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ItzRav
Newbie

Can you change HDMI source with Roku streaming stick 4K+ remote?

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I have a Samsung UN46B8500 TV (2009 model).  I just bought and installed a Roku streaming stick 4K+, and it's working fine with the TV.

My normal cable TV (Xfinity) input is on HDMI 1 and the Roku is on HDMI 3.

If the TV is currently on HDMI 1 and I want to switch to Roku, pressing the Home button on the Roku remote automatically switches the TV to HDMI 3, which is exactly what I want.

So, whether I'm looking at cable TV using HDMI 1 or Roku using HDMI 3, I can use the Roku remote and don't have to use the Xfinity remote at all.

However, if the TV is currently on HDMI 3 (Roku) and I want to switch back to HDMI 1 (Xfinity), I currently must use the Xfinity remotes "Input" button to switch.

Is there any way with the Roku remote to switch back to HDMI 1?  (Remember, this is the 4K+ which has two user-programmable buttons.)

By the way, I did search existing posts and while there were some related to this topic, none mentioned the 4K+ model.

Thanks for any help

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DBDukes
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Can you change HDMI source with Roku streaming stick 4K+ remote?

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@ItzRav wrote:

... pressing the Home button on the Roku remote automatically switches the TV to HDMI 3 ...


Not really. Keep reading.


@ItzRav wrote:

... Is there any way with the Roku remote to switch back to HDMI 1?  (Remember, this is the 4K+ which has two user-programmable buttons.)...


No. You see, the Roku remote isn't actually changing the input.

What's happening is your TV and Roku are playing well together using CEC. When you press the Home button (or really, most any Roku button) on the Roku remote, the Roku performs an action, or awakens from screen saver, and sends a signal to the TV that it's up and moving around. The TV then switches input to the Roku. The Roku is only letting the TV know, it's not actually doing the changing of the input. The Roku remote cannot control the TV input selector.

The TV is configured to change on activity detected on a different source. If the TV was configured different, or didn't implement CEC well, then it wouldn't happen. But, as I said, they're communicating well, and the TV is actually initiating the changing of inputs.

By the way, if you want to watch cable, won't you have to use the cable box remote anyway? The Roku remote only controls the Roku device, not your cable box. Or are you saying that your Roku Voice Remote changes the channels on the cable box? That's totally unexpected behavior.

DBDukes
Roku Community Streaming Expert
Note: I am not a Roku employee.

If this post solves your problem please help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."

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DBDukes
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Can you change HDMI source with Roku streaming stick 4K+ remote?

Jump to solution

@ItzRav wrote:

... pressing the Home button on the Roku remote automatically switches the TV to HDMI 3 ...


Not really. Keep reading.


@ItzRav wrote:

... Is there any way with the Roku remote to switch back to HDMI 1?  (Remember, this is the 4K+ which has two user-programmable buttons.)...


No. You see, the Roku remote isn't actually changing the input.

What's happening is your TV and Roku are playing well together using CEC. When you press the Home button (or really, most any Roku button) on the Roku remote, the Roku performs an action, or awakens from screen saver, and sends a signal to the TV that it's up and moving around. The TV then switches input to the Roku. The Roku is only letting the TV know, it's not actually doing the changing of the input. The Roku remote cannot control the TV input selector.

The TV is configured to change on activity detected on a different source. If the TV was configured different, or didn't implement CEC well, then it wouldn't happen. But, as I said, they're communicating well, and the TV is actually initiating the changing of inputs.

By the way, if you want to watch cable, won't you have to use the cable box remote anyway? The Roku remote only controls the Roku device, not your cable box. Or are you saying that your Roku Voice Remote changes the channels on the cable box? That's totally unexpected behavior.

DBDukes
Roku Community Streaming Expert
Note: I am not a Roku employee.

If this post solves your problem please help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."

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ItzRav
Newbie

Re: Can you change HDMI source with Roku streaming stick 4K+ remote?

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Thanks, DBDukes.  First for the good explanation of what's really happening (I understand now), and second for making me realize that yes, I do still need the cable box remote to change cable channels, among other things.  I've only just started with the Roku so I'm learning.  If I ever decide to "cut the cable," THEN I can use just "one" remote (except for the Blu-Ray player and the Samsung TV remote very infrequently).

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