Does anyone use Roku?

[SecondAttempt]

Bought a Roku 1 about 8 years ago when I moved and was bouncing around places for a few months until my renter's lease expired. All in all it served its purpose back then.

I have repurposed it as a Pandora streamer. This is our nightly home mood music. But starting last night it quit! It says everything is cool but there is no sound on any Roku channel.

I have a Kodi install on the same TV and it works fine, no sound issues. Swapping their HDMI cables did not solve the problem, still hear Kodi but not Roku.

All the support forums say, unplug/wait/plug or remove/reinstall. Been there done that.

Anyone experiencing the same issues and maybe solved it?

 

[JoeWras]

Bought a Roku 1 about 8 years ago when I moved and was bouncing around places for a few months until my renter's lease expired. All in all it served its purpose back then.

I have repurposed it as a Pandora streamer. This is our nightly home mood music. But starting last night it quit! It says everything is cool but there is no sound on any Roku channel.

I have a Kodi install on the same TV and it works fine, no sound issues. Swapping their HDMI cables did not solve the problem, still hear Kodi but not Roku.

All the support forums say, unplug/wait/plug or remove/reinstall. Been there done that.

Anyone experiencing the same issues and maybe solved it?

OK, I am not experiencing that issue or any issue. However, you should know Roku recently pushed a major OS update (to 10.5) on most devices. The number one problem people complain about is "weird sound issues."

The most recent buzz I've seen says that another thing to try is to go into the systems screens and ask for a manual update. The device may present you with a choice to rollback (to version 10). If so, take it.

YMMV, just summarizing the angry buzz I've seen on the reddit roku subreddit.

 

[bltkmt]

Also, eight years is a pretty good run for such a device.

 

[MissMolly]

Roku devices are on a Black Friday sale right now. You can the stick for as little as $20.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I use it every day. Have it on 3 TVs. Allows me not to hard wire cable.

 

[Midpack]

Also, eight years is a pretty good run for such a device.

+1. I’d try to get it working, but I wouldn’t be unhappy if I needed a replacement after 8 years. Our Rokus are 3-4 years old and I’m sure they won’t last forever.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Roku devices are on a Black Friday sale right now. You can the stick for as little as $20.

+1

 

[RetiredHappy]

We have 3 Rokus, 2 bought 3 years ago and 1 bought 6 months ago for our 3 TVs. No issue with any of them.

 

[Chuckanut]

I've had several Roku devices. Like a lot of electronics in this ever changing world of home electronics, there comes a time when they still work but don't support all the new features and ways of doing things. I can live with that in a device that costs well under $100. I would be very upset if I bought a Roku equipped $600+ TV and found that in four or five years it no longer could keep up with with modern advancements. That's why I prefer the cheaper devices.

FYI, I currently have a Firestick solely because I found it for $19 at an Amazon store. It seems as good as similar Roku devices. It replaced a Roku device that was 8 years old.

 

[JoeWras]

If OP goes with a new device, OP may want to look further than Roku.

Look, I love my two Rokus, but their war with providers and Google have been troublesome, and portend to be very troublesome in the future with regard to Google.

Now Amazon isn't without sin in this area either, but they are worth a look on this Black Friday. Hard to go wrong at $19.

There are also some other streamers out there with smaller names.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

I bought a bunch of Roku's this year, to replace 10 year old obsolete ones in 2 houses.

IMO, it's worth the extra money to get the models that have the enhanced remote with the volume controls on the side. Then, you don't have to be hunting for that "other remote" all the time just to adjust the volume.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I bought a bunch of Roku's this year, to replace 10 year old obsolete ones in 2 houses.

IMO, it's worth the extra money to get the models that have the enhanced remote with the volume controls on the side. Then, you don't have to be hunting for that "other remote" all the time just to adjust the volume.

That and the On and Off controls for the TV.

 

[Midpack]

If OP goes with a new device, OP may want to look further than Roku.

Look, I love my two Rokus, but their war with providers and Google have been troublesome, and portend to be very troublesome in the future with regard to Google.

Now Amazon isn't without sin in this area either, but they are worth a look on this Black Friday. Hard to go wrong at $19.

There are also some other streamers out there with smaller names.

