Forum Discussion

mrock1963's avatar
mrock1963
Reel Rookie
2 years ago
Solved

Roku Plus Series USB Media Format (After Message Too Slow)

I wanted to set up my NEW Roku Plus Series for LIVE TV pause capability.

I plugged in a 64G USB 3.1 media stick and was prompted to format the USB memory stick.

The TV indicated formatting in-progress %'s and then showed complete.

However, once the formatting was 100%, the screen message indicated the USB memory stick was "TOO SLOW" and gave me the option to TRY again or CANCEL for formatting.

Questions:

1) What does it mean "TOO SLOW"?

2) What kind of USB memory stick works the Roku TV and is not "TOO SLOW"?

3) Is there a specific USB memory stick to purchase?

Thanks!

 

  • RokuJechealR's avatar
    RokuJechealR
    12 months ago

    Hi SBolton,

    Welcome to the Roku Community!

    Thanks for letting us know your concerns about using USB on your Roku TV. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. That's not what we aim for.

    To confirm, are you experiencing error codes or messages while connecting your USB to your Roku TV?

    Please be advised that If your new 2.0 32GB USBs aren't working for live TV pause on your Roku TV, the issue might be related to the drive's write speed not being fast enough, even if it's technically compatible; try using a different brand or model of USB flash drive with a known high write speed, as this is crucial for smooth pausing of live TV on Roku devices.

    Here are the things to consider:

    • Storage capacity: Even if your drive is fast enough, it might not have enough storage to record a decent amount of paused TV.16GB is generally considered the minimum recommended size.
    • USB version: Stick with USB 2.0 as it's most compatible with Roku devices for live TV pause.
    • Speed rating: Look for "high-speed" or "high-performance" labels on the USB drive to guarantee adequate data transfer speeds.
    • Power Requirements: Some USB sticks may not draw enough power from the Roku's USB port, leading to performance issues; consider using a USB stick with a built-in power adapter if needed.

    If you're still experiencing issues with a new USB drive:

    • Try a different brand: Different USB manufacturers may have varying performance levels. Test a different USB drive known to be fast and have sufficient storage. 
    • Check for firmware Roku settings and updates: Ensure that Live TV Pause is enabled in your Roku settings, that the correct USB drive is selected, and your Roku runs the latest software.
    • Format the drive: Sometimes, formatting your USB drive to FAT32 can improve performance.

    For reference, you may visit these Support articles:

    1. USB Flash Drive Requirements.
    2. USB drive filesystem format is not supported.

    Please keep us posted, and we'll continue assisting you from there. 

    All the best,
    Chel

     
     

6 Replies

  • renojim's avatar
    renojim
    Community Streaming Expert
    2 years ago

    "Too slow" means that it can't write to it fast enough to keep up with the video.  I'm surprised your USB 3.1 drive isn't fast enough.  I was going to say to look for a USB 3.x drive, but you already have one.  What's the brand?  Maybe we can look it up to see if we can find the read/write speed that it claims.  I don't use Live TV pause anymore, but when I did I just used a cheap 16GB flash drive I had lying around and I was surprised when it worked.

    • mrock1963's avatar
      mrock1963
      Reel Rookie
      2 years ago

      ADATA UV128 / 64GB USB 3.1

      It was a thumb drive I had...and it has been in use.  But I can't remember if it is currently formatted as FAT32 or NTFS.  Would this matter? 

      I figured since the Roku TV was reformatting, the original format and content would not matter.

      • renojim's avatar
        renojim
        Community Streaming Expert
        2 years ago

        It doesn't get great scores in the benchmarks I've found, but I'm still a little surprised it isn't fast enough.  It can't hurt to format it and then try again, but as you said the Roku will reformat itself.  I'd probably try FAT32 and not a quick format.  I'd be surprised if it helps, but it's still worth trying.

  • TeedOff's avatar
    TeedOff
    Binge Watcher
    2 years ago

    i have same darn problem with my 64GB 3.0 (PNY).... if 3.0 doesn't work, I'm sure the heck not going to drop $$ (no matter how inexpensive) on another 3.x drive.  ROKU IS SO D-MN FRUSTRATING.

    • SBolton's avatar
      SBolton
      Newbie
      12 months ago

      Has anyone found a USB that DOES WORK for live tv pause? Please provide exact details so I can purchase. Several new 2.0 32 gbs USBs won’t  work, and I’m not going to keep buying. 

      It’s a shame Roku cannot help with this issue or at least suggest ones that are proven to work. 

       

      • RokuJechealR's avatar
        RokuJechealR
        Retired Moderator
        12 months ago

        Hi SBolton,

        Welcome to the Roku Community!

        Thanks for letting us know your concerns about using USB on your Roku TV. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. That's not what we aim for.

        To confirm, are you experiencing error codes or messages while connecting your USB to your Roku TV?

        Please be advised that If your new 2.0 32GB USBs aren't working for live TV pause on your Roku TV, the issue might be related to the drive's write speed not being fast enough, even if it's technically compatible; try using a different brand or model of USB flash drive with a known high write speed, as this is crucial for smooth pausing of live TV on Roku devices.

        Here are the things to consider:

        • Storage capacity: Even if your drive is fast enough, it might not have enough storage to record a decent amount of paused TV.16GB is generally considered the minimum recommended size.
        • USB version: Stick with USB 2.0 as it's most compatible with Roku devices for live TV pause.
        • Speed rating: Look for "high-speed" or "high-performance" labels on the USB drive to guarantee adequate data transfer speeds.
        • Power Requirements: Some USB sticks may not draw enough power from the Roku's USB port, leading to performance issues; consider using a USB stick with a built-in power adapter if needed.

        If you're still experiencing issues with a new USB drive:

        • Try a different brand: Different USB manufacturers may have varying performance levels. Test a different USB drive known to be fast and have sufficient storage. 
        • Check for firmware Roku settings and updates: Ensure that Live TV Pause is enabled in your Roku settings, that the correct USB drive is selected, and your Roku runs the latest software.
        • Format the drive: Sometimes, formatting your USB drive to FAT32 can improve performance.

        For reference, you may visit these Support articles:

        1. USB Flash Drive Requirements.
        2. USB drive filesystem format is not supported.

        Please keep us posted, and we'll continue assisting you from there. 

        All the best,
        Chel