What to do if you cannot see the picture from your Roku® streaming player on your TV
This article is for users who can power on their Roku player, but cannot see the picture on their TV. If your player will not power on or you do not hear sound, review the suggestions in the appropriate article below:
- What to do if you cannot hear sound from your Roku player
- What to do if your Roku player will not power on
What should I do?
Make sure your Roku player is connected directly to the TV. If you have the Roku player connected to an audio/video receiver (AVR) or soundbar, then first disconnect it and connect directly to the TV. This will remove any issue with the AVR or soundbar and make it easier to troubleshoot the problem.
First, make sure the TV is turned on and press a button on the Roku remote control to ensure that the Roku device is not in standby or screensaver mode.
These are the most common reasons you may not see the picture on your TV:
- You have the wrong input (source) selected on your TV
- This is extremely common and an easy mistake to make. Most TV’s have several video inputs on the back or side of the TV that are used for connecting different devices such as a cable box, gaming console, and of course, Roku player. You must select the input (sometimes referred to as source) that matches the one to which you have the Roku player connected.
- Look to see which input you have the Roku player connected; the video connector will be labelled with the input name; e.g. HDMI 1, HDMI 2, AUX, VIDEO IN 1, etc.
- The way you change inputs can be different based on the brand of TV and model, but it is usually accessible from a button on the TV's remote control. If you can, check the instructions that came with your television, or try the following:
- Look for a button on your TV remote control that says Input, Source, AUX, Video, TV/Video or something similar. Press this button. Depending on your TV, pressing the button may cycle through available inputs, or it may display a menu with a choice of inputs.
- If it cycles through the inputs - wait 10 seconds between button presses to allow the TV to detect the video.
- If a menu is displayed - use the arrow buttons on the TV remote to choose the right input and then press the Enter or Select Alternatively, select each input one at a time. Wait 10 seconds between each to allow the TV to detect the video.
- In both cases, if no video is detected on the input, then the TV will usual show a message such as “No video” or “No signal detected”.
- This is extremely common and an easy mistake to make. Most TV’s have several video inputs on the back or side of the TV that are used for connecting different devices such as a cable box, gaming console, and of course, Roku player. You must select the input (sometimes referred to as source) that matches the one to which you have the Roku player connected.
- The video cable is not connected properly or the cable is faulty
- Check that the video cable is firmly connected to the back of your Roku player and to the HDMI or composite connector on the TV. If you have a Roku Streaming Stick, then make sure it is firmly connected to the HDMI connector on your TV.
- If you can, check to see if you have a faulty cable by connecting your Roku player with a different cable.
- There is a problem with the TV
- If you can, try connecting the Roku player to a different input on the TV to see if the problem is with connector on the TV.
- If you can, try connecting the Roku player to a different television to see if the problem is with your Roku player or the TV.
- Enable CEC or disable auto power savings
- If you do not see a picture after pressing a button on your Roku remote, it is possible that your player cannot "wake up" your TV over the HDMI connection. To fix this, make sure that HDMI-CEC is enabled on your TV. If you prefer your player never enters the low power mode, you can disable auto power savings.
- There is a problem with the USB power adaptor, or the adaptor does not meet requirements
- It is possible your Roku player is not receiving enough power, even if the power light is on. This happens sometimes if you connect your Roku player through a third-party device with a USB/AC power adaptor that does not meet more recent USB standards. Try a different power adaptor or try plugging your Roku player directly into a power source. For more information, learn what to do if the red light is flashing or you see a "low-power" warning.
- If all else fails…
- Disconnect and reconnect all cables including the power cable.