Solving playback issues

[mb88]

Starting a new post. While watching UHD HDR content on the Amazon Prime app on my TCL 43S403 Roku TV, the screen periodically goes black for a second or so. I just started noticing this now watching the Wheel of Time series and have never seen this before on my Roku TV on other apps. This also doesn't happen watching Thursday Night Football every week or The Legend of Vox Machina as examples.

I found this other post, but there was no reply option: https://community.roku.com/t5/Channels-viewing/Unable-to-disable-Amazon-Prime-auto-playback-of-movie...

[RokuRiamie-D]

Hi @mb88,

Thanks for posting in the Roku Community!

We appreciate you for letting us know that on your TCL Roku TV, the Wheel of Time series screen going black periodically on your Prime Video channel. We would be glad to assist you with this.

Please try to restart the system of your Roku TV by going through: Settings > Select System > Select Power. If you do not see a Power submenu, skip to the next step > Select System restart.

If the issue persists, we highly suggest contacting Prime Video's channel support directly for further assistance as they develop and maintain their app through the Roku streaming platform. Thank you for your understanding.

Cheers,
Riamie

[mb88]

I did just that after I noticed that I was now seeing the black screen in other shows and apps. (Hulu - Welcome to Wrexham as an example) and that did not fix the problem. Latest update was 12/20, maybe that has something to do with it?

[mb88]

More additional information. I paused the show I was watching (Hulu - Welcome to Wrexham) while I was doing something else, and the screen went black for a second WHILE THE VIDEO WAS PAUSED. I think this is something wrong with the TV itself, software or hardware, and not the Prime app specifically.  This just started happening recently, so I wonder if it had to do with the update on 12/20?

[makaiguy]

@mb88-

I'm not sure if this applies to Roku TVs:

Under "Settings > System > Advanced system Settings > Advanced display settings" does your Roku have an "Auto-adjust display refresh rate" item? If you don't have this setting, don't bother to read the rest of this post.

If this is enabled, the Roku circuitry sends the signal output at the refresh rate used by the original source material, commonly 24 fps (frames per second), 25 fps, 30 fps, 50 fps, or 60 fps. Every time the source refresh rate changes, the TV must adjust its display to accommodate the new rate, which on many sets results in a short blackout or other display disruption that some find objectionable.

This can happen when starting/stopping new programs, when going in/out/between commercials, wherever the refresh rate of the source material changes.

If "Auto-adjust display refresh rate" is set OFF, the Roku converts and sends everything at 60 fps so the TV doesn't have to adjust on the fly and you don't get those frame rate transition disruptions.

The tradeoff here is that, non-60 fps sources may not appear as smooth without a Roku refresh rate adjustment, depending on whether your Roku or your TV does a better job of refresh rate conversion. You have to decide whether this change is worth it to you.