Roku TV
™
User Guide
Version 12.5
For United States
English
Illustrations in this guide are provided
for reference only and may differ from
actual product appearance.
Trademark and copyright statement
© 2023 Roku, Inc. All rights reserved. ROKU, ROKU TV, ROKU TV READY, STREAMING STICK, STREAMBAR, the
ROKU Logo, and the purple d-pad design are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Roku, Inc. Material in this
User Manual is the property of Roku, Inc., and is protected under US and International copyright and/or other
intellectual property laws. Reproduction or transmission of the materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, electronic,
print, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Roku, Inc., is a violation of Roku, Inc.’s, rights under the
aforementioned laws.
No part of this publication may be stored, reproduced, transmitted or distributed, in whole or in part, in any manner,
electronic or otherwise, whether or not for a charge or other or no consideration, without the prior written permission
of Roku, Inc.
Requests for permission to store, reproduce, transmit or distribute materials shall be made to the following address:
Roku, Inc.
1173 Coleman Avenue,
San Jose, CA 95110
Product name: Roku TV™
Document name: Roku TV™ User Guide
Document revision: 12.5 – United States, English
Publication date: 12 October 2023
iii
Contents
Welcome ...................................................................................................................................................1
The new standard in Smart TVs .................................................................................................................................. 1
Connecting brings out your TV’s full potential ................................................................................................... 2
Take advantage of awesome features ................................................................................................................... 3
What is streaming? ............................................................................................................................................................5
Connections and setup .................................................................................................................... 7
Connecting an antenna, cable, or satellite box ................................................................................................... 7
Connecting external equipment with a composite AV video cable (certain models) .................. 8
Connecting external equipment with an HDMI
®
cable .................................................................................. 8
Connecting headphones or analog soundbar (certain models) ............................................................... 9
Connecting an AV receiver or digital soundbar ................................................................................................ 9
Preparing for Internet connectivity ........................................................................................................................ 10
AC power ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Controls ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Roku TV remote ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Panel buttons ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Guided Setup ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Starting Guided Setup ................................................................................................................................................... 16
Guided Setup ...................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Network connection .................................................................................................................................................. 19
Activation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Connect your devices .............................................................................................................................................. 26
The Home screen .............................................................................................................................. 29
Customize your Home screen ............................................................................................................................. 30
Setting up live TV .............................................................................................................................. 31
How do I set up the TV tuner? .................................................................................................................................. 31
Using your TV ..................................................................................................................................... 36
Status indicator ................................................................................................................................................................ 36
Standby mode energy savings................................................................................................................................. 37
Opting in to Smart TV experience ......................................................................................................................... 37
Opting out of the Smart TV experience ......................................................................................................... 38
Disabling Auto Notifications ................................................................................................................................. 38
Watching live TV channels ......................................................................................................................................... 38
Changing channels..................................................................................................................................................... 38
Using the Live TV Channel Guide ........................................................................................................................... 39
Navigating the Live TV Channel Guide .......................................................................................................... 40
Using Live TV Categories ........................................................................................................................................ 41
Changing channel options ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Viewing program information .................................................................................................................................. 43
iv
Adjusting settings while watching a program ................................................................................................. 43
Pausing live TV ................................................................................................................................................................ 44
Requirements .............................................................................................................................................................. 44
Enabling Live TV Pause ........................................................................................................................................... 45
Using Live TV Pause ................................................................................................................................................. 45
Notes about Live TV Pause .................................................................................................................................. 46
More Ways to Watch .................................................................................................................................................... 47
Using More Ways to Watch .................................................................................................................................. 47
Getting the most from More Ways to Watch ............................................................................................. 49
Switching TV inputs ...................................................................................................................................................... 49
Auto-detecting devices .......................................................................................................................................... 50
Auto-naming devices .............................................................................................................................................. 50
Adjusting audio/video settings .......................................................................................................................... 50
Setting preferred audio language for streaming channels .................................................................. 50
Automatic game console configuration .......................................................................................................... 51
Using Roku Voice commands ................................................................................................................................... 52
Using Roku Voice with Apple Siri ...................................................................................................................... 54
Using Roku Voice with Google Home.............................................................................................................. 54
Using Roku Voice with Amazon Alexa ............................................................................................................ 54
Using Roku Voice Remotes........................................................................................................................................ 55
Connecting headphones to a Roku Voice Remote Pro .......................................................................... 55
Re-pairing your Roku Voice Remote ............................................................................................................... 55
Checking the Roku Voice Remote battery level ........................................................................................ 56
Finding your Roku Voice Remote Pro ............................................................................................................. 56
Changing and previewing the remote finder sound ................................................................................ 58
Playing content from USB storage devices ....................................................................................................... 58
Auto player launch..................................................................................................................................................... 59
Playing content from local network media servers ................................................................................. 60
Setting up a payment method ................................................................................................................................ 60
Using your TV in a hotel or dorm room ................................................................................................................ 61
About using your TV on a restricted public network ............................................................................... 61
Connecting your Roku TV on a restricted public network .................................................................... 61
Using Apple AirPlay and the Apple Home app ................................................................ 64
Apple AirPlay .................................................................................................................................................................... 64
Other AirPlay things to try ................................................................................................................................... 64
Apple Home app ............................................................................................................................................................. 65
Some Apple HomeKit things to try ................................................................................................................... 65
Adjusting TV settings .................................................................................................................... 66
Main Settings menu ........................................................................................................................................................66
TV settings menu ............................................................................................................................................................ 68
Sleep timer ..........................................................................................................................................................................69
Picture settings.................................................................................................................................................................69
Customize picture menu options ...................................................................................................................... 70
Expert settings menu options .............................................................................................................................. 72
v
Color temperature menu options....................................................................................................................... 74
Color space menu options ..................................................................................................................................... 75
Variable refresh rate (VRR) ................................................................................................................................... 76
Sound settings .................................................................................................................................................................. 77
Customize
Mode name
menu options ............................................................................................................. 78
Dolby
®
Audio Processing (certain models only) ........................................................................................ 78
DTS
®
TruSurround / DTS
®
Studio Sound (certain models only) ....................................................... 79
Sonic Emotion
™
Premium (certain models only) ........................................................................................ 79
Volume mode (certain models only) ............................................................................................................... 80
Roku premium audio products ........................................................................................................................... 80
Manage channels .............................................................................................................................................................. 81
Favorite channels ....................................................................................................................................................... 82
Edit channel lineup .................................................................................................................................................... 83
Hide streaming TV channels ................................................................................................................................ 84
Accessibility & language ............................................................................................................................................. 84
Accessibility & language menu settings ......................................................................................................... 85
Video description through Secondary Audio Program (SAP)............................................................ 86
Picture off ............................................................................................................................................................................ 86
Featured Free ..................................................................................................................................... 87
Searching for something to watch...........................................................................................88
How do I search? ............................................................................................................................................................. 88
Voice Search from a Roku Voice remote ........................................................................................................... 89
Searching from the Roku mobile app ................................................................................................................... 89
Searching with Google Assistant ........................................................................................................................... 90
Searching with Amazon Alexa ................................................................................................................................ 90
Keyboard search using the remote ........................................................................................................................ 91
Direct-to-playback search results ........................................................................................................................... 91
Searching for free content .......................................................................................................................................... 91
Using the Roku Store ...................................................................................................................... 92
Automatic Account Link ............................................................................................................................................. 92
Customizing your TV ...................................................................................................................... 93
Add TV inputs to your Home screen .................................................................................................................... 93
Add streaming channels to your Home screen ............................................................................................... 93
Rename inputs ................................................................................................................................................................. 94
Custom input names/icons .................................................................................................................................. 94
Remove unwanted inputs and channels ............................................................................................................. 95
Rearrange inputs and channels................................................................................................................................ 95
Change the look and feel with themes ................................................................................................................96
Change menu volume ................................................................................................................................................... 97
Configure power settings ........................................................................................................................................... 98
Power on settings ...................................................................................................................................................... 98
Auto power savings .................................................................................................................................................. 98
Standby LED On/Off ................................................................................................................................................99
vi
Fast TV start .................................................................................................................................................................99
Configure accessibility............................................................................................................................................... 100
Captions mode.......................................................................................................................................................... 100
Captions preferred language ............................................................................................................................ 100
Captions style .............................................................................................................................................................. 101
Screen reader settings ........................................................................................................................................... 102
Customize the Home screen ................................................................................................................................... 102
Parental controls ............................................................................................................................. 103
Creating a parental control PIN ............................................................................................................................. 103
Blocking broadcast TV programs ......................................................................................................................... 104
Enabling parental control of TV programs ................................................................................................. 104
Blocking based on US TV ratings..................................................................................................................... 105
Blocking based on US movie ratings ............................................................................................................. 106
Blocking based on Other ratings ...................................................................................................................... 106
Blocking based on Canadian English ratings ............................................................................................. 107
Blocking based on Canadian French ratings.............................................................................................. 108
Blocking unrated programs ................................................................................................................................ 109
What happens when a TV program is blocked? ............................................................................................ 110
Changing your PIN .......................................................................................................................................................... 111
Resetting parental controls........................................................................................................................................ 112
More settings ..................................................................................................................................... 113
Guest Mode ........................................................................................................................................................................113
Network settings ............................................................................................................................................................. 115
ZIP Code ............................................................................................................................................................................. 116
Time settings .................................................................................................................................................................... 116
Scan again for live TV channels ............................................................................................................................... 117
HDMI
®
mode (4K models only) ................................................................................................................................ 117
Control by mobile apps............................................................................................................................................... 118
Changing privacy settings ......................................................................................................................................... 119
Advertising.................................................................................................................................................................... 119
Voice ............................................................................................................................................................................... 120
Smart TV experience ................................................................................................................................................ 121
Roku TV soundbars and wireless speakers ......................................................................................................122
Roku wireless speakers .............................................................................................................................................. 123
Setting up Roku wireless speakers .................................................................................................................. 123
Checking Roku Soundbar or Roku Speaker software version .......................................................... 123
Factory resetting a Roku soundbar or Roku speakers from the TV .............................................. 124
Home theater configuration .................................................................................................................................... 125
Controlling audio output ...................................................................................................................................... 125
Wall-mounted TV ..................................................................................................................................................... 126
Setting up a digital audio connection ............................................................................................................ 126
Choosing a preferred audio streaming format ..........................................................................................127
Choosing an audio digital output format ......................................................................................................127
Dolby Atmos notification ..................................................................................................................................... 128
vii
Adjusting audio delay ............................................................................................................................................ 128
Turning off the TV screen while listening to music ................................................................................ 129
Controlling other devices through CEC ........................................................................................................ 129
Restart the TV ................................................................................................................................................................. 130
Reset the TV ......................................................................................................................................................................131
Reset audio/picture settings ................................................................................................................................131
Factory reset everything ........................................................................................................................................131
What if I can’t access the Factory Reset option? .................................................................................... 132
Using Recovery Mode ............................................................................................................................................ 132
Network connection reset ................................................................................................................................... 132
Roku Account PIN ........................................................................................................................................................ 133
Update the TV ................................................................................................................................................................ 133
Using other devices with your TV .......................................................................................... 135
Using Bluetooth
®
private listening (certain models) .................................................................................. 135
Pair your Bluetooth headphones ...................................................................................................................... 135
Connect your Bluetooth headphones ............................................................................................................ 136
Disconnect your Bluetooth headphones ...................................................................................................... 136
Disable Bluetooth auto detect ........................................................................................................................... 137
Pairing your phone, tablet, or computer with Bluetooth
®
....................................................................... 137
Pair your device......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Connect your device and play audio on your TV .................................................................................... 138
Disconnect your device ......................................................................................................................................... 139
Mirroring your phone or tablet ............................................................................................................................... 139
Roku mobile app............................................................................................................................................................ 140
Private Listening on the Roku mobile app ................................................................................................... 141
Using a universal remote ............................................................................................................................................ 141
What if I didn’t connect my TV? ............................................................................................. 142
What you’re missing by not connecting ........................................................................................................... 142
Surfing only favorite channels when your TV is not connected ........................................................... 144
Connecting your TV ..................................................................................................................................................... 144
Updating a TV that is not connected ................................................................................................................. 145
FAQ ....................................................................................................................................................... 147
1
Welcome
Congratulations on the purchase of your new Roku TV™! Discover the joy of endless
entertainment. After it’s set up, you’ll be able to access a world of streaming
entertainment, including paid subscription channels and thousands of free channels.
Important:
When you connect your TV to the Internet and link it to a Roku
®
account,
your TV receives automatic updates from time to time, enabling new content and
features. This edition of the User Guide describes Roku TV version 12.5. To determine
the current version of your Roku TV, go to Settings > System > About. Note also that
some features of the TV might change from time to time independently of Roku TV
updates.
The new standard in Smart TVs
Welcome to TV like you’ve most likely never seen before—a home screen that you can
personalize with your favorite devices and streaming channels. Choose from hundreds
of thousands of movies and TV episodes, plus content genres such as music, sports,
kids, family, international and much more. You should never run out of things to
watch.
Note:
A paid subscription or other payments may be required for some channel
content. Channel availability is subject to change and varies by country.
2
Connecting brings out your TV’s full potential
Connecting to a new or existing Roku account is free. It’s easy, and unlocks a world of
entertainment. All you need is a network connection. Stream a massive selection of
free, live, and premium TV.
Make any night a movie night
Thousands of movies to choose from, across all major streaming movie channels
1
.
Check out The Roku Channel
Use The Roku Channel as your new home page for an ever growing assortment of
free on-demand and streaming movies, programs, live news, and kid’s TV. Use the
Live TV Channel Guide within The Roku Channel or while watching Live TV from your
antenna or cable connection. Add premium subscriptions to watch many of your
favorite channels in one place, and manage them all through your Roku account.
Get in the groove
Stream endless hours of music from free and subscription-based channels. With
almost instant access to thousands of music artists, your favorite beats are just as
close as your remote.
Explore your passions
In addition to the most popular streaming channels, your Roku TV also offers
hundreds of other streaming channels to fuel your passions—including fitness,
cooking, religion, outdoors, international programming and much more.
1 A paid subscription or other payments may be required for some channels. Channel availability is
subject to change and varies by country. Not all content is available in countries or regions where Roku
®
products are sold.
3
Take advantage of awesome features
Powerful, voice-enabled search lets you use voice commands to find movies and TV
programs by title, actor, director, or genre across multiple streaming channels
1
.
Additionally, your search commands can include popular movie quotes, and words
like “free” and “4K.” In addition to streaming channels, your search results include live
TV programs airing in your region. If you don’t have a Roku voice remote, use an on-
screen keyboard or the Roku mobile app to search. Find any movie, show, song, or
podcast across thousands of channels. You'll see where it's streaming for free or at
the lowest cost.
Voice commands with multiple device support let you use Apple Siri, Google
Assistant, or Amazon Alexa to change stations, TV inputs, launch streaming channels,
and more. Use conversational commands and, if needed, include a location in your
command such as “in the bedroom” to specify which Roku device you want to
control.
Apple AirPlay 2 lets you use your iOS and macOS devices to effortlessly share videos,
photos, music, and more on Roku TVs
2
. Control AirPlay sessions with pause, rewind,
and more using your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Play music from your Apple devices on
Roku TVs and other AirPlay 2 enabled speakers in your home at the same time in
perfect sync. Plus, mirror the screen from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the big screen.
Live TV Pause (
certain models only
) uses a USB thumb drive (not provided) to let you
pause live TV for up to 90 minutes. After pausing, you can play, fast-forward, rewind
to any point within the rolling 90-minute window.
Note:
Live TV Pause is available on digital TV programs received on the ANT input.
Live TV Channel Guide is an electronic program guide that includes both broadcast
TV channels and live streaming channels. Use the guide whenever you are watching
Live TV or after selecting the Live TV Channel Guide within The Roku Channel.
Screen mirroring can send your personal media to the big screen from your
compatible smartphone or tablet in just a few taps. Plus, with certain channels, you
can send movies, programs, sport highlights, and more directly to your TV.
1 Voice features support English, Spanish, Portuguese, and German languages.
2 Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are supported by all Roku TVs
except
models beginning with “6” (6
XXXX
)
and “5” (5
XXXX
). Your TV’s model number appears as the Hardware ID found under Settings > About.
4
Private Listening enables you to listen to programs on headphones (not included).
You can enjoy private listening in several ways, including:
• Headphones (not included) plugged into your Roku Voice Remote Pro.
• Using the Roku mobile app with headphones (not included) connected to your
mobile phone.
•
Only on models with Bluetooth
®
private listening
, through Bluetooth
headphones (not included) that have been paired with your TV.
Customizable Home screen puts your favorite streaming channels and TV inputs
front-and-center. Choose your own wallpaper and screensaver to customize your
Roku TV, and configure your channels and inputs just how you want them.
Automatic account linking keeps track of supported streaming subscriptions on other
Roku devices, so that you won’t have to re-enter your user name and password when
adding the same channel on your newly-activated Roku TV.
1
Free Roku mobile app for iOS
®
and Android™ mobile devices
2
gives you even more
exclusive features, such as:
• A second, more powerful remote control. Browse channels and search more
easily using your mobile device’s touch keyboard. Use Roku Voice commands
to search and control your TV, even if it does not have a Roku Voice Remote.
3
• Experience private listening even if your TV does not have a Roku Voice
Remote. Listen to TV audio through either wired or Bluetooth
®
headphones
connected to your mobile device.
• Use Play on Roku to play your videos, photos, and music on your TV.
• Create a screensaver from your photo library to show whenever your TV has
been inactive for an extended period of time.
1 Not all streaming channels currently support automatic account linking.
2 IOS
®
is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under
license. Android™ is a trademark of Google Inc.
3 Voice features support English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German languages.
5
What is streaming?
Streaming is viewing or listening to video or audio content that is sent over the
Internet, or located on a network-connected media server.
With streaming, you can buy or rent most programs on demand, when it’s convenient
for you, and you can also watch live streaming channels and events. Also, you can
play, pause, rewind, and fast forward most on-demand streaming programs.
Tip:
Some content cannot be paused or skipped. For example, if you are viewing live
programming or a program that is supported by ads, you might not be allowed to skip
the ads.
Your Roku TV lets you choose from thousands of streaming channels that offer a
huge selection of entertainment:
• Thousands of movies and TV episodes, both live and on-demand
• Unlimited music, live and on-demand
• Tons of live and on-demand sports
• Commercial-free programming for kids and family
• International programming in 22 languages
• 24x7 news and in-depth news commentary
Many streaming channels are free. Some streaming channels let you purchase or rent
the latest movie releases or popular TV series. Some channels charge a monthly
subscription fee and others are available at no additional cost if you subscribe to a
companion service through your cable or satellite provider.
If you have an existing subscription to a streaming provider, you can just sign in with
your existing user name and password.
To play streaming content, add one or more streaming channels to your Home screen.
Use the Streaming Store option on the Home Screen Menu to go to the Roku Store,
and then select the streaming channel you want to add. The channel remains on your
Home screen unless you remove it, and you can watch it at any time.
For more information, see Using the Roku Store.
6
Note:
A paid subscription or other payments may be required for some channels.
Channel availability is subject to change and varies by country. Not all content is
available in countries or regions where Roku
®
products are sold.
Let’s get started.
7
Connections and setup
Refer to your TV’s Quick Start Guide or other provided documentation for model-
specific information about attaching the base or a wall mount and making
connections to AC power and to your other audio/video devices.
Connecting an antenna, cable, or satellite box
If you are using an antenna, CATV cable without a set-top box, or a cable or satellite
box that has only an antenna output, connect a 75-ohm coaxial cable (not provided)
from the source to the ANT/CABLE input on the TV.
Tip:
If you are using an antenna with a 300-ohm twin-lead cable, you need to use a
300-to-75-ohm adapter (not provided) to adapt the twin-lead cable to a connection
that is compatible with the TV’s antenna input.
Tip:
If you receive your TV stations through a set top box from a cable or satellite TV
provider, connect it to the TV using the best connection method available:
• HDMI
®
input – Digital HD and SD video
• AV input (
certain models only
) – analog SD video
8
Connecting external equipment with a composite
AV video cable (certain models)
Only on certain models
, connect a device to the TV using a composite AV cable (not
provided). Composite AV cables typically have three RCA-type plugs on each end,
color coded as follows:
• Yellow – Video
• Red – Audio, right channel
• White or black – Audio, left channel
Connect each plug to the corresponding connector on the device and on the TV.
