Few things can ruin your night plans faster than when your Roku TV screen has horizontal lines in a waterfall effect. This can be especially aggravating if you were planning to watch some TV before bed, but now you’re just frustrated because your TV isn’t working. Why does your Roku TV have horizontal lines on the screen?
When you notice your Roku TV has horizontal lines running down the screen, the TV could have bugs in the memory software. Other problems can include an overheated logic board, water damage, or error messages related to memory or data storage. Most fixes are simple and will restore your TV screen.
Turning on your Roku TV to see white lines that waterfall down the screen is unnerving. Thankfully, you can remedy these problems with some troubleshooting by resetting the TV, checking for water damage, and other issues contributing to the malfunction.
Causes of White Horizontal Lines on a Roku TV Screen
Finding white horizontal lines on your Roku TV can ruin your viewing experience. You could also have a white screen with no apps or shows appearing. While your Roku TV is not necessarily broken, this problem can have several causes. Here are some of the possible reasons your TV is not working right.
The Roku TV Could Have Memory Issues
You might have noticed a message that your Roku TV memory is running out of storage space. Each time you download another app, this takes up some memory. When your TV is low on storage space, you have used most of the memory installed at the factory. This can be a system bug or simply the need to free up memory space by removing apps you don’t use.
The Roku TV Shows an Error Message That an App Won’t Run
When the error message pops up that the Roku TV can’t run an app or display a channel, a factory reset might be the solution. While this relates to the TV’s memory and lack of storage, a factory reset can clear some unnecessary data to free up more memory space.
High Temperatures on the Logic Board Cause White Lines on the Roku Screen
The logic board will sometimes overheat for Roku TVs with an LCD screen, causing white lines on the screen. If your Roku TV sits in the direct sun or a vent is blocked on the TV’s backside, this can cause the logic board to overheat. The TV will alert you to the situation with an error code.
The Roku TV Has Water Damage
Unfortunately, there are times when your Roku TV sustains water damage. If a drink spills on the TV and filters to the internal components, this can cause white streaks on the screen. Too much water on the TV will ruin the internal board and other TV parts, and you will need to purchase a new TV.
Fixes for Horizontal Lines on the Roku TV
Sometimes, your Roku TV has a bug in the memory software. This can be a simple fix of forcing a reboot of the memory. Often, forcing the TV to perform a restart is the way to remedy this problem. Here is how to reboot the Roku memory.
- Locate the Home button on your TV remote.
- Press the Home button five times in a row.
- Press the Up Arrow one time.
- Press the Rewind button two times.
- Press the Fast Forward button two times.
Following this process should fix the memory issue when there is a problem with the memory software.
Gizmo Geek Guide uploaded this as an original article on January 26, 2023.
Fixing an Error in the Memory or Data Storage
The white lines can result from attempting to add another app or additional channels to your Roku TV, and deleting the channels and apps you don’t watch will help. Once you have removed what you don’t want, you can perform a factory reset. Remember that the factory reset will return the TV to its condition when you first set it up.
To perform the factory reset, complete the following steps.
- Locate the Home button on your Roku TV remote.
- Find the channels and apps you no longer need.
- Push the Star button on the remote.
- Choose the channel or app to remove and press enter.
- Selecting Yes to remove the apps and channels will take a minute to delete them from the TV.
- Go to the Home button again.
- Select Settings.
- Choose System.
- Locate Advanced System Settings and enter.
- Choose Factory Reset and enter.
When the TV resets, you can add back any channels or apps that were deleted in the reset.
Fixing the Overheated Logic Board on a Roku TV
The Roku TV logic board manages the LCD screen. If the LCD screen sends an overheating message, you should check to ensure the vents are clear of dust and can receive good ventilation. If the TV is in direct sun, move it to a place in the room where the sun doesn’t shine directly on the TV.
Fixing Water Damage to the