Remotes

[RkGy]

At this point I've done two factory resets, restarted multiple times via the software menu and pulling the power plug. I also followed the work around steps exactly. I don't have the enhanced remote so there's not pairing for my remote. Anyway, it seems like the IR port stops working when my microSD card is installed. 

Also, the remote I use with my Roku 3 work great on my Roku Ultra and Roku TV (well it lacks the volume controls but I can navigate with it) so I know it's not the remote. 

I apricate all the help given - thank you!!

[atc98092]

Very strange, and you are probably correct in your assessment. Of course, the obvious short term workaround is to simply leave the SD card out. I've never used a card in any of mine that had a slot, and it's been a rare occasion that it had to reload a channel. Mostly of course I only use maybe 6-8 channels with any regularity. I do have over 50 channels installed, but as I said really only use a handful. 

The only benefit of the SD card is to increase channel storage space on the player. Most only have 512 MB of channel storage, with some at 256 MB and a couple of the Ultras have 1 GB. When the channel storage gets filled, it offloads the least used channel and downloads the requested one. So having more storage can speed that process up. Other than that, the SD card does nothing. It does not make the player itself any faster or allow channels to work better. 

[RkGy]

lol, I have 60+ channels loaded at the moment but I only use a handful. I just got tired of the them loading all the time... I am a bit impatient at times. I put a 32GB card in my Ultra and it works like a champ so I'll probably end up taking your advise and just take it out. I don't really love that solution... I might get in touch with support and make sure the issue is escalated. 

[atc98092]

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@RkGy wrote:

lol, I have 60+ channels loaded at the moment but I only use a handful. I just got tired of the them loading all the time... I am a bit impatient at times. I put a 32GB card in my Ultra and it works like a champ so I'll probably end up taking your advise and just take it out. I don't really love that solution... I might get in touch with support and make sure the issue is escalated. 

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Never found any official confirmation, but it's said that any SD card larger than about 4 GB is wasted, and the player won't use any more of it. Just rumor, but I wouldn't be surprised. 😛

[RkGy]

Well, it was $8 for the pair of them (and yes I tried both of them in the Roku 3). I also don't have a lot of these microSD cards laying around. It looks like they use 1.5-2 GB off the bat but I don't know if that increases over time. I suppose I'll find out. I didn't really see the point of getting a smaller one since they were so cheap.

[RP9]

With all the specific mentions of type and size of micro SD cards that were appropriate, I made the decision to buy the 2GB micro SD card directly from Roku just so it would have the best chance to match up.

Since I have the older Roku 3 unit, Roku won't give me direct support. It's really a shame they don't put out better instructions for installing & formatting these cards for us customers.

Until I sorted my solution out, uninstalling the SD card allowed the remote to work again, so clearly the micro SD card is changing the hardware configuration and making the remotes stop working until & if you can get it re-paired again. Supposedly the IR remotes will automatically pair up with your Roku unit without a micro SD card. But how you do that with an SD card does deserve an answer from Roku.

[atc98092]

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@RP9 wrote:

Supposedly the IR remotes will automatically pair up with your Roku unit without a micro SD card. But how you do that with an SD card does deserve an answer from Roku.

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IR remotes do not pair. They simply emit the infrared signal using the specific codes for the device. They either work or they don't. Any Roku IR remote will work with any Roku player, other than the Stick which doesn't support IR at all. Also, Roku TVs seem to use different IR codes from Roku players, although I haven't confirmed that myself. 

But some users have reported the inserting the SD card is even disabling the IR remotes. That would absolutely be a software bug that Roku needs to address. 

[Monday351]

Great post. It's my situation exactly, up to checking the % used on the sd card. I have the same info as you.  But, when I try to watch the 'Amazon Prime Video' channel, I still get the message to add an sd card, and Prime won't work. I only have six channels total loaded on my home page. Any thoughts on how to proceed to get Prime to load? 

[atc98092]

@Monday351 

What model Roku do you have? The model number please, not just the name. Roku has a bad habit of reusing the name on completely different hardware. I have about 50 channels on my devices, and none ever squawk about needing an SD card.

[RP9]

I have the 4230X Roku 3.