Note:
Some TV models have an AV Input that looks like a headphone jack. Use the
breakout cable (included) to adapt this input to the three RCA-type plugs on your
composite cable.
Connecting external equipment with an HDMI
®
cable
If possible, connect your devices using HDMI
®
cables (not provided). They help to
provide the best video quality and also carry audio signals, so that only one cable is
needed. For better picture quality, we recommend that you use cables designated as
High Speed HDMI
®
Cables.
Tip:
You might need to configure the device to send its signal through its HDMI
®
connector.
The connector labeled HDMI (ARC) has the additional ability to use the audio return
channel to send digital audio to a receiver or soundbar, as explained in Connecting an
AV receiver or digital soundbar.
Only on certain models:
The connector labeled HDMI (eARC) provides the same
functionality as the HDMI ARC connector, plus the ability to pass through full-
resolution sound formats such as Dolby Atmos
®
and DTS:X from and to devices that
support these formats, without additional processing by the TV. Additional details are
provided in Choosing an audio digital output format.
9
Connecting headphones or analog soundbar
(certain models)
Only on certain models
, you can connect headphones or an analog soundbar (not
provided) to the TV’s headphone jack.
Tip:
Inserting a plug in the headphone jack disables the sound from the TV’s built-in
speakers.
Warning:
Loud noise can damage your hearing. When using headphones, use the
lowest volume setting on your headphones that still lets you hear the sound.
Certain models also have an audio line out connection that is not affected by TV
volume or mute settings and does not disable the TV speakers. Use this connection
when you want to use your amplifier or soundbar to control the TV volume. To turn
off the TV’s built-in speakers, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings >
Audio > TV speakers and change the setting.
Connecting an AV receiver or digital soundbar
You can enjoy Dolby Audio™ multichannel sound from your TV if you connect a digital
amplifier or soundbar (not provided) in any of the following ways:
• Digital optical audio out (S/PDIF) – Connect a TOSLINK optical cable (not
provided) from the TV to the Optical input on your receiver or soundbar.
• HDMI
®
ARC – Connect an HDMI
®
cable (not provided) from the HDMI (ARC)
connector to the HDMI
®
input on your receiver or soundbar. This connection
uses the Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature of HDMI
®
to output sound from
the TV to a compatible device. To use this feature, you must configure the TV
to enable HDMI
®
ARC, as explained in Setting up a digital audio connection.
• HDMI
®
eARC –
Certain models only:
Connect an HDMI
®
cable (not provided)
from the HDMI (eARC) connector to the HDMI (ARC) or HDMI (eARC) input on
your receiver or soundbar. If your receiver or soundbar supports HDMI
enhanced ARC (eARC), the TV can pass through full-resolution sound from
programs containing enhanced audio. If your receiver or soundbar does not
10
support eARC, use the TV’s eARC port to make the connection to the device’s
ARC port. The eARC port is backward compatible with the ARC standard.
Preparing for Internet connectivity
Your TV has a built-in wireless LAN adapter. Note that
for wireless connectivity, your
TV supports only its internal wireless network adapter—it does not support the use of
a USB network adapter.
Some models have both wired and wireless network connectivity. To use the wired
network connection if available on your TV, connect an RJ-45 Ethernet cable (not
provided) from the jack on the back of your TV to your network router or switch. The
wired connection automatically supports both 10 Base-T and 100 Base-T Ethernet.
AC power
Plug your TV into a power outlet. You can tell that the TV has power because the
status indicator lights up when the TV is off.
The topic Status indicator explains how the status indicator shows what is happening
with the TV.
11
Controls
Roku TV remote
Use the following information to identify the buttons on your Roku remote.
Note:
Remote buttons and features vary somewhat by model. Your remote might not
have all buttons or features listed.
•
If your remote has a VOICE button just below the purple pad, you have a
Roku Voice Remote.
•
If your remote also has a headphone jack on its left edge, you have a Roku
Voice Remote Pro.
Roku Voice remotes have additional capabilities as noted in the following table.
BUTTON FUNCTION DESCRIPTION
POWER
Turns TV on and off.
BACK
Menu: Goes back to previous menu/screen.
Watching live TV or a TV input: Returns to Home
screen.
Playing streaming content: Stops playing stream and
returns to the previous menu or screen.
Browsing streaming content: Goes to the previous level
in the content tree.
HOME
Immediately returns to the Home screen.
12
BUTTON FUNCTION DESCRIPTION
DIRECTIONAL PAD
Arrows move the highlight in the corresponding
direction. OK chooses the highlighted option.
While watching TV:
UP/DOWN changes channel.
LEFT displays Live TV Channel Guide.
LEFT/RIGHT In the channel list switches between ALL
CHANNELS and FAVORITE CHANNELS.
If Live TV Pause enabled:
When program is paused,
jumps backward/forward approximately 10 seconds.
OK In the channel list, selects the highlighted channel.
While watching live TV, displays program information.
or
VOICE or SEARCH
Only on models with Roku Voice remotes
, initiates Roku
Voice. Hold down the button and use your voice to
control the TV and search for content. For more
information: go.roku.com/voicesearch
REPLAY
Live TV: Jumps to previously tuned channel.
If Live TV
Pause is enabled,
jumps back a few seconds with each
press and resumes playing.
Program guide: Returns to the current day and time.
Streaming content: Depends on the streaming channel.
On-screen keyboard: Backspaces in the text you are
entering.
REWIND
PLAY/PAUSE
FAST FWD
Scan backward, pause, play, and scan forward in
streaming content and (
if Live TV Pause is enabled
) in
live TV channels.
Press REWIND or FAST FWD one, two, or three
times to control the speed of the operation.
Note
: REWIND and FAST FWD also page
through long lists such as the channel list or Live TV
Channel Guide.
STAR
Displays additional options when available. On-screen
hints let you know when this button is active.
13
BUTTON FUNCTION DESCRIPTION
GAME MODE
Certain models.
Only on HDMI and AV inputs, turns
Game mode on or off. When On, the TV does less image
processing, producing lower input lag for action games
SLEEP
Certain models
. Cycles among preset sleep time
intervals and displays the remaining sleep time, if any.
FACTORY
ASSIGNED
CHANNEL
SHORTCUT
Dedicated buttons show the logo of a preset streaming
content provider. Dedicated content providers vary by
model and region. Pressing a button turns on the TV and
also does the following:
• Displays the streaming channel’s main page if you
have already added the channel to your Home screen.
• Displays the streaming channel’s sign-up page if you
have not already added the channel.
UP
DOWN
MUTE
Located on the right edge of the remote.
Increases/decreases volume and mutes the TV sound.
HANDS-FREE
VOICE
HEADPHONE
If you have a Roku Voice Remote Pro, this switch is
located on the left edge of the remote. Turn it on to
enable issuing commands by saying, “Hey, Roku”
followed by your voice command, in place of using the
VOICE button.
Also located on the left edge of the Roku Voice Remote
Pro, you can connect headphones to listen privately.
Plugging in headphones mutes the TV speakers.
14
Panel buttons
Your TV has buttons on the side, bottom, or back panel that perform simple control
functions. The TV panel buttons are not a substitute for the remote, as they do not
give you access to all TV functions. The panel button(s) on some models might be
difficult to find. If the location is not obvious, check the bottom center of the TV
behind the status indicator LED, or the back panel of the TV near the lower right or
left side.
Different TV makes and models have different panel button designs. Choose the one
that applies to your TV from the following list:
B
UTTON
D
ESIGN
F
UNCTION
OPERATION
Sing le b utto n
Power on
Power off
Input List
Select next input
Dismiss input list
Three buttons
Power off
Input List
Select next input
Dismiss input list
Input List
Highlight next input
Highlight previous input
Select highlighted input
Game pad style
(5 buttons)
Power on/off
Increase/decrease volume
Input List
Select input
Four discrete
buttons
Power on/off
Input List
Select next input
Volume up
Volume down
15
B
UTTON
D
ESIGN
F
UNCTION
OPERATION
Five discrete
buttons (with
mute)
Power on/off
Input List
Select next input
Volume up
Volume down
Mute
Five discrete
buttons (without
mute)
Power on/off
Input List
Select next input
Select previous input
Volume up
Volume down
Seven discrete
buttons
Power on/off
Next channel
Previous channel
Input List
Select next input
Select previous input
Volume up VOLUME +
Volume down
Mute
16
Guided Setup
With the preliminaries out of the way, it’s time to turn on your TV. As the TV starts for
the first time, it leads you through Guided Setup, which configures the TV before you
start to use it.
During Guided Setup, you’ll:
• Answer a few questions
• Provide network connection information
• Get a software update
• Link your TV to your Roku account.
• Connect devices such as a DVD player, game console, or cable box.
Starting Guided Setup
To start Guided Setup, press POWER on the remote to turn on your TV.
Note:
Guided Setup normally runs only once, the first time you turn on your TV. If you
need to run Guided Setup again, you must perform a factory reset as explained in
Factory reset everything.
When you first turn on your TV, it will take a few seconds to get itself ready. You’ll
notice the following things happening:
• The status indicator blinks every time the TV is busy doing something; in this
case it’s powering up and getting ready for you.
• A startup screen appears and the status indicator blinks slowly for a few more
seconds. The startup screen shows a TV brand logo while the TV gets ready.
17
After a few seconds, Guided Setup starts.
Guided Setup
At this point, you should be seeing the Language screen.
18
1.
Only on models that have a Roku Voice remote:
A few moments after the Let’s
get started screen appears, Guided Setup starts the pairing process for the
Roku Voice remote. (You’ll know if you have this type of remote because it has
a VOICE or SEARCH button just below the purple directional pad.) If the
Roku Voice remote does not pair automatically, follow the instructions on the
screen to complete the pairing process.
Accessibility:
If you have selected English language, you can activate the
screen reader, a text-to-speech assistive device to help you navigate the TV’s
menus and commands. To enable the screen reader, press STAR four times in
rapid succession. Repeat to disable the screen reader. (STAR is located
directly below the purple directional pad on the right side of the Roku remote.)
If you enabled the screen reader, choosing any language other than English
disables it.
2. Press DOWN on the purple directional pad to highlight your preferred
language, and then press OK.
3.
Some models have a country selection screen:
If you don’t see this screen, skip
ahead to the next step.
If you see this screen, select your country, and then press OK.
19
4. Press OK to select Set up for home use. This is the right choice for enjoying
your TV at home. It provides energy saving options as well as access to all
features of the TV.
Note:
Set up for store use configures the TV for retail display and is not
recommended for any other use. In store mode, many features of the TV are
missing or limited. To switch from one mode to the other, you have to perform
a factory reset as explained in Factory reset everything, and then repeat Guided
Setup.
Network connection
After you select Set up for home use, the TV prompts you to make a network
connection. If your TV has both wired and wireless connections, you’ll see the
following screen. If your TV has only wireless connectivity, skip the following step.
20
5.
Only on models that display the Connect to the Internet screen:
Make a
selection:
• Wireless connection – Highlight Set up new wireless connection and press
OK. The TV prompts you through wireless setup. Skip ahead to the next
step for help with the process.
• Wired connection – Highlight Connect to wired network and press OK. The
TV immediately attempts to connect to your wired network, your local
network, and then the Internet. Go to Step 9 to continue with Guided Setup.
• Connect to the Internet later (
Only on certain models
) – Select this option
to skip connecting to the Internet. You can still use the TV to watch live TV
channels, and connect your devices to play games, watch DVDs, or watch
content from a cable box or another streaming device. When you’re ready
to connect, it’s easy. We’ll show you how in What if I didn’t connect my TV?
Note:
If you decide not to connect to the Internet, Guided Setup skips ahead
to setting up the devices that you’ve connected to your TV. Jump ahead to
Connect your devices to complete Guided Setup.
6.
On wireless-only models or models with both wired and wireless and you’ve
selected Wireless,
the TV scans for the wireless networks within range and
displays them in order, with the strongest signals first. In addition to your own
wireless signal, the TV might pick up signals from your neighbors.
21
Press UP or DOWN to highlight the name of your wireless network, and then
press OK to select it.
Note:
Some networks, such as those often found in dorm rooms, hotels, and
other public places, require you to read and agree to terms, enter a code, or
provide identifying information before letting you connect to the Internet. If
your Roku TV detects that you are connecting to such a network, it prompts
you through the connection process using your smartphone or tablet to provide
the needed information. For more information, see Using your TV in a hotel or
dorm room.
Other options
• Scan again / Scan again to see all networks – The name of this option
depends on the number of wireless networks within range.
• Scan again appears if the list already shows all available wireless
networks within range. If you don’t see your wireless network name in
the list, you might need to adjust the location of your wireless router or
the TV, turn on your router, or make other changes. When everything is
ready, select Scan again to see if your network name now appears in the
list.
22
• Scan again to see all networks appears only if there are more wireless
networks than the ones initially listed. If you don’t see your wireless
network name in the list, this option displays the complete list. If you still
don’t see your network name, you might have your router configured to
provide wireless service as a “private network.”
Note:
Highlighting either of these options displays an informational panel
with the unique media access control (MAC) address of your Roku TV.
You will need the MAC address if your wireless router is configured to
use MAC address filtering.
• Private network – If your wireless network name is hidden, it won’t appear
in the list. Select Private network and then press OK to display an on-screen
keyboard. Use the keyboard to enter your network name. Unless you
changed the factory-set network name, you can find the name (also called
SSID) on a label on the router.
Tip:
Wireless networks that are password-protected display a “padlock” icon
adjacent to the name. This icon enables you to know that you are going to
be prompted to enter a password after you select that network.
7.
Unless you are connecting to an open wireless network,
an on-screen keyboard
appears. Enter your wireless network password by using the purple directional
pad to navigate the keyboard and pressing OK to select a highlighted letter,
number, or symbol. When you finish, press DOWN to select Connect, and then
press OK.
23
After you select Connect, the TV displays progress messages as it connects to
your wireless network, your local network, and the Internet.
8.
Only if your TV cannot get the correct time zone and current time from your
network service provider:
The Choose your time zone screen appears. Press UP
or DOWN to highlight your time zone, and then press OK.
24
Tips:
Your TV needs to know the local time zone so that it can correctly display
information about the program you are currently watching.
Your TV automatically checks for updates periodically. These updates provide
new features and improve your overall experience with the TV. After an update,
you might notice that some options have moved, and that there are new
options or features. This User Guide describes version 12.5. But note also that
certain features of the TV might change from time to time independently of
Roku TV updates.
To determine your current Roku TV software version, go to Settings > System >
About after you complete Guided Setup. You can download an updated User
Guide for the latest software version from the Roku TV web site at:
go.roku.com/tvmanual
Activation
After the TV restarts, it prompts you through activation. Note that you may need
to supply your email address to activate your TV.
9. To begin the activation process, either:
• Using a smartphone or tablet with an Internet connection, scan the QR code
that appears on your screen, go to the indicated link, and complete the
activation process.
• Enter your email address on the TV when prompted, and then use a
computer, tablet, or smartphone with an Internet connection to receive the
resulting email. Follow the instructions in the email to complete the
activation process.
Note:
Beware of scams.
Roku never charges for activation support. For
detailed information, see the Roku support article, How to protect yourself
from activation and technical support scams
25
Why do I need a Roku account?
You need a Roku account for several reasons:
• It links you, your Roku TV, and your other Roku streaming devices to the Roku
Store and billing service.
• Streaming content providers know that it’s OK to send content you request to your
Roku TV.
• Roku can automatically update your TV with the latest features.
You need a Roku account to activate your device and access entertainment across
thousands of streaming channels. Linking to a Roku account also activates several
advanced features on your TV, such as Guest Mode, the Roku mobile app, and Live TV
Pause, to name just a few. Roku accounts are free. Providing payment information
during signup makes renting, purchasing, and subscribing to entertainment from the
Roku Store fast and convenient.
After you activate your TV, it gets an acknowledgement from Roku and then
adds your newly-selected and pre-existing streaming channels from other Roku
devices on the same account. This process is automatic and takes a few
moments—a little longer if you have added a lot of streaming channels.
Tip:
Roku periodically synchronizes streaming channels among all of the
devices associated with your account. Therefore, adding or removing a channel
from one of your Roku devices adds or removes it from all of your other Roku
devices (subject to compatibility with the device).
26
Connect your devices
Next, Guided Setup helps you set up the external devices that you want to use
with it, such as a cable box, Blu-ray™ player, or game console.
10. Press OK to proceed:
27
11. Connect all the devices you plan to use with your TV, turn them all on, and then
select Everything is plugged in and turned on. The TV now takes you step by
step through each of its inputs and asks what kind of device you have
connected. For each input that has a connected and active device, you can see
its picture and hear its sound.
12. Press UP or DOWN to highlight the label you want to associate with the input,
and then press OK. If you are not using the input, select Nothing, and the input
won’t appear on the Home screen.
13. While setting up your devices, rather than using the predefined names and
icons, you can set a custom name and icon. To do so, scroll up or down to
highlight Set name & icon, and then press OK. Follow the instructions on the
screen to enter a name and select an icon for the input. See Rename inputs for
more information.
Note:
If you specify a custom name for an input, voice commands will not
reliably switch to that input. Voice commands typically can only switch among
inputs that use built-in names, such as “AV,” and “Cable Box,” and “DVR.”
14. Repeat the previous step for each input.
You’re done with Guided Setup.
28
From here, you can explore everything your TV has to offer. Use the purple
directional pad to move around, and then press OK to select a highlighted item. Press
HOME from whatever you are viewing to return to the Home screen.
We’ve designed the TV to encourage you to explore, and you can probably figure out
most of the capabilities and settings on your own. If you have any questions or
difficulties, you can find answers and solutions in this guide.
29
The Home screen
The following illustration shows a typical Home screen. The Home screen you see on
your TV will vary depending on your location, theme, the number of TV inputs you’ve
enabled, and the streaming channels and apps you’ve added.
Note:
A paid subscription or other payments may be required for some channel
content. Channel availability is subject to change and varies by country. Not all content
is available in all countries or regions where Roku
®
products are sold.
Typical Home screen
Note:
The options appearing in the left navigation area vary by geographic location
and might change from time to time.
1. Home Screen Menu – shows options available to you when you are on the Home screen. Actual
options vary depending on your Home screen settings and on periodic updates by Roku.
2. Highlighted option – press OK to select.
3. TV inputs – highlight and press OK to watch an input.
4. Apps and streaming channels – select a tile to start watching. Add more streaming channels by
using the Roku Store.
5. Next screen hint – press RIGHT to see the next screen.
30
Customize your Home screen
There are many things you can do to customize your Home screen and make it just
right for you and your family:
• Add streaming channels by using the Streaming Store menu option to browse
the Roku Store.
• Change the screen theme by going to Settings > Themes to find and pick one
to suit your mood.
• Customize the Home screen. Hide or show the shortcut items and options that
appear in the Home Screen Menu.
• Remove an item by highlighting it and pressing STAR . Then highlight
Remove input or Remove channel and press OK.
• Rearrange inputs and channels by highlighting a tile and pressing STAR .
Then highlight Move input or Move channel and press OK. Use the purple
directional pad to move the item, and then press OK to lock it in its new
location. Move the shortcuts within the shortcut area only. Shortcuts are
designed to always appear at the very bottom of the grid, so you can access
them quickly by pressing UP once when you’re at the top of the grid.
• Rename a TV input by highlighting it and pressing STAR . Then highlight
Rename input and press OK. Highlight a new name in the list, and then press
OK to assign that name.
Rather than using the predefined names and icons, you can set a custom name
and icon. To do so, scroll up or down to highlight Set name & icon, and then
press OK. Follow the instructions on the screen to enter a name and select an
icon for the input.
Note:
If you specify a custom name for an input, voice commands might not
reliably switch to that input. Voice commands typically can only switch among
inputs that use built-in names, such as “AV,” and “Cable Box,” and “DVR.”
•
Only on channels that you have subscribed through your linked Roku account
,
manage your subscriptions by highlighting a streaming channel and pressing
STAR . Then highlight Manage subscription and press OK. Select Cancel
subscription and then follow the instructions to confirm your cancellation.
31
Setting up live TV
In addition to the other entertainment possibilities of your Roku TV, you might want
to watch broadcast channels from an antenna or cable TV provider connected to the
ANT/CABLE input. On your Roku TV, you can watch broadcast TV in much the same
way you watch other entertainment choices: select the Live TV input on the Home
screen.
