A few days ago our ROKU player (the larger original ROKU player) stopped working correctly. We regularly switch our box between our bedroom and living room. But when we plugged it into our TV via HDMI, we saw the startup screen just fine, however as soon as it finished loading and went to the menu screen, all I saw was this jumble of static and colors (like digital distortion, only not moving at all). I could still click left and right and the box would respond, however the picture would not change. I even managed to blindly find Pandora and start playing music. I tried this on two TVs, using HDMI, composite and component connections all with the same result.

So it doesn't seem like a video card problem as I could see the startup screen just fine. And it doesn't seem like any sort of hardware problem as it seems to function just fine in all other ways other than the display. My mother has a ROKU and so I called her to have her try and walk me through the steps to reset the player to factory settings, but that did not work (I do not know if I just kept hitting the wrong selection or if it was just not allowing me to reset).

I emailed ROKU a couple of days ago and was told by them to try and hold down the reset button on the back for 30 seconds, or if that didn't work, to unplug it for 30 seconds and then plug it back in. Those options didn't work. So I came here to the forums to see if anyone else has this problem, and it doesn't look like it is common. However, I saw that they pushed out a firmware update to Firmware 3.0 b2227 just a few days ago on October 12th. I'm not sure the day that our player went bad, but I believe it was on that day. That sounds like too much of a coincidence to me.

Does anybody else have this problem? Also, I am clearly out of warranty, but I would rather not pay $19.99 to get support from ROKU if it was their automatic firmware update that broke it in the first place.

I'm addicted to many, many shows on Netflix & Hulu right now and am going through withdrawals. Please help!!!

-nate

exactly how did you do the reset?Did you push a pin in the hole and hold it in while powered on until it reset?

Yes.

I too am having problems with my 2009 Roku HD after the update. About 80% of the time it does not get fully booted before it reboots. I reset using the pin hole on the bottom and have reset to factory defaults, but cannot make it through the full startup.

About 20% of the time it gets to the startup and I go the website to add the 4 character code. It always reboots before I can get the code in.

please excuse this question if it comes off sounding dumb----but are there separate software updates for roku 1 vs roku 2??

I have a roku 1 xd and am on software version 3.0 build 2777 are all rokus (except the LT) now running that firm ware?And if so does it work better say on the roku 2's as opposed to the 1's? I ask because I "forced" the upgrade(from the info screen) and it was not automatic as it has been in the past---was that a mistake on my part?

The Roku 2s are on firmware v4.1 which is not compatible with the 1st generation boxes. Had you not done the upgrade yourself the box would have been automatically updated eventually.

-JT

Try holding the reset button for 60 seconds or longer, to fully reset the device.

-Joel

This is bravo sierra. This firmware update sucks.

riles9 wrote:

*snip*

Try holding the reset button down for 60 seconds and see if that helps. If it doesn't, as others have said, it very well could be the power adapter, although I haven't heard of this problem recently on the newer Roku 1 models, since the adapter is a bit beefier than previous versions.

If that fails, try a new power adapter (make sure the ratings are the same on the new one as the old one), which you can probably pick up at a local Radio Shack or Best Buy. If that doesn't work, then send me a PM with your name, address, phone number, Roku Serial #, and a valid email address, and I'll escalate you in Customer Service.

C. Shawn Smith

riles9 wrote:

A few days ago our ROKU player (the larger original ROKU player) stopped working correctly.
I emailed ROKU a couple of days ago and was told by them to try and hold down the reset button on the back for 30 seconds, or if that didn't work, to unplug it for 30 seconds and then plug it back in. Those options didn't work. So I came here to the forums to see if anyone else has this problem, and it doesn't look like it is common. However, I saw that they pushed out a firmware update to Firmware 3.0 b2227 just a few days ago on October 12th. I'm not sure the day that our player went bad, but I believe it was on that day. That sounds like too much of a coincidence to me.
...........
Does anybody else have this problem? Also, I am clearly out of warranty, but I would rather not pay $19.99 to get support from ROKU if it was their automatic firmware update that broke it in the first place.

I'm addicted to many, many shows on Netflix & Hulu right now and am going through withdrawals. Please help!!!

-nate

Hi Nate,
Yes, the 3.0 b2227 broke your roku gen 1 player!
There have been more than 100 people posting this problem under several threads.

No, it is not your power adapter or your network or any other lame excuse from roku employees or People of Good Streaming Taste.
Good News, It is probably fixable.
First, be sure that you are really making contact with the reset button.
with the roku and the tv powered up use a straightened paper clip to briefly depress the reset button.
Your roku should restart. This will not fix the problem but it means that the button is working right and you are pressing it in enough.
Next, turn the roku belly up on a convenient surface or otherwise support it so that you can keep the reset button pressed for a really long time without interruption while watching a clock.
Now press the reset button in and HOLD it in firmly for more than 60 seconds!
after about 60 seconds you will see a screen flash or some other indication that something has changed on the roku.
You can then release the reset button and after a few seconds unplug the roku, wait ten seconds or more, and plug it in again. At this point the roku should light the screen with the new customer welcome message and ask you to link it.
If your HDMI output is still not working, connect via composite or component outputs. You may need to set the display type in the settings menu to get HDMI working again. Now go through the whole linking and channels and netflix routine.
The odds are that your roku box will be alive after this but netflix will work very poorly if at all. This is the next part of the firmware update disaster which is where I am still stuck.

Good Luck, Mike L.

I haven't been able to use my Roku since the weekend. I apparently received the 10/12/11 update [Firmware 3.0 b2227] for the Roku 1.

I have a Roku HD and 3 previous times that it has been updated, it has "locked" on the Home Page - Channel Store icon and won't move. After resetting and trying for several days it has been corrected in the past, but this is the third day since this latest one, and it's still a "no go". I guess enough people haven't complained about this problem.

I wonder if anyone is working on this?

I assure you they are working on it. I just recieved a call from support. My Roku 1 HD is long out of warranty, but they are working with me to fix the problem.

If you started having problems after updating to the v3.0 2227 update, get your Name, Address, Phone Number and Serial Number to RokuShawnS. He will hook you up. Be sure to give them a few days to get back to you.

I am happy with the support they are providing.

Thanks Roku,

Its funny that some but not all were affected.I wonder what the difference is.Mine hasn't missed a beat.

mommom wrote:

Its funny that some but not all were affected.I wonder what the difference is.Mine hasn't missed a beat.

Generally it's because the software update isn't the culprit - it's just coincidence. Think about all the people who come here with various problems other times when there aren't new updates.