When it comes to sourcing cheap, high-quality entertainment for your household, there are few options out there that make quite as much sense as Roku.
Simply put, Roku allows you to watch tens of thousands of free and paid channels on your TV once you have a connection to the internet. Also, in the same way, you can download apps to your phone, you can continuously add different movie and TV services to your Roku.
Effectively, in terms of bang for your buck, this nifty device packs a whole lot of punch. After all, it can be customized to accommodate all sorts of preferences. There really is something for everyone.
So, we really don’t have much negative to say about the Roku brand. And though you are experiencing a bit of trouble with your device right now, in general, they are pretty reliable.
However, no modern tech device comes with a guarantee that it isn’t going to glitch out every now and then. So, when we went looking for the issues most commonly reported by Roku customers, there were a few to choose from.
Overall though, the outlook is pretty good, with most issues faced by users not being of a serious nature. Of the most commonly reported issues, the one that seems to be plaguing most customers is the Sharp Roku TV blinking red light issue.
Though generally not that serious, fixing it yourself can be a bit tricky. Don’t worry, though. To help you out, we have decided to put together this small guide that should help you get to the bottom of the problem.
And, if you’re not that ‘techy’ be nature, it won’t be a problem. All of these fixes are relatively easy and won’t call for you to take anything apart or risk the integrity of your equipment in any way.
Sharp Roku TV Blinking Red Light
With all of these helpful articles, we like to begin by explaining the cause of the problem first. This way, when the problem crops up again, you will easily be able to understand what’s going wrong and be able to fix it much quicker.
Under normal conditions, there shouldn’t be any flashing lights on your Roku. So, when the light starts flashing red, it can mean one of two things:
- The first cause of the problem is that the TV may not be getting enough power.
- The other cause is if the TV is struggling to or can’t connect to the internet.
In either case, by following our troubleshooting steps below, you should be able to get back up and running again without any major difficulties. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it!
1) Trouble Connecting to Roku Servers
More often than not, the cause of the flashing red light means that your Sharp Roku TV is struggling to make a connection to the Roku servers.
Naturally, when you can’t reach the server, you can’t access any content. It is a pain, but normally it is relatively easy to fix.
One exception to this rule is when the problem is with the Roku servers rather than on your end.
Servers do occasionally go down, and when they do, all you can do is wait for them to get back up and running again.
Generally, it is in the providers’ interests to do so as quickly as possible. So, the chances are that you won’t have to wait very long.
If the root of the problem doesn’t seem to be a server issue, the most likely weak point is your internet connection.
In the worst-case scenario, you will need to get in and optimize your Wi-Fi performance to fix this.
Roku’s performance is heavily dependent on how good its connection is to the net, after all. Though this sounds like it may be a complicated procedure, it really isn’t.
In fact, on some occasions, it can even work out that everything starts working perfectly with a simple reset of the modem.
Whether it does or doesn’t, it isn’t time to worry yet. There are still a couple of fixes to go through before giving it up for dead.
3) Outstanding Software Updates
In the same way that Windows and other such things need to have updates applied to them every now and then, so too does a Roku TV.
After all, Roku TVs are a smart device, so they need to occasionally have updated so that they can continue to work as they should and to keep the dreaded gremlins at bay.
With this fix, it is always worth keeping this as a general habit – even if your TV is working properly. It really does make a difference to performance.
If you don’t know where to find these updates, follow the steps below, and you’ll figure it out in no time!
- First up, press the “Home” button on the remote.
- Then, navigate to “Settings.”
- Scroll down to the “System” menu.
- Then, click on “System Updates.”
- If there are any updates available, they should show up now.
At this point, the download should start automatically. If it doesn’t, you may simply need to click on it.
While the update is being performed, it is very important that you don’t disconnect from the internet or switch off the TV.
Then after that, with a bit of luck, everything should start working as normal, and the light should stop blinking.
4) Reboot the TV
Admittedly, this last fix might sound too easy ever to work. But, this fix wouldn’t be here if it didn’t prove effective on a lot of occasions.
In fact, this little trick works so often that IT professionals regularly joke that they would be out of a job if people just rebooted their devices before calling in for help.
Like all electronic devices, this one is prone to suffer if it is expected to work relentlessly without a break every now and then.
Now, we are not suggesting that you switch it off using the remote. This doesn’t do much because as long as your Roku TV is receiving electricity, it will continue to do little tasks in the background.
So, let’s give it a power nap and see does that clears up the problem. To do this, all you need to do is plug it out and leave it unplugged for 30 minutes or more.
As soon as this time has elapsed (or the next morning, whatever you decide), you will need to plug the TV into a different power outlet.
By doing so, you are ensuring that your Sharp Roku will finish its slow reset and implement whatever changes it needed to keep functioning.
Asides from that, the longer the reset time you allow, the better. This will ensure that there is no residual power left in the TV that will prevent the reset from happening.
Conclusion: Sharp Roku TV Blinking Red Light
At this point, if none of the above fixes have worked for you, the only logical step that remains is to call up customer services.
As customer services go, we have found that these guys are quite pleasant and informed. So, they should be able to get to the root of the problem as it appears to be something a little more major than is safe to fix at home.
However, if you have somehow managed to fix the problem with a different solution to any of those above, we would love to hear from you so that we can pass on the information to our readers. Please let us know about it in the comments section below. Thanks!
How do you fix the red light issue without a remote? I bought a Ruku remote from Best Buy, but no luck. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Get the Roku app on your phone. I also bought a backup remote because the kids kept losing the original.
Well I can’t do the internet or system reset because my TV won’t turn on at all.