Wi-Fi & connectivity

[TNorth]

We recently got a Roku Streaming Stick 4K that works with our WiFi. The set up was very easy, but I have a few questions about usage and whether the Roku device should be "on" all of the time - plugged into a wall outlet - when we are not using Roku or when the TV is off. Does the Roku maintaining the connection the to WiFi use any data when the device is not actually being used? I can see the Roku device listed as a connected device on my WiFi list whenver the WiFi is on, whether it is being used or not.

When setting it up, we plugged the device directly into the wall outlet as we couldn't easily access the USB port on the TV - it is a Sony Bravia 4K. If we did plug it into the USB on the TV - would the device turn off when the TV was turned off? Would that have an affect on the usage - or doesn't that really matter?

We are new to this device and weren't sure just where to post these questions, so please move this to the right forum if this isn't correct.

Thanks for any help!

TN 

[RokuTakashi · Accepted solution]

Hi @TNorth,

Welcome to the Roku Community!

Thank you for reaching us regarding your inquiry about your new Roku device. We're happy to help you and answer your questions. Please be aware that Roku devices do not turn off. You can turn off your Roku device whenever you're not using it by unplugging it from the power source when your TV is turned off. You can use your TV as a power source but we recommend to plug the Roku Streaming Stick directly to your wall outlet.

If you have any more inquiry, please don't hesitate to let us know.

All the best,
Kash

[renojim · Accepted solution]

I'll try to answer your questions.

Roku devices are meant to be powered on all the time.  There is no way to turn them off.  Note that if there's a power button on your remote it's strictly for the TV.  They check for updates and automatically download them overnight.  Other than the updates (which occur infrequently), they use very little data when idle as long as you return to the Home Screen when you're finished streaming for the night.  If you turn off the TV in the middle of watching a video the video will continue and depending on the channel/app you're using it may keep streaming indefinitely.  If data caps are an issue for you there's a "Bandwidth saver" setting under Settings->Network that you might want to enable.  It's stops streaming after four hours if there's no user input.

Roku devices don't use much energy when streaming and even less when idle.  Some/most models have a "Power saving" setting under Settings->System->Power that puts it into a power saving mode after 20 minutes of inactivity.  To be honest, my personal feeling is that it's far more trouble than it's worth.

Using the USB connector on a TV is hit or miss.  Some TVs can't supply enough power which leads to all kinds of strange problems.  Some TVs, although from my experience very few, keep their USB ports powered even when the TV is turned off.  All of my TVs power off the USB port after a few minutes when the TV is turned off.  If the TV can supply enough power and if it does shut off power to the USB port then you could connect the device to the TV's USB port and turn off the TV when you're finished for the day.  In my opinion that's not the best idea.  These boxes are really just little computers and just as you don't want to pull the plug on your computer without properly shutting it down it's not a good idea to just remove the power when it could be in the middle of something.  It's generally best to plug it into the wall with a USB power adapter.

If you have any more questions, just ask.  Not that it really matters, but I'd say these questions best fit in the Features, settings & updates section.

[TNorth]

Hi Kash and thanks for the reply!

So - if the Roku device is plugged in and "on" but we are not using it - have the TV on DirecTV - does the Roku use an bandwidth from the WiFi to maintain the connection? If it doesn't - is it fine for it to stay plugged in? I just wanted to avoid it using data when we are not actually watching anything using it!

Thanks again for the information and quick reply!

TN

[TNorth]

Thanks so much for the reply @renojim. So it sounds like I have a few things to look into. 

I appreciate all of your suggestions and will look into the settings to possibly save data when I can.

But just to clarify - if we are watching something and we stop in the middle and return to the home screen - will the device continue to download the rest of that show? Or is returning to the Home Screen sufficient to stop that particular download if it turns out not to be something we are interested in watching?

Thanks again for the reply. And I will post in the correct forum with additional questions about getting things set up.

TN

[renojim]

Once you return to the Home Screen all streaming is stopped.  It may download some stuff periodically like those ad banners and the occasional update, but that's it.  Some screensavers also download things like pictures or ads in the case of some of the Roku screensavers.  In "power saving" mode I don't think it will download anything, although I'm guessing it wakes itself periodically to check for updates.  It's one of those things that if it works, great, but if you notice anything strange (most noticeably Wi-Fi connection issues or  HDCP and/or other display issues) then disable it.

[TNorth]

Thanks so much! That is very helpful and will give us a few things to keep in mind as we learn more about using the Roku. And I generally turn off my WiFi overnight anyway, so overnight activity shouldn't be a problem. We'll just make sure to return to the Home Screen each time before we end a viewing session.

Thanks again for the help - very much appreciated!

TN