Features, settings & updates

[lee224]

I recently bought a roku and noticed that it doesn't have a power button. Then I read online that roku is a low power device and it should be fine to leave it on all the time.

But if I turn off the tv overnight and roku is on, will it keep sending the signal through the hdmi line to display the screen saver? Would that strain the tv? When I used cable box I always turned it off when the tv was off. Thanks.

[DBDukes]

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@lee224wrote:
... But if I turn off the tv overnight and roku is on, will it keep sending the signal through the hdmi line to display the screen saver? ...

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Yes. Unless the power settings on the Roku (if it has power settings; some do, some don't) put it in sleep mode.

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@lee224 wrote:

... Would that strain the tv? ...

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No. The TV is off, right? Do you have an antenna connected? If so, it's picking up the local stations 24/7. That won't hurt your TV either.

[AvsGunnar]

@lee224 

In addition to @DBDukes response, just remember to press the Home button on your Roku remote before turning off your TV or your Roku device will continue to stream content and use data.  Pressing the Home button will stop all active streaming, and then your Roku device will enter a low-power/sleep mode after a bit of time.

[lee224]

Thanks. If I press the home button and turn off the tv, will the roku device (express) cool down a bit as it powers down? I bought one this week and it felt warm-ish after about 3 hours of use.

How risky is it to disconnect the device every night? I've read experts say doing that constantly leads to the device asking me to reauthenticate certain apps, but the only app that I use a lot (for now) is spectrum app and the device seems to recognize subscription even though I've been disconnecting it at night. 

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the thought of roku constantly playing screen saver on an inactive tv and warming up close to the tv. I live in LA and the room temp can get uncomfortably hot during summer. 

[DBDukes]

@lee224 

If you want to disconnect power from your Roku at night -- heck, during the day -- that's fine. Just be aware that it won't get updates when powered down, but you can manually run those whenever you want.

If the heat it puts out bothers you, do whatever you like. I leave mine connected 24/7 because it doesn't bother me. And, no, my weather isn't cooler than yours -- your high this week is 88, mine is 101 -- it's just that it's not enough to be a problem for me. But that's me. I use mine as I like, and you should use yours as you like.

Do you need to power down? No. Can you? Sure. Will it be a problem? No. Do whatever makes you comfortable.

[makaiguy]

@lee224-

Good post by @DBDukes - do what makes YOU comfortable.

As he mentioned, if you power down your Roku it can't receive updates during idle hours.  So when you do start up you might want to force a manual update check.  Settings/System/System_update/Check_now.

One additional drawback to factor into your considerations:

Every time you power the Roku back up you must wait for it to complete the startup process before you can watch it.  It doesn't take all that long but if you want to watch right away it can be an irritant.  This may also cause problems if you power both tv and Roku on at the same time.  If the tv checks the Roku's HDMI port before the Roku has booted up far enough to exchange info with the tv it may cause HDMI handshake problems.