The first time you select the Live TV input, you have to set up the TV tuner. Setting
up the TV tuner scans for active channels and adds them to your Live TV channel list.
Why do I have to set up the TV tuner?
Not everyone needs to use the TV tuner. For example, you might have a set top box provided
by a cable or satellite company that receives all of your channels. Most of these set top boxes
use an HDMI
®
connection.
More and more people are watching only streaming TV and do not have a TV antenna or
cable/satellite service. If you don’t need the TV tuner, you can bypass setting it up and instead
remove it from the Home screen as explained in Remove unwanted inputs and channels.
When you set up live TV, the TV scans the signals on its antenna input for channels with a
good signal, and adds those to the channel list, skipping dead channels and channels with a
very weak signal.
How do I set up the TV tuner?
1. Make sure your antenna or TV cable (not provided) is connected to the TV’s
ANT/CABLE input.
2. On the Home screen, select the Live TV input. If it is not on your Home screen,
go to Settings > TV Inputs to add it. If you have already performed a channel
32
scan, press STAR while the Live TV input tile is highlighted, and then select
Scan for channels.
3.
Only if you have previously completed a channel scan,
the following screen
appears:
Choose one of the options:
• Scan again – Scans for more channels to add to your existing channel list.
Preserves your favorites and hidden channels.
• Start over – Clears your channels and replaces them with a new channel list.
33
4. Use the purple directional pad to select the appropriate option, and then press
OK.
• Streaming TV only – Adds only Roku live streaming channels.
• Antenna – Scans and adds over-the-air antenna channels in addition to
adding Roku live streaming channels.
• Cable – Scans and adds channels from your cable TV provider in addition to
adding Roku live streaming channels.
• Antenna & cable – Scans and adds both over-the-air and cable channels in
addition to adding Roku live streaming channels.
5. Wait while your TV scans for channels.
Scanning for channels can take several minutes.
34
6. When the channel scans finish, the screen shows the number of channels
found.
7.
Only on certain models
, you can set up Live TV Pause. The topic Pausing live
TV explains how to set up and use this feature. If you don’t want to set up Live
TV Pause right now, or if this option is not available to you, select one of the
other options.
Tip:
Repeat the channel scan from time to time to make sure you are receiving all
of the latest channels. Broadcasters and cable providers add and remove channels,
move channels to different parts of the spectrum, and change the power levels of
their channels periodically. Your reception and picture quality depend on the
position of your antenna and on your location relative to the antennas of
broadcasters in your area. To repeat the channel scan, use the purple directional
pad to highlight the Live TV input, press STAR , select Rescan for channels, and
then press OK.
You’ll also have to repeat the channel scan if you remove and re-add the Live TV
input to the Home screen or perform a factory reset.
35
Now, you’re ready to watch live TV! While you’re watching, try the following tips:
• Press UP or DOWN to change channels.
• Press LEFT to display the Live TV Channel Guide, and then press UP or DOWN
to select a channel to watch. Or press REWIND or FAST FWD to jump
through the Live TV Channel Guide a page at a time.
• Press OK to display information about the current program.
• Press STAR to see options for picture and sound settings.
• Use a Roku Voice remote, the Roku mobile app, Google Assistant, or Amazon
Alexa to search for programs by title, actor, director, or genre. The TV or the
Roku mobile app displays the results along with the streaming channels that
offer the requested content.
Note:
If your TV did not come with a Roku Voice remote, you can order one
from https://www.roku.com/products/accessories.
36
Using your TV
This section provides information on using the day-to-day features of your TV.
Status indicator
Your TV has a single status indicator. It goes on and off and blinks in different ways
depending on the status of the TV, as shown in the following table:
TV CONDITION STATUS INDICATOR MEANING
On (screen is active) Off Screen is communicating that TV is on.
Screensaver (screen is active) Off Screen is communicating that TV is on.
Off (no power) Off TV is not connected to power.
Off (standby) On
TV is connected to power and is ready
to use.
Starting up from off state
Slow pulsing blink until
startup completes
TV is doing something.
On (receiving update from
USB)
Slow pulsing blink until
update completes
TV is doing something.
Remote command received Dims on/off once TV has received your command.
Network connection lost
Two short blinks, pause,
repeat
TV was connected and paired with a
Roku account and now has no network
connection.
Powering down to standby
mode
Slow pulsing blink until the TV
reaches standby.
TV is doing something.
In standby mode, as long as the TV has power, the status indicator normally remains
lit. If you prefer, you can turn the status indicator off when the TV is in standby mode.
To change this setting, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System >
Power, and then select Standby LED. Press RIGHT and then select Off or On, as
desired.
37
Standby mode energy savings
When you turn off your TV, it remains in a higher power mode for a few minutes, after
which it goes into a very low power standby mode. If you turn on the TV again before
it has entered the very low power mode, it turns on immediately. After the TV goes
into the lower power standby mode, it takes a few seconds to start up.
Opting in to Smart TV experience
The first time you select live TV, an HDMI input, or AV input, your TV offers to enable
the Smart TV experience. If you decide to enable it at this time, you’re all set to enjoy
its recommendations and features.
The Smart TV experience uses automatic content recognition (ACR) and other
technology to collect information about what you watch on live TV, and on devices
like media players and cable boxes connected to the HDMI or AV inputs. Opting in
means that you give permission to analyze the programs you watch for the purpose
of making recommendations, as well as showing ads that are more relevant to you.
If you decide not to enable the Smart TV experience at this first opportunity, you can
enable it later. Or, if you decide you’d rather not use the feature, you can disable it,
but be aware that previously collected information is retained and not deleted.
38
Opting out of the Smart TV experience
If you decide you want to opt out Smart TV experience after you have opted in,
follow these steps:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, go to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV experience.
2. Navigate to the right to highlight Use info from TV inputs.
3. Press OK on the remote to clear the check box.
Disabling Auto Notifications
If you want to keep the Smart TV experience enabled, but you do not want to see
notifications while you are watching programs, you can disable notifications. To do so,
follow these steps:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, go to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV experience.
2. Navigate to the right to highlight Use info from TV inputs.
3. Press DOWN to highlight Enable auto notifications.
4. Press OK to clear the check box.
Note:
These settings do not affect recommendations for More Ways to Watch that
you see in the Live TV Channel Guide when watching live TV channels. Those
recommendations show up only in the Live TV Channel Guide and do not rely on ACR
technology.
Watching live TV channels
Select the Live TV input on the Home screen. Your TV remembers the last channel
you watched and starts with that channel playing.
Changing channels
To change channels, you can do any of the following:
• Press UP to change to the next higher channel.
39
• Press DOWN to change to the next lower channel.
• Press LEFT to display the Live TV Channel Guide, and then press the arrow
keys to select the channel or program you want to watch. Press REWIND or
FAST FWD to move through the list one page at a time. When you’ve
highlighted the channel or program you want to watch, press OK. (If you
decide you don’t want to change channels, press BACK .)
•
Only if Live TV Pause is not enabled
, press REPLAY to jump to the previous
channel. Press again to return to the channel you were watching before you
pressed REPLAY .
Using the Live TV Channel Guide
Use the Live TV Channel Guide to find both over-the-air and live streaming TV
programs. The Live TV Channel Guide lets you scroll through all the TV channels you
receive (except those you have hidden, if any), plus a large number of live streaming
programs. You can see what’s on right now and the upcoming 14 days.
For live, over-the-air TV programs, you can use More Ways to Watch to find the
program you’re watching and start watching it from the beginning from one of your
streaming channels. Your clue that there are More Ways to Watch a program is a
purple star () next to the program name in the guide.
For example, you might turn on your TV at 10 minutes past the hour and discover you
are missing the current episode of the program you wanted to watch. But there is a
purple star next to the program title, so you can press STAR and learn that there
are several streaming channels where you can watch the current episode from the
beginning. You also can find more episodes of your program, and other programs
that have a similar theme.
Note:
A paid subscription or other payments may be required for some streaming
channels.
40
To open the Live TV Channel Guide, press LEFT while watching live TV. It opens with
the name of the current program highlighted, and a lot more information.
1. Time slots. Navigate LEFT or RIGHT. Press FAST FWD or REWIND to skip ahead or back a
screen at a time.
2. Channel list. Navigate UP or DOWN. Live TV Categories is currently set to All Channels.
3. Program list. Shaded area is prior to the current time.
4. Progress bar. Indicates the current time relative to the listed programs.
5. Live TV Categories list, currently set to ALL CHANNELS. Navigate to this list, and then navigate
up and down to select a category. See Using Live TV Categories for more information.
6. More Ways to Watch indicator. See More Ways to Watch for more information.
When you are viewing the current time slot, notice that the Live TV Channel Guide
shows a lighter background for portions of programs before the current time, and a
darker background for programs and portions of programs that have not yet aired.
The line dividing these two zones is the progress bar.
Navigating the Live TV Channel Guide
• Use the purple directional pad to move up, down, left, and right.
• To switch to a program that is currently in progress, highlight it, and then press
OK. (Note that pressing OK on a past or future program does nothing.)
• To return to the current time after navigating to a different time slot, press
REPLAY .
• To return to the currently airing program without causing a channel change,
press BACK .
41
• To see More Ways to Watch, highlight any program that has a purple asterisk
(), and then press STAR . While using the Live TV Channel Guide, navigate
all left to highlight a channel number, and then press STAR to open the
Channel options dialog.
Using Live TV Categories
The list of channels you receive can become quite long, especially when it includes
both broadcast and live streaming channels. Use Live TV Categories to show only the
channels that interest you at the moment.
With the Live TV Channel Guide open, navigate left past the channel list to expand
Live TV Categories. From the list of categories, navigate up or down to select All
Channels, Recents, or Favorites. If you have not hidden live streaming channels, the
list of categories also includes a list of curated channels, such as Recommended,
News, Sports, Kids & Family, Music, Game Shows, and more.
1. Live TV Category list. Navigate up or down to highlight a category.
2. Selected category appears at the top of the channel list.
3. Other categories remain available if you navigate beyond the channels in the selected category.
With a category highlighted, navigate right into the channel list. The guide shows
channels belonging to the selected category. Note that you can also see channels in
other categories by navigating up or down without changing your category selection.
42
The category you select is temporary—the next time you view the Live TV Channel
Guide, it again shows All Channels.
Changing channel options
While using the Live TV Channel Guide, navigate left to the channel number column,
and then press STAR to open Channel options.
• Favorite/Unfavorite this channel – Select this option to make the selected
channel a favorite. Select again to remove the channel from your favorites.
• Hide/Unhide this channel – Select this option to hide the current channel.
Select again before moving on to unhide the channel if you hid it by mistake.
But note that after you close the dialog, you cannot access the channel to
unhide it. Instead, use the Manage channels option to unhide hidden channels.
• Manage channels – Opens the Manage Channels menu where you can edit the
channel lineup and mark certain channels as favorites. See Manage channels.
43
Viewing program information
When you are viewing a program and no other guides or menus are open, press OK
to view program information in a banner at the bottom of the screen.
Program information banner
This banner provides details about the program you are watching. These details vary
depending on the information available and the source of the show (over-the-air or
live streaming)
Tip:
If you’ve enabled Live TV Pause and you’re watching live TV, you’ll also see a
progress bar showing the current playback position within the rolling 90-minute pause
time. For more information, see Pausing live TV.
Adjusting settings while watching a program
Press STAR to display the TV settings menu. Press UP or DOWN to highlight an
option, and then press LEFT or RIGHT to change the setting. The topic Adjusting TV
settings explains each of the settings in detail.
44
Pausing live TV
Only on certain models,
Live TV Pause gives your Roku TV the ability to pause, play,
fast forward, and rewind digital live TV received on the ANT input. You can pause live
TV for up to 90 minutes.
Requirements
To use this feature, you need to:
1. Connect your TV to a Roku account. If you didn’t connect during Guided Setup,
see Connecting your TV.
2. Provide your own USB flash drive (thumb drive} with the following minimum
specifications.
• 16 GB
• 15 Mbps read/write speed
• USB 2.0 compliant
A USB flash drive (thumb drive) meeting the minimum requirements is highly
recommended over an externally powered hard disk drive. Note that you can
use any larger size drive—there is no limit to the maximum size—but using a
larger drive does not extend the 90-minute pause time.
Important:
After warning you and giving you a chance to cancel Live TV Pause
setup, all existing content on your USB drive is erased when you enable this
feature.
3. Connect your USB drive to the TV’s USB port.
Important:
Some TV models have more than one USB port. You can connect
your Live TV Pause USB drive to any port, but make sure that nothing is
connected to other USB ports while enabling Live TV Pause. Reconnect other
USB devices after you have finished enabling Live TV Pause.
4. Enable Live TV Pause, as explained in the following topic.
45
Enabling Live TV Pause
You can start setting up Live TV Pause in any of the following ways:
• After completing a channel scan, select Set up Live TV Pause from the
available options.
• Press PLAY/PAUSE on the Roku remote while watching a live TV channel.
• Highlight the Live TV input on the Home screen, press STAR on the remote,
and then select Enable Live TV Pause.
After starting setup of Live TV Pause in any of these ways, the TV prompts you
through the steps needed to enable this feature. Setup takes only a few moments.
Note:
Use of a USB hub is not supported.
Using Live TV Pause
If you have used the Roku remote to watch streaming channels, using Live TV Pause
should be very familiar to you.
• While watching a digital live TV channel, press PLAY/PAUSE to pause or
play the content. After the TV program has been paused for 90 minutes, the
TV resumes playing from the point in the program where you paused it.
• After watching a channel for a while, press REWIND to jump back up to the
point where you first started watching the channel, up to 90 minutes.
• After pausing or rewinding, press FAST FWD to jump ahead up to the point
where you are once again watching the live TV program.
• Press FAST FWD or REWIND repeatedly to cycle through 1x, 2x, and 3x
skip speeds. Press REPLAY to play back the last several seconds of the
program.
• When the program is paused, press LEFT or RIGHT to move backward or
forward through the program approximately 10 seconds per press. Small
frames appear across the screen to identify your location in the program.
46
Whenever you use any of the Live TV Pause features, the TV momentarily displays a
progress bar:
1. Time at the current playback position.
2. Current playback position
3. Extent of pause time, representing the amount of time this channel has been buffered, up to 90
minutes.
4. 90-minute mark, representing the maximum extent of pause time.
5. Current time.
The progress bar also shows tick marks at each half hour point, to help you locate the
boundaries where one program ends and a new one begins.
Notes about Live TV Pause
• You can use Live TV Pause only with digital broadcast and cable channels
received through the TV’s ANT input (ATSC and Clear QAM channels).
• Changing channels erases and restarts the Live TV Pause buffer.
• Returning to the Home screen, selecting another input, or turning off the TV
erases and resets the Live TV Pause buffer.
• Disconnecting the USB drive erases the Live TV Pause buffer.
47
More Ways to Watch
More Ways to Watch gives you recommendations about the programs you’re
watching on the ANT, HDMI, and AV inputs. You will automatically get these
recommendations in the Live TV Channel Guide for live TV programs. However,
before you can get recommendations for programs you’re watching through the
HDMI or AV inputs, you must opt in to the Smart TV experience to acknowledge that
you want to allow the TV to use automatic content recognition (ACR). See Opting in
to Smart TV experience for details.
Using More Ways to Watch
Not every program provides recommendations. As you use More Ways to Watch, be
aware that you’ll only see suggestions on your TV when all of the following conditions
are met:
• Your TV is in the United States.
• You have enabled Smart TV experience if you are watching programs through
an HDMI or AV input. (If you are watching live TV from the ANT input, this
setting does not matter.)
• The program you’re watching contains the information needed to identify it.
Note that some programs, such as the daily news, typically do not activate
More Ways to Watch.
• At least one participating streaming channel offers the movie or TV program
you are watching, or other episodes, or more programs like the one you are
watching.
If all of these conditions are met, you can view the suggestions. More Ways to Watch
recommendations appear in two different places:
• When watching the HDMI and AV inputs, you’ll see a More Ways to Watch
notification in the lower right corner of the screen for a few seconds unless you
have disabled Enable auto notifications. Press STAR to see the list of
matching programs.
Note:
After this banner disappears, you can restore the More Ways to Watch
prompt by pressing OK.
48
• In the Live TV Channel Guide, all programs that meet the criteria for More Ways
to Watch display a purple asterisk next to their titles:
Highlight the program of interest and press STAR to see recommendations.
Regardless of how you got to this point, the options you’ll see depend on the
type of program you’re watching and the available ways there are to watch, so
you might see any or all of the following:
• Watch from beginning – Streaming channels on which the same TV
program or movie is available. Often, this option does not appear on first
49
run programs, because streaming content typically is not available until
sometime after the program is first broadcast.
• See more episodes – Streaming channels where you can find other
episodes of the TV program you are watching. Does not apply to movies.
• More like this –TV programs or movies with a similar theme.
• View full description – Full description of the selected program.
Press DOWN to select an option, and then press RIGHT to select the streaming
channel you want to watch.
Assuming you’ve already added the channel and completed any required sign-in,
More Ways to Watch takes you directly to the program in the streaming channel
where you can select and watch the program. Otherwise, it prompts you to add the
channel and, if you do, then takes you to the program.
Getting the most from More Ways to Watch
• Streaming channels you’ve already installed appear first in the list of
suggestions.
• When you select a streaming channel, you leave the program you are currently
watching.
• If you’ve used the Live TV Pause feature to pause the program, your paused
program buffer is deleted. In other words, you cannot return to a live TV
channel and resume watching from where you left off.
Switching TV inputs
Switch TV inputs to access the device connected to that input, for example, a
Blu-ray™ player. To switch inputs, highlight the input on the Home screen, and then
press OK. The video signal on the input plays on the screen.
Tip:
To learn how to add, remove, rename, and rearrange the inputs and channels on
your Home screen, see Customizing your TV.
50
Auto-detecting devices
Your TV automatically detects when you connect a new device to an HDMI
®
input and
turn on its power. The input is automatically added to the Home screen if it isn’t
already present.
Auto-naming devices
When you connect and power on an HDMI device, your TV identifies it, automatically
renames the input, and changes its icon to suit the device. For more information, see
Rename inputs.
Adjusting audio/video settings
While watching video content on any input, press STAR to display the TV settings
menu. Press UP or DOWN to highlight an option, and then press LEFT or RIGHT to
change the setting. To learn about each of the audio and video settings, see Adjusting
TV settings.
Setting preferred audio language for streaming channels
You can select the preferred language for the audio played by streaming channels. If
the selected language is available in the streaming content, the TV plays that
language.
To set the preferred audio language:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Audio > Audio preferred
language.
2. Press RIGHT to highlight one of the languages.
3. Press UP or DOWN to highlight the language you want to use.
4. Press OK.
Note:
Many streaming channels have an option to select the language while you
are watching a program. The Audio preferred language setting sets the default
for that option.
51
Automatic game console configuration
Your TV automatically detects some game consoles and configures the key features it
supports to optimize TV performance while playing video games. When you connect
a supported and powered-on game console through an HDMI
®
input, the TV
automatically changes the input icon to the game console’s icon
1
.
Only on certain
models with compatible game consoles,
it also enables any of the following features, if
available:
• Automatic low-latency mode (ALLM)
• Variable refresh rate
• HDR gaming
• High frame rate
• Game mode
• THX Certified game mode
Various combinations of these features are available only on certain models, and if
present, can be disabled by navigating to Settings > TV inputs and then selecting the
appropriate HDMI input.
When you start playing a game, your TV displays a message at the bottom of the
screen to make you aware of the settings that it will use.
1 Certain game consoles, such as the Microsoft Xbox One, do not communicate their identity until you
select the input after connecting the console.
52
Select Cancel before the timer runs out to keep the current TV picture settings. For
example, you might want to cancel automatic game configuration if you are watching
a movie from your game console.
Using Roku Voice commands
Roku Voice commands
1
make it fast and easy to control your TV and find
entertainment with simple voice commands like “show me comedies.” Control your
TV with commands like “switch to game console,” or “watch channel 7.1.” Use your
Roku Voice remote, the Roku mobile app, or a compatible smart speaker to speak
commands. When using a smart speaker, add “on my Roku” or, for example, “on my
bedroom
Roku” to the end of the command.
To learn what commands to use, watch out for hints that appear at appropriate times.