The "wars" have beset lots of providers, not at all unique to Roku, and Google isn't the only threat. Buying some other brand is no guarantee at all, and the "wars" are with content platforms/bundlers, not hardware - though it so happens Roku is now playing in both arenas. Roku is by no means uniquely vulnerable. Amazon (Fire) and Google aren't exactly friendly either. The big providers (e.g. Comcast, ViacomCBS, Disney, etc.) will continue to position their content where they want, at the prices they can get. That landscape will be changing for quite a while, and there is no platform that's immune.

 

[JoeWras]

The "wars" have beset lots of providers, not at all unique to Roku, and Google isn't the only threat. Buying some other brand is no guarantee at all, and the "wars" are with content platforms/bundlers, not hardware - though it so happens Roku is now playing in both arenas. Roku is by no means uniquely vulnerable. Amazon (Fire) and Google aren't exactly friendly either. The big providers (e.g. Comcast, ViacomCBS, Disney, etc.) will continue to position their content where they want, at the prices they can get. That landscape will be changing for quite a while, and there is no platform that's immune.

Well, I don't disagree. My post may have come off as a pure endorsement of Amazon. It isn't. It is more of a "hedge your bets" play.

This is actually why I have two different streamers on my main TV. Earlier last year it was my only option to watch HBOMax since AT&T was at war with Roku. They may have also been at war with Amazon too.

I can't keep track. Actually, it is a sad state of affairs that won't get better. What it comes down to is that all these players are greedily in the play for advertising time and dollars. They want their "slice of time" to insert ads. That's where the money is.

 

[JRon]

You could say Roku needs Disney, Netflix, Hulu, etc. more than Amazon or Google as they would probably be out of business without those streaming services where Amazon and Google can play hardball a little harder.

Could see a day when Disney or Netflix purchases Roku and then the fighting will get really nasty.

 

[Yoheadden]

We have 2 Roku ultras and no sound issues. We have gotten over the past week, 2 error messages that said connection problems, check your cables, etc. I unplugged my modem and Roku boxes and let them reset. Once I plugged them back in and everything loaded, I was able to view with no issues.

Did they change anything with the Lifetime App ? We used to be able to go to it and select live, then it would bring us to the channel. Now it just goes to the Roku main screen. Same with the movies. We can view some, but some say unauthorized user.

 

[Janet H]

Roku at my house as well - one of the ultra models. I especially appreciate the earbud jack on the remote - keeps the house quiet if someone is watching at odd hours..

 

[JoeWras]

We have 2 Roku ultras and no sound issues. We have gotten over the past week, 2 error messages that said connection problems, check your cables, etc. I unplugged my modem and Roku boxes and let them reset. Once I plugged them back in and everything loaded, I was able to view with no issues.

Did they change anything with the Lifetime App ? We used to be able to go to it and select live, then it would bring us to the channel. Now it just goes to the Roku main screen. Same with the movies. We can view some, but some say unauthorized user.

There were a lot of updates in their whole ecosystem. Perhaps you are seeing a bug or change in behavior.

The change that bugs me with version 10.5 is they changed the way "*" works when you want to toggle Close Captions. It works, but takes a completely different sequence of buttons. I think they just make these changes to irritate boomers.

 

[disneysteve]

This may or may not be helpful to you OP but we have a Roku TV in our sitting room. We use it daily. We turned it on after dinner tonight and there was no sound. I checked to make sure it wasn't just a Netflix issue. I made sure our ear buds weren't paired. I turned it off and back on again. Still no sound.


So I turned to YouTube. Quickly found a video about what to do when your Roku TV has no sound. The first tip (of several) involved this weird sequence of button clicks on the remote (home button 5 times, up button once, rewind button twice, etc.) that apparently reboots the system. I tried it and sure enough that fixed the problem.


So my advice would be for you to Google the issue and/or search on YouTube. If you are having the problem, odds are others have experienced the same problem, and there's probably someone out there who has figured out how to correct it.

 

[SecondAttempt]

+1. I’d try to get it working, but I wouldn’t be unhappy if I needed a replacement after 8 years. Our Rokus are 3-4 years old and I’m sure they won’t last forever.

Yeah, I agree it has had a good run. I'm not unhappy with it, just miss my music in the evenings and not sure I want to replace it. There might be better solutions.

 

[SecondAttempt]

This may or may not be helpful to you OP but we have a Roku TV in our sitting room. We use it daily. We turned it on after dinner tonight and there was no sound. I checked to make sure it wasn't just a Netflix issue. I made sure our ear buds weren't paired. I turned it off and back on again. Still no sound.


