User complaints with Roku's 10.5 software upgrade are now being addressed, according to the company. It was first reported on by TechCrunch earlier on Monday, citing posts on Reddit and Roku forums from users who said that after installing the OS on their smart TVs, they were unable to stream any video content from applications like HBO Max, ESPN, Disney Plus, and more.
There is a problem with the latest update for “some of the older Roku TV devices or older Roku Ultra players.” For those with Roku Ultra models 4661, 4662, or 4670, and Roku TV models 7XXX, the company recommends that they manually check for a software update. For those with other devices, the company advises them to follow this thread for updates.
System update got you down? We're aware of a small set of users on older Roku TVs or Roku Ultra who are experiencing issues after the OS 10.5 release and are working quickly to resolve. See our realtime updates here: https://t.co/fZYqfsgNBS
— Roku Support (@RokuSupport) November 22, 2021
According to TechCrunch, Roku has started requiring customers to roll back their operating system on an individual basis, once they contact support with details about their devices. However, at least one Reddit user has reported seeing a “upgrade” to “upgrade” from 10.5 to 10.0, but Roku does not specify that it'll be publicly promoting a downgrade in posts on Twitter or in its forums.
In addition to Roku users reporting issues with streaming via YouTube TV, Android Police reports that YouTube TV users have been experiencing issues on almost every device, from streaming boxes like Apple TV's, Amazon Firesticks, and even Google's own Chromecasts, to consoles, smart TVs, and more (though it notes that iOS and Android users seem unaffected). This issue was initially addressed just on Roku devices, however YouTube's support team later stated that they were investigating the problem on other devices as well.
Sorry to hear about the trouble – we've seen similar reports of YouTube TV freezing intermittently, and our team is looking into the issue. Mind sharing what device (model) you're using, and if this is happening to all programs? Appreciate your patience in the meantime.
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) November 22, 2021
Both issues appear to be occurring simultaneously, but they don't appear to be related since YouTube TV customers are experiencing freezes regardless of their device type. There appears to be some progress being made by both firms in terms of solving the issues. Updates are being added to Roku's support page frequently, and Android Police says that YouTube TV is experiencing less outages.
In spite of a workaround for Roku users' issues with Netflix and Hulu, Google has threatened to discontinue distributing its YouTube app on Rokus as well in December, despite the fact that Roku and Google are actively arguing over YouTube TV not being available on the platform's store.
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