For example, if you are in the TV settings menu with the Sleep timer command
highlighted, a hint might appear explaining how to use a Roku Voice command to set
the sleep timer. You can use Roku Voice commands at any time, without first calling
up a menu.
Tap Voice on your remote to see helpful hints about how to use Roku Voice, and
then explore these additional voice features:
• See what’s on TV in the Live TV Channel Guide. Say “Show Guide.”
• Jump to a specific channel. Say “Go to 7 point 3” to open Live TV on channel 7.3.
Or say, “ABC News” (or another program name that has multiple options).
Because there are multiple sources of the program, you’ll see a panel where you
can choose the one you want.
• Use voice commands to launch streaming channels, switch inputs, or change live
TV channels. Say, “Go to Netflix” to open Netflix. Or say, “Show This Old House” to
go to that live program on The Roku Channel.
• Set sleep timers. For example, say “Turn the TV off in 30 minutes”, or “Go to sleep
at 11 p.m.”
1 Roku Voice supports English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German languages when the
corresponding TV language is selected.
53
• Go directly to playing a program whenever your search command can be uniquely
identified and the requested content is available at no additional cost to you.
1
• Search for movies based on popular quotes. For example, say “What movie is this
from – ‘Here’s looking at you, kid’.”
•
Only on 4K TVs
, say “Show me 4K movies” to see a list of 4K movies available
across participating streaming channels.
• Use Roku Voice to make entries in a variety of on-screen keyboards. Keyboards
that support voice entry have a microphone icon next to the input field. You can
say letters, characters, and numbers for an easy way to enter the required
information. The TV displays helpful hints at appropriate times to provide
guidance.
• Use voice commands to turn the display off (for enjoying streaming music), turn
closed captions on or off, and to replay the last few seconds of a movie or TV
program.
• Control Roku Media Player to play your personal music and show movies and
photos. Say commands like, “Play classic rock on Roku Media Player,” “Skip ahead
20 seconds,” or “Play the next song.”
• Get help by pressing VOICE and saying, “Help.”
1 Direct-to-playback commands spoken in English or Spanish work with supported streaming channels.
Direct playback occurs only when there is a high confidence of match, the content is free or you are
already subscribed, and the channel is already added to your Home screen.
54
Using Roku Voice with Apple Siri
Ask Siri on your Apple device to control your Roku TV with just your voice
1
. Say
things like “Hey Siri, play jazz on the living room TV” to play music from your iPhone,
iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod Mini, or Mac on your Roku TV.
Roku TVs also support Apple HomeKit
1
, which allows you to easily and securely
control your Roku device while using the Home app or Siri. After installing your Roku
TV, set it up with just a few simple steps within the Apple Home app. You can even
create your own custom automations and scenes that include HomeKit-enabled
accessories such as your Roku TV, to control your home setting. For more
information, see Apple Home app. For details about what Apple HomeKit controls are
available with your TV, see the Roku support article, How to use AirPlay and HomeKit
with your Roku streaming device.
Using Roku Voice with Google Home
Use Google Home, Google Pixel phone, or the Google Home mobile app to control
your Roku TV. You can search for movies and TV programs, launch most channels,
control playback, adjust the volume, switch inputs, turn the TV on and off, and more.
Control multiple Roku devices by including the location of the device in your
commands. For example, say “Hey Google, turn off Roku in the bedroom.” For
information on linking and controlling your TV with Roku Action on Google, see the
Roku support article, How to use Google to control your Roku streaming device.
Using Roku Voice with Amazon Alexa
Use Amazon Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Show, or the Amazon Alexa mobile app to
control your Roku TV. You can search for movies and TV programs, launch most
channels, control playback, adjust the volume, switch inputs, turn the TV on and off,
and more. Control multiple Roku devices by including the location of the device in
your commands. For example, say “Hey Alexa, pause Roku in the living room.” For
information on adding the Alexa Roku skills and controlling your Roku TV, see the
Roku support article, How to use Amazon Alexa to control your Roku streaming
device.
1 Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are supported by all Roku TVs except for models beginning with “6”
(6
XXXX
) and “5” (5
XXXX
).
55
Using Roku Voice Remotes
The following topics explain how to get the most out of your TV when you have
compatible Roku Voice Remote. See the Roku Accessories page for more information.
Connecting headphones to a Roku Voice Remote Pro
If you have a Roku Voice Remote Pro, you can connect headphones to the jack on the
left side of the remote.
Tip:
Inserting a plug in the remote’s headphone jack disables the sound from the TV’s
built-in speakers or attached receiver or soundbar. The volume and mute controls on
the right side of the remote adjust the volume level of the connected headphones. You
might notice that connecting headphones to your remote shortens the remote’s
battery life somewhat.
Warning:
Loud noise can damage your hearing. When using headphones, use the
lowest volume setting on your headphones that still lets you hear the sound.
Re-pairing your Roku Voice Remote
Roku Voice remotes must be paired with your TV. You initially paired the remote
when you set up your TV during Guided Setup. But if your remote loses its pairing
with the TV for some reason, you can easily re-pair it using either of the following
methods:
1. Depending on your remote model, either:
• Press and hold down the pairing button for 3 seconds or longer, until the
adjacent LED flashes.
• Hold down HOME and BACK at the same time for 5 seconds, until
the adjacent LED flashes
2. Do one of the following:
• Turn on the TV using the power button on the TV side or back panel.
Pairing occurs as the TV starts up.
56
• Use the Roku mobile app or a different remote to navigate to Settings >
Remotes & devices > Pair new device > Remote.
Tip:
If the remote fails to pair with the TV, try installing new batteries or charging the
remote, as applicable. Also, it’s helpful to hold the remote within two to three feet of
the TV to ensure successful pairing.
Checking the Roku Voice Remote battery level
You can check the condition of the batteries in your Roku Voice remote at any time
by navigating to Settings > Remotes & devices, and then pressing OK to select your
remote below My paired devices. With your remote selected, navigate right to
About > Remote to view its Battery level. The resulting screen displays not only the
battery level, but also other information that can be useful when you need technical
support with your remote.
Tip:
When you first turn on the TV, a battery level indicator appears in the upper right
corner of the screen for a few seconds.
Finding your Roku Voice Remote Pro
When your remote has found its way down into the sofa cushions or your dog has
hidden it in the corner, you can use the Find Remote feature to find out where it’s
hiding – if you have a Roku Voice Remote Pro. This feature has a limited range, and is
designed to find your remote somewhere in the same room as the TV.
There are multiple ways to activate the lost remote finder:
• Activate lost remote finder with hands-free voice command
Only if you have a Voice Remote Pro
, say “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?”
Note that this command only works if you have hands-free voice turned on.
• Activate lost remote finder from the Settings menu
Only if you have another working remote
, navigate to Settings > Remotes &
devices > Remotes. Then highlight your remote in the list, and select Find
remote.
57
• Activate lost remote finder with the Roku mobile app
After you install the free Roku mobile app, you can open it and trigger the lost
remote finder in either of the following ways:
• On your phone: Select the Devices icon from the navigation bar and
make sure you are connected to your Roku TV. Next, tap the three dots to
the right of your TV name and select Ping Remote.
• On your Roku device: Select the Remote icon from the navigation bar in the
Roku mobile app. Using the mobile app as your remote, navigate to
Settings > Remotes & devices > Remotes. Then highlight your remote in
the list, and select Find remote.
• Activate lost remote finder with panel buttons
Note:
The panel button(s) on some models might be difficult to find. If the
location is not obvious, check the bottom center of the TV behind the status
indicator LED, or the back panel of the TV near the lower right or left side.
• On TVs that have a single button control, short press the button to open
the Inputs menu, and then short press it again to select Find Remote. In a
few moments, the TV accepts your selection and triggers the lost remote
finder.
• On TVs that have a three button control, short press the middle button to
open the Inputs menu, and then short press it again to select Find Remote
to trigger the lost remote finder.
• On TVs that have a joystick-style control, press to the Left or Right to open
the Inputs menu, and then press Right to scroll down to Find Remote. In a
few moments, the TV accepts your selection and triggers the lost remote
finder.
• On TVs that have a column of labeled panel buttons, press the INPUT
button to open the Inputs menu, and then press the INPUT button again
until you highlight Find Remote.
58
Inputs menu
A moment or two after highlighting Find Remote, the remote starts playing your
selected remote finder sound to let you know where it is hiding. The sound
automatically stops after a minute or after you find the remote and press any button.
Changing and previewing the remote finder sound
If you have a Roku Voice Remote Pro, you can customize the sound your remote
makes when you use the Find Remote feature. To customize the sound, navigate to
Settings > Remotes & devices > Remote settings > Change remote finder sound.
Select the sound you want to use from the available settings.
To preview the sound you have chosen, select Preview remote finder sound, and
then hold down OK on the remote to play the sound. When you release the OK
button, the sound will stop.
Playing content from USB storage devices
Use Roku Media Player to play personal music, videos, and photo files from a personal
USB flash drive or hard disk connected to the TV’s USB port.
To use this feature, make sure your media files are compatible with Roku Media
Player. To see the latest list of supported formats, view Help in the Media Player
1
.
1 There are many variants of each supported media format. Some variants may not play at all or may
have issues or inconsistencies during playback.
59
Roku Media Player displays only supported file types, and hides file types it knows it
cannot play.
Note:
If you do not see Roku Media Player on your Home screen, it might have been
uninstalled. You can reinstall it from the Roku Store.
For more information about playing back your personal videos, music, and photos, go
to the following link on the Roku web site:
go.roku.com/rokumediaplayer
Auto player launch
You can set your TV to automatically open Roku Media Player when you connect a
USB drive with a recognizable file system (such as FAT16/32, NTFS, HFS+ or EXT2/3).
To configure this setting, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System
> USB media. Choose from the following options:
• Auto-launch – Select Prompt, On, or Off, as desired.
• Prompt – (default) Display a prompt each time a recognized USB drive is
connected. The prompt provides options to launch Roku Media Player as
well as to change future auto-play behavior.
• On – Always launch Roku Media Player whenever you connect a recognized
USB drive.
• Off – Never launch Roku Media Player automatically.
• Launch channel – Select the app you want to use to play back media files.
60
Playing content from local network media servers
Roku Media Player can play personal video, music, and photo files from a media
server on your local network. Media servers include personal computers running
media server software such as Plex or Windows Media Player, network file storage
systems that have built-in media server software, and other devices that implement
the specifications of the Digital Living Network Alliance. Some servers do not fully
implement the DLNA specification but are UPNP (Universal Plug and Play)
compatible. Roku Media Player can connect to them as well.
Some media servers can convert files into Roku compatible formats. Digital Rights
Management (DRM) protected content is not supported.
Setting up a payment method
For channels that allow you to pay through your linked Roku account, you can enter a
payment method directly on your TV. Entering a payment method on your TV means
that you don’t need to go to a computer or mobile device to set up a payment
method.
To add a payment method:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Payment method > Add
payment method.
2. Follow the prompts to update your payment method by selecting one of the
listed options.
Note:
If you have already set up a payment method on my.roku.com, that
payment method is identified here in such a way as not to expose any personal
data. You can use this screen to change your payment method, if desired.
3. Select Save card, and then press OK.
To manage your saved payment method and to see other payment methods, log into
your account at go.roku.com/pay.
61
Using your TV in a hotel or dorm room
Hotels, school dorms, conference facilities, and similar locations with public wireless
Internet access often require you to interact with a web page to authenticate your
access. These types of networks are called
restricted public networks
. When you
select a network of this type, the TV automatically detects that additional information
is needed and prompts you through using another wireless device to supply the
requested information.
About using your TV on a restricted public network
Here are some points to keep in mind when using your TV on a restricted public
network:
• Using your Roku TV on a hotel or dorm room network requires wireless
availability and a network-connected smartphone, tablet, or computer to
authenticate access to your wireless access point.
• You will need your Roku TV remote.
• Some content might be limited or unavailable if you try to connect outside
your home country due to geo-filtering.
Connecting your Roku TV on a restricted public network
1. When setting up a network connection (either during Guided Setup or using
Settings > Network > Set up connection), the TV automatically detects that
you are connecting to a restricted network and displays the following prompt:
62
Tip:
Your TV can connect to a restricted network only if Enable ‘Device
connect’ is selected in Settings > System > Advanced system settings. Device
connect is enabled by default, but if you have disabled it, the TV cannot
complete the connection.
2. After selecting the correct network, highlight I am at a hotel or college dorm,
and then press OK. The TV prompts you to use your smartphone, tablet, or
laptop to complete the connection.
3. Use a mobile phone, tablet, or wireless-enabled computer to detect wireless
networks. In most cases, you can simply open the device’s Wi-Fi Settings or
Network Settings screen to start scanning.
63
Note:
The mobile phone, tablet, or computer must be on the same wireless
network to which you are connecting the TV.
4. Connect to the network named on your TV screen.
Note:
The previous step connects your smartphone, tablet, or computer directly
to the TV. No connection charges apply and the connection does not impact
your device’s data plan.
5. The wireless connection process prompts you for a password. Enter the
password as shown on the TV screen.
6. Start the web browser on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer. When you
attempt to open any web page, the restricted connection will prompt you for
whatever information it needs. In most cases, you must agree to terms and
conditions, provide identifying information, or enter a password, PIN, or room
number to proceed. The information requested depends on the organization
that controls the wireless connection.
7. After you enter the requested information, the TV automatically proceeds to
complete its connection and resumes normal operation.
8. If the TV prompts you to link to your Roku account, use your mobile phone,
tablet, or computer to activate your Roku TV.
64
Using Apple AirPlay and
the Apple Home app
Apple AirPlay
AirPlay lets you share videos, photos, music, and more from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
To use AirPlay, your Roku TV must be on the same wireless network as your Apple
device
1
. To configure your preferred AirPlay security settings, navigate to Settings >
Apple AirPlay and HomeKit from your Roku TV Home screen. Depending on the
AirPlay settings you select, you may be required to enter a password on your Apple
device to initiate an AirPlay session on your Roku TV.
Other AirPlay things to try
• Screen mirroring from an iOS device.
• Screen mirroring from a Mac.
• Using your Roku TV as an extended Mac display.
• Playing synchronized music on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled devices, including
Roku TVs.
1 iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 12.3 or later. Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14.5 or later.
65
Apple Home app
Apple HomeKit controls compatible smart home lights, locks, thermostats, and other
devices, including Roku TVs. The Apple Home app lets you add your Roku TV to your
Apple HomeKit ecosystem. You can also interact with HomeKit-enabled devices by
using Siri from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod or Mac.
To enable your Roku TV to work with the Apple Home app
1. From your TV’s Home screen, navigate to Settings > Apple AirPlay and
HomeKit.
2. Under HomeKit, select Set Up. Your TV will display a unique QR code.
3. From your Apple device, open the Apple Home app and select Add Accessory.
4. Use the Apple Home app to scan the QR code displayed on your TV and follow
the instructions.
Some Apple HomeKit things to try
On your Apple device, say:
• “Hey Siri, play jazz in the living room.”
• “Hey Siri, mute the TV in the office.”
• “Hey Siri, turn off the TVs in my home.”
Add your Roku TV to an Apple Home scene.
Find more ideas at https://www.apple.com/home-app/.
66
Adjusting TV settings
You can adjust most picture and sound settings while you are watching a program by
pressing STAR to open the TV settings menu. There are some additional picture
and sound settings in the main Settings menu.
In most cases, the changes you make apply only to the input you are using. Live TV,
each HDMI
®
input, and the AV input have their own settings that the TV remembers
when you return to that input. The TV also separately remembers the settings you
specify while viewing streaming content.
Main Settings menu
Use the main Settings menu to adjust overall TV settings. Press HOME to go to the
Home screen, and then navigate to Settings > TV picture settings.
You can adjust the following overall TV picture settings from the Settings screen:
• TV brightness – Provide a better viewing experience in darker or brighter
rooms. Increases or decreases the TV’s general brightness across all TV inputs.
Notes:
Some models have an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts
the brightness of the picture to provide a consistent viewing experience as the
lighting in your room changes. Your TV has an ambient light sensor if the TV
brightness screen has an Auto option, which is selected by default. To disable
the ambient light sensor, select one of the other TV brightness options.
The settings on the TV brightness screen are identical to the TV brightness
settings in the TV settings menu that you can access by pressing STAR
while
watching a program.
67
• HDR/Dolby Vision notification –
Only on certain models:
Controls whether the
TV displays a notification in the upper right corner of the screen for a few
seconds when HDR or Dolby Vision
®
content begins to play.
• On – The TV displays a notification when HDR or Dolby Vision
®
content
begins to play.
• Off – The TV does not display a notification when HDR or Dolby Vision
®
content begins to play.
Note:
This setting does not affect the HDR or Dolby Vision
®
notification that
always appears in the program information banner. Press OK while watching a
program to open the program information banner.
• Settings per input – Lists each enabled TV input. Select an input, and then
press STAR to display the TV settings menu where you can adjust the
input’s settings while watching the video and listening to the sound from that
input.
Tip:
You don’t have to go to the main Settings menu first—you can display an
input’s TV settings menu and adjust its settings whenever you are watching the
input by pressing STAR
.
68
TV settings menu
The TV settings menu provides settings for controlling the appearance of the picture
and the quality of the audio for each TV input. To view the TV settings menu, press
STAR whenever you are watching a TV input or streaming a video.
TV settings menu
Tip:
Some streaming channels assign STAR
to a different function (or no function at
all), meaning this button will not open the TV settings menu. In these cases, use a
different channel, such as The Roku Channel, to configure options. The selected
settings remain active for all streaming channels.
Press UP or DOWN to highlight a setting, and then press OK or RIGHT to see the
options for the setting. You’ll see the changes you make right away in picture
appearance or audio quality.
• Sleep timer
• Picture settings
• Sound settings
• Manage channels
• Accessibility & language
• Picture off
Tip:
To dismiss the TV settings menu, just wait a few seconds without pressing any
buttons. Or press STAR again to dismiss the menu immediately.
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Sleep timer
Opens the Sleep timer menu where you can set a timer that turns off the TV after the
specific amount of time.
This setting remains in effect even if you stop watching the
current input.
Picture settings
The Picture settings menu adjusts the appearance of the picture for the active input.
To access picture settings, press STAR to display the TV settings menu, then select
Picture settings. The options you see vary depending on the program source.
Picture settings menu
• TV brightness – Overall brightness of the picture.
This setting applies to all TV
inputs and is identical to the TV brightness setting under Settings > TV picture
settings.
• Picture mode – Picture presets for various viewing preferences. For example,
selecting Vivid sets Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, and other values to
produce a very vibrant picture. Selecting Movie changes the settings to
produce a picture suitable for enjoying movies in a darkened room. However,
we recommend that you let the TV decide based on the content you are
watching by selecting Auto (recommended).
Tip:
If you make changes to individual picture settings, these settings are saved
for the current input and the current Picture mode. In this way you can, for
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example, individually set the HDMI 1 input’s Movie picture mode to use different
settings than the HDMI 2 input’s Movie picture mode, and different settings
than the Live TV input’s Movie picture mode.
Note:
If you change the settings of a Picture mode, a small purple dot appears
to the right of Picture mode.
Use Reset picture settings, described below, to return the input’s selected
picture mode to its default settings.
• Customize picture – Opens the Customize picture
menu, where you can adjust
various aspects of the picture quality.
Customize picture menu options
Customize picture menu
• Backlight - Adjusts the overall light intensity of the screen.
• Brightness – Adjusts the dark level of the picture.
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• Contrast – Adjusts the white level of the picture.
• Sharpness – Adjusts the sharpness of edges in the picture.
• Color – Adjusts the saturation of colors in the picture. A setting of 0 removes
all color and displays a black and white picture.
• Tint – Adjusts the color balance from green to red to obtain accurate colors in
the picture.
• Picture size – Aspect ratio of the picture, enabling you to view a picture in its
original format, or zoom or stretch it to fill the screen. The Auto setting has
been found to produce the best picture in most cases.
• Game mode –
Only on HDMI
®
and AV inputs:
Enables less image processing
resulting in less input lag, which improves viewing of action games. Also see
Variable refresh rate (VRR).
• Auto low latency mode (ALLM) –
Only on certain models:
Detects when
certain game consoles are connected to an HDMI input, and then automatically
configures the best settings when that input is selected. When ALLM is active,
the manual Game mode setting is not available. Note that there is no ALLM
menu option.
• Expert settings – Opens the Expert settings menu where you can adjust fine
details of picture quality.
