On Monday we reported on the recently filed class action lawsuit against TCL and Roku. We’re still trying to get to the bottom of these allegations, but readers were quick to say that they, too, have had issues with their aging TCL Roku TVs.
In a poll conducted by Tom’s Guide that over 4,000 readers responded to, 2,600 users said that they have experienced issues with Roku TCL TV software updates in the past, while 390 readers said that they’ve experienced other issues with TCL TVs that have Roku on them.
It’s not completely one-sided, however. Nearly 1,130 of our readers say that they haven’t had issues with TCL Roku TVs and, admittedly, that’s been my experience with my now three-year-old TCL 5-Series Roku TV.
The article also has 46 comments and counting from Tom's Guide members keen to share their experiences and helpful advice. Here’s what readers are saying.
‘I just tossed a TCL Roku 43" … that just would not come back on after updates’
Before we dive into the comments, let me just say for the record that class action lawsuits are important tools that consumers can use to hold large companies responsible for large-scale wrongdoings.
But keep in mind that, right now, we’re only at the stage where the lawsuit makes allegations that have yet to be deemed true or false.
While the legal court battle still lays ahead (if it isn’t outright dismissed due to lack of evidence), the court of public opinion is in full session in the comments.
One of the most damning comments comes from reader Richard Scarborough who says, “I just tossed a TCL Roku 43" that was just over 3 years old from a guest bedroom that was used maybe a dozen times, that just would not come back on after updates, and I thought it was the TV, ugh.”
It’s well within the realm of possibility that Richard did really encounter some sort of update that bricked the TV.
Given the age of the TV and infrequency of use, it’s well within the realm of possibility that Richard did really encounter some sort of update that bricked the TV.
Others described similar issues without giving the age of the TV in question, while some just took the opportunity to dogpile the brand with comments like “It's a cheap Chinese TV. Is anyone really surprised?” and “TCL is garbage, always has been.”
Is there any legitimacy to the lawsuit?
As a longtime TV journalist, I’ve seen a number of these lawsuits over the years. Some have real legitimacy, others…well, are just too broad to hold up in court. It’s my opinion that this is more the latter than the former.
What I know for sure at this point is that Roku has released several updates to its smart TV platform in the last few years. It does this for several reasons, but the biggest ones are to add functionality and patch security vulnerabilities.
Is it possible that the size and complexity of these updates overtaxed the processors of older TVs? Yeah, that’s certainly possible. But was this done maliciously in an attempt to ‘brick’ TVs and force users to upgrade to a new model? Almost certainly not.
Before writing this story I reached out to TCL for comment and a spokesperson for the company simply said “TCL doesn’t make comments on impending lawsuits” and that the company has “no comment” about the allegations at this time.
A Roku spokesperson also responded, saying "we believe the claims are meritless."
We'll be following up with users to hear more about their experiences with TCL Roku TVs as well as following up with both companies as the case proceeds.
Let us know in the comments if you have a Roku TV and have experienced issues with your set — be sure to include the model number, as well as the problems you've been having. Or, if you have a Roku set and it's working great, let us know that, too!
