Roku setup

[Joro82]

I have a Panasonic Viera tx-32lzd81 LCD TV, which I believe is 2008 model. It has 3 HDMI type A ports. It works perfectly on DVB. I tried connecting it to a laptop via VGA cable and got a black screen. I bought a brand new Roku SE player which says is manufactured 2022. I connected it to the TV, tried all 3 HDMI ports and got a black screen. The player itself respond to the remote and make a sound but got a black screen on the TV. So, what is wrong? Is the TV model too old for that Roku player? Are they incompatible? Any of both devices is faulty? What model of TV should work with that player?

[RokuMary-F]

Hi @Joro82,

Thanks for posting in the Roku Community!

We understand that you are trying to set up your Roku device.

Please be advised that all Roku Streaming devices can be connected to any TV with an HDMI connection.

We would be more than happy to assist you with your Roku device. A few questions here to better understand what you're experiencing:

1. How are you powering the Roku device? Is the device plugged into the TV USB port or is it plugged into a wall outlet?
2. Have you tried connecting those Roku devices to another TV to see if you are experiencing the same issue?
3. Have you tried taking a look here at our Support resources and following the steps to solve the issue? What to do if you cannot see the picture from your Roku® streaming player on your TV | Official Roku...

To learn about all the requirements, visit our Support article: Do I need a special TV? | Official Roku Support

Please keep us posted and we'll continue assisting you from there.


Best regards,
Mary

[atc98092]

I did a search for the specs on this TV, and since it's a PAL (European) model I can't say for certain if a Roku will work on it. It is a 1920x1080 display, but the specs are not specific about the resolutions supported on the HDMI connections. They are HDMI 1.3a, which is an older spec, but I thought that they should be backwards compatible with newer devices. I have seen sets from that era that do not support 1080p, instead only supporting 1080i and 540p on the HDMI ports. Roku devices do not support either of those resolutions.

That particular TV appears to be built specifically to support Freesat satellite services. Again, being a European model, it's tough to tell what sort of support it would have for modern HDMI devices. I see it was a pretty expensive model when it came out, but I would guess a modern 1080p TV would perform far better with today's hardware. 

[Joro82]

Thank you both for the replies.

@RokuMary-F

1. The USB cable is plugged in to a Roku adapter model ADS-6RA-06 which I have from another Roku Express player and then into the mains as the TV doesn't have a USB port.

2. No. I don't have another TV.

3. Yes. I tried all these steps with no avail.

That what is strange to me is the HDMI cable goes only the half way in to the Roku device. Is this normal for that model 3930X or the device is defective? I'm attaching a photo to see it. This is the maximum the HDMI cable can be inserted. When I try to insert the HDMI cable more into the device the TV screen goes black-green but nothing more.

@atc98092 

TV manual says that is Full HD 1080p. When I select the HDMI port connected to the Roku device then it shows 720p on the screen. Also TV manual says that HDMI ports are type A.

It seems to me that:

a) TV is a too old model and is incompatible with that Roku device and I have to look for a newer model TV.

b) TV works on freesat but some other functions like HDMI and PC particularly which I tried to connect it to other devices with no avail are faulty by some reason.

c) There is nothing wrong with the TV but the Roku device is faulty by some reason. Especially, the HDMI port of it looks strange to me as the HDMI cable can be inserted only the half way.

[atc98092 · Accepted solution]

@Joro82 that HDMI cable doesn't look right. It shouldn't be sticking out that far. I don't think there's anything "wrong" with the Roku, but I don't think the cable is fully inserted. Make sure there's no foreign material in the cable and Roku ends and try to insert it fully. 

[Joro82]

Hey mate, you were absolutely right. I was afraid to press it harder as I thought I'll break the device. But now I pressed it a bit harder until it clicked and now I'm in. I have picture and sound and it says 1080p 😃