Roku Dev Studio

What paramount-engineering/roku-dev-studio MCP server does

Roku development tasks are exposed through a desktop application, CLI, and MCP server rather than through a standalone device API. The MCP component lets supported AI clients control a real Roku through Roku Dev Studio while the application is running. Its scope covers common development and testing operations, including ECP-based remote control, channel installation, launching, console access, screenshots, and App Connector interactions.

The repository is an npm workspace monorepo. The MCP package lives under packages/roku-dev-studio-mcp/, while shared device functionality is provided by the Roku Dev Studio API package. The broader application also includes a debugger, network inspector, action-script runner, and remote relay.

How it works

Roku Dev Studio wraps Roku's existing protocols instead of replacing them. ECP handles operations such as key presses, launches, queries, and deep links. Developer-Mode services support sideloading and the BrightScript console, while RALE and the TrackerTask component provide SceneGraph inspection and App Connector communication.

The paramount-engineering/roku-dev-studio MCP server is bundled with the application and is enabled for clients from Settings → MCP Server. The README identifies Cursor, Claude Desktop, and VS Code as supported AI-agent clients; this directory listing specifically represents the MCP package rather than the full desktop feature set.

Devices can be reached on the local network. The project also includes a remote server that can relay ECP access over the internet, which is intended for remote locations or device labs. A Roku must be reachable through the applicable connection path, and development operations such as sideloading require a Developer-Mode device and its Dev Password.

Setup and configuration

Clone the repository and run npm install from its root. Installation builds the shared platform and API workspace packages used by the application and remote server. Start the development application with npm start, then enable the MCP server in the application settings and select the clients you want to connect.

The project supports macOS, Windows, and Linux. Distributable formats include a DMG or portable ZIP on macOS, an NSIS installer or portable executable on Windows, and DEB or AppImage packages on Linux. The README points to INSTALLATION.md for detailed development and packaging instructions.

The paramount-engineering/roku-dev-studio MCP server does not document required environment variables or a separate package-manager command for launching only the MCP process. Its documented setup runs the repository application, which hosts the MCP functionality.

Tools and capabilities

Depending on the connected Roku and enabled application features, the project supports:

• Sending remote-control key presses and keyboard input through ECP.
• Installing and launching development channels from ZIP or package files.
• Reading BrightScript console output and saving or filtering logs.
• Taking screenshots and querying device state.
• Inspecting SceneGraph nodes through RALE and calling channel functions through App Connector.
• Running JSON action scripts containing key presses, queries, sideloads, waits, conditionals, variables, screenshots, and App Connector calls.
• Driving devices through a local network or an internet-bridged remote server.

Limitations and notes

The MCP server is designed to operate through Roku Dev Studio, so it is not documented as an independent hosted endpoint. The application needs to be open for the MCP workflow described in the README. Sideloading and BrightScript debugging depend on Roku Developer Mode, and App Connector features require the channel-side TrackerTask.xml component.

The material does not provide a complete MCP tool schema, individual tool names, authentication settings, or client configuration snippets. It also does not state that every desktop feature is available as an MCP operation. Use the documented client toggle and the application UI as the source of truth for the capabilities exposed in a particular release.

The repository is released under the MIT license. Tests and TypeScript checks can be run from the repository root with npm test and npm run typecheck.