Roku setup

[jcgc50]

Just got another streaming stick. This will be my fourth Roku streaming device. They just don't seem to hold up very long, a couple of years at best for me.

This is model 3820R2. I previously had a 3810. Anyway, the new one seems to work fine except for one difference from the older model. When I hit the power button on the Roku remote the TV comes on immediately and instead of showing the Roku dancing logo it shows something off of Samsung TV plus which I have never watched. I have to hit the Roku home button once or twice to get to the Roku home screen. This used to never happen with the old one but it had started doing that intermittently among other issues which led to replacing it. Any ideas why?

I never watch anything that is native to the TV.

[renojim]

My Samsung TV doesn't always change to my Ultra's input.  It doesn't show me the Samsung TV junk which I also never use; it just turns on to the last input used.  Since I'm not particularly happy with the TV, I've been blaming it on Samsung.  🙂

It sounds like you're using the TV's USB port to power the stick.  Have you tried using the supplied USB power adapter?

[Strega2]

According to this page, the 3810 didn’t have the auto power saving feature, but the 3820 does.  I think pressing home is acceptable for saving a bit of power, but if you disagree, that page shows how to turn it off.

A dancing Roku logo is something I’ve only seen once or twice in 6 years – that means there was a full power down of the device.  But if the new one is plugged in in the same way (presumably into the TV’s USB port which switches off when the TV is off) then I don’t know why you wouldn’t have to wait for a full boot up on that one as well. By the way, some TV USB ports don’t supply quite enough power which can lead to various strange behaviors.

I see no Samsung app in the Roku channel store, so anything you see from Samsung is your TV, not the Roku.  When my Samsung is switched to the Roku input, and I haven’t woken up the Roku, it just displays “no signal”.  But yours may have a different feature set.

My Samsung also always turns on to the last-used port.  I don’t use HDMI-CEC and switch it between the various inputs myself.

[jcgc50]

I had already turned off auto power saving. It's purpose, if I understand it, is to turn power off after 20 minutes of being on and idle.

The USB port I have it plugged into puts out 1amp which is what the Roku power block does if I have it plugged into an outlet. The only difference would be the Roku would be on all the time and my experience is that cheap plastic devices don't like heat in the long run.

I do have another USB port available but it only puts out half and amp which might not work.

Thanks for the ideas.

[makaiguy]

Depending on the TV, USB ports may or may not power down when the tv is turned off.  I have a low end JVC set whose USB port stays powered up as long as the TV is plugged into house power, independent of whether the TV is turned on.  That makes it ideal for powering a Roku.

[jcgc50]

My USB port does power down when the set is turned off.