Channels & viewing

[Snakeoil]

If you are posting to the community, you should be able to see all the other posts to this problem. If you are getting to the community by clicking a link in an email. when you get there, just scroll up and you will see the previous responses. At the bottom are page numbers. This discussion is up to 21 pages. It was only 17 when I posted here for the first time.

[Snakeoil]

Today is day 2 of doing the button sequence that Steve Z suggested. Not a single lock up on any of the 3 E4K units in our house. That button sequence might just be the trick. Not sure what it does, but since you don't lose anything, it might be a secret way of turning off whatever is causing the screen freezes.

So to repeat so you don't have to go look for it. you pressed the following buttons the number of times shown in the sequence below.

Home - 5

Up - 1

RR - 2

FF - 2

Then just wait. The Roku menu with go up and down and eventually stop at Settings. Then it just sits there for quite a few seconds before the bouncing Roku logo comes up. Be patient, it will appear. When whatever it does is finished, it takes you back to the Roku Home Screen. Mine looked a bit different. The icons looked simpler. But I really did not pay attention. You might want to snap a photo of your icons on the home screen before doing this and then compare that photo to the icons after the reset. Could have been my imagination.

[Snakeoil]

Someone on the Roku FB page said that the sequence of numbers that seems to fix the problem clears the cache in the Roku. If that is the case, then the problem will eventually return when the cache fills up again.

I suspect that the flaw in the software is that when Roku sends all the marketing info it has gotten from your TV watching, there is no last step to clear the cache when it is done. This would explain why it tends to happen at the end of commercials.

Another member on that group said she upgraded her old Roku to a new Ultra and the performance is worse, rather than better. She says she has lost confidence in Roku to provide a quality product.

[Jeffseverson]

I am having the same issue. Mostly on Peacock but have seen on Disney plus a little. Very frustrating. I will try a reset

[hobbyhound]

I have to defend ROKU on still making a quality product. I bought a Roku Ultra LT (model 4801x) to use in place of my 3941RW Express 4k+ and it has been fast and flawless.

On my model 3941rw I turned off personalized ads and changed the resolution to 1080p instead of auto. I have had it playing for three days without a video freeze. If this turns out to be a "fix" for the unit I'm still a bit pissed that the community had to find the solution.

Roku has the equipment, personnel and resources to quickly look into an issue like this.

[Steve-Z]

@SnakeoilI think you are correct, or at least what you said about cache makes sense. We had a good run here, a week or more, but yesterday my wife's art studio TV froze again. As I said, a good run, but not a solution. The other TV (both 3941X - Roku Express 4K+) is still ok. I think the main difference is that my wife exclusively live streams (Xfinity app), but I use the other device to play episodes from a streaming service. My suspicion is that there is a lot more buffering/memory use with live streaming. Idk, not an expert. We also have a Roku Streaming stick that is a couple of years old. No problem with that one! The stick has version 11.5.0 - build 4235-50. The two defective units are 4235-CR which is what many others have reported here. At this point I think it is fair to say that Roku really does not care about its customers, at least not those who bought these lower priced devices. @RokuMary-F is just here to placate us and to give the appearance of caring.

[Sigarm9]

I see many issues posted that mirror my own like this post yet I see no answers or solutions. ??? Maybe it's time to switch to a Firestick?

[Sigarm9]

I just figured out how to scroll thru all the posts and find some answers. Thanks to everyone who figured out the several fixes and posted them!!!

[Barry_G]

Does the button press sequence have it be performed during a video freeze or can it be performed any time?

(update - okay, tried it while unfrozen and seems to invoke the desired restart)

[Snakeoil]

Well I am sorry to report that one of my units suffered screen freeze tonight. So the fix is not permanent. I kinda expected this when I learned the the fix was simply clearing the cache. It was bound to fill up again. Took 4 or 5 days for this unit.