Roku Premiere suddenly overheating?

[MrHT]

I bought a Roku Premiere last October and it’s been rock solid for the six months I’ve owned it. However, I just encountered a unusual problem today. I was watching for just 30 mins and got the warning message on my screen that my device is overheating. I felt the Roku and it did feel unusually warm. I’ve never had this problem before and there have been times where I’ve watched for hours with no overheating issues.

I’ve done some google searching and it appears many people have had this problem, but am wondering if this is a cause for concern. Is this a sign that the Roku is already dying?

[kwr212]

My Roku 4K Stick did this last fall after about a year of use. It’s apparently a big problem with Roku devices. They offer a free HDMI extender, but even with this mine was overheating. I decided to get an Apple TV to replace it and have had no issues. The Amazon Firestick 4K is a good less expensive alternative.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by kwr212

My Roku 4K Stick did this last fall after about a year of use. It’s apparently a big problem with Roku devices. They offer a free HDMI extender, but even with this mine was overheating. I decided to get an Apple TV to replace it and have had no issues. The Amazon Firestick 4K is a good less expensive alternative.

This is a Roku Premiere which does not stick to the back of the TV, so an HDMI extender is useless in my case.

I may just have to go back to using my Android Smart TV to stream, though I was much happier with the performance of the Roku. On the Roku, apps were very stable and loaded much quicker. My Android TV is sluggish and loads very slowly, and apps crashed every so often. Maybe the migration over to GoogleTV might be better, but the rollout hasn't yet happened on my TV model yet.

[whatsgood]

Amazon's fire stick has had major complaints on their own forum for past 3 weeks due to "critical low strorage" warnings constantly popping up. Also unable to accept update problems. It seems used and brand new ones are affected. Amazon reps on forum have ackowledged it.

[MrHT]

Well..... after unplugging the Roku that night and letting it cool, the problem hasn't re-occurred since. I even used it for 3 hours last night and never got the overheating message. So maybe it was just a one-time glitch. But we shall see...

[rikraq]

I have a streaming stick and I keep getting the overheating message. The extender is useless, because the problem is from the adapter plug in. I unhooked everything overnight to cool it down. Today after a bit of use, I'm getting the message again.

I guess I'll have to unplug whenever I'm not watching anything.

ETA: I asked Roku support about it.

Find a cooler location for your Roku player; avoid placing the unit:

a. Inside a cabinet or other closed space;
b. On top of other electronic devices such as cable boxes, routers, or audio/video receivers;
c. In direct sunlight.

ME: it's a stick

Joshua
I understand your concern
Find a cooler location for your Roku stick; avoid placing the stick:

a. Inside a cabinet or other closed space;
b. On top of other electronic devices such as cable boxes, routers, or audio/video receivers;
c. In direct sunlight.

Really? That's all you got?

[MrHT]

Well it was a good two months of not having the overheating problem after doing the cold boot, but today, it's happening again. So I rebooted and let it cool off. And then used it again and still getting overheating messages. Looks like it got worse now. This Roku certainly didn't last me very long. I guess I'll be back to using my Smart TV for streaming...

[rikraq]

I switched to the Roku 4k Express that is the little box that sits on my stand. It seems to be better because when I'm not using it, it goes into like a sleep mode. So it doesn't get too hot.

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by rikraq

I switched to the Roku 4k Express that is the little box that sits on my stand. It seems to be better because when I'm not using it, it goes into like a sleep mode. So it doesn't get too hot.

My B-I-L was just up from Texas, he's a professional TV man, been in the business for decades and he's heading up conversions to ATSC 3.0 at the moment...he's also a professional calibrator and he finished my new TV this past weekend. We had a similar conversation regarding streaming devices. The following is merely an abridgement of what we discussed.

Streaming sticks are small, cheap, don't consume much power and are the most portable of all the devices. Unfortunately, earlier/older TV's were not built for the advent of streaming sticks. Most larger screen TV's (beyond 32") dissipate heat in the rear of the set. This also happens to be where a lot of HDMI ports are located. Many cases the excess heat from the TV (most are still "on" even if they appear to be powered off due to "instant-on" circuitry and/or keeping the internet access active for updates or firmware) being on forced the heat where these ports are since this is the most "open" areas of the TV to disperse heat. It was found especially with smart TV and 4K models that the heat has an adverse affect on the stability and speed of the RAM memory in these sticks. Some manufacturers moved the bulk or a few of their ports to the "side" of the TV rather to the rear, where most cables go. If you have ports on the side, THIS is where you should place streaming sticks for maximum efficiency. Also make sure there is space between the TV and wall for proper ventilation. If this is not possible or difficult, then a small fan may be needed. Always unplug the streaming stick if not being used.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by tjritter79

My B-I-L was just up from Texas, he's a professional TV man, been in the business for decades and he's heading up conversions to ATSC 3.0 at the moment...he's also a professional calibrator and he finished my new TV this past weekend. We had a similar conversation regarding streaming devices. The following is merely an abridgement of what we discussed.