• Reset ‘
mode name
’ settings – Returns all picture settings for the input’s
currently-selected Picture mode to their original values.
• Apply settings to all inputs – Applies the settings you have made in the current
Picture mode to all TV inputs.
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Expert settings menu options
Expert settings menu, typical
Notes:
Certain picture settings vary by brand and model. Not all settings are available
on all TVs. Names of certain settings also vary by brand and might differ from the
names listed here.
• Dynamic contrast –
Only on certain models:
Automatically adjusts the backlight
level to achieve the optimum contrast and prevent excessive differences
between light and dark areas of the screen.
• Local dimming –
Only on certain models:
Sets the amount of dimming applied
to multiple areas of the screen’s backlight intensity. This setting can make dark
areas darker without affecting the brightness of light areas.
• Micro contrast –
Only on certain models:
Improves image contrast.
• Action Smoothing –
Only on certain models.
Your model might use a different
name for this option.
Adjusts the amount of motion processing applied to the
video signal. A higher setting results in more smoothing, but can cause
undesirable picture artifacts in certain types of content
.
Each Picture mode has
a different default setting.
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• Natural Cinema –
Only on certain models.
Your model might use a different
name for this option.
Reduces “judder” often present when 24 frame-per-
second movies are upscaled to TV standard frame rates. Natural Cinema mode
is On by default in Movie and HDR Dark modes, and Off by default in other
modes.
• Action Clarity –
Only on certain 120Hz models. Your model might use a
different name for this option.
Reduces blur in fast-moving images such as
sports.
• LED Motion Clarity –
Only on certain models that also have the local dimming
feature.
Your model might use a different name for this option.
Reduces motion
blur caused by the screen refresh rate. Enabling this feature inserts black
frames between picture frames, providing viewing improvements for fast
moving games and sports, but reducing the brightness of the picture. Select
Low, Medium, High, or Off to achieve the desired picture quality balance.
• Gamma correction – Adjusts how smoothly the picture transitions from black
to white, thereby adjusting the contrast of shadows and midtones. Choose
from among the listed values to achieve the desired picture quality.
• Noise reduction – Adjusts the amount of video noise that the TV filters out of
the picture. Choose the setting that produces the best picture according to the
type of program you are watching—typically Off for high quality programs and
one of the other settings for older, low-definition programs. Using noise
reduction in a program that doesn’t need it can result in a lower quality viewing
experience.
• Color temperature – Opens the Color temperature menu where you can adjust
the overall color tones in the picture or perform a custom 11 point white
balance.
• Color space – Opens the Color space menu where you can perform an
advanced color space calibration.
• Auto setting – Adjusts automatic picture settings to use when Picture mode
has been set to Auto. Choose between Standard and Low power.
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Color temperature menu options
Color temperature menu
• Color temperature preset – Adjusts the overall color tones in the picture from
Normal to slightly more bluish (Cool) to slightly more reddish (Warm). If you
are watching Dolby Vision content, the option shows Dolby Vision and cannot
be changed.
• Reset color temperature – Resets any custom white balance settings you have
made to the current Color temperature preset. This setting is not available if
you are watching Dolby Vision content.
• 11-point white balance settings – Lists 11 white balance points from 5% to
100%. For each white balance point, you can specify custom red, green, and
blue intensities to achieve perfect gray tones at each brightness level for the
currently-selected Color temperature preset. Correctly adjusting these settings
requires the use of special equipment, and so we do not recommend that you
adjust these settings without proper equipment. These values cannot be
adjusted if you are watching Dolby Vision content.
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Note: Changing the 11-point white balance settings affects the currently-selected
Color temperature preset only. The change to the preset is indicated by a small
purple dot to the right the menu option, as shown in the following illustration:
Color space menu options
Color space menu
• Color space preset – Adjusts the color space to Auto (recommended), Native,
or Custom. Choose Custom if you want to manually change the individual color
space values.
• Reset color space – Resets any custom color space wsettings you have made.
• Individual color space settings – Lists six color values. These settings are not
available unless you set Color space preset to Custom. For each color value,
you can specify custom red, green, and blue intensities to achieve perfect color
tones. Correctly adjusting these settings requires the use of special equipment,
and so we do not recommend that you adjust these settings by without special
equipment.
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Note: Changing the factory-preset color space settings affects only the Custom Color
space preset option.. The change to these settings is indicated by a small purple dot
to the right the menu option, as shown in the following illustration:
Variable refresh rate (VRR)
Only on certain models:
Variable refresh rate (VRR) allows a compatible game console
or computer connected via HDMI to control the refresh rate of the TV. This feature
helps to ensure that the TV does not begin to display a video frame until the video
source has completely rendered it. The result is smoother image animation with a
lower instance of stutter or tearing. This feature requires the following conditions:
• Variable refresh rate is turned On in the HDMI settings for the input. This
setting is Off by default.
• The HDMI mode is set to Auto or HDMI 2.0 in the HDMI settings for the input.
• Game mode is enabled.
• The connected device supports VRR.
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Sound settings
The Sound settings menu adjusts the sound qualities of the TV. To access sound
settings, press STAR to display the TV settings menu, then select Sound settings.
Note:
Most sound settings do not affect the sound that you hear from a connected
receiver or headphones. Also, the Sound settings option is unavailable when you are
using the private listening feature through the Roku mobile app or (
on certain models
)
through a Roku Voice Remote or Bluetooth headphones.
Sound settings menu
• Sound mode – Preset sound modes to make programs sound their best. If you
would rather let the TV decide how to set the sound based on the program
content, select Auto (recommended).
• Customize sound mode – Opens the Customize
mode name
menu, where you
can adjust various aspects of the sound according to the features available on
your TV model.
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Customize
Mode name
menu options
Your TV model might have any one of the following sound settings available in the TV
settings menu
• Dolby
®
Audio Processing
• DTS
®
TruSurround / DTS
®
Studio Sound
• Sonic Emotion™ Premium
• Volume mode
• Roku premium audio products
Typical Customize
Mode name
menu
Dolby
®
Audio Processing (certain models only)
• Virtual surround (
Only on certain models
) – Simulates surround sound.
Sometimes the effect interferes with dialog clarity. Use the Dialog enhancer
option to compensate.
• Dialog enhancer – Improves the clarity of speech.
• Volume leveling – Smooths out the high and low sounds.
• Dolby AC-4 Dialog Enhancement –
Only on certain models:
Enhances dialog in
content that supports the AC-4 audio format.
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• Reset ‘
Sound mode
’ sound settings – Returns Virtual surround, Dialog
enhancer, and Volume leveling settings to their default settings for the
selected Sound mode.
Note:
Dolby Atmos
®
decoding is available only when using the built-in TV speakers.
Is not available when using external speakers.
DTS
®
TruSurround / DTS
®
Studio Sound (certain models only)
• DTS TruSurround – Simulates surround sound. Sometimes the effect interferes
with dialog clarity. Use the Dialog clarity option to compensate.
• Dialog Clarity – Improves the clarity of dialog when you are using the DTS
TruSurround feature.
• TruVolume – Minimizes annoying volume fluctuations in programs.
• Dolby AC-4 Dialog Enhancement –
Only on certain models:
Enhances dialog in
content that supports the AC-4 audio format.
• Reset ‘
Sound mode
’ sound settings – Returns DTS TruSurround, Dialog
Clarity, and TruVolume settings, to their default settings for the selected
Sound mode.
Sonic Emotion
™
Premium (certain models only)
• Sonic Emotion Premium – Displays a menu with individual Sonic Emotion™
audio settings:
o Dialog Enhancement – Enhances your ability to hear and understand
dialog in the program.
o Bass Enhancement – Enhances the low frequency sound component in
the program.
o Absolute 3D Sound – Simulates surround sound.
• Dolby AC-4 Dialog Enhancement –
Only on certain models:
Enhances dialog in
content that supports the AC-4 audio format.
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• Reset ‘
Sound mode
’ sound settings – Returns Sonic emotion settings to their
default settings for the selected Sound mode.
Volume mode (certain models only)
• Off – Content volume is unmodified.
• Leveling – Provides a consistent volume level across different types of content.
• Night – Soft sounds are increased while loud sounds are decreased, making it
easier to hear your TV at night without disturbing others.
• Dolby AC-4 Dialog Enhancement –
Only on certain models:
Enhances dialog in
content that supports the AC-4 audio format.
Roku premium audio products
Several different Roku premium audio products are available for separate purchase.
You can connect them to any Roku TV model. When you do, the Sound settings
menu on the TV provides direct access to the sound settings of the connected Roku
audio product(s). For more information, see Roku TV soundbars and wireless
speakers.
Although the sound settings vary depending on the connected product and its
current feature set, following are examples of typical settings that you can control
directly from your TV:
• Volume mode – Modes for normal listening, volume leveling, and night
listening.
• Speech clarity – Makes voices easier to hear above the rest of the program.
• Expanded stereo – Simulates surround sound or,
only with Roku wireless
speakers in a supported surround configuration
, play stereo sound from all
speakers.
• Bass – Adjusts the level of low frequency sounds.
• Treble – Adjusts the level of high frequency sounds.
• Surround level –
Only if you have Roku wireless speakers in a supported
surround configuration
, sets the surround volume level to your liking.
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• Virtual surround –
Only if you
do not
have Roku wireless speakers in a surround
configuration
, enhances the stereo sound from the soundbar to simulate
surround sound.
• Dolby AC-4 Dialog Enhancement –
Only on certain models:
Enhances dialog in
content that supports the AC-4 audio format.
• Reset sound settings – Returns all sound settings to their defaults for the
selected Sound mode.
Manage channels
Designate favorite channels and edit your channel lineup in the Manage Channels
menu. You can navigate to the Manage Channels menu in several ways:
• From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > TV inputs > Live TV >
Manage channels, and then select Manage all channels and press OK.
• While watching a live TV program, press STAR to display the TV settings
menu, and then navigate to Manage channels and press OK.
• While using the Live TV Channel Guide, navigate left to the channel column,
and then press STAR . In the Channel options dialog, highlight Manage
channels and press OK.
• While using the Live TV Channel Guide, navigate left
past
the channel column
to the Live TV Categories column. Scroll up or down to Favorites, press RIGHT
to highlight Select to add favorite channels, and then press OK.
In the Manage Channels menu, select Favorite channels or Edit channel lineup.
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Favorite channels
Use the Favorite channels menu to designate any number of channels as your
favorites.
Press UP or DOWN to highlight a channel, and then press OK to select or clear its
check box. A FAVORITE
symbol appears next to each channel you designate as a
favorite.
Tip:
Pause for a few seconds for the TV to tune to the highlighted channel. You then
can view and hear the channel to decide whether you want to make it a favorite.
Note:
If you’ve enabled parental controls and the program on the current channel is
blocked, you won’t see a picture or hear sound while using the Favorite channels
menu.
To switch between surfing all channels and favorite channels, select Favorites in the
filter column of the Live TV Channel Guide.
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Edit channel lineup
When you scan for channels described in Setting up live TV, the TV adds all the
channels with good signals that it can detect in your area. In addition, unless you hide
them as explained in Hide streaming TV channels, the channel lineup will include
streaming channels along with your local TV stations.
At this point, you might have more channels than you want in your channel list. Use
the Edit channel lineup menu to hide any channels that you do not want in your
channel list. You can hide both over-the-air and streaming TV channels.
Press UP or DOWN to highlight a channel, and then press OK to select or clear its
check box. Channels with check marks are hidden in the Live TV Channel Guide and
cannot be tuned.
Tip:
Pause for a few seconds for the TV to tune to the highlighted channel. You then
can view and hear the channel to decide whether you want to hide it. If you’ve enabled
parental controls and the program on the current channel is blocked, you won’t see a
picture or hear sound while using the Edit channel lineup menu.
Note:
Repeating the live TV channel scan unhides all hidden channels.
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Hide streaming TV channels
By default, the Live TV Channel Guide shows both broadcast and streaming channels
in one long list. If you prefer, you can hide streaming channels from the Live TV
Channel Guide.
To hide streaming TV channels, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings >
TV inputs > Live TV > Manage channels, and then highlight Hide streaming TV
channels and press OK to select the adjacent check box.
Accessibility & language
The settings on the Accessibility & language menu enable you to change the TV’s
accessibility settings without leaving the program you are watching. These settings
are also available in the Home Screen Menu under Settings > Accessibility.
Typical Accessibility & language menu
Tip:
Some streaming channels assign STAR
to a different function, meaning it will
not open the TV settings menu. In these cases, use a different channel, such as The
Roku Channel, to configure accessibility options.
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Accessibility & language menu settings
• Closed captioning – Controls when you see captions.
This setting appears only
for programs you watch through ANT, AV, streaming, and Roku Media Player.
Any set value remains in effect across only these inputs.
• Live TV – Set captions to Off, On always, On replay, or On mute.
• AV input – Set captions to Off, On always, On replay, or On mute.
• Streaming video channel and Roku Media Player – Set captions to Off, On
always, On replay, or On mute. Not all streaming content has captions. Note
that some streaming channels have other methods for turning captions on
and off. In these cases, the Closed captioning option does not appear on
the TV settings menu.
• Captioning track – Selects which caption track to display when closed
captioning is on.
This setting remains in effect on all inputs that provide
captions.
• SAP – Select whether to play a secondary audio program or multichannel
television sound, and which choice to play. See Video description through
Secondary Audio Program (SAP).
This setting applies only to live TV on digital
channels.
• Audio track – Select the audio track to play with the current program.
This
setting applies only to streaming content when multiple audio tracks are
available.
• Screen reader –
Present only when the TV Language is set to English
. Turns
the screen reader on or off. The screen reader is a text-to-speech user interface
to help you navigate the Roku user interface. When enabled, it reads out text,
menus and other on-screen items.
Accessibility:
If Screen reader shortcut is enabled, you can enable or disable
the screen reader by pressing the STAR
four times in quick succession.
(STAR
is located directly below the purple directional pad on the right side of
the Roku remote.)
• Speech rate – Select the speed at which the screen reader speaks.
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• Screen reader volume – Set the volume of the screen reader in relation to the
main TV volume.
• Screen reader pitch – Select the desired pitch of the screen reader voice.
• Screen reader shortcut – Enable or disable the screen reader shortcut feature.
When disabled, pressing STAR four times in quick succession does not
enable or disable the screen reader.
Video description through Secondary Audio Program (SAP)
Video description of the action in a program helps individuals who are blind or visually
impaired enjoy programs. You enable video description by selecting one of the
Secondary Audio Program (SAP) options.
To hear video description narrations in programs that have them, turn on SAP. If there
are multiple SAP options for a channel, such as Spanish and French, try each one to
determine which setting carries the video description track.
Accessibility:
Broadcasters provide video descriptions only on a small number of
programs. If you are unable to hear video descriptions after following these
instructions, the program you are viewing does not provide them.
For more details about video description, go to:
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/audio-description
Picture off
Select Picture off to turn off the screen while continuing to play the sound. You might
want to use this feature when listening to music or podcasts, or at any other time that
you do not want to see the TV screen.
When you want to turn the picture back on, press OK. Or, if you turn off the TV while
the screen is off, it comes on again the next time you turn on the TV.
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Featured Free
Use Featured Free to discover content that is free to watch.
As you browse through the programs, the featured channel’s icon appears in the
upper left corner of the screen. Use the purple directional pad to highlight a program,
and then press OK to see more information about it.
While you are viewing a program’s details, press OK to start playing the program. If
you’ve already added the channel, you’ll be taken directly to the channel and the
program will begin to play. If you have not added the channel, it will be added for you
before playing the program.
If you don’t want to see Featured Free in the Home Screen Menu, you can hide it.
To hide Featured Free:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Home screen, and then
press RIGHT.
2. Select Featured Free.
3. Highlight Hide, and then press OK.
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Searching for something
to watch
Searching for movies and programs across streaming channels and live TV is one of
the unique features of your Roku TV. Within a single search operation, you can search
by:
• Movie name
• TV program name
• Actor or director name
• Streaming channel name
• Interactive game name
• Music or podcast title or artist on Spotify
• Genre, including the special genres, “free” and “4K.”
Note:
Roku Search searches across many, but not all, popular streaming channels. The
actual channels it searches vary by locale.
How do I search?
You can search in several different ways:
• By speaking search phrases in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or German
(corresponding to your selected TV language setting) using a Roku Voice
remote, the Roku mobile app, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home Assistant.
Participating channels show results without leaving the channel you are
viewing. Results from the channel you’re currently watching appear in the first
row, followed by results from other channels.
• By using an on-screen keyboard that you navigate using the purple directional
pad on your remote
• By typing on the Roku mobile app on your phone or tablet
For more details about Voice Search, go to go.roku.com/voicesearch
.
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Voice Search from a Roku Voice remote
Only with models that have a Roku Voice remote:
1. Press and hold either VOICE or SEARCH , or say
“Hey Roku,”
depending on
your remote.
Hint:
Tap the button to see on-screen tips about searching. Repeat to see a
different set of tips.
2. While holding down the button, say the name of a movie, TV program, actor,
director, or genre (including the special genres, “free” and “4K”). You also can
search for news programs. Say things like, “Show the news,” “Play news,” or
“Play news on newsy.”
Note:
You can use English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, or German for voice
searches, according to the TV language you set in Settings > System >
Language.
The TV lists the results of your search across many streaming channels and live
TV channels.
3. Press RIGHT to move the highlight into the list of search results.
4. Press UP or DOWN to scroll through the list of search results to highlight the
item you want to view.
Searching from the Roku mobile app
Use the free Roku mobile app on your compatible smartphone or tablet to make
searching even faster. Use your mobile device’s keypad to type more quickly and
easily than with the on-screen keyboard on your TV. Or search by touching the Voice
Search icon and saying the name of the movie, TV program, actor, director, genre,
streaming channel, or game.
When you use the Roku mobile app to search, search results are shown on your
mobile device instead of on the TV screen. When you make a selection from the
search results, the TV starts playing the selected program.
For more information, see Roku mobile app.
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Searching with Google Assistant
Use your Google Home, Google Pixel phone, or the Google Home mobile app to
search for programs:
1. Link your Roku account to your Google account using the Google Home
mobile app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Start your command with
“Hey Google”
or
“OK Google,”
and follow the
command with
“on Roku.”
Some examples:
•
“Hey Google, show me documentaries on Roku.”
•
“OK Google, show me comedies on Roku.”
Note:
You also can issue commands to control your Roku TV. For example, you can
turn on your TV by saying,
“OK Google, turn on Roku.”
For more information about setting up and using Google Assistant with your Roku TV,
see the Roku support article, How to use Google to control your Roku
®
streaming
device.
Searching with Amazon Alexa
Use your Amazon Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Show, or the Amazon Alexa mobile app
to search for programs:
1. Link your Roku account to your Amazon account using the Amazon Alexa app
on your iOS or Android device.
2. Start your command with
“Alexa,”
and follow the command with
“on Roku.”
Some examples:
•
“Alexa, turn up the volume on Roku.”
•
“Alexa, show me documentaries on Roku.”
Note:
You also can issue commands to control your Roku TV. For example, you can
turn on your TV by saying,
“Alexa, turn on Roku.”
For more information about setting up and using Amazon Alexa with your Roku TV,
see the Roku support article, How to use Amazon Alexa to control your Roku
®
streaming device..
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Keyboard search using the remote
1. Select Search from the Home Screen Menu.
2. Use the purple directional pad to navigate the on-screen keyboard, entering a
few characters of the search term.
Each additional character you enter narrows down the search, making the
search results more relevant. You’ll often see the results you are seeking after
entering only a few letters.
3. When you see the program you are searching for, press RIGHT to highlight it.
Continue pressing RIGHT to see more details about how to watch the program.
Direct-to-playback search results
With direct-to-playback, voice search results jump directly to and start playing the
program whenever your search command can be uniquely identified and the
requested content is available at no additional cost to you.
1
Searching for free content
You’ll discover an almost endless list of content through your Roku TV, and much of it
is free. You can easily find free content by including the word “free” in your search.
For example:
• Roku Voice Remote or Roku mobile app—Say, “Show me free comedies” or
“Show me free romance,” or simply, “Show me free shows.”
• Google Home, Google Pixel phone, or the Google Home mobile app—Say “OK
Google, show me free programs on Roku,” or “Hey Google, show me free
documentaries on Roku.”
• Amazon Alexa—Say “Alexa, show me free miniseries on Roku” or “Alexa, show
me free dramas on Roku.”
