furthermore, a closed ecosystem provides greater control over security and the user interface, leading to a more consistent and predictable experience. In the early days of digital media players, proprietary systems were prevalent, reflecting the nascent stage of operating system development for this application.
