Roku Slow – About The Device
Your Roku device may be acting sluggish for several reasons. Following are the possible causes with the fixes for them –
Network Congestion
Slow internet service is the most common cause of all online discrepancies. Roku TV needs the internet to bring you entertainment and media from online sources. Roku provides a way to check your connection straight from your Roku device’s Settings menu.
Performing the Network Check
First, we perform a Network Check and then we check the results to see if our Internet is at fault –
Press the Home button on your Roku device’s remote. Scroll down to the Settings option. Select the Network option. Select the ‘Check Connection’ and wait for a few seconds.
Interpreting the Network Check’s results
Next, we look at the results of the Network Check we just performed –
In the same Network area of the Settings menu, select the About option. In the area where information about your internet connection is displayed, pay attention to the ‘Signal Strength’ and ‘Internet download speed’ values. If it displays your signal strength as ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ then your signal is good enough for streaming. If your Internet download speed is displayed as Good, alongside a speed of 3 Mbps or more then your connection is not at fault.
If one or both of the values display ‘Fair’ or ‘Poor’ then there may be other devices on your connection taking up all the bandwidth. Shutting off all downloads and other streaming services, and freeing up the internet from other members connected to the same connection may help.
Restart your Roku device
If your device has been on continuously for a long time, there is a chance that it may have run into some software bugs and limitations. Restarting it may help get it back on track.
Press the Home button on your Roku device’s remote. Select Settings by scrolling. Choose the System option. Choose the Power option. Go to the next step if you don’t see a Power submenu. Select the Restart System button.
With a fresh restart, your device may have recovered. Check it by tuning in to a channel.
Outdated Roku software
Check to see if your device is updated. If your device’s operating system hasn’t been updated, there may be software bugs causing it to slow down. Your Roku device will automatically update when an update is released. But there are several reasons why the device might have missed out on an update. Here’s how to manually update your Roku device’s operating system –
Press the Home button on your Roku remote to access its home screen. Select Settings by scrolling. Choose the System option. Select the System Update button. In the System Update area, select the Check Now option and wait a few seconds.
The Roku device will now download and install an update if it is available for your device or your channels. Wait for it to reboot automatically once it completes the update, and try streaming again.
Low bit rate
Your Roku device’s bit rate may have been set to lower values to limit its internet consumption. Here’s how to turn the Bit Rate up and set it to the highest value to allow your Roku to utilize more internet speed
Press the Home button on your Roku remote 5 times. Next, press the Rewind button 3 times. Press the Fast Forward button 2 times. A Bit Override Menu must have appeared. Choose the ‘Manual Selection’ option and select the highest possible option.
This should have solved your problem if your Roku device was previously limited to a slower streaming speed.
Faulty Hardware
Your Roku device model may have become too dated or may have run into some component issues due to moisture or heat. There might probably be worn-out physical components in your device, replace the device with a new one. Replacing your Roku device should be your last resort however; Roku does not provide any trade-in programs for older devices so you will have to buy a new one.
Conclusion
Why is Roku slow to respond to my remote?
Try rebooting the computer, unplugging and re-plugging the remote’s batteries, then re-pairing the remote. If that doesn’t work, either your device’s components or the network connection is to blame.
