Features, settings & updates

[CableBoy]

Thanks Dan,

Great information.  Yes, I did buy my unit Retail (online). It was not a Walmart unit.

I found this on the web and it say the 4200 is still supported.  Here is my link:

https://developer.roku.com/docs/specs/hardware.md

Where did you see it was not supported anymore?

[CableBoy]

Thanks Emissary35,

You are probably right... It might just be time to upgrade. I have 27 apps on my Roku. I wonder if I removed most of the apps, if that would help at all.  I probably really only use about 10 at most.

I have a Roku Ultra on my second TV and that does not get used that much. So maybe I will just swap the Roku's and and put the Roku 3 on the TV that does not get used much.

Thanks again.

[atc98092]

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@CableBoy wrote:

I found this on the web and it say the 4200 is still supported.  Here is my link:

https://developer.roku.com/docs/specs/hardware.md

Where did you see it was not supported anymore?

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That is a mistake on my part. I overlooked the 4200 last time I checked that page. 

However, just because Roku still supports a device doesn't mean all channel developers will. I have seen come channel providers drop support for older devices. I think MAX might be one of them. Their support page only states that they support "most" Roku devices with OS 11 or greater. But I do know there are some that won't work on older devices, even if they are still officially supported by Roku.

YouTube in particular has a history of making their apps/channels not work well on older devices, despite claiming they support them. My first Roku was the 2XS (model 3100). The first channel that was impossible to use was YouTube, and at the time my 2XS was only a few years old. I updated to the Stick 3600 and Roku 4, and it worked fine again. 

I've said it before but I'll repeat myself. Google sells a competing product, so they might be disinclined to make a lot of effort supporting older competing devices. 

[CableBoy]

Dan,

Good points...

Just for reference, the version of YouTube I am using is 2.20 and the build is 110005159.

and it says its up to date.

[atc98092]

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@CableBoy wrote:

Dan,

Good points...

Just for reference, the version of YouTube I am using is 2.20 and the build is 110005159.

and it says its up to date.

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My Premiere has the same version but the build differs slightly. That's not unusual on different hardware. So yes, it's up to date. 

[pragmatic_gear]

I experience the exact scenario with youtube. It's gotten so bad that resetting doesn't fix the problems, it just delays the the grey screen / crash problem for a while. It works as long as you don't navigate around too much, so I reset every time I use it then take care not to navigate the video too much, being careful to wait a moment between commands. It's a shame because many other apps still function albeit with lagging and struggles on the menu screens.

Regardless, I commend roku for continuing to support this player even as it approaches obsolescence. I just ordered a newer one after reading through this thread, so the third gen will become a backup. I can't stand when manufacturers ditch a young appliance, so I am very satisfied with the many years this device ran.

[Emissary35]

Roku (nor any other company) should ever be 'commended' for making older devices useless because of new software updates that can't run on the older hardware.

Since the company's updates are what is causing the device you paid for not to work the company should be sending you an upgrade either for free or at an extreme discount.

You should never have to be forced into buying a new device at full price because updates make it obsolete.

[pragmatic_gear]

I believe it is Google's youtube product that the older devices can't handle... the operating system updates continue to work fine. I find the new ads on the home menu annoying though, but for $29 I would expect this business model.

[atc98092]

When it comes to YouTube, the problem isn't Roku. Google seems to purposely make their app unusable on older devices. I had the same issue with my original Roku 2 XS about 10 years ago. My device was only about four years old, but YouTube became impossible to use on it. Again, it was nothing Roku did, it is all on Google for the way they programmed their app. Considering the newest Roku 3 is now nine years old, I'm amazed it was still working for you this long. 

Google would prefer you purchase their own streaming device (Chromecast), so my personal opinion is that they intentionally make other older devices work poorly. No hard data to back that up, simply my opinion.

[Techguy2024]

I have a Roku 3(4200R) that's about 10 years old. Recently, one night the light on the front turned off. Next morning, I tried turning on my TV and starting up the Roku. I got to the main page which shows home and all my channels. I tried moving to a channel but noticed I had to hit the home button on the remote before I could move around on the channel icons.

I tried changing the batteries in the remote, but no change or difference. 

Now at this point, I am unable to move around the channel icon page at all. I tried powering it down and rebooting. The light on the front would blink a few times and then be on solid. Same thing, stuck on the main page and unable to move around.

Then after a while, the light on the front will turn off. I tried this several times with the same results.

So, is my Roku broken or should I try a hard reset?