Hello, I'm new to this forum but I have been using roku for a few years now. I am on my 8th roku.. So I really love my roku..

Here is my problem.. I am using a roku2 xs. I also have an Apple TV 3 (for iTunes mainly) but as of late, I have been having buffering issues with multiple channels.. Netflix and Hulu and even amazon.. I thought it was my Internet, but my speed is steady at 10mbps down. Next thing was my router or switch, since my Apple TV 3 is on the same switch and router I swapped cables.. My Apple TV 3 works fine streaming netflix and Hulu. Starts up and doesn't buffer not once. Next thing I tried was the memory card in my roku 2 xs. So I bought a brand new card and replaced it.. Still have issues.. Next thing was to do a factory reset.. I did that and reset it back up & it still is having problems. It seems it started first of the year.. I even took my old roku that I know is having problems and hooked it up to try to see if it may be better, but it was buffering like crazy also..

I know what you are thinking, if it was messed up, why connect it? The video is very grainy and looks like a messed up VCR tape. The streaming was fine on it.. Now both roku's seem to be doing something...

After changing cables, memorycard, restoring it to factory settings, and trying different ports and having issues with all tested channels, even plex.

Does anyone have any other thoughts or ideas what to try? I am thinking it may be something to do with my switch, but I don't understand why my Apple TV works fine with no issues. Even my laptop connected to the switch works fine.. I'm just baffled.

I know you have an appleTV on the same switch and it works fine, but is it possible to have the Roku hardwired straight to your router instead if having it pass through the switch? How far is the Roku from the main router? If it's wireless capable[and the signal is strong] can you try to connect the roku wirelessly to see if it makes a difference? If both online streaming channels and Plex are having buffering issues, I'd start pointing fingers at the network first.

To test the router, I hooked the roku right to the router (modem) and tried it.. Same thing.. Wireless is worse. I honestly think its just my roku.. I guess I will just need to get another one.. 9th one may be the charm.. Bad thing is I'm still on my first Apple TV.. Oh well... Any other ideas before I have to spend another $100?

The last firmware may have introduced a wireless issue with the Bluetooth remotes. Try pulling the batteries on them and see if it changes anything.

Poor power supplies can cause weirdness. Try a different power supply.

Ok, as far as the remote, I don't have issues with it, I don't even use it. I use a harmoney one remote..

As far as the power supply, I will try.. But I am running both the Apple TV & roku off a apc battery backup.. I guess that could be the issue.. But the apple still works fine..

Now that I think about it, I think my problems started when I got the last update in December, cause its been messing up for about a month.. Does anyone know if I can go back to a earlier version of the firmware?

Melocco wrote:

Ok, as far as the remote, I don't have issues with it, I don't even use it. I use a harmoney one remote..

As far as the power supply, I will try.. But I am running both the Apple TV & roku off a apc battery backup.. I guess that could be the issue.. But the apple still works fine..

Now that I think about it, I think my problems started when I got the last update in December, cause its been messing up for about a month.. Does anyone know if I can go back to a earlier version of the firmware?

No, you can't, but people always want to blame the firmware when the issue is VERY likely elsewhere. Otherwise, millions of other people would be having the same problem you are.

Melocco wrote:

As far as the power supply, I will try.. But I am running both the Apple TV & roku off a apc battery backup..

Actually, this was referencing the power adapter the Roku uses: http://www.roku.com/accessories#5

If you got a buddy or a neighbor nearby, try your Roku over at their place or have them borrow it for a day[don't let them purchase any paid channels or movies unless you want them to!] and let them tell you how it performs. If the same thing happens on their end then let's say the box/power supply is dying.

I just got back from my neighbor and it was messing up there too.. I also used my old roku that was messed up (the video looks like its playing through a VCR) the power supply from it and it still is messed up.. I'm going to buy a new roku tomorrow and try it.. I just don't understand why this messed up like it has.. As I said before.. This is going to be the 9th roku I have bought.. I might just buy the cheap one to see how that one does.. Once I find out, I'll post and let you know.. Thanks for all your help..

