The Ghost Button: How Blockbuster Got Its Own Shortcut on Roku Before Vanishing Forever
By Chloe Bennett
The physical artifact in question arrived primarily with the Roku 2 XS remote and its siblings around late 2011 and early 2012. Roku had redesigned its controller, moving away from the utilitarian wand of its first-generation digital media players to introduce motion control, gaming buttons for Angry Birds, and a row of dedicated app launchers.
Consumers unboxing a Roku 2 XS found four pre-selected services at the base of the remote: Netflix, Pandora, Crackle, and Blockbuster. Netflix was already the dominant subscription service. Pandora supplied internet radio. Crackle provided ad-supported movies. Blockbuster, sporting its iconic torn-ticket logo, was supposed to be the premium digital rental destination.
Pick up that remote today, and the tactile contrast is striking. The rubber membrane still yields with a satisfying click, but the digital infrastructure behind that click rotted away over a decade ago. It is an un-updatable piece of consumer electronics, a five-millimeter patch of silicone executing an instruction to launch an app that no longer exists on Roku servers.
Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.
