Content on the Roku Channel Will Not Play
I have been having the same problem and I( find roku's lack of response irritating. They try to shift the blame back onto you. I had one email saying to provide them with certain information which I ...
Forum Discussion
Someone else has mentioned changing the DNS settings in their network DHCP server and that resolved the issue. For people that aren't tech savvy about how to do something like that, it involves logging into the router you use in your home and changing the setting there. By default you are using the DNS servers that your ISP specifies, but you can use any DNS server you desire. You can't manually set your TCP/IP settings, so you need to make the changes in your DHCP server. Once the changes are made, you need to power cycle your Roku so it retrieves the updated settings.
While many people don't care for Google, they do run public DNS servers that work really well. They are the DNS servers I use on my network, and I have no issues with The Roku Channel, so it would be worth testing. The IP address of the Google DNS servers to use are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. I've attached an image of the settings in my Linksys router. Your router may look differently, but the settings boxes should be very similar.
atc98092 Your suggestion is over my head. Hoping Roku tech employees can find a simpler solution. If someone is an actual Roku Tech employee, please show it under your name. Several people are offering suggestions, but at the bottom it reads 'not an actual Roku employee'. What they don't seem to understand is that the 'Roku Channel' worked flawlessly for the 6 months we have had it. Suddenly overnight, we can no longer view anything on that channel because it just keeps on refreshing and never loading any of the programs. It's got to be a problem on the Roku end!!!! NOTHING was/has changed on my end.... router, modem, tv, remote, roku stick...... same ones I've used for the past 6 months.
I just tried playing shows on the 'Roku Channel' on my laptop computer and it works fine on my laptop. I am using the same WiFi, same modem, router, etc. that my TV uses. So the fact that the 'roku channel' does not work on ANY of our 5 TVs is really odd. Possibly something to do with going thru Roku sticks? It's just really odd that it happened overnight though. The Roku channel worked fine on all the TVs one day, the next day the 'Roku Channel' did not. We contacted the Roku tech group by phone and they assured us it would be fixed in 24-48 hours, but it has been about 5 days now.
I wish using our laptop had solved it for us, but we have the same problem whether we try to play the Roku Channel through our Roku device or through Roku.com on our laptop.
KatKatKat wrote:atc98092 Your suggestion is over my head. Hoping Roku tech employees can find a simpler solution.
Unfortunately, if there is a DNS routing issue with some DNS providers, there's nothing Roku can do from their side. The failure is completely outside of anything they can control. I understand that my suggestion is difficult for many people that don't have that sort of knowledge. But hopefully it can provide some direction for a friend that might be able to help. Of course, one other person here has tried changing DNS and it didn't help. I can only reiterate that these are the settings I use on my network, and every Roku device I have works with TRC just fine. I completely understand your frustration, but if the problem is some sort of routing failure out in the Internet itself, Roku's hands are tied.
You asked about Roku employees. If their user name starts with Roku, then they are employees, and their signature line should also say that. Roku has graciously identified a handful of us users that have better than average skills with assisting with issues like this and has given us the title of Streaming Expert. We don't know everything, and we are not employees so have no inside connection to the company.
atc98092 - Thank you for that response. I do get the possible routing issue thought, but, the fact that it literally happened overnight, seems suspicious/weird. Possibly Roku changed something at their end, that they need to change back? Could they have gotten hacked? Just really odd. And then there is the fact that all works fine on my laptop computer using the same router, modem, Wifi, etc.
