Discussions

[GuitarMan]

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@Gohstmaker wrote:

Roku 10 update killed my live tv.

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Well that sucks.  Reading over some older posts it seems that TCL and Roku have a history of botched firmware updates.  The new firmware update for my TCL Alto 9+ essentially broke it.  So now I have a TCL Roku TV that has audio sync problems, a TCL soundbar (their "flagship" top of the line one) that also suffers from audio/video sync problems that were supposedly fixed by update 2.9 but which actually ended up breaking more stuff, and apparently an Apple TV 4K that I've discovered needs to be restarted at least once a day or it goes haywire and also freezes. 

Basically, I have TCL's flagship 65" TV, TCL's flagship soundbar, and a high-end Apple streaming device that costs 4 times what my much better Firestick 4K cost and all of them are complete dung.   FML!

[Tripletee]

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@GuitarMan wrote:

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@Gohstmaker wrote:

Roku 10 update killed my live tv.

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a TCL soundbar (their "flagship" top of the line one) that also suffers from audio/video sync problems that were supposedly fixed by update 2.9 but which actually ended up breaking more stuff, 

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I have a very similar setup to yours - curious as to what else the Alto 2.9 update broke for you. It’s caused one extremely annoying problem for me: volume changes no longer work after the tv and/or soundbar have been asleep. The soundbar responds to the remote and the on-screen volume indicator changes as it should, but the actual device volume stays where it was previously set. Have to do a full reboot of the TV to get it to work again.

[GuitarMan]

These are the symptoms I've noticed so far.

The soundbar will randomly stop responding to anything other than changing the input from its remote or turning it off/on from its remote.

It will lose its CEC communication with the TV.  For example,  if I open the sound settings from the TV and make any changes, like changing the sound mode from TV to Movie, the soundbar won't respond to the changes I make via the TV.  Unfortunately, when it does this it also stops responding to its own remote other than on/off and input, so I can't change the sound mode via the TV or the soundbar's own remote.  

The only way I've found to get it working again is to disconnect the soundbar from the TV, go into the TV's settings and remove the HDMI port, then reconnect the soundbar and let it re-enable the HDMI port again.  It "might" then work for 5 minutes before it freezes again.

It's all very frustrating. I was first told by TCL that the soundbar's previous firmware update (the one before 2.9) would fix the audio sync problems.  It didn't.  I was then told that 2.9 would fix it.  Not only didn't it fix the audio sync, it essentially broke the soundbar and has made it all but useless.  I was then told that the Roku 10.0 firmware update would fix the audio sync.  Obviously, it didn't. 

I now have the soundbar disconnected (I had already put my old Vizio one away in the garage and am too lazy to go dig it out again) and am just using the TV's speakers.  Amazingly, everything is in perfect sync.  My Apple TV, Firestick, and the TV's internal apps are not showing any audio/video sync problems.  I don't have to worry about whether the TV's audio is set to Auto, Passthrough, Custom, whatever....  No matter what it's set to, it just works and is in perfect sync. 

But as soon as I introduce a soundbar, all **bleep** breaks loose and I have to start changing the TV's audio settings every time I switch between an external streaming device and the TV's internal apps, or connecting the streaming device directly to the soundbar's hdmi input.  

Since the mid 90s I've had all kinds of home theater systems including separate receivers from Yamaha and Onkyo with 5.1 and 7.1 systems, TVs of all kinds starting with the giant console rear projection TVs to plasma to DLP to current LED and have never encountered problems like I'm having with a much simpler setup of just TCL TV and "matching" TCL soundbar.   TCL and Roku need to get their $@#$% together.

At this point, just give me back my old 1080i Mitsubishi 65" rear projection TV that was as big as a house and weighed as much and my old Yamaha 5.1 receiver and I'd be happy!! 

