Channels & viewing

[Ronzzz]

This information was correct when I originally investigated on 2024-07-24.  Sorry it took so long to post.

Prime, Netflix, and Hoopla were the failing apps.  Apps that worked included PBS, YouTube, BritBox, MhzChoice, F1, etc.

Prime's failure mode is a message "Something went wrong.  Please try again later.  For more help, go to amazon.com/videohelp" when trying to play a video.  No useful help found at the link, live support did not have a clue what the problem was or how to resolve it.

Netflix's failure mode was blank boxes where videos should be listed:

Hoopla's failure was buttons were no longer there to play or bookmark the videos.

Netflix and Hoopla's errors did not seem like bandwidth issues.

The evidence:

My Roku Ultra worked fine for years with my 6 Mbps connection.  At some point I had trouble with the provider.  To calm the waters, they boosted my speed to 20 Mbps.  Things were fine for several more years.  Then suddenly those three apps stopped working as described.  Prime and Netflix  support was not helpful.

I finally ran a speed test (Ookla).  I was back down to 6 Mbps.  I checked the connection in the Roku:

It seemed fine.  I dragged the Ultra to my neighbor's and connected it to their cable.  It tested at 40 Mbps.  Now all three apps worked.

I checked the apps.  Each said it should work with a speed of 6 Mbps.

I dropped my carrier and switched to a cheaper, faster WiFi service.  Everything is still working.  It seems like the three bad apps are no longer tested at their rated speed.  I still think it is weird how Netflix and Hoopla failed in a way that seemed to have nothing to do with bandwidth.

[RokuJharra-Q · Accepted solution]

@Ronzzz

Greetings from the Roku Community!

Thank you for informing us about the issues with your apps not functioning properly. We appreciate your feedback and are dedicated to helping you resolve this matter.

We recommend the following steps to help resolve the issue:

1. Uninstall the channel by highlighting it, pressing the * button, and selecting "remove".
2. Clear cache and data: From the Roku home screen, navigate to Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Network connection reset. Choose "Reset connection" and then-
3. Restart your Roku device by unplugging your TV and then plugging it back in. This step can help clear any temporary cache or data-causing issues.
4. Reinstall the channel by pressing the home button on your Roku remote, scrolling and selecting "Store", and then adding the channel from there.

For more troubleshooting steps, please visit our support page on How to resolve a channel playback issue.

Please try these steps and let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

The Roku Community Team