Melocco wrote:

This is going to be the 9th roku I have bought..

Something is not right then. Maybe your wiring or?? I have 3 Roku players that I have acquired over the past 4 years or so and they all still work perfectly.

If the wiring is off somehow, what should I check? My last roku has something about the video mess up. It looks grainy, like a old VCR tape.. I switched hdmi cables and power and it looks the same.. Could my tv some how be messing stuff up? I have the equipment hooked up straight to my Samsung tv.. I am completly stumped. Now I don't know what I need to do.. the first four roku's worked fine, they still do.. They are at my beach house, my brother has one and my parents have the other two. Just my last four messed up.. The others worked with this TV.. But my Apple TV has been working and not messed up..

Melocco wrote:

If the wiring is off somehow, what should I check? My last roku has something about the video mess up. It looks grainy, like a old VCR tape.. I switched hdmi cables and power and it looks the same.. Could my tv some how be messing stuff up? I have the equipment hooked up straight to my Samsung tv.. I am completly stumped. Now I don't know what I need to do.. the first four roku's worked fine, they still do.. They are at my beach house, my brother has one and my parents have the other two. Just my last four messed up.. The others worked with this TV.. But my Apple TV has been working and not messed up..

The fact that multiple Rokus have messed up really points to a problem at your house, not with the Rokus. The AppleTV might have better protection from whatever's causing your problem, it's hard to know.

That said, a grainy picture should NEVER happen with HDMI cables unless there's a problem with your TV. Typically, HDMI is all (fine picture) or nothing (purple/green screen and no picture at all). Sounds like it could be interference of some sort, or a power issue in your home. Hard for any of us to accurately diagnose it from afar.

Ok, thanks for atleast giving me ideas.

As far as the grainy picture. Different hdmi cables, different hdmi port, different tv and different house (neighbors) and it looks the same. I know that it's digital, and ether has a picture or doesn't.. That's why I think it's the video processor. It's the roku box for sure.. But I just don't know what could cause it.. I guess I need to see if I can get an electrcian to check my wires.

But thanks for all the info.. I just hope I can get this fixed..

At lower quality bit streams the picture could be described as grainy. With "adaptive streams" being used for Netflix, the Roku will start displaying a Netflix title at the lowest quality stream but, if throughput to the CDNs that Netflix uses for the Roku 2 boxes is good enough, the Roku should step up to a higher quality stream within 10 to 30 seconds.

Having poor throughput (either between the Roku and the ISP, or between the Roku and the CDNs, and between the Roku and the content servers for the other channels) would explain the "graininess" for Netflix and rebufferings for some of the other channels.

Let's start at a more basic description of your Internet service:

What country are you in? Did that part of your country have a serious storm in the past couple of months that would cause the Internet Service Providers and Internet backbone to undergo repairs at this time?

What is the name of your Internet Service Provider?

What type of Internet service is this? (E.g., Broadband (cable), Fiber to the house, wireless service, ... dial-up modem)

If you run Speedtest (http://speedtest.net) on your PC just after having issues with the Roku, what does Speedtest report as the "Download speed"?

If you are willing to install the (free) "Speed Test" channel on your Roku, when you run the Speed Test channel on your Roku, what does it report as your download speed, say, on the last (largest) file it attempts to download to the Roku?

I have to leave for a while, but maybe someone else can pick up on my suspicions and run with them if you post your answers before I get back later tonight. My suspicions (pending answers to above questions) are:

1. ISP throttling (a few are well-known for this: they allow very good throughputs until you have viewed a couple of movies, and then they radically reduce your throughput)
2. Maybe a different DNS set in the router (especially as the first DNS IP address in the router), but choice may depend on country.
3. Possibly a different wireless channel to select one that doesn't have as much interference (try highest number channel, lowest number channel, channel right in the middle) Note: this will not affect Ethernet cable connected Roku boxes.

I could be all wrong (again), but we might as well work on eliminating some of the other (non-power) possibilities.