Forum Discussion

sluggo5112's avatar
sluggo5112
Reel Rookie
6 years ago
Solved

How do I switch between my cable TV and Roku device?

We mostly watch cable TV and want to continue to do so. No interest in cord cutting. Recently bought a Roku Ultra that I hoped would allow us to occasionally expand our TV viewing options. Can I easi...
TV & Player Setup
  • makaiguy's avatar
    makaiguy
    6 years ago
    You connect a Roku to your tv by plugging it into an HDMI port on the tv, same as with a cable box. If your tv has multiple HDMI ports they can both be connected at the same time. Then it's just a matter of switching your tv to the appropriate HDMI input.
renee3's avatar
renee3
Newbie
5 years ago

Thank you, Dan, you're quite right  - -  I simply wasn't pressing the input button on the Sony remote hard enough.  Armed with my new knowledge from your quick answer, I went back to it, pressed harder, and voila!  

robromnek's avatar
robromnek
Newbie
3 years ago

But you still need to use TV remote to switch inputs, right?  I was hoping I could reduce things to a single remote but I can't get back to cable without using my TV remote and choosing HDMI2.  Roku is HDMI1.  

  • atc98092's avatar
    atc98092
    Community Streaming Expert
    3 years ago
    robromnek wrote:

    But you still need to use TV remote to switch inputs, right?  

    If your TV supports CEC, then you can use the Roku remote to switch to the Roku input. Just press the home button on the Roku remote. On my system, this will even turn on the TV and the AVR, and ensure both are set to the correct input. But there's no way to switch back to the TV tuner without using the TV remote. 

    All Roku players, with the exception of the Roku Stick models, will work with IR remotes. This means you could get a universal remote that can control both the Roku and the TV. Just be aware you would lose some of the advantages of the Roku remote, such as remote listening with the headphone jack, and point anywhere functionality, meaning you don't have to point the remote directly at the Roku to control it.