Discussions

[kevpei]

I have the roku stick and there is no tile for the live tv on the Roku channel. Will it become available and if so do you know when. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

[Visitor45763]

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@kevpei wrote:

I have the roku stick and there is no tile for the live tv on the Roku channel. Will it become available and if so do you know when. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

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This is a confusing topic. Live TV has been associated with antenna tv. Your stick wouldn't have that (no coax connection for the antenna). But, recently Roku added 1000+ streaming channels, Someone said those are Pluto's channels. You should be able to stream Pluto from your stick(?).

If you wanted antenna tv, there are inexpensive ($20-$40 USD) digital tuners with hdmi output. (MediaSonic HW-150, iView 3500, ViewTV AT-300). I can't say if these work well. I have all three (arrived a couple days ago), but haven't been able to play with one yet. Soon. Someone got the HW-130 and wasn't happy with it. It's supposed to be the same as the 150, but scaled down. So, I'm not as hopeful these will be good. But, I'll give them a spin soon.).

[Brandito]

Did you just type in the channel number? So for 5.1 you just punched in 51? Or did it ignore sub channels? Mine is accepting the numbers but not tuning to the channel, I'm curious if I'm missing something. I'm using a Harmony remote that just started inputting chan el numbers today

[bob51]

I'm with you - will never buy another Roku TV. I have 3 of them now and will have to junk all of them if their recent updates aren't reversed. It's almost impossible now to watch OTA channels. Extremely difficult to change channels. Used to be able to just hold channel change button and it would run through programmed in channels - now have to repeatedly push button and sometimes it will change and sometimes it locks up and won't change at all. Streaming channels have been hidden and still takes excessive among of time to change channels. If it isn't broke don't fix it. My tv's are now junk due to update.  I restored it back to factory settings and ota channels works great but as soon as I let it connect to internet and it updates then back to junk. Used to like roku but not anymore. Please reverse update or at least have the option to. thank you.

[Visitor45763]

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@bob51 wrote:

My tv's are now junk due to update.  I restored it back to factory settings and ota channels works great but as soon as I let it connect to internet and it updates then back to junk. 

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You may have seen this suggestion already, but you can never connect your Roku TV to the internet (after the factory reset). As you note, the antenna tv works reasonably well then (I was never in love with the way it worked. But, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it has become). For streaming, buy an external streaming box (used with an HDMI port).

That would be a way of continuing to use your TVs as long as they last (without Roku's untested updates helping them to the grave). I'm planning to do that. 

[bob51]

I agree they are burying themselves deeper. You can though connect back to internet after a factory reset by reconfiguring Roku but then it will update and restore "over the air" back to junk. That is an idea with a stand-alone roku but then will lose the EPG for ota programming.

[Brandito]

If you just want to keep roku from updating, you could possibly just block access to their update servers in your router

[bob51]

I did block one of my roku tv's in my router from connecting to internet that I don't need streaming services but other 2 need it so can't block it unless you can block ONLY additional updates. However it will update first with the junk update. Think I just need to drop Roku completely and find something else. Too bad they are the ones that decide what the end user likes.

[Visitor45763]

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@bob51 wrote: That is an idea with a stand-alone roku but then will lose the EPG for ota programming.

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I'm using one of my regrettable Roku TVs standalone (factory reset without internet connection; haven't connected it yet.). I show info. When I change to a channel, it displays show info. (It's getting it from broadcasted EPG info.). I don't think I have a "guide" to look at all channels, over hours (the way left-arrow worked with 9.4, before factory resetting.).

I never used whatever "guide" existed before 9.4. I always visit zap2it or titantv using my phone or laptop to see what's on. Being rid of the 9.4 guide could be a blessing. One day, I had some kind of network problem between me and whatever serves that guide info. It would take 10 seconds to change channel. There's people without network access (except for an occasional tether to watch a streaming movie). They can't use their antenna tv anymore. Something about the way 9.4 is written preempts everything until the guide info is available. That's probably what broke continuous channel changing. It's not interrupt-driven the way it used to be. If the tv doesn't get it's guide info, it's not happy.

Another person suggested blocking router access to the update server. That's definitely an idea. But, now you're tv will fall behind in security patches. I don't know how much concern that could be. The TV should be on a guest wifi that doesn't allow access to other devices on the LAN. The router should have that capability. If it's that way, the risk of a unpatched tv would seem minimal.

[Brandito]

You don't block the roku tv's access to the entire internet, you just block the locations it pulls the updates from. That information may be readily available, or found through some investigation.