Okay, so the issue came back even with a brand new remote, but, I finally got it solved-solved. In my case the issue was that the unit was over-heating. I believe this is why restarts, and unplugging the unit was giving me limited and sporadic positive results.
I'm able to prop up the unit on its side to get better air flow over the two broad surfaces of the unit and it appears to resolve the concern.
For any future issue regarding random behavior in their unit, here's the run down of the testing that I did to determine the issue.
After each step test your concern and confirm if that step helped resolve the issue. I had to test the unit over a period of a couple of hours to ensure that the fix is lasting and durable. The time is the painful part of the effort, but without it you could end up with false positives on the diagnosis, which will cause greater pain in the whole process.
If one of these steps indicates and issue, and that issue suggests a parts replacement, I recommend speaking to Roku support to see if they will help you with getting the part replaced.
1. Update the firmware if its not currently up to date.
- This will confirm that you are running the latest set of code on your device and may resolve issues.
2. Replace the HDMI cable with a new high throughput cable.
- Depending on your configuration, much of the Roku communications with your electronics is executed through the HDMI cable. If the cable is faulty, or somehow hitting a bandwidth limitation, it could be causing strange behavior with the unit.
- (Optional) Consider doing this for any of the HDMI cables in the chain between your unit and the TV.
3. Power cycle the unit through the System Restart option in the menu.
- This will ensure that the unit is starting fresh without any apps open that might be contributing to the issue.
4. Hard power cycle the unit by pulling the plug, leaving it out for 30-60 seconds, and plugging it back in.
- The will do the same as step 3, but it will allow a cool down of the unit, and will allow any capacitance in the electronics to fade so you get a real hard restart.
- If this is improves the problem, but then the problem returns again, you may have an overheating issue in the unit. Consider moving it to a cooler position/place, or replacing the unit.
5. Unplug the unit and use the TV through other means
- This will do the same as step 3 and 4.
- While not likely, the problem you're having may not actually be related to the Roku. This step will confirm that the rest of your system if functioning normally without the Roku.
6. Fully reset and re-pair your remote with the unit.
- There might be a connection issue with the remote and the Roku unit.
- There are instructions online for how to do this.
7. Switch your remote control mode from IR to CEC, or CEC to IR
- This will test to see if one of the two modes of remote interaction is involved in the problem. If this solves your problem, then this indicates that your remote is bad and needs replacement.
8. If you can, take the batteries out of the remote and leave them out for some time to see if the problem persists. This can determine the remote controls involvement in the problem.
- If removing the batteries makes the problem go away, then replace your batteries and try again.
- If replacing the batteries doesn't help, your remote may need to be replaced.
9. If you have a rechargeable remote, recharge the remote fully.
- If the recharge fixes the issue, it indicates that there is a battery issue in your remote and you should consider to replacing it.
10. If you have a rechargeable remote, take the remote to a friends house, or really far away from your house. (Not joking)
- This will remove the remote from the environment and prevent it from interacting with the unit and tell you if it is causing the problems through some sporadic interactions.
- If this solve the problem, you should consider replacing the remote.
11. (Optional) Check your network and see if there are unwanted devices connected.
- While not probable, its possible that someone has infiltrated your network and is messing with you.
- This is probably the most complex issue to diagnose, and really shouldn't be related to the Roku, but it's a long shot/hail-mary solution.
- I can't give guidance here accept to say try it, this is too complicated a space to describe the process here.
At this point, if the problem is still persisting, I think your only recourse is to reach out to Roku support and see if they can assist you further, or considering buying a new streaming device.
