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Deb72's avatar
Deb72
Reel Rookie
6 years ago

Why is my Roku so slow to respond? Lag between button pushes

My Roku Express+ has a severe lag between button pushes.  I have to wait a full minute or two between each button push to get anywhere.  If I push the button too soon, it seems like my wait time starts over. 

My WiFi signal is excellent and I have replaced the batteries in my remote.  This has been going on for a while and is getting worse.  It takes sometimes 5 to 10 minutes just to pull up a show on Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc. 

Anyone else ever have this issue?  I have been using Roku devices for about 8 years and never had this issue before.  This device worked great for the first couple of months that I had it and then down hill ever since.

app playback

25 Replies

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  • jaz5's avatar
    jaz5
    Channel Surfer
    6 years ago

    Yes, I have the exact same issue with my newest Ultra device purchased in Dec 2019.  Over the past 2 months, there has been an annoying lag whenever I scroll up/down the channel menu or when I try to call up the menu, or when I try to change the channel.  I have just sent a  note to Roku support to see what they say.  This is my second (and newest) device. I do not have this issue with my original Ultra device in the other room which is now over a year old. 

      • jaz5's avatar
        jaz5
        Channel Surfer
        6 years ago

        That's what I'm going to try this morning, since I have 2 Roku ultra devices.  Roku support team asked me to contact my internet service provider and have them set the "channels" to a certain number to mitigate any signal interference. I did so yesterday and it did not solve my problem.  I will report this back to them. I will try using the older remote this morning to see if that solves the 3-4 second time lag that occurs when I try to change a channel or scroll through the menu.  Thank you for your reply.

  • Steeeeevr's avatar
    Steeeeevr
    Newbie
    5 years ago

    Yeah. I’ve just about had it with Roku. I have one in each of three homes and I’m experiencing the same problem in every one. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Sounds like a systemic issue. If Roku doesn’t figure out how to fix this I’m going to need to go with another streaming service.  

    • jaz5's avatar
      jaz5
      Channel Surfer
      5 years ago

      Don't rule out that it may still be your internet service.   Here's why: I had Spectrum 200mb service and had a full 5 bars of reception with Spectrum. However, that is also when I was having the "stuttering" issues as I tried scrolling through my guide on Roku.  Recently, Spectrum decided to stop supporting Roku.  As such, I was forced to give up my service and frankly, grateful to do so.  I now have Frontier high speed fiberoptic service.  Unexplainably, I can only get 3-4 bars of reception on my Roku from my Frontier router.  Since I lost Spectrum TV, I also signed up for Fubo TV and have not had any stuttering issues.  My point is that I don't trust these internet companies and what they are providing. I don't think even their recommended routers provide adequate service more than 10 feet away no matter how many bars of reception show up on our Roku devices. 

  • saboken's avatar
    saboken
    Binge Watcher
    5 years ago

    I'm starting to think Roku is doing the same thing Android and Apple are doing to slow devices just to get you to buy  new hardware! I have owned almost every Roku since day one and the last 3 players have all started having the same issue "Slowing, Crashing, remote issues" at about the same ages! If Roku is using updates to tamper with the players to make them obsolete "Shame on Roku!!" This kind or Business model is actually bad and people will find out eventually they don't want this kind of black mark!

    • Lisapizza78's avatar
      Lisapizza78
      Newbie
      5 years ago

      All of a sudden same issue. I have spectrum internet and don’t have any obvious issues using our phones or computers. But both of my TVs use roku (6 months apart in purchase dates) and they are both now having major lags in response when using the roku remote. I am tempted to get a new device just since it’s been a few years but worried the same thing will happen? Not sure what to do. I am not at all tech savvy. 

      • RokuDanny-R's avatar
        RokuDanny-R
        Retired Moderator
        5 years ago

        Lisapizza78

        Thanks for the post.

        There are a couple of things you can try to resolve this issue.

        • have you tried replacing the batteries on your remotes?
        • have you tried changing the wireless broadcast channel on the router to see if this will allow your device to connect?

        In addition to trying the two about troubleshooting steps, can you also provide us with the Roku models that you are using so we can try to provide further troubleshooting steps if necessary.

        Please keep us posted.


        Thanks,
        Danny

  • James_K's avatar
    James_K
    Newbie
    2 years ago

    I had the same problem and tolerated it for weeks until I couldn't take it anymore. I discovered this fix on the internet, and it worked great. It only took a minute or two, and I regained my sanity.

    1. Turn on the television and Roku.

    2. Press the HOME button at the top right of the remote five (5) times.

    3. Press the UP Arrow once.

    4. Press the REWIND arrow twice .

    5. Press the FAST FORWARD arrow twice.

    This procedure supposedly clears the cache.

     

  • Bwich's avatar
    Bwich
    Newbie
    4 years ago

    Okay I know this is going to sounds crazy but - have you tried turning it off and on again?

    What I mean by that is going to “setting” “system” and then “system restart”

    You will not loose your data. My Roku has been lagging for a year… we just thought to restart it and it’s instantly fast again 🤦🏻‍♀️

    • saboken's avatar
      saboken
      Binge Watcher
      4 years ago

      Umm yes I'm don't think I've gotten a Roku to run for more than a month without it needing a reboot, this happens to all Roku's I have owned the one in question is now long retired and in a landfill because of it's behavior, I'm positive they are built to self destruct after time via updates like cellphones. 

      • Robert2022's avatar
        Robert2022
        Newbie
        3 years ago

        I have super fast internet with a fast gaming router and have no WIFI issues at all and the Roku is hardwired, not on WiFi. My Roku still has issues with the remote lag (seconds, not minutes), pixelization and buffering issues (Only on YouTube TV). I think the app itself is the issue for YouTube TV, as I don't have the issues streaming 4k and 8k from YouTube while YouTube TV is only streaming HD. Recently I received warnings it was overheating from time to time so I moved it to a cooler area, although for years it was fine where it was. I think it is a "you get what you pay for" scenario and I am considering going back to normal TV if this streaming does not improve soon.

    • DPM76's avatar
      DPM76
      Newbie
      3 years ago

      I finally plugged a fire stick into my TCL Roku tv. My Roku speed was 63 mbs, the fire stick is 273 mbs, no lag.

      That's a crazy difference in speed

    • phatso's avatar
      phatso
      Newbie
      3 years ago

      Roku system restart fixed the lag on my TCL. We'll see how long that lasts. It's a 3 year old TV and have had no issues until recently.