Solving playback issues

[mj34hig44]

UPDATE: Roku support sent me several emails on the ticket opened on Twitter asking me to reply or they'll considered the issue solved. I keep replying the issue is NOT solved then they sent me one a day or two ago saying "one last thing, you can try resetting the device..."

I replied I'm not new to tech and would never even consider contacting any support until I've exhausted every possible solution and resetting the device was on day one of this issue arising some 3 weeks ago now. I've uploaded a video to YouTube showing the device's IDs and software versions with a description below it. They just recently updated the Roku TV to OS 10 but a different build and fortunately didn't ruin it along with the other devices. Here's the video with the crackling and the TV with the new update. All the same file:

https://youtu.be/UaqguiECIsY

[Rampart]

Great video! That's the same trash sound I get. Perfect example!

Many started having the issue after the update to OS 10. Strange. This issue started for me 2-3 weeks prior to taking the update to OS 10. The Roku Media Player app has to be bugged as well. Regardless this has been going on 2 1/2 months or more and no fix. I'm ready to unhook it and just use my Xbox when we want to watch movies off a drive or media server. Roku is pretty much worthless for that now. I'm certainly not converting hundreds of files just to get them to play on the Roku when they worked perfectly fine before.

[mj34hig44]

This is the response I got after posting the video on Roku's Twitter Roku Support message thread I have running. Their response was they couldn't view a short YouTube video with the device model numbers, OS versions and symptoms and want me to RE-explain the issue that you can plainly see I've already done in the thread in great detail.

I do tech, I have for decades, I've done helpdesk... I've provided all/most of the details a dev would LOVE to troubleshoot an issue. This tells me Roku is NOT interested in solving the problem, ONLY interested in PR, blowing a complaint off only to sweep customers with legitamate problems under the rug.

I've been a loyal Roku customer/fan for a very long time now, as you can see I have many devices including a 55" Roku TV, they're destroying any faith I've had and goodwill they've earned over a decade or more doing this.

[sak444]

My Roku Premiere + 4630 does the same thing as in your video.

[OU812]

I'm having the same problem, and 90% of my video files have a loud "ticking". This exact problem happened a several weeks ago when my Roku 3 was updated. I bought the Roku Ultra and the problem went away. NOW Roku updates the Ultra and they disabled my system again.

Please fix this immediately or revert to the older firmware.

[gk802]

Same issue here with playback of DD audio sources since the OS 10.0.0 update.  Nothing but clicks, pops and white noise.  I've had some success with one of my two TVs by changing the Settings/Audio/HDMI setting from "Auto detect" to "Dolby Digital".  "Auto detect" appears to no longer work.  My 2nd TV is older, however, and can only receive PCM-stereo.  No setting currently works for it.   See several other threads in this subsection and also the "Roku Device Features, Settings & Updates" section that seem to deal with this same issue.

[EnginerdBB]

I used the settings/audio/HDMI to Dolby Digital trick and it worked on our Roku Ultra. 

Tuesday we tried the basement Roku Ultra (Ethernet connection to the internet) and it had the audio tick issue. Our upstairs Ultra (WiFi connection) still worked fine on Tuesday with our file server MP4 files. Thursday morning I swapped the units and found neither worked with the MP4 files on the file server. Apparently the hardwired connected unit upgraded its OS first. So weird, but glad for this fix. 

[mj34hig44]

Yup, this is the work-around, the sad thing is Roku broke (Auto) when updating to 10 and they haven't fixed it even with another 10 update I got yesterday on the Premiere+ box I have. Even worse is I'm not sure they know they broke it and worse than that, they don't even know the *work-around* solution when asked on their Roku Support Twitter account.

[pinaz]

I think it is a mistake to call this a "work-around" given that it is limited to the subset of TVs that have such a setting (to choose Dolby Digital over LPCM).  Many TVs only implement LPCM.  I share your concern that Roku is apparently oblivious to user issues... as their programmers steamroll forward adding new releases (without regression testing) that their management must be clamoring for.  Or, perhaps this is a deliberate scheme to avoid paying Dolby license fees in future and thereby increase executive bonuses.

[mj34hig44]

It's not the TV... it's a >>>Roku<<< setting. Home > System> Audio > the default is HDMI (auto). I have 4 Roku devices and have never had to change that. Now you have to change it to Dolby.

It's a workaround