An HDMI cable is an essential element of any entertainment setup. But what if the HDMI cable is not working with your Roku device? There can be times when your Roku device loses signal or does not display any output.
Roku is a very robust and simple device that allows you to connect to 4,500 channels. This includes free services like BBC iPlayer, Pluto TV and YouTube or premium services like Disney+, Netflix and Now TV.
This guide will take you through the steps of how to know when there is a problem with the HDMI cable and how you can troubleshoot the problem.
What can go wrong with the HDMI Cable?
All Roku needs to work is the small black device, a power cable, and an HDMI cable. Therefore, there is very little that can go wrong with your Roku player.
The most common issues are related to the HDMI cable. This is the cable that connects the Roku device to your television. Here are the main reasons why your HDMI cable stops working on your Roku device:
- The television to HDMI connection is faulty.
- The cable for the Roku is damaged.
- Roku hardware is damaged.
- There has been a temporary power problem.
- There has been an update on the Roku device.
Symptoms of a faulty HDMI Cable on a Roku Device
The Roku device will tell you when there is a problem with the HDMI cable. On the screen of your television, an error message will appear in a black box. Within that message the details of the HDMI failure will be noted. However, it will not say exactly what is wrong with the HDMI cable.
Sometimes the error message will appear and the screen will go black. We have often found that when this is happening, the sound is still playing in the background. The error message will disappear if you press the home button on your Roku remote or Roku mobile app.
How to Fix HDMI Cable not Working on Roku Device
It is very easy to fix the HDMI cable error. You can follow these simple fixes to first identify the problem and then fix the HDMI Cable not Working on Roku Device.
Pull out and Reattach HDMI Cable
The first fix is to pull the HDMI cable out of the back of the Roku device and then reattach it.
Restart the Roku Device – No Black Screen
Now you should try to do is restart the Roku. This will solve the problem in most cases. But first, you need to ensure that the problem is not caused by the channel that you’re using. To do this, on your Roku controller or the Roku App on your phone, click on the home button to go to the start screen.
If you can access the home screen without the message appearing, then there is probably a software problem. You should still reset the Roku device.
To restart your Roku device from this point, scroll down on the left-hand menu to the ‘Settings’ option. On the ‘Settings’ menu, you need to find the ‘System’ option and then on this menu find the ‘System Restart’ option. This will turn the Roku device off and on again.
Restart the Roku Device – Black Screen
If the screen is still black after you’ve pressed the home button on your remote, you need to do a manual restart. For this go to the Roku device and turn it off at the switch. Ensure the device has been turned off for at least 30 seconds.
After 30 seconds, turn the device back on and then check that the device is working.
Generally speaking, we have often found that restarting the Roku device will fix about 90% of HDMI cable issues.
Check TV Connection
Next, you need to make sure that you’ve not got a problem with your HDMI input within the television. To check this take another device that can stream at home and then input that into the same HDMI port on your television.
If the new device works without a problem, then the TV is fine. If you’re still experiencing issues with the HDMI, then the port is broken. This is more likely to happen when you have manually switched over the HDMI cable for numerous devices and the physical movement has damaged the input.
You can avoid this in the future by using an HDMI splitter. We have found these very useful and can save time when wanting to switch between devices.
You can often find a local service that can repair the HDMI port and this can be cheaper than replacing the television.
Check HDMI Cable
Next, you need to check the HDMI cable. This is a very simple process. All you need to do is to get another HDMI cable from a different device and then test your Roku again. If the HDMI problem continues to persist, then the cable was not the problem.
Change the Roku Device
If everything else has failed, then the Roku device must have experienced a problem. Therefore, you will need to replace the device. This is very rare as we’ve found the Roku device to be very robust, but it can happen. This can occur if the Roku, for example, has been accidentally knocked off its stand.
Conclusion
Roku is one of the best and most popular streaming devices used. It is very versatile and offers so many streaming channels that you could not possibly watch them all. In addition, Roku allows you to connect other Rokus across the home so you can keep the same accounts and watch the same programs from any device within the home.
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