1 Direct-to-playback commands work with selected streaming channels. Direct playback occurs only
when there is a high confidence of match, the content is free or you are already subscribed, and the
channel is already added to your Home screen.
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Using the Roku Store
From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Streaming Store option to go to the Roku
Store, where you can select new free and subscription based streaming content.
When you find an item you want to add or learn more about, highlight it and press OK
to display more details.
• If the content is free, you can select it to start watching it immediately.
• If there is a one-time or recurring fee associated with using the content, you
must agree to the terms and conditions, accept the fee, and enter your Roku
Account PIN to authorize these charges.
• If you already have a subscription to the content—for example, you already
subscribe to Netflix or you receive HBO through your cable TV provider—you
must complete a different, simple authorization step to watch it on your Roku
TV.
Content availability and pricing are subject to change. Charges may apply to your
selection.
Tip:
New content is continuously added to the Roku Store, so be sure to check back
frequently for new options.
Note:
If you don’t remember your PIN, or if you want to change whether you need to
use a PIN to make purchases on your Roku account, see Roku Account PIN.
Automatic Account Link
Some streaming subscription channels take advantage of Automatic Account Link. If
you have multiple Roku devices, channels that support this feature require you to
supply your user name and password on only one device. For a growing list of
channels that support this feature, see the Roku support article, How to set up, or
sync, subscription channels in your account on a second Roku
®
streaming device.
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Customizing your TV
There are many things you can do to personalize your TV.
Add TV inputs to your Home screen
As you use your TV, you might find that you need to add a TV input that you did not
add during Guided Setup. To add a TV input:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > TV inputs. Notice that the
list of inputs is divided into two sections: Inputs being used and Inputs not
used.
2. Press UP or DOWN to highlight an input in the Inputs not used section of the
list.
3. Press RIGHT to move the highlight to Set up input.
4. Press OK to add the input.
5. Press HOME to return to the Home screen. Notice that the input has been
added to the top of the Home screen. If you want to move the input to a
different position in the grid, see Rearrange inputs and channels.
Tip:
If you purchase and connect a Roku premium audio product, such as a Roku
Streambar
®
, your Roku TV automatically controls all required sound settings, power,
volume, and mute through your TV’s remote control.
Add streaming channels to your Home screen
You can add streaming channels by searching in the Roku Store.
Streaming channels that you add appear at the bottom of the Home screen. If you
want to move a channel to a different position, see Rearrange inputs and channels.
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Hint:
If you have multiple Roku devices, they will all show the same set of streaming
channels after their next daily update, except for channels that are not compatible
with the device. So don’t be surprised when you add a channel to your Roku TV and
then see it the next day on your other Roku streaming devices.
Rename inputs
When you connect and power on an HDMI
®
device, your TV identifies it, automatically
renames the input, and changes the icon to suit the device.
For other inputs, and for inputs whose automatic naming you do not like, you can
change the name and icon. To select a different name and icon for an input, you can
either:
• Highlight the input on the Home screen, and then press STAR to display a list
of options. From the list of options, select Rename input. Then select a new
name and icon.
or
• From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > TV inputs. On the TV
inputs screen, select the input you want to rename, select Rename, and then
select a new name and icon from the provided list.
Custom input names/icons
Rather than using predefined names and icons, you can enter a custom name and
select an icon. From the Rename list, scroll down to Set name & icon, and then press
OK. Follow the instructions on the screen to enter a name and select an icon for the
input.
Press HOME to return to the Home screen. The new name and icon are now in
effect.
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Remove unwanted inputs and channels
If you never use a TV input or if you don’t like the streaming channel you added from
the Roku Store, you can remove the item from your Home screen.
Note:
Be aware that removing the Live TV input deletes your channel list, so you’ll
have to scan for channels again if you later re-add the input. See Setting up live TV for
details.
To remove an input or channel, you can either:
• Highlight the input or channel tile on the Home screen, and then press STAR .
From the list of options, select Remove input. In the screen that follows,
confirm you want to remove the item.
or
• Navigate to Settings > TV inputs. On the TV inputs screen, select the input you
want to remove, and then select Remove > Confirm. Press HOME to return
to the Home screen.
Rearrange inputs and channels
Adding a TV input adds it at the top of the Home screen. Adding a streaming channel
adds it at the bottom of the Home screen.
You can rearrange the order of the inputs and channels on your Home screen to suit
your viewing preferences. For example, you might want Live TV to be the first item in
your Home screen. But if you mostly watch one streaming channel, you might want it
to be the first one on your Home screen.
1. On the Home screen, highlight an input or channel tile you want to move.
2. Press STAR to display a list of options for the item you selected.
3. Select Move input or Move channel. The list of options closes and the
highlighted item shows arrows indicating how it can be moved.
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4. Use the purple directional pad to move the highlighted item to its new position.
5. Press OK to lock the item into its new position.
6. Repeat these steps to move other inputs and channels until you have arranged
your Home screen to your liking.
Change the look and feel with themes
Another way to customize your TV is to change its theme. The theme establishes the
look, feel, and sounds of the TV through colors, designs, fonts, wallpaper
(background), screensaver, and menu navigation sounds.
To change the theme, from the Home Screen Menu navigate to Settings > Theme. In
the Themes screen, choose from the following options:
• Theme packs – Choose from a selection of packages that include coordinated
wallpapers, screensavers, and sounds.
• Wallpapers – Select a wallpaper of your choice.
• Screensavers – Select a screensaver of your choice.
• Sounds – Select a sound set of your choice.
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• Seasonal wallpapers – When this feature is on, Roku overrides your selected
wallpaper with a wallpaper of their own choosing for various holidays and
significant events. After the holiday or event passes, the TV reverts to your
selected theme.
• Sponsored wallpapers – When this feature is on, Roku occasionally overrides
your selected theme with themes that celebrate TV shows, movies, and events.
• Wallpaper animations – When this feature is on, certain wallpapers display
entertaining animated features.
• Screensaver start time – Select the idle time after which you want your
selected screensaver to appear, or disable the screensaver.
• Restore default theme – Every Roku TV has a theme based on the TV brand
and model. Use this option to restore that default theme.
Change menu volume
Menu sounds are the sounds the TV makes to let you know it received your
command. You can change the volume of these menu sounds or turn them off.
To adjust the menu volume, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings >
Audio > Menu volume. Navigate to the right and then change the setting to High,
Medium, Low, or Off.
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Configure power settings
Power settings configure features related to how your TV’s power settings work.
Power on settings
Power on settings tell the TV what to do when you turn on the power. To configure
the power on settings, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System >
Power > Power on. Highlight the preferred power on location in the list, and then
press OK.
Auto power savings
To help you save energy, your TV can automatically turn itself off after a period of
inactivity or a period during which no signal has been detected. It is factory-
configured to do both of these things, but you can change these settings if needed.
To configure automatic power off, from the Home Screen Menu navigate to Settings
> System > Power > Auto power savings. In the Power settings screen, highlight the
following options and press OK to turn them on or off:
• Reduce power after 15 minutes – If no video or audio activity and no user
interaction occur for 15 minutes, the TV automatically turns off the screen and
sound.
• Turn off after 4 hours – If no video or audio activity and no user interaction
occur for 4 hours, the TV goes into standby mode.
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Standby LED On/Off
Normally, the status indicator is lit whenever the TV is in standby mode. If you prefer
the status indicator to not be lit in standby mode, you can turn it off. To do so, from
the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System > Power > Standby LED, and
then select Off.
After making this change, the status indicator still performs all other indication
functions.
Fast TV start
Only on certain models,
you can enable Fast TV start, which lets you start watching
your TV almost instantly after turning it on. Fast TV start also enables you to turn on
your TV with your Roku Voice Remote by saying, “Hey Roku, turn on my TV.”
To enable Fast TV Start, on the Home screen, navigate to Settings > System> Power>
Fast TV Start and select On.
Fast TV start uses significantly more power than normal standby and overrides
default power settings.
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Configure accessibility
Accessibility settings enable users with vision or hearing impairment to use the TV
more effectively. Accessibility settings are located under Settings > Accessibility.
Captions mode
• Off – No captions appear.
• On always– Captions appear whenever they are available from the program
source.
• On replay– Captions appear only when you use the replay feature, and only
when you are watching a streaming program that supports instant replay,
watching a video through the Roku Media Player, or watching a TV channel
after enabling Live TV Pause.
• On mute – Captions appear only when the TV is muted.
Tip:
You can also change the captions mode while watching a program. Press STAR
to display the TV settings menu, and then select Accessibility & language > Closed
captioning. However, note that some streaming channels require you to enable
captions through a setting within their channel even though you have turned on
captions elsewhere.
Note:
Once enabled, the captions mode applies to all inputs that support captions and
remains enabled until you turn it off.
Tip:
If you have a Roku Voice Remote or the Roku mobile app, you can use a voice
command to turn captions on or off. For example, just say, “Captions on,” Captions
off,” “Captions replay,” or “Captions on mute.”
Captions preferred language
Use the Captions preferred language setting to select the language in which you
want closed captioning to appear, when that language is available. If your preferred
language is not available, then captioning reverts to the default language for the
program, which usually is English.
Highlight the language you prefer, and then press OK to select it.
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Captions style
• Text style – Choose from a list of fonts. As you move the highlight to each font,
you can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
• Text edge effect – Choose from a list of edge effect styles, such as raised,
depressed, and various shadows. As you move the highlight to each effect, you
can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
• Text size – Choose from a list of sizes. As you move the highlight to each size,
you can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
• Text color - Choose from a list of colors for the text. As you move the highlight
to each color, you can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
• Text opacity - Choose from a list of opacity settings for the text. This setting
determines how much the area behind the text shows through the text. A value
of 100% blocks all of the content behind the text. As you move the highlight to
each setting, you can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
• Background color - Choose from a list of colors for the background area
behind the text. As you move the highlight to each color, you can see a sample
of the result in an adjacent panel. Note that you won’t see any change unless
you set the Background opacity to a value other than Off.
• Background opacity - Choose from a list of opacity settings for the
background of the caption. This setting determines how much the area behind
the caption background shows through the background. A value of 100%
blocks all of the content behind the background. As you move the highlight to
each setting, you can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
• Window color - Choose from a list of colors for the window rectangle
surrounding the entire caption. As you move the highlight to each color, you
can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel. Note that you won’t see any
change unless you set the Window opacity to a value other than Default or
Off.
• Window opacity - Choose from a list of opacity settings for the window
rectangle surrounding the entire caption. This setting determines how much
the area behind the caption window shows through the window. A value of
100% blocks all of the content behind the window. As you move the highlight
to each setting, you can see a sample of the result in an adjacent panel.
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Screen reader settings
Screen reader settings help users who are blind or visually impaired to configure the
text-to-speech reader, enabling them to operate their TV more easily. The screen
reader uses voice prompts that speak volume and channel changes, menu options,
and setting changes. Access screen reader settings from the Home Screen Menu by
navigating to Settings > Accessibility, and then set the various options as desired in
the Screen reader section.
Customize the Home screen
If you prefer to not see certain features on the Home screen, you can hide them. From
the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Home screen, and then press RIGHT.
Select either Hide or Show for each of the available options.
Note:
The items you can hide or show vary by locale and might change over time.
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Parental controls
Parental controls enable you to decide whether the members of your household can
view certain kinds of broadcast TV programs. When a program is blocked, you can
unblock it by entering a PIN that only you know.
Note:
Parental controls block content from the TV tuner. Parental controls do not
block content on other TV inputs or content from streaming channels you add to your
TV.
Creating a parental control PIN
You create a new parental control PIN the first time you access the Parental
controls screen on your TV.
1. From the Home Screen Menu navigate to Settings > Parental controls. The
screen displays a numeric keypad.
2. Press RIGHT to highlight the numeric PIN entry number pad.
3. Use the on-screen number pad to enter a four-digit code, and then press OK.
4. Repeat the process to enter the same PIN again, just to make sure you
correctly entered the PIN you want to use.
5. Press OK to proceed to the Parental controls screen where you configure the
types of programs to block.
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Blocking broadcast TV programs
For broadcast TV, parental controls use information embedded in the broadcast
signal to determine whether to allow a program to be displayed. Parents can
configure parental controls to block broadcast TV programs that meet or exceed a
specific rating, so they cannot be viewed or heard unless the correct parental control
PIN is entered.
Note:
Rating standards differ by country.
Enabling parental control of TV programs
This setting is provided separately to make it easier for you to unblock all blocked
programming without disturbing the individual rating settings that you have made.
For example, your kids are going to summer camp for two weeks and while they are
gone, you don’t want to have to deal with unblocking programs that you want to
watch. All you need to do is clear Enable parental controls, and all TV programs are
unblocked. When the kids return, select Enable parental controls again, and all of
your parental control settings are restored in a single operation.
To enable parental control of TV programs:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. In the Parental controls screen, navigate to TV tuner > Enable parental
controls.
3. Make sure the Enable parental controls check box is selected. If not, highlight it
and press OK.
To disable parental control of TV programs, repeat these steps, but highlight the
Enable parental controls check box and press OK to clear it.
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Blocking based on US TV ratings
Most broadcast US TV programs—other than movies—contain rating data that
enables parental controls to block programs that parents don’t want others to view.
The ratings are divided into two groups that function independently:
• Youth group – TV-Y, TV-Y7
• Main group – TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, TV-MA
Within each of these groups, the ratings interact such that if you block a particular
level of content, the TV also blocks all content with a higher rating. Conversely, if you
unblock a particular level of content, the TV also unblocks all content with a lower
rating. For example, if you block TV-PG programs, the TV also blocks TV-14 and TV-
MA programs. If you subsequently unblock TV-14 programs, TV-PG programs are also
unblocked, but TV-MA programs remain blocked.
Similarly, within the main group, content types can be individually blocked. For
example, you can block just coarse language in programs with a TV-PG rating. If you
do, then the TV also blocks programs with coarse language in the higher ratings (TV-
14 and TV-MA). Subsequently unblocking coarse language in TV-14 ratings does not
unblock coarse language in TV-MA programs, but it does unblock coarse language in
TV-PG programs.
To block TV programs based on US television ratings:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. Make sure the check box next to Enable parental controls is checked. If not,
highlight it and press OK.
3. In the Parental controls screen, navigate to TV tuner > TV ratings. Choose
among the following settings:
• Entire ratings – Highlight the rating you want to block, and then navigate to
the right and select the first option that blocks the entire rating level (and
all higher rating levels).
• Individual content types – Highlight the rating that contains the content
type you want to block, and then select the content types you want to
block from among those listed. Remember that blocking a content type in
one rating blocks the equivalent content type in all higher rating levels.
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Blocking based on US movie ratings
Most movies in the US are rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, or
MPAA, so the ratings are known as MPAA ratings. TV broadcast signals carry movie
rating data that enables parental controls to block programs that parents don’t want
others to see. The ratings are:
• G – General audiences
• PG – Parental guidance suggested
• PG-13 – Parents strongly cautioned for children age 13 or younger
• R – Restricted
• NC-17 – Not for age 17 or younger
Unlike US TV ratings, there are no individual content types within the ratings. But like
TV ratings, blocking movies with a particular rating also blocks movies with a higher
rating, and unblocking movies with a particular rating also unblocks movies with a
lower rating.
Tip:
Blocking movies with an NC-17 rating also blocks programs with the now-obsolete
X rating, which can still occur in the program data of older movies.
To block movies based on MPAA ratings:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. Make sure the check box next to Enable parental controls is checked. If not,
highlight it and press OK.
3. In the Parental controls screen, navigate to TV Tuner > Movie ratings.
4. Select the rating level you want to block. You need only select one rating level,
and all higher levels are automatically blocked.
Blocking based on Other ratings
Your TV can block programs having ratings that had not been defined when the TV
was manufactured. It does this by detecting a new Rating Region Table in a program
and then downloading the new table and displaying its rating in the Parental controls.
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When the TV downloads a new Rating Region Table, it adds a new option to the list
of rating types: Other ratings. If you see this option in the Parental controls screen,
you have tuned to a station that has implemented a new rating table. Once the new
rating table has been downloaded to the TV, it remains in the TV until it is factory
reset, and you can configure blocking based on the new ratings.
New Region Rating Tables can have independent rating levels, or rating levels that
interact in the same ways as the built-in US TV and MPAA Movie ratings.
Tip:
If your TV downloads a new Region Rating Table, you’ll have to experiment with
its settings to understand how to use it.
Blocking based on Canadian English ratings
Canadian-English language and third-language programs that are broadcast in
Canada are rated by the Action Group on Violence on Television, or AGVOT. TV
broadcast signals carry rating data that enables parental controls to block programs
that parents don’t want others to view based on content containing violence,
language, sex, or nudity. The ratings are:
• C – Children under 8 years
• C8 – Children 8 years and older
• G – Generally suitable for all age groups
• PG – Parental guidance suggested for viewers under 14 years
• 14+ – Generally not suitable for viewers under 14 years
• 18+ – Generally not suitable for viewers under 18 years
Blocking content with a particular rating also blocks content with a higher rating, and
unblocking content with a particular rating also unblocks movies with a lower rating.
To block programs based on AGVOT ratings:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. Make sure the check box next to Enable parental controls is checked. If not,
highlight it and press OK.
3. In the Parental controls screen, navigate to TV tuner > Canadian English
ratings.
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4. Select the rating level you want to block. You need only select one rating level,
and all higher levels are automatically blocked.
Blocking based on Canadian French ratings
Canadian-French language programs that are broadcast in Canada are rated by
Québec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications. TV broadcast signals carry rating
data that enables parental controls to block programs that parents don’t want others
to view based on content containing violence, language, sex, or nudity. The ratings
are:
• G – Generally suitable for all age groups
• 8+ – Viewers 8 years and older
• 13+ – Viewers 13 years and older
• 16+ – Viewers 16 years and older
• 18+ – Adults only
Blocking content with a particular rating also blocks content with a higher rating, and
unblocking content with a particular rating also unblocks movies with a lower rating.
To block programs based on Canadian-French ratings:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. Make sure the check box next to Enable parental controls is checked. If not,
highlight it and press OK.
3. In the Parental controls screen, navigate to TV tuner > Canadian French
ratings.
4. Select the rating level you want to block. You need only select one rating level,
and all higher levels are automatically blocked.
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Blocking unrated programs
Some broadcast TV programs and movies do not have an assigned rating, and are
considered to be “Unrated”. Whether or not such programs contain content that is
objectionable to you cannot be determined. However, you can choose to block such
programs.
To block all unrated broadcasts:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. Make sure the check box next to Enable parental controls is checked. If not,
highlight it and press OK.
3. In the Parental controls screen, navigate to TV tuner > Block all unrated
programs.
4. Highlight Block all Unrated programs and press OK. When blocking is enabled,
the adjacent padlock icon changes from unlocked to locked.
Tip:
Blocking programs that have not been assigned a rating does not block programs
that specifically have been assigned a US TV rating of “None” (for example a
broadcast of a local town council meeting). Programs that do not have an assigned
rating display Rating NA (for “not applicable”) meaning a rating is not needed).
In the absence of other ratings for a program, the parental controls do not consider
the MPAA US movie rating N/A (MPAA rating not applicable to this content) and NR
(applicable content not rated by the MPAA) to be ratings. In these cases, the TV
handles the program as though it is unrated, blocking the program if Unrated
programs blocking is enabled.
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What happens when a TV program is blocked?
After you’ve set up parental controls, TV programs and movies are blocked:
• When you change channels and the new channel is playing a program whose
rating exceeds your settings.
• When a new program comes on the channel you are watching and its rating
exceeds your settings.
When a program is blocked by parental control settings, the TV displays a blocked
message:
Whenever this blocked message appears, both the video and audio of the program
are blocked, as well as program data that would normally appear in the area at the
bottom of the screen.
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To watch the blocked program, you need to know the PIN code defined when you
enabled parental controls, as explained in Creating a parental control PIN.
1. Press OK to select Unblock. The Parental Control PIN pad appears.
2. Use the purple directional pad to enter your parental control PIN code, and
then press OK to select Unblock everything.
Tip:
To shield your parental control PIN from others in the room, press STAR
to hide
the highlighted numbers. When you hide the highlight, you will have to count key
presses to keep track of which number is selected.
After unblocking programs that have been blocked, all blocking is disabled for two
hours or until you turn off the TV.
Changing your PIN
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. In the Parental controls screen, highlight Change PIN.