[GuitarMan]

Quick update to my problems - my Apple TV is fine.  When I don't have the soundbar (TCL Alto 9+) connected to the TV, the Apple TV works perfectly well without any freezing.  The instant I connect the soundbar to the TV I get a black screen from the Apple TV and nothing I do will bring the picture back until I restart the Apple TV by pulling the plug on it.  

[Tripletee]

Wow, you’re definitely having more issues than I am then. I haven’t had AV sync issues or problems with my Apple TV freezing; pretty much just the issue with the soundbar after the latest update.

I do have all of my inputs going through a Hue Sync box first - it’s connected to the soundbar, which then goes to the ARC port on the TV (a 65” Series 4). Almost sounds like you might have an issue with one of your ports?

[GuitarMan]

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@Tripletee wrote:

Wow, you’re definitely having more issues than I am then. I haven’t had AV sync issues or problems with my Apple TV freezing; pretty much just the issue with the soundbar after the latest update.

I do have all of my inputs going through a Hue Sync box first - it’s connected to the soundbar, which then goes to the ARC port on the TV (a 65” Series 4). Almost sounds like you might have an issue with one of your ports?

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I've tried two of the regular HDMI ports with the same result.  You're not getting AV sync problems because you have everything running through the sync box.  If I connect my Apple TV directly to the soundbar's HDMI In port there are no sync problems with the Apple TV.  But, if the TV's audio is set to Auto, the TV's internal apps, Netflix being the biggest problem, is out of sync.  

Depending on how things go I may have to try the same box you're using. 

::edit::  Just looked up the box you mentioned.  Is it the one that's $419 on Amazon?  No way I'm paying that much for something additional just to get my audio in sync on a $1000 TV and a matching $300 soundbar. 

[Tripletee]

Not sure why the price on that box is so high now; it was a little over $200 when I got mine. But it’s designed to work with the Phillips Hue lights so definitely  overkill for your needs.

I also missed that you were talking about the internal apps on the TV; I don’t ever use them, just the Apple TV, so that explains why I haven’t had sync issues. It really is ridiculous that two products that were specifically designed to work together would have these kinds of problems - no wonder you’re frustrated.

[RokuDanny-R]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the posts.

To avoid any further confusion in this thread, can you please provide us the following information:
-Roku device model
-serial number
-device ID
-software OS/version
(these can all be found in Settings > System > About)
-quick summary of the issue you are experiencing
-does this issue occur on a specific channel? if so, what channel and what version/build is the channel (this can be found be selecting the channel on the Home screen and pressing the * button)
-tracker ID when this issue occurs (when you see this issue occur, press the Home button 5 times, followed by the Back button 5 times)
-steps to reproduce the issue you are seeing

Once we have this information we will be able to pass it along to the appropriate Roku team for further investigation.

Thanks,
Danny

[GuitarMan]

Device model A114X (TCL 65R635)

Serial # X00300XFNGNE

Device ID S05FY12FNGNE

Software version 10.0.0 build 4165-88

The issues are pretty well clarified throughout the thread.  Audio out of sync with video when using a soundbar.  The TV's built in Netflix app via the Roku software seems to be particularly bad.

Netflix version 5.1 build 98088436.

Steps to reproduce this issue - connect any soundbar to the TV's eARC port (hdmi 4), set the TV's audio to Auto, play any video from Netflix or pretty much any other app through the TV's Roku interface, enjoy watching what looks like a badly dubbed Godzilla movie!  

The same thing happens when using an external streaming device (in this case a brand new Apple TV 4K) and the TV's audio is set to Passthrough. 

In addition to the other bunch of problems I mentioned. 

[RokuDanny-R]

@GuitarMan

Thanks for the information that you have provided.

I have passed it along to the appropriate Roku team to investigate further. Once more information becomes available, I'll be sure to update the Community.

In the meantime, can you please provide us with the following:
-did this start occur only after updating your Roku TV to OS 10.0?

-tracker ID when this issue occurs (when you see this issue occur, press the Home button 5 times, followed by the Back button 5 times)

Once we have this additional information, we will pass it along.

Thanks,
Danny