Streaming sticks are small, cheap, don't consume much power and are the most portable of all the devices. Unfortunately, earlier/older TV's were not built for the advent of streaming sticks. Most larger screen TV's (beyond 32") dissipate heat in the rear of the set. This also happens to be where a lot of HDMI ports are located. Many cases the excess heat from the TV (most are still "on" even if they appear to be powered off due to "instant-on" circuitry and/or keeping the internet access active for updates or firmware) being on forced the heat where these ports are since this is the most "open" areas of the TV to disperse heat. It was found especially with smart TV and 4K models that the heat has an adverse affect on the stability and speed of the RAM memory in these sticks. Some manufacturers moved the bulk or a few of their ports to the "side" of the TV rather to the rear, where most cables go. If you have ports on the side, THIS is where you should place streaming sticks for maximum efficiency. Also make sure there is space between the TV and wall for proper ventilation. If this is not possible or difficult, then a small fan may be needed. Always unplug the streaming stick if not being used.

It wasn't a streaming stick I was using. It was the Roku Premiere which is a mini streaming box. It doesn't attach to the back of the TV.

Having said that, I'm going to just go back to my Smart TV and stay away from streaming devices. The only reason why I gave the Roku a try because for only $30, I thought it would be worth the performance upgrade. But if this is the junk I'm going to get, then I'll just stick with the Smart TV because at least it's proven to be more durable.

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by MrHT

It wasn't a streaming stick I was using. It was the Roku Premiere which is a mini streaming box. It doesn't attach to the back of the TV.

Having said that, I'm going to just go back to my Smart TV and stay away from streaming devices. The only reason why I gave the Roku a try because for only $30, I thought it would be worth the performance upgrade. But if this is the junk I'm going to get, then I'll just stick with the Smart TV because at least it's proven to be more durable.

Well when it comes to Roku devices, you get what you pay for. I have never owned an Amazon device, so i cannot speak on them. I've owned 4 different kind of Roku devices, for both HD and 4K, the ONLY one I was satisfied with was the Roku Ultra, and even that seemed underpowered.

At the same time, I was switching away from DirecTv full-time (2016) and they offered a "free" Apple TV 32 gb for a 6 mos commitment of DirecTV Now. Almost from the start the ATV was superior not only in speed of switching apps but also in performance. So impressed was I, I bought a NEW Apple TV 4K 64 gb...I've never been more impressed with a streaming device.

If you're planning to go all-in on streaming, by all means using a built-in smart TV OS is a great introduction. But you also have to understand by using that it will also tax your TV's resources as well. Given the disagreements of carriage involving Amazon, Roku and several services, having a secondary OS device is not only prudent but will hopefully guarantee that no matter what apps you choose, you have a device that will include them. Apple TV and their 4K varieties, along with Nvidia Shield are among the best streamers on the market...though they do come with a premium price. I've heard good things about Chromecast with Google TV device as well, and this is considerably cheaper.

The best advice I could give you is do the research and within your budgetary constraints, choose the best device you can, especially if all your viewing is going to be streaming.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by tjritter79

Well when it comes to Roku devices, you get what you pay for. I have never owned an Amazon device, so i cannot speak on them. I've owned 4 different kind of Roku devices, for both HD and 4K, the ONLY one I was satisfied with was the Roku Ultra, and even that seemed underpowered.

At the same time, I was switching away from DirecTv full-time (2016) and they offered a "free" Apple TV 32 gb for a 6 mos commitment of DirecTV Now. Almost from the start the ATV was superior not only in speed of switching apps but also in performance. So impressed was I, I bought a NEW Apple TV 4K 64 gb...I've never been more impressed with a streaming device.

If you're planning to go all-in on streaming, by all means using a built-in smart TV OS is a great introduction. But you also have to understand by using that it will also tax your TV's resources as well. Given the disagreements of carriage involving Amazon, Roku and several services, having a secondary OS device is not only prudent but will hopefully guarantee that no matter what apps you choose, you have a device that will include them. Apple TV and their 4K varieties, along with Nvidia Shield are among the best streamers on the market...though they do come with a premium price. I've heard good things about Chromecast with Google TV device as well, and this is considerably cheaper.

The best advice I could give you is do the research and within your budgetary constraints, choose the best device you can, especially if all your viewing is going to be streaming.

Yeah, if I were to purchase another streaming device, I might as well stop being cheap and get this right next time by purchasing an Apple TV. It may be a pricey investment, but from the reviews I read, I surely will get what I pay for.

[MrHT]

Well, Walmart has superfast shipping. Already got my Apple TV box and just ordered it yesterday. After setting it up and playing around with it, I'm very very pleased with it. It is superfast with how everything loads and everything. And all apps seem to run very smoothly. The remote- both the Apple remote and the Harmony IR remote seem to both work well to me, tho I much prefer the Apple remote because the scrolling is really cool and makes it more efficient when scrolling through a long menu list or fast forwarding.

One complaint tho... no GooglePlay support, which Roku doesn't have either. But at least on the Roku, there is 5.1 support when watching my GooglePlay movies on the YouTube app. With my Apple TV, it only plans in stereo, which is a bummer.