So I turned to YouTube. Quickly found a video about what to do when your Roku TV has no sound. The first tip (of several) involved this weird sequence of button clicks on the remote (home button 5 times, up button once, rewind button twice, etc.) that apparently reboots the system. I tried it and sure enough that fixed the problem.


So my advice would be for you to Google the issue and/or search on YouTube. If you are having the problem, odds are others have experienced the same problem, and there's probably someone out there who has figured out how to correct it.

Thanks, I would try your solution....but see my next post!

 

[SecondAttempt]

OK, I am not experiencing that issue or any issue. However, you should know Roku recently pushed a major OS update (to 10.5) on most devices. The number one problem people complain about is "weird sound issues."

The most recent buzz I've seen says that another thing to try is to go into the systems screens and ask for a manual update. The device may present you with a choice to rollback (to version 10). If so, take it.

YMMV, just summarizing the angry buzz I've seen on the reddit roku subreddit.

Thanks. I truly appreciate your answer. And I want to emphasize that I mean that sincerely because what I am about to say next might make my appreciation sound sarcastic.

I went into settings, system, and there was no option to downgrade. I tried and upgrade but it was already up to date. Latest update was 11/16 which was several days before the issue.

So I decided to do a factory reset. Big mistake. My remote died years ago so I have been using my phone as my remote. The reset of course deleted my network setting so now I have no way to talk to the roku to set it up.

So I have a brick! But a pretty brick. As some have mentioned. I can replace it for about $20. I can buy a new remote for $5 and maybe recover it. But maybe a better solution is a new TV or soundbar with Pandora built in. Obviously bigger bucks but maybe a better overall solution.

Heading into retirement I can see carrying one around to hotels and airbnbs when we travel.

Anyway, I do truly appreciate the help!

 

[SecondAttempt]

The "wars" have beset lots of providers, not at all unique to Roku, and Google isn't the only threat. Buying some other brand is no guarantee at all, and the "wars" are with content platforms/bundlers, not hardware - though it so happens Roku is now playing in both arenas. Roku is by no means uniquely vulnerable. Amazon (Fire) and Google aren't exactly friendly either. The big providers (e.g. Comcast, ViacomCBS, Disney, etc.) will continue to position their content where they want, at the prices they can get. That landscape will be changing for quite a while, and there is no platform that's immune.

On a side note. We just got a new Dell XPS for my partner. This is supposed to be a business-oriented computer. A little pricyer than other Dells but supposed to not have all the bloatware and they provide very good service when buying through their small business branch. I learned this from a friend who worked at Dell over 20 years ago and that has been my experience with about half a dozen laptops over the years for myself and family - great service, no nonsense!

But this spam-free business laptop came with Disney+ preinstalled! Uggh!

 

[JoeWras]

Thanks. I truly appreciate your answer. And I want to emphasize that I mean that sincerely because what I am about to say next might make my appreciation sound sarcastic.

I went into settings, system, and there was no option to downgrade. I tried and upgrade but it was already up to date. Latest update was 11/16 which was several days before the issue.

So I decided to do a factory reset. Big mistake. My remote died years ago so I have been using my phone as my remote. The reset of course deleted my network setting so now I have no way to talk to the roku to set it up.

So I have a brick! But a pretty brick. As some have mentioned. I can replace it for about $20. I can buy a new remote for $5 and maybe recover it. But maybe a better solution is a new TV or soundbar with Pandora built in. Obviously bigger bucks but maybe a better overall solution.

Heading into retirement I can see carrying one around to hotels and airbnbs when we travel.

Anyway, I do truly appreciate the help!

Ah, thanks. Sorry for your loss.

You do have a brick. On that same reddit thread, people were arguing the definition of "brick." You know, "hey if it works a little, then it is a bug, not a brick." Typical reddit.

Anyway, I agree with others. 8 years is a good run. I'm impressed it worked this long.

I think you'll see that any new device you buy will work so much better because it will have more memory and speed. Today is cyber Monday. Deals are still widespread out there.

 

[SecondAttempt]

No worries...bought a new 4K roku today. I agree 8 years is a good run and I bought the high end to try to anticipate the future (but I know I will fail). Now to survive the 2 weeks until it arrives. Did I mention Amazon Prime promises 2nd day delivery? What happened to that?