3. Move the highlight into the on-screen keypad. Use the purple directional pad to
enter a four-digit code, and then press OK. Then repeat the process to enter
the same PIN again to make sure you correctly entered the PIN you want to
use.
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Resetting parental controls
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Parental controls, and
then enter your parental control PIN.
2. In the Parental controls screen, highlight Reset parental controls.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to confirm that you want to erase all
parental control settings.
Tip:
Resetting parental controls also erases your parental control PIN.
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More settings
This section describes the features and settings of the TV that were not covered in
the other parts of this guide.
Guest Mode
When you enable Guest Mode, your guests can sign in to subscription channels using
their own account credentials instead of using yours. Your guests’ credentials are then
automatically removed on the date they specify.
By enabling Guest Mode, your guests won’t have access to your personal streaming
channel accounts and won’t be able use your Roku account to make purchases.
Instead, your guests can safely access their own subscription channels. And they
won’t have to remember to sign out before they leave.
To enable Guest Mode:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Guest Mode.
2. Select Enter Guest Mode.
3. Use the purple directional pad to enter your Roku Account PIN in the on-
screen keypad.
4. Select OK to confirm and put the TV into Guest Mode.
Note:
You also can enable and disable Guest Mode remotely by logging in to
my.roku.com on your computer or smart phone, scrolling down to My linked devices,
and then selecting Enable Guest Mode or Disable Guest Mode, respectively.
After you put your TV into Guest Mode, it is ready to welcome your guests, allowing
them to select a sign-out date. On the Home screen, they will find an assortment of
default subscription channels. They can enjoy free content from The Roku Channel
and many others, or sign-in and watch movies and TV programs from their own
subscriptions and saved content libraries. Your guests can select Streaming Store
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from the Home Screen Menu to access the Roku Store to find and add channels they
watch at home with confidence that their selections and usage history will be
removed automatically on their sign-out date.
For more information about the experience your guests will have when Guest Mode is
enabled, see the Roku support article How to turn Guest Mode on and off on your
Roku streaming device.
To disable Guest Mode:
1. Press HOME to return to the Home Screen Menu.
2. Navigate to Settings > Guest Mode.
3. Select Exit Guest Mode.
4. Enter your Roku Account PIN in the on-screen keypad.
5. Select OK and confirm that you want to disable Guest Mode.
After you disable Guest Mode, all of your original settings are restored and your
channels are reinstalled. You might need to sign in to some of your subscription
channels again to access your content.
Note:
Any game data that was stored on your TV is not restored.
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Network settings
If needed, you can change your network settings at any time. For example, if you
change the name of your wireless network (its SSID) or its password, you will need to
change your TV’s settings so that it can continue to connect.
To change network settings, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings >
Network, and then press RIGHT. At this point, you can choose from among the
following options:
• About – Lists important information about your current network connection,
such as status, connection type, IP addresses, and MAC address. This
information is often useful when contacting customer support with connection
issues.
• Check connection – Select your existing network connection type, and then
press OK to start checking the network connection. The TV uses your current
network information to reconfirm the wireless or wired network connection to
the local network and the Internet connection.
• Set up connection – Select a network connection type, and then select the
option to set up a new connection. Follow the on-screen instructions to
complete the network connection. For help with each of the steps, see
Connecting your TV.
• Bandwidth saver – Enable or disable this feature as appropriate. If On, your TV
prompts you to stop streaming if you haven’t used the remote control within
the past four hours. If you do not respond, streaming stops to save your data
allocation and increase the network bandwidth available to other devices in
your home. Change to Off to disable the automatic bandwidth saving feature.
Note:
Some networks, such as those found in dorm rooms, hotels, and other public
places, may require you to read and agree to terms, enter a code, or provide
identifying information before letting you connect to the Internet. For more
information, see Using your TV in a hotel or dorm room.
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ZIP Code
Your TV needs to know your ZIP Code so that it can display the correct channels and
program guide information. It attempts to determine your location by using
information from your Internet connection; however, the information available from
this source is not always accurate. To ensure you have the most accurate program
guide information, use the ZIP Code option to enter your correct code.
To set your correct ZIP Code, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings >
System > ZIP Code, and then press RIGHT. Enter your ZIP Code in the on-screen
keypad, and then select OK.
Time settings
You can change time settings to suit your preferences. You can find the following
settings by navigating from the Home Screen Menu to Settings > System > Time:
• Sleep timer – Set a time delay after which the TV will automatically shut off.
This setting reflects the setting you can make in the TV settings menu from any
TV input, as explained in TV settings menu.
Tip:
The sleep timer setting is not input specific, and also can be set by using
the Sleep timer shortcut on the Home screen.
• Time zone – Your TV needs correct time zone information to correctly display
program data. Choose whether to set the time zone automatically or manually,
and if set manually, select your current time zone. Usually the TV can discover
its own time zone automatically, but sometimes it cannot and must be set
manually. Initially, this setting is made when you set up the TV tuner, as
explained in Setting up live TV.
• Clock format – Choose whether to display time in a 12-hour or 24-hour format,
or to turn off time display.
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Scan again for live TV channels
There will be times when you need to create a new channel list. For example, you:
• Change cable providers
• Reorient your TV antenna
• Move to a different city with different channels
Whenever you need to update your TV channel list, you can repeat the channel scan.
Tip:
Even if you don’t change anything related to your TV channel reception, you
should repeat the channel scan from time to time to make sure you are receiving all of
the latest channels. Broadcasters add and remove channels, move channels to
different parts of the spectrum, and change the power levels of their channels
periodically.
Note:
Your hidden and favorite channels are preserved when you rescan for channels.
To repeat the channel scan, highlight the Live TV input on the Home screen, and then
press STAR . Next, select Rescan for channels and press OK. After that, the screens
and options that appear during this process are identical to those described in How
do I set up the TV tuner?
HDMI
®
mode (4K models only)
On 4K (UHD) TVs, you can independently configure each HDMI input to match the
capabilities of the connected device. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to
Settings > TV inputs, and then select an enabled HDMI input. Next, select HDMI mode
and then select one of the following settings:
• Auto (recommended) – Let the TV determine the best setting. Use this option
unless your HDMI
®
device does not correctly communicate its HDMI
®
version
information.
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• Standard – Configure the input for compatibility with HDMI
®
version 2.0, which
supports a maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz at full UHD resolution. You must use
this mode to view HDR content from the device connected to this HDMI input.
However, note that many older HDMI
®
devices do not work correctly when the
TV’s HDMI input is set to this mode. After enabling this setting, you can
optionally turn Auto low latency mode (ALLM) off or on.
• Compatibility – Configure the input for compatibility with HDMI
®
version 1.4,
which supports a maximum refresh rate of 30 Hz at full UHD resolution. Most
HDMI
®
devices will work correctly with the TV in this mode.
Control by mobile apps
You can choose the level of control you want to allow your TV to accept from
external devices, such as smart phones, tablets, and virtual assistants. Device connect
settings enable other devices, including the Roku mobile app, to control your TV over
the local area network in your home.
To adjust the level of external control access:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System > Advanced
system settings > Control by mobile apps.
2. Select Network access.
3. Select one of the following settings:
• Default – Devices can connect only through a private network address, and
accept commands only from other private network addresses on your
home network. This setting is suitable for most cases, including use of the
Roku mobile app on your smartphone.
• Permissive – Devices can connect under all conditions, but accept
commands only from private network addresses or the same subnetwork
within your home network. This setting might be required when attempting
to operate the TV from a third-party application, for example, one of the
Internet of Things (IoT) applications such as ifttt.com.
• Disabled – Device connection is completely disabled. The TV does not
accept external commands from any source, including the Roku mobile app.
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Changing privacy settings
Advertising
By default, your TV uses an advertising identifier to track your TV usage. You can
change the privacy settings on your TV in two ways: resetting the advertising
identifier and disabling personalized ads.
To learn more about these options, please see Roku’s Privacy Policy at
go.roku.com/PrivacyPolicy.
Reset the advertising identifier
Resetting the advertising identifier clears the prior usage history that your TV stores,
and then begins tracking again. From that point forward, your new usage patterns
affect the advertisements you see on your TV.
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advertising.
2. Highlight Reset advertising identifier. Press STAR to view more information
about this option. When you finish reading the information, press OK to close
the More Information window.
3. Press OK to reset the advertising identifier, and then press OK again to dismiss
the verification message.
Personalized ads
You can limit Roku’s tracking of your usage behavior by turning off personalized ads.
When you do, your TV will display ads that are not personalized based on your TV’s
advertising identifier.
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advertising.
2. Highlight Personalized ads. Press STAR to view more information about this
option. When you finish reading the information, close the Personalized ads
window.
3. Press OK to clear the Personalized ads check box.
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Note:
If you perform a factory reset, personalized ads are reenabled until you repeat
these steps.
Voice
Select Voice to change settings related to using your voice to interact with the TV.
Microphone access
Your Roku TV does not have a built-in microphone. However streaming channel
providers can use the microphone on Roku Voice remotes (certain models) or on
your mobile device when the Roku mobile app is running. You can control whether
streaming channels have permission to use the microphone.
Note:
These settings affect only streaming channel access to the microphone. They do
not affect your Roku TV’s Voice Search feature.
Channel microphone access
You can control which streaming channels have permission to use the microphone,
giving you control over how the microphone is used by each streaming channel. The
default setting is Prompt, so channels will not be able to turn on the microphone
without your permission.
To change microphone access settings:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Voice >
Microphone access.
2. Select Channel microphone access.
3. Choose one of the following settings:
• Prompt – Display a notification the first time a streaming channel requests
the use of the microphone. When such a notification appears, you can
select either Allow microphone access or Deny microphone access on a
per-channel basis. If you choose to allow microphone access, you’ll be
prompted to confirm your choice by entering a numeric code that appears
on the screen.
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• Always allow – Do not prompt, but always allow any streaming channel to
use the microphone.
• Never allow – Do not prompt, but never allow any streaming channel to use
the microphone.
Channel permissions
After granting or denying microphone access on a per-channel basis, you can reset
channel permissions to enable them to once again follow the system-wide setting you
specify under Channel microphone access.
To reset channel permissions:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Voice >
Microphone access.
2. Select Channel permissions.
3. Highlight Reset channel permissions, or highlight a specific listed channel, and
then press OK to deny microphone access to all or to a specific channel.
Speech recognition
By default, Roku uses recordings of your voice interactions with Roku Voice Remotes
and the Roku mobile app to improve its speech recognition abilities. If you do not
want to allow Roku to use your voice for this purpose, from the Home Screen Menu,
navigate to Settings > Privacy > Voice and clear the Speech recognition check box.
Smart TV experience
Your TV prompts you to opt in to the Smart TV experience when you first start
watching TV programs. Regardless of your decision at that time, you can change your
decision later.
To change your Smart TV experience choices:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV
experience.
2. Highlight the setting you want to change, and then press OK to enable or
disable it.
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• Use info from TV inputs – Authorizes Roku to collect and share information
about what, when, and how you are watching and use this to make
recommendations.
• Enable auto notifications – Displays brief notifications from the Smart TV
experience across the bottom of the screen when recommendations are
available.
Note:
These settings do not affect recommendations for More Ways to Watch that
you see in the Live TV Channel Guide when watching live TV channels. Press
STAR
while each of these settings is highlighted to view more details about how
Roku collects and uses this data.
Roku TV soundbars and wireless speakers
Your Roku TV works with several Roku premium audio products, including the Roku
Streambar
®
, Roku Streambar Pro, Roku TV Wireless Soundbar, Roku wireless
speakers, Roku Wireless Bass, and Roku Wireless Bass Pro. Certain TV models also
support pairing multiple wireless speakers in various configurations to provide
wireless surround sound without the use of a sound bar or home theater receiver.
With Roku TV premium audio products, you can listen to all of your TV programs as
well as the sound from any streaming channel. After you have paired your speakers
with your Roku TV, all sound normally comes from the paired speakers instead of the
internal TV speakers, unless you change the default setting in Settings > Audio >
Audio output.
If you have connected a Roku Streambar
®
to your Roku TV, you can put away the
soundbar remote control and use the TV’s Sound settings menu to control sound
options while watching a program. See Roku premium audio products for details.
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Roku wireless speakers
TV models that support wireless surround sound
can function with left and right front
speakers in a 2.0 configuration or both right and left front and rear speakers in a 4.0
configuration. Add a Roku Wireless Subwoofer to create a 2.1 or 4.1 surround
configuration.
Note:
Certain TVs support
Dolby Atmos
®
audio technology. However, wireless
surround speaker configurations do not support Atmos. When you are playing Atmos
content from a TV that supports Atmos through wireless surround speakers, the TV
instead applies Dolby Digital sound technology.
Setting up Roku wireless speakers
To begin pairing a set of wireless speakers:
1. Make sure the speakers are plugged in and your TV is turned on.
2. Hold down HOME on your TV remote for five seconds until the Select all
devices to set up screen appears.
3. Select the appropriate item to set up: Wireless speakers, Wireless soundbar, or
Subwoofer.
4. Select Continue, and then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the
pairing process.
For more information, including details about how best to arrange your speakers in
your room, see the Roku support article How to set up your Roku wireless speakers.
Checking Roku Soundbar or Roku Speaker software version
If you are having issues with your Roku audio devices, your Roku support technician
might ask you to provide the software version of a particular device.
To determine the software version of a Roku audio device that is connected to or
paired with your TV:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Remotes & devices.
2. Select Speakers.
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3. Select the device whose software version you want to view from among your
connected devices: Wireless speaker, Wireless soundbar, Streambar,
Streambar Pro, or Subwoofer.
4. Select About. On this screen, you can find information about the device,
including the Software version.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to view the software version for additional Roku audio
devices.
Factory resetting a Roku soundbar or Roku speakers from the TV
If needed, you can factory reset your soundbar or speakers directly from your TV.
You’ll need to factory reset them if you want to pair them with another Roku device,
or if you want to correct the speaker channel (left, right, front, or rear) assignments.
You also can factory reset your Roku Streambar if you want to transfer it to another
person. Factory resetting removes all of your channels, settings, subscriptions, and
personal information from the device.
To factory reset a connected Roku audio product:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Remotes & devices.
2. Select Speakers.
3. Select the device to reset from among your connected devices: Wireless
speaker, Wireless soundbar, Streambar, Streambar Pro, or Subwoofer.
4. Select Factory reset and then use the on-screen keypad to enter the code
displayed on the screen to confirm.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to factory reset additional Roku audio devices.
For more information about resetting Roku audio devices, see the Roku support
article How to factory reset your Roku wireless audio device.
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Home theater configuration
Your TV has several features that make it an ideal TV for a home theater. But you
might not notice them because they remain in the background until you decide to use
them.
Controlling audio output
You can control how your TV outputs sound by navigating to Settings > Audio >
Audio output. Choose from the following options:
• Auto – Let the TV decide the best way to output audio, automatically selecting
the S/PDIF optical port, HDMI
®
ARC/eARC port, Roku wireless speakers
(
certain TV models
), or the built-in TV speakers.
• ARC (HDMI
n
) – Always output audio to the indicated HDMI
®
ARC or eARC
port (depending on model). Turn off the built-in TV speakers. The audio return
channel (ARC) enables the TV to send Dolby Audio™ or DTS audio content
back to a home theater receiver or Roku Streambar
®
that is also sending an
audio and video signal into the TV. Using HDMI
®
ARC or eARC reduces the
number of cables needed and controls the volume and mute state of the
receiver while watching TV.
• TV speakers – Always output audio to the built-in TV speakers.
• Optical – Always output audio to the S/PDIF optical port. Turn off the built-in
TV speakers.
Regardless of which setting you choose, your TV automatically mutes the active
audio output when you do any of the following:
• Plug headphones into the headphone jack on the TV.
• Plug headphones into a Roku remote that supports wireless private listening.
• Turn on wireless private listening in the Roku mobile app.
•
Only on certain models,
connect a Bluetooth headphone or speaker to the TV.
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Wall-mounted TV
Only on certain models,
you can optimize the sound from the TV speakers when your
TV is mounted on a wall. To do so, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings
> Audio > Wall-mounted TV and toggle the setting On.
Setting up a digital audio connection
To take advantage of your TV’s advanced audio capabilities, connect it to an external
amplifier, receiver, or soundbar by using either of these two digital audio connections:
• HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC – The HDMI
®
Audio Return Channel (ARC) or
on certain TVs only
, the HDMI
®
Enhanced ARC (eARC) connector
enables the TV to output digital audio on one of its HDMI
®
connectors.
The connected amplifier then can function simultaneously as an input source to
the TV, if needed, without the need to use additional cables.
To use the ARC or eARC capability, you must connect an HDMI
®
cable from
your amplifier’s HDMI
®
ARC or eARC connector to the HDMI ARC or HDMI
eARC connector on the TV. You also must do the following:
• Be sure your HDMI
®
cable is HDMI
®
certified.
• Select Auto or ARC under Settings > Audio > Audio output.
• S/PDIF optical – The S/PDIF optical connector outputs a digital
audio signal. To use the optical output, connect a TOSLINK optical
cable from the amplifier to the Optical or S/PDIF connector on the
TV.
Important:
To make sure the S/PDIF outputs audio reliably, you must turn off
the TV’s speakers. To do so, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings
> Audio > Audio output and change the setting to Optical.
Note:
Dolby Audio™ support for Dolby Digital Plus™ format is not available
through the S/ PDIF optical output. This format is only available through the
HDMI ARC connection.
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Tip:
When you use S/PDIF for audio, the TV can correctly detect more audio
formats if you also connect an HDMI
®
cable between the TV’s HDMI ARC or
HDMI eARC port and the receiver’s ARC or eARC port.
Choosing a preferred audio streaming format
Some streaming content is available with multiple audio formats. You can choose the
format you prefer from among the following options:
• Auto – Automatically selects the best audio format for the content you are
streaming.
• Dolby – Selects Dolby Audio if it is available. Otherwise, selects the best
available format.
• DTS – Selects DTS if it is available. Otherwise, selects the best available format.
Choosing an audio digital output format
After making the required HDMI
®
ARC, eARC, or S/PDIF optical connection, from the
Home Screen Menu, go to Settings > Audio > Digital output format and select the
audio format to use.
Choosing Auto is the easy solution, and generally provides good results. However, if
you have a high-end sound system and want to make sure you are getting the best
sound quality available in the programs you are watching, you can choose another
setting.
• Auto – Automatically detects the incoming audio format and transcodes it to a
compatible available format for the audio output (ARC, eARC, or S/PDIF).
• Passthrough – Passes through the input audio to the connected receiver
without transcoding, sometimes resulting in better audio quality especially for
high-end audio formats such as those that take advantage of the higher
bandwidth of eARC, including Dolby MAT and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, among
others.
• Stereo – Always outputs stereo, regardless of input audio format.
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• Custom – When selected, reveals the following additional options for Dolby
and DTS audio:
• Dolby – Converts all input formats to either Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital
Plus, according to the option you choose:
• Dolby Digital – Converts all input formats to Dolby Digital.
• Dolby Digital Plus – Converts all input formats to Dolby Digital Plus.
• DTS – If you select On, converts all audio sources
except DTS
to Dolby
Digital or Dolby Digital Plus according to the Dolby option you selected. If
DTS is detected and the receiver supports DTS, this option passes through
the DTS audio without modification. If you select Off, the TV does not
detect or pass through DTS audio.
Note:
DTS audio formats are meant to be used with ARC, eARC, or S/PDIF
connections to a DTS-capable home theater receiver. If you enable DTS when
using the TV speakers, you might not hear any audio.
Dolby Atmos notification
Only on models that support Dolby Atmos
®
audio technology
, you can enable or
disable the on-screen notification that appears when you start watching content that
contains Atmos audio.
To disable the notification, from the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Audio
> Dolby Atmos notification, and toggle the setting Off.
Adjusting audio delay
Soundbars, receivers, and other custom audio setups can introduce delays that cause
the sound to be out of sync with the picture. To correct this issue, you can use a
feature of the Roku mobile app to analyze the delay through your smart phone
camera and microphone.
In the Roku mobile app
1
Remote screen, touch Settings, and then select Adjust audio
delay. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the audio delay adjustment.
Your Roku TV stores the delay values and uses them whenever you play content
through the connected audio device.
1
Requires Roku mobile app version 8.7.0 or higher.
