Solving playback issues

[matyigzaw]

Hi y'all! I have a Roku Express 4k (model 3940x) that I've been successfully using for about 3 years now, and as of a couple weeks ago, it will no longer fully turn on. When freshly connected, it will show the "Roku" startup screensaver with the jumping letters, but after about a minute, that will stop and the whole device seemingly shuts off and/or disconnects. The strangest part is, the light is still on and shows a white/blue light, which stays on even after it "disconnects." If I unplug it and plug it back in, it will just do the exact same thing with the light still on. Each TV I try it with displays a "check cable"/"no signal" message. I've contacted support through the chat feature, and no one has been able to help me so far (and I kept getting timed out of the conversations before I could try their suggestions and then respond, which was very frustrating and frankly, poor design for a chat support feature that requires you to type). I've had no luck trying to find a support phone number either, so this is my last resort before I lose my mind and destroy this thing lol!

Heres all the things I've tried to far:

- unplugging ALL wires from both the Roku and TV, then plugging it all back in

-plugging the Roku power cord directly into a wall socket, as well as an extension cord (I would try plugging it into the TV's USB port, despite many forums saying that's not the best option, however my TV doesn't have one)

- connecting it to a different TV

-resetting it using the reset button on the back (I believe I've seen people saying theres a better way to reset it from settings, but due to the situation I can't even get into settings)

- using a different HDMI cord AND using a different HDMI port

- saying please and begging for it to work

I'm starting to think it's completely shot and perhaps it's just reached the end of it's lifetime, but that seems ridiculous to me with how "young" it is and the fact that it was working completely fine up until one random night when it started doing this! Other devices such as video game consoles have been connecting to both the TVs I tried completely fine, so it's not the TVs either. I would greatly appreciate any insight, even if you're just telling me that it's done for. Thanks!

[RokuTakashi · Accepted solution]

Hi, @matyigzaw 

Thanks for posting, and welcome to the Roku Community.

We understand the issue you have encountered with your Roku Express 4K that shuts down, and we're here to help. For this matter, we recommend restoring your Roku device to factory defaults to resolve the issue. Please be advised that it clears the majority of data from your Roku device and restores it to a factory default configuration. Follow the instructions below:

From the Settings menu

Perform the following steps with your Roku remote or the Roku mobile app.

1. Press Home on your Roku remote
2. Scroll and select Settings
3. Select System
4. Select Advanced system settings
5. Select Factory reset
6. If you have a Roku TV, select Factory reset everything. Otherwise, move to the next step.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions

Using the physical button

Located on the back or bottom of your device, the physical Reset button is either tactile or a pinhole design that requires a straightened paperclip. It will appear similar to one of the following:

Once you locate the Reset button and your Roku device is powered on, press and hold the button firmly for about 10 seconds. When the factory reset is complete, an indicator light or status LED will blink rapidly on most Roku devices.

After a successful factory reset, your Roku device will restart in the same state as a factory-new device, and will be ready for you to complete the following:

1. Perform the Guided Setup and activation process
2. Sign in to streaming channels that require a username and password
3. Create a 4-digit PIN and configure parental control settings
4. Perform a broadcast television channel scan (if you have a Roku TV with an HDTV antenna connected)

For more information, you can visit this support article on How to system restart or factory reset your Roku streaming device

Keep us posted on how it works.

Best wishes,
Kash