Remotes

[clogwearerwayne]

3930X Basic remote; no voice.

After pushing just 4 or 5 buttons, my screen and remote freeze. The little white light on the dongle freezes as well. I can't do a System Restart, nor the Home-Up-Rewind-Forward dance. I have changed batteries TWICE, but still the same situation. I've unplugged/replugged the darned thing a dozen times, nothing changes. I don't know what else to do. Should I get a new remote? I don't really think it could be the remote, solely because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to push 4 buttons to begin with, but it's otherwise unresponsive. I don't want to get a whole new 3930X, though cheap, I don't want to go through the whole re-registration stuff again.

[renojim]

With all the Roku devices that use a USB cable for power make sure you're using the supplied power adapter and not the TV's USB port.  If it didn't come with a power adapter, make sure the one you're using is up to the task.  Some (most?) TV's USB ports can't provide enough power.  Make sure the power adapter you're using can supply at least 1 Amp.  The fine print on the power adapter should say something like, Output: 5V 1A.  Anything greater than 1 Amp is ok.

[clogwearerwayne]

I AM using the power adapter. Everything had been fine for the last 10 months.

[Tivoburkee]

Did you check the remote by pointing it at a cellphone camera, if you see flashes with each button press its working, no flashes it's broken. Replace it with  a cheap  universal remote. Benefit of an aftermarket universal is it will control your tv volume too. Unlike the simple Roku remote. 

[nlcartabiano]

So pointing ROKU to camera…. The camera lenses on the back or open camera app and point to screen, really?

[Tivoburkee]

With camera app open on the phone, while you're looking at the screen, point the part of the remote that emits a signal at the back of the phone as if you were taking a picture of the remote, and just press a key look for a flashes in screen of the phone. 

[clogwearerwayne]

I DON'T own a smartphone. (Silly, huh?)

[Tivoburkee]

Do you have an old digital camera, that loads pictures on to media cards instead of film? 

[clogwearerwayne]

Yes, I think I can dig one up.

[clogwearerwayne]

Yes I do have a digital camera. 

Let's get this thing fixed, or I'll either have to buy a new remote or drop Roku altogether as a failed experiment.