Features, settings & updates

[KahalaB]

The Roku Premiere shows a message of overheating on the tv screen but light not red. Turning it off for a while or reseting do not work. What is odd is that my Roku Ultra (used elsewhere in the house) does not get warm when the tv is off, but the Premiere feels hot even when the tv is off. Why would it heat up when not being used? Is this a defect with this particular device? I wonder if the best way is to run the Premier until it burns up, since there is no other option to fix it. I hope it does not have a tendency to catch fire.

I wish I could trade it in to get credit of an Ultra, which seems not to have heat issues and runs flawlessly. 

[AvsGunnar]

@KahalaB 

The Ultra devices certainly run cooler than the Premiere.  Some of this is device design - larger container and a little more metal (aluminum) to act as heat sinks and dissipate heat.

I actually put new thermal paste on my Premiere+ last year and it ran a few degrees cooler than it was starting to show..  As it got older, it was definitely running much warmer. (never hot, but very warm).  I was never able to run it as cool as the Ultra though.  I now use it mainly for travel since I replaced that room with an Express 4k+.  If I had an additional TV, I wouldn't hesitate to continue to use it though - it is a good device and performs well for my needs.

As for the Premiere remaining hot when not streaming... If you are sure you have returned to Home Screen when you are done streaming, then the Premiere may not be entering Sleep Mode, thus allowing it to cool down.  I certainly would not use a device that is overheating (excessively hot).  Not only do you risk it melting and catching fire, but you risk other equipment it may be connected to.  This is the one case I would simply consider replacing the device for the peace of mind rather than waiting for the impending device failure.  In the meantime, at least consider unplugging it from power when not in use.

[KahalaB]

Thank you for the tips. I'll look into the thermal paste. I'm fairly sure I return to home screen before shutting off the tv, but I can't say for sure. I'll pay more attention to that. 

I agree that the functionality of the device is top rate, which is why it is so annoying to have the overheating problem.

[makaiguy]

Beyond the overheating concerns, there is another good reason for returning to the Home screen when done viewing.  This keeps the Roku from continuing to stream unwatched thus wasting internet downloading resources.  This is important to you if your internet system caps your download level per month.

But even if your internet service doesn't put a cap on you, unwatched down loads put unnecessary demands on your internet delivery system and can slow down download speeds for everyone on the system at the time.

[KahalaB]

That is a good point. I hadn't thought about that. I'll pass that point around to friends, who probably are not aware either.

[makaiguy]

@KahalaB-

Also, look into the Roku "Bandwidth saver" function.  This kicks in when the Roku has received no user input in four hours.  It asks if you are still watching, and if it receives no response, it exits the current stream and returns the Roku to its home page.  You can turn this feature on and off via Settings > Network > Bandwidth saver.  Note that some individual channels may have a similar feature of their own.

[KahalaB]

Another good point. I was unaware of the setting. Thank you.