The temporary workaround to power the stick via the wall charger should not be considered the solution to the problem; it remains an irritating bug that needs to be fixed. (Many users, such as myself, don't have a convenient way to run another power cable to the back of the TV, and expect the TV-powered scenario to work as documented.)
So, I'll be the first to agree that the Roku remote SHOULD work without a wall adapter. But it isn't "documented" anywhere that you are guaranteed to be able to use your Roku stick without the wall adapter. The instructions tell you very clearly to plug your Roku into a wall. As for TV power, after indicating the TV USB as a possible option, they have this to say:
"Note: Some TV USB ports do not provide sufficient continuous power."
I'll say again that it is absolutely ridiculous that these remotes lose power when the Roku is off. But they didn't "document" or promise you perfect operation when not plugged into a wall outlet per the instructions.
I suppose one could read the documentation as saying that a variety of issues could occur if the stick were powered only from the TV. I read their disclaimer as saying that the TV might not supply enough power when the TV is on (and thus might not power the stick adequately). If the stick is inserted, and the TV is powered on, and it delivers sufficient current (as listed on the TV and required by the stick), and the stick works, I think it's reasonable for most users to consider that a supported use case.
It would be a pretty slippery argument on Roku's part to claim that the (seemingly unrelated) battery drain problem is caused by the stick not getting sufficient power when the TV is off (i.e. when it is entirely unused). It's fair to read "sufficient continuous power" as pertaining to the state when the TV is on. But I suppose, in a court of law, your point would have merit.
For me, this is just another case of Roku being cagey about the features, capabilities and requirements of their products. (The other one being lack of support for DD transcoding on DD+ sources, which I have already complained about at length in a different thread.) In the meantime, I await a response from Roku about how, or whether, they will address this particular issue.
Can't say I disagree. Cagey is a good way to describe it. I think for most people, the stick option is attractive specifically so that you can hide it behind a TV and power it via USB ports already in place. It is an engineering blunder for sure, and to your point: I think if they made it clear that the stick required wall power in order for the remote to operate properly, they would lose an enormous segment of their paying customers that they currently enjoy, so obfuscation becomes their best option.
This has been going on for a long time now with the sticks. You can search the forums and rest of the internet and see that. I see no reason to believe this will ever get sorted (hope I'm wrong here.)
Best to just leave honest product reviews from wherever you purchased it from to warn other unsuspecting consumers.
Update: I have the stick powered by the wall outlet, I have the tv powered by the wall outlet as well. Usually I kill the power when not using but I left them plugged in and powered all week. At this point I am happy to report that my roku remote is STILL working with the same batteries.
Trying a wall plug, will advise if batteries last longer.
Here's a thread from June 2019 on the battery drain issue. Never resolved, just closed out due to the 100s of pages of replies because its such a widespread issue thats been ignored for so long.
Hang another power cable off your TV isn't acceptable for those who purchased a stick for the sole reason of avoiding this.
I probably don't have to mention it, but just to make sure...you can kill the power to the TV, it won't affect the roku remote batteries as long as the Roku stays powered.
Have their been any updates on this? I have 3 Roku sticks, two of them where the AAA batteries in the remote don’t last longer than 2 weeks.
Thanks
Bill