[popcornmix]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roku#Online_Roku_channels

The Roku is an open-platform device with a freely available SDK that enables anyone to create new channels. The channels are written in a Roku-specific language called BrightScript, a scripting language the company calls "similar to Visual Basic".

So, unless you think you can port xbmc to BrightScript, then an xbmc channel is not going to happen.

Plex is possible because the client does very little work, but you need a different machine to run the Plex server.

[kreeturez]

Yeah that makes sense. It's why I said this last week:

I suspect that, as you say, interest in thin-client implementations (such as 'channels') will increase when the client-server model is fully implemented. At least that's what I hope :-)

In terms of popularity (while I don't personally have one), it is indeed a very popular box.

I was going to suggest basing something off the existing uPnP server that XBMC offers; but it's not meta-data-rich enough to provide a true XBMC experience.

Perhaps a Roku 'channel' could be forged using a combination of uPnP and XBMC's JSON interface.
Or perhaps it does, indeed, simply make more sense to wait out a proper client -server model down the line before implementing thin-clients such as this.

[riteshraja]

http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/28/roku-...-3-rooted/

[Ned Scott]

http://www.engadget.com/2013/12/28/roku-...-3-rooted/

Interesting indeed. It would require a lot of work, and most likely it would require a replacement OS which would mean you choose either Roku apps or XBMC, but not both. That's mostly speculation on my part, though. Where there is a will, there is a way. It just takes a really strong will and someone who wants to work on it.