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RokuTakashi
Community Moderator
Community Moderator

Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

Hi, @Melsands 

Greetings, and welcome to the Roku Community.

We understand your concern regarding the minimizing screen on certain apps that you currently watch, and our team appreciates your effort in providing the requested information in this thread. We'll take note of the details you have included in your post, and forward it to the appropriate Roku team.

In the meantime, can we have a photo referring to the minimized screen? Once we have this information, it will aid the investigation that will be conducted by our team.

We hope to hear back from your response.

Best wishes,
Kash

Takashi O.
Roku Community Moderator
Labels (1)
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12 REPLIES 12
Melsands
Reel Rookie

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

IMG_0712.jpeg

first pic is when the full screen minimizes to a smaller rectangle to give you the QR code. As you can see, the smaller rectangle is black, but the ad is still playing - there should be video there. Audio continues. 

IMG_0714.jpeg

2nd pic - after skipping the ad, the screen maximizes, but stays black, no video, but audio continues, as you can see with the closed captions. Then I have to exit and restart to get video back. In YouTube, it reverts to the very beginning of the clip, so then I have to fast forward to find my place again. 

Varelse
Channel Surfer

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

This has been going on with my TCL r635 Roku forever. Any app that minimizes the screen turns black with only audio. Only solution is a restart or hitting * and choosing "Picture Off" and then turning picture back on. Can't believe that this hasn't been addressed. A lot of customers have to deal with this and it ruins so many viewing experiences. At this point I'm not sure if it's TCL or Roku that's at fault but with no fix or word of a fix, I'll be done with both of them.

kenr276
Channel Surfer

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

This is still happening with me soon I will give up on both companies. They are other choices.

guskwak
Channel Surfer

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

Clearing the cache has helped me to fix the issue temporarily.

Can others try it and see if it helps? 

Copying the following verbatum from a reddit post:

1. Press HOME button 5 times

2. Press UP

3. Press REWIND button 2 times

4. Press FAST FORWARD button 2 times After that, do nothing and allow your RokuTv to restart itself ON ITS OWN (it will take about 5-15 seconds or so to think about it but trust me, it should restart automatically if you do these steps consecutively in the above order.) I hope this helps someone else as it did me because I was ready to throw my RokuTv out the window! Good luck!

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Varelse
Channel Surfer

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

Thanks guskwak. I'm already familiar with cleaning the cache but you posting the process will perhaps help others.

This method does work but only temporarily. I've had it return in two days or two hours. It still comes back and you have to leave the app you're watching and sit through the whole tv rebooting. 

Best way for me is to:

Pause what ever it is I'm watching.

Hit the star button on remote. 

Scroll down and select Picture Off

It will turn off display and ask you to hit OK to turn it back on

You have to wait a few seconds for OK to turn on (I just button mash OK until the screen comes back on)

Don't even have to leave your app or even the show you're watching but is still a time wasting pain

RokuJharra-Q
Community Moderator
Community Moderator

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

Hi Community Users,

Thank you for bringing the issue of your screen going black on streaming services to our attention. I would like to assist you further with this concern.

Could you please let me know if this issue occurs on specific channels or randomly? Also, when did you first notice the issue? Additionally, please provide the serial number and OS version of your Roku device. You can find this information under Settings > System > About.

We look forward to hearing from you and looking closely into this issue.

Thanks,
The Roku Community Team

Jharra Q.
Roku Community Moderator
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kenr276
Channel Surfer

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

I gave you this information before go look on this message thread and it happens on all the apps!

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Varelse
Channel Surfer

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

This thread is already littered with descriptions and examples of the exact behavior but I'll give it another shot. 

It happens on ALL apps that minimize the screen in any way. This includes apps that minimize the current show or movie at the end to a small box in one of the corners, any ad break that minimizes the screen while it has a border for things like a qr code, any app that tries to do picture in picture by again, minimizing the screen.

I have noticed this behavior since 2022 or 2021. It happens 90% of the time so I can't say it's random although clearing the cache or restarting the tv will fix it for a bit but can not pin a specific activity to why it happens again. 

Serial number: X003006J8J52

Software version: 14.1

Hardware id: A114X

I want to add, I have two other stand alone Roku units hooked up to other tvs that never have this issue. It just the tcl r635 with built-in Roku that does. With the recent price hike to youtube tv, I tried out Sling and every time you check the guide, it minimizes the channel you're watching and it is black with audio and if you go back to full screen, it stays black making the app basically unusable. 

aw9182
Streaming Star

Re: Credits screen minimizing and going black on streaming services

Any updates on this issue?? This has been going on way too long for no progress being reported. 

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