Developers

[bachphi]

I have a TCL Roku TV currently running software version 14.5.4. Both Fast TV Start and the 'supports-wake-on-wlan=true' flag are enabled.
Under normal condition, I observe frequent mDNS packets and occasional SSDP messages in Wireshark. During this state:

• The Roku mobile app communicates with the TV without issue.
• I can send and receive SSDP messages to discover the TV’s name and IP address.
• I’m able to send ECP (External Control Protocol) commands from my .NET application.

When the TV enters its low-power state, the network behavior changes significantly:

• The Roku mobile app can no longer detect or control the TV.
• Even after manually waking the TV with the physical remote and resuming video playback,
• the Roku mobile app is unable to detect or control the device.
• Additionally, the TV remains unresponsive to ping requests.
• mDNS traffic becomes extremely sparse, typically appearing only once every 3 minutes or more.
• SSDP messages are occasionally sent in short bursts (around 9 messages), but these are rare and inconsistent.

To address this, I attempted to send a Wake-on-LAN (Magic Packet) over Wi-Fi to wake the Roku TV. I tested this approach using:

• Python
• PowerShell
• .NET (VB.NET)

In each case, the Magic Packet was sent successfully, but none of these attempts succeeded in waking the TV from its low-power state.
And so here I am, waving the white flag and hoping for a spark of genius from you!

[bachphi · Accepted solution]

I solved the problem by simply turning off 'Fast TV Start'.

In my experience, Roku’s SSDP-based device discovery on local networks can be unreliable. The “Fast TV Start” feature is intended to keep the device in a low-power standby mode, allowing it to respond to SSDP multicast requests. However, over time, the device may enter a deeper sleep state in which it no longer responds to SSDP. 

On the upside, disabling “Fast TV Start” can also help reduce power consumption and lower your electricity bill.

[renojim]

Thanks for posting this.  I'm not sure what it all means, but clearly "Fast TV start" doesn't work as one would expect.