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Turning off the TV screen while listening to music
While listening to music or other audio-only content on your TV, you might want to
turn off the TV screen.
To turn off the TV screen:
1. Press STAR to display the TV settings menu.
2. Press DOWN to highlight Turn off display.
3. Press OK.
Tip:
If you are using a Roku Voice Remote or the Roku mobile app, press VOICE
and say, “Turn off the display.”
Controlling other devices through CEC
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) enables your TV and other CEC-compatible
home entertainment devices to control one another in various ways. First, the CEC-
compatible devices must “discover” one another and report their capabilities. After
this, one device can control another according to the features you enable. For
example, playing a disc on a Blu-ray™ player could switch the TV to the Blu-ray™
player’s input. Or, powering off the TV could also power off the Blu-ray™ player and
the home theater receiver.
Discover connected CEC devices
To discover CEC devices:
1. Make sure that your CEC-compatible devices are connected to the TV with a
suitable certified HDMI
®
Cable that supports HDMI
®
ARC and CEC control.
2. Turn on each device and make sure all devices are CEC enabled.
Tip:
Some manufacturers have their own branded names for CEC functionality,
so you might need to read the product documentation to correctly identify the
CEC features of the device.
3. On the TV’s Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System > Control other
devices (CEC) and then select Search for CEC devices. Press OK to repeat the
discovery process, if necessary.
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When finished, the TV displays a list of CEC devices that are connected to each HDMI
input, as well as any devices that had previously been connected. The TV remembers
the names of multiple CEC devices even when they are no longer connected. If the list
is longer than the allowed space, press STAR to see a complete list in a scrollable
window.
Enable 1-touch play
1-touch play enables a device to control which TV input is active. For example,
pressing Play on your Blu-ray™ player switches the TV to the Blu-ray™ input.
1-touch play is disabled by default. To enable 1-touch play, from the Home Screen
Menu, navigate to Settings > System > Control other devices (CEC) and highlight 1-
touch play. Press OK to enable or disable the feature.
Enable system standby
The system standby feature causes other devices to power off when you power off
your TV. Depending on the CEC System Standby implementation, it also might enable
connected devices to power off your TV when you power off the device.
System standby is disabled by default. To enable system standby, from the Home
Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > System > Control other devices (CEC) and
highlight System standby. Press OK to enable or disable the feature.
Restart the TV
You can restart the TV when necessary. Restarting has the same effect as unplugging
the TV power and then plugging it in again.
To restart the TV, navigate to Settings > System > Power, and then select System
restart. Highlight Restart, and then press OK to confirm restart.
While the TV restarts, the screen goes dark for a few seconds, and then displays the
startup screen for a few more seconds. When the restart operation completes, the TV
displays the activity you selected in Power on settings.
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Reset the TV
You can choose to reset only the TV picture and audio settings to their original
values, or perform a full factory reset to return the TV to the state it was in when you
first unpacked and turned it on.
Reset audio/picture settings
To reset only the TV picture and audio settings to their original values, navigate to
Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Factory reset, and then highlight
Reset TV audio/picture settings. Read the information on the screen to make sure
you understand what the reset operation does.
To proceed with the reset operation, press PLAY/PAUSE three times in a row.
Factory reset everything
A full factory reset returns the TV’s settings to their original state and removes all
personally identifiable information from the TV. When finished, you must repeat
Guided Setup, reconnecting to the Internet, re-linking your Roku account, and
reloading any streaming channels. You also must repeat live TV setup and input
configuration.
Factory reset is the recommended choice if you want to transfer the TV to another
owner, and it is the only choice if you want to switch from Store mode to Home mode
(if you inadvertently selected Store mode during Guided Setup). Before performing a
factory reset, we recommend you read this Roku support article to diagnose your
issue and determine if there are other ways to solve the problem: How to system
restart or factory reset your Roku streaming device.
To perform a factory reset, navigate to Settings > System > Advanced system
settings > Factory reset, and then highlight Factory reset everything. Read the
information on the screen to make sure you understand what this reset operation
does.
To proceed with the full factory reset, use the on-screen number pad to enter the
code displayed on the screen, and then select OK to proceed.
When the factory reset operation completes, the TV restarts and displays the first
Guided Setup screen.
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What if I can’t access the Factory Reset option?
It is possible for your TV to get into a state where you cannot access the various
menus, including the menu option that lets you perform a factory reset operation. If
that happens, you can force the TV to reset by following these steps.
1. Using a straightened paper clip or ball-point pen, press and hold the recessed
RESET button on the TV connector panel.
2. Continue to hold the RESET button for approximately 12 seconds.
When the reset cycle completes, the status indicator comes on dim.
3. Release the RESET button. The TV is now powered off.
4. Turn on the TV and proceed through Guided Setup. See Guided Setup.
Using Recovery Mode
Certain models have another reset option called Recovery Mode, which you can
access by holding down the RESET button for at least 20 seconds. For a list of
models that support Recovery Mode and detailed instructions about how to use it,
see the Roku support article How to use Recovery Mode on your Roku TV™.
Network connection reset
If you want to remove your network connection information without disturbing other
settings, navigate from the Home Screen Menu to Settings > System > Advanced
system settings > Network connection reset, and then select Reset connection.
When you select this option, the TV removes your wireless network information,
including the name of the connection (its SSID) and your wireless password, if any,
and then it restarts. After restarting, your TV retains all of its other settings including
its association with your Roku account.
After resetting your network connection, navigate from the Home Screen Menu to
Settings > Network > Set up connection to set up your network connection and
enjoy all of the benefits of your connected TV.
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Roku Account PIN
When you created your Roku account, you were given the opportunity to create a
PIN code and specify when it must be used. You can:
• Require that users enter the PIN to make purchases through the TV.
• Require that users enter the PIN to add items from the Roku Store.
• Establish parental controls for The Roku Channel.
• Enable or disable Guest Mode.
Follow these steps if you created a Roku PIN and want to change it, or you don’t
remember your PIN, or if you didn’t create a Roku Account PIN and want to add one.
1. Use a web browser to go to https://my.roku.com and sign in.
After signing in, the My account page appears.
2. Under PIN preference, click Update to open the Choose your PIN preferences
page.
3. Use the options on this page to create or change your Roku PIN and to specify
how the PIN is to be used.
4. Click Save Changes to save your changes and return to the My Account page.
Note that your current setting is described under PIN preference.
Update the TV
Your TV automatically updates itself from time to time. You don’t need to do
anything. But if you are aware that an update is available and you don’t want to wait
until the TV updates itself, you can manually check for updates.
If you’re someone who must have the latest, most up-to-date features the moment
they are available, you can check for updates as often as you want.
To check for updates, navigate to Settings > System > Software update, and then
select Check now. The TV responds either with a message saying that your TV is up
to date, or with a message saying that an update is available.
Follow the instructions on the screen to install the software update.
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Note:
Sometimes software updates install new system software, and other times they
install new features for streaming channels. Therefore, you won’t always see a change
in the behavior of your TV after a software update.
Tip:
You can download an updated User Guide for the latest software version from the
Roku TV web site at:
go.roku.com/tvmanual
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Using other devices with
your TV
Using Bluetooth
®
private listening (certain models)
Only on certain models,
you can pair your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds and use
them to listen privately to the TV. When Bluetooth headphones are connected, you
can listen to any content playing on your TV, and the TV automatically mutes the
sound from its speakers or other connected audio devices.
Note:
You can also pair most Bluetooth speakers by following these instructions.
Pair your Bluetooth headphones
Before you can listen to your TV through your Bluetooth headphones, you must pair
them with the TV. You typically need to pair them only one time, after which they will
appear in the list of paired devices.
To pair your headphones:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Remotes & devices, and
then select Wireless headphones. (If you do not see this option, your TV does
not have the Bluetooth feature.)
2. Select Add new wireless headphones and press OK.
3. Turn on your Bluetooth headphones and using the manufacturer’s instructions,
put them in pairing mode.
4. Wait while your TV scans for Bluetooth headphones. Scanning might take up to
30 seconds.
5. Select your Bluetooth headphones from the list of available devices.
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Connect your Bluetooth headphones
When you are ready to listen to your TV through your Bluetooth headphones:
1. While playing a program on your TV, press STAR and then select Wireless
headphones.
Alternatively, if you are not already playing a program, from the Home Screen
Menu, navigate to Settings > Remotes & devices, and then select Wireless
headphones.
2. Select your headphones from the list.
3. Select Connect.
Notes:
When you connect your headphones, the TV mutes its speakers or other audio
output devices (soundbar or home theater receiver) until you disconnect the
headphones.
When your Bluetooth headphones are connected, you can adjust the volume and
mute by using the buttons on your remote control or the buttons on the headphones
themselves. When you do, notice that the volume icon in the upper right corner of the
TV screen shows a headphone icon
.
You can pair multiple Bluetooth headphones to your TV but only one set can be
connected and used at a time. In the case of separate left and right wireless earbuds,
the pair counts as a single device.
Disconnect your Bluetooth headphones
When you want to restore audio output from the TV speakers or other audio devices,
you must disconnect your headphones.
To disconnect your headphones, turn them off. Alternatively, you can repeat the steps
you followed to connect them, and then select Disconnect.
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Disable Bluetooth auto detect
Most Bluetooth headphones when turned on try to connect to the most recent
device. If auto-detect is turned off or your headphones do not automatically connect,
you must use the previous instructions to manually connect your headphones when
you want to use private listening.
To change the auto-detect setting:
1. From the Home Screen Menu, navigate to Settings > Remotes & devices, and
then select Wireless headphones.
2. Select your headphones from the list.
3. Select Auto detect and select Off or On as desired.
Pairing your phone, tablet, or computer with
Bluetooth
®
Only on certain TVs
, you can pair your mobile phone, tablet, or computer via
Bluetooth to play audio from that device through your TV. Use this feature to play
your music library, podcasts, meeting audio, or any other sounds from your paired
device.
Before you can connect your Bluetooth device to your TV, you must pair the device
with the TV. You typically need to pair your device only one time, after which it will
appear in the list of paired devices. If desired, you can pair multiple Bluetooth devices.
Pair your device
To pair your Bluetooth phone, tablet, or computer:
1. Turn on your device and navigate to its Bluetooth settings.
2. From the Home Screen Menu on your TV, navigate to Settings > Remotes &
devices > Smartphones & tablets, and then select Add a new smartphone or
tablet. (If you do not see this option, your TV does not have the Bluetooth
feature.)
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3. Wait until your device discovers the TV and displays it in its list of available
Bluetooth devices. As the pairing process progresses, your TV displays a
Searching screen that shows the name to look for in your device’s Bluetooth
list.
4. Select your TV from the Bluetooth list on your device. Its name is listed
according to the TV model you are pairing, as was shown in the Searching
screen. Example, Roku Plus Series 4K – 75”.
5. A few moments after pairing, your device appears on the Remotes & devices
screen. A check mark adjacent to your device’s name indicates that it is
connected.
Note:
If no check mark appears next to the device’s name, follow the steps in
the next topic to connect.
For more information on using Bluetooth headphones for private listening, see the
Roku support article How to use Bluetooth headphones for private listening on your
Roku streaming device.
Connect your device and play audio on your TV
When you are ready to play audio content from your Bluetooth device to your TV:
1. Turn on your TV and your device.
2. Navigate to your device’s Bluetooth settings.
3. Select your Roku TV from the list of paired devices to connect
Note:
Your device might automatically connect to your TV. If so, steps 2 and 3
are not necessary.
4. Play audio content from your device.
• You can use either your device’s controls or your TV remote to control
volume and mute. You might find that the volume controls operate
independently—that is, your device’s volume does not control the TV
volume, but affects the overall volume of the sound.
• Depending on your device, you can use the REWIND , FAST FWD ,
and PLAY/PAUSE buttons on your TV remote to control playback.
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5. From the Home Screen Menu on your TV, navigate to Settings > Remotes &
devices > Smartphones & tablets, and then select your device’s name from the
list of paired devices.
Disconnect your device
If you do not want your device to automatically connect to your TV, you can
disconnect it when you finish playing your audio content. Disconnected devices
remain paired and can be reconnected quickly by following the steps in the previous
topic.
You can disconnect your TV from your device by doing either of the following:
• On your device, navigate to the Bluetooth settings menu, select your Roku TV,
and then select Disconnect.
• On your TV, navigate to Settings > Remotes & devices > Smartphones &
tablets, select your device’s name from the list of paired devices, and then
select Disconnect.
For more information on using your phone, table, or computer to play audio via
Bluetooth, see the Roku support article How to turn on Bluetooth pairing and connect
your phone to your Roku device.
Mirroring your phone or tablet
Your TV has a feature called screen mirroring that lets you mirror your compatible
smartphone or tablet on your TV. Share videos, photos, web pages, and more from
compatible devices.
By default, your TV’s screen mirroring mode is set to Prompt. In this mode, when your
TV receives a screen mirroring request, it prompts you with the following options,
unless you have previously selected Always allow or Never allow for the device:
• Always allow – Always accept mirrored content from the mobile device
without additional prompting in the future for this device.
• Allow – Accept mirrored content from the mobile device this time only. Prompt
again next time this device attempts to mirror content.
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• Block – Do not accept mirrored content from the mobile device at this time.
Prompt again next time this device attempts to mirror content.
• Always block – Never accept mirrored content from this mobile device.
Note:
You can manage and change the list of devices that are set to Always allow
or Always block by navigating from the Home Screen Menu to Settings > System
> Screen mirroring > Screen mirroring devices.
• If you prefer to always allow all screen mirroring attempts without prompting,
go to Settings > System > Screen mirroring, and then change the Screen
mirroring mode to Always allow.
• If you prefer to never allow screen mirroring from any device, change the
Screen mirroring mode to Never allow.
For information on which devices may work with screen mirroring and instructions on
how to use it, go to the following link on the Roku web site:
go.roku.com/screenmirroring
Roku mobile app
Roku makes the Roku mobile app free for compatible iOS
®
and Android™ mobile
devices.
The Roku mobile app is an alternative control center for your Roku TV, plus a way to
stream Roku content while you are on the go. The Roku mobile app helps you find
and add new Roku Channels, more easily search and find something to watch and
even use your voice to search without typing.
Find more information and get the Roku mobile app by using the following link to the
Roku web site:
go.roku.com/mobileapp
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Private Listening on the Roku mobile app
Only on compatible Apple and Android devices
, the Roku mobile app enables you to
use headphones connected to your device to listen to streaming programs and live
digital TV channels. Make sure you have the latest version of the Roku mobile app
before using this feature.
For more information, go to the following link on the Roku web site:
go.roku.com/privatelistening
Using a universal remote
In many cases, you can program your cable or satellite universal remote to also
control your TV. You will need to have instructions for programming the remote
handy. Check with your cable or satellite provider for instructions.
For details on how to set up the TV to work with universal remotes, go to the
following link on the Roku web site:
go.roku.com/universalremote
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What if I didn’t connect
my TV?
Note:
Some models cannot function without an Internet connection, and so this
information might not apply to you.
What if you went through Guided Setup and chose Connect to the Internet later? No
worries. Your Roku TV makes it easy to connect whenever you want. As you move
around the Home screen, you’ll see several places where you can start the connection
process. For example:
• Now and then you’ll see a message appear on the panel to the right of the
Home screen offering a Connect Now option. You can highlight and select the
Connect Now option to get started.
• Use the Connect and activate now option. From the Home Screen Menu, select
Settings, then Network, and then Connect and activate now.
• If you want to start over from the beginning, do a Factory reset, and then go
through Guided Setup again. This time, select your home network when
prompted.
What you’re missing by not connecting
Many of your Roku TV’s best features are available only when you connect it to the
Internet and pair it with a free Roku account. Without connecting, your Home screen
looks similar to the following:
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Here is a list of what you are missing if you choose not to connect your TV:
• The Roku Channel
• The Roku Store and access to all streaming services
• Voice control and search features available through a Roku Voice Remote
• Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit/Apple Siri interactions
• Roku Search, including searching Live TV (over-the-air channels)
• Live streaming TV channels
• Live TV pause
• Full-featured Live TV Channel Guide with channel categorization and channel
filtering
• More Ways to Watch
• Smart TV Experience
• Featured Free
• My Offers
• Guest mode
• Roku mobile app interactivity
• Bluetooth
®
private listening and Bluetooth phone/tablet/computer
connectivity
• Roku Media Player, Media Player auto-launch, and DLNA/UPNP connectivity
• Picture off option
• Themes, theme packs, sounds, wallpapers, and screensavers
1.
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Surfing only favorite channels when your TV is not
connected
If you have marked one or more channels as favorites:
1. While watching live TV, press LEFT to display the channel list.
2. Press LEFT or RIGHT once to switch to Favorites. Notice that the word
Favorites appears at the top of the channel list.
3. Highlight a channel and press OK to select a channel from among your
favorites.
To see all of your channels again, repeat these steps, but this time select All Channels.
Connecting your TV
If you went through Guided Setup and chose Connect to the Internet later—no
worries. Your Roku TV makes it easy to connect whenever you’re ready. As you move
around the Home screen, you’ll see several places where you can start the connection
process. For example:
• Now and then you’ll see a message appear on the panel to the right of the
Home screen offering a Connect Now option. You can highlight and select the
Connect Now option to get started.
• Use the Connect and activate now option. From the Home Screen Menu, select
Settings, then Network, and then Connect and activate now.
• If you want to start over from the beginning, do a Factory reset, and then go
through Guided Setup again. This time, select your home network when
prompted.
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Updating a TV that is not connected
If your TV is not connected to the Internet, you can still get software updates by using
a USB flash drive and a computer with an Internet connection.
To get a software update, navigate to Settings > System > Software update:
The Software update screen on a non-connected TV gives you the opportunity to
connect your TV to the Internet to automatically receive updates. We recommend
this option if it is possible in your situation. To proceed, select Connect to the Internet
and follow the instructions in Connecting your TV.
Otherwise, if you can’t connect to the Internet, select I can’t connect, and then follow
the instructions on the screen. Here’s a summary:
1. On an Internet-connected computer, go to the web site displayed on the
Software update screen.
2. On the USB Update web page, select the correct brand and model, and then
click Next.
3. Click Download Software, and then save the file to the root folder of a
standard USB flash drive.
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USB flash drive
Any normal USB flash drive will work, provided it has a FAT-16 or FAT-32 file system
format. (This is the default for most flash drives.)
The size of the download is small—usually less than 100 MB—and so will fit on most any
size flash drive you might have.
4. When the download finishes, take the USB flash drive to the TV and plug it into
the USB port. When you do, the TV validates the files on the flash drive and
displays a 12-digit code.
5. Write down the code and the web address, and take this information back to
your Internet-connected computer.
6. On the 12-digit code page, enter the code your TV displayed, and then click
Next.
7. On the 6-digit code page, write down the 6-digit code that appears, and then
take it back to your TV.
12- and 6-digit codes
The USB update process uses a pair of codes to validate that you are authorized to
install an update, and to ensure you are not attempting to install an old, unsupported
version of the system software.
8. Using the TV remote, select Next to move to the next screen, and then use the
on-screen keyboard to enter the 6-digit code. When finished, select OK. The
software update begins. Do not remove the USB flash drive until the TV
restarts.
When the update finishes, the TV restarts. You can check the new version number by
navigating to Settings > System > About.
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FAQ
For the latest answers to Frequently Asked Questions, visit the Roku support website:
go.roku.com/support
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Legal statement
Your use of the Roku TV is subject to the Roku TV Terms of Use. Your Roku account and other features and
functionality offered by Roku may be subject to additional terms. To learn more visit roku.com/legal/docs.
Dolby Audio™
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby, Dolby Audio, and the
double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing
Corporation. Copyright 1992-2023 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.
Dolby Vision
®
and Dolby Atmos
®
Dolby, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks
of Dolby Laboratories. Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories Licensing
Corporation. Confidential unpublished works. Copyright © 2013-2023 Dolby
Laboratories. All rights reserved.
DTS
®
DTS, the Symbol, and DTS and the Symbol together are registered trademarks of DTS,
Inc. Copyright © 2023 DTS, Inc. All rights reserved.
HDMI
®
The terms HDMI
®
and HDMI
®
High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and the HDMI
®
Logo
are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI
®
Licensing LLC in the United States
and other countries.
Roku
ROKU, ROKU TV and the ROKU logo are the trademarks or registered trademarks of
Roku, Inc. All other trademarks and logos herein are the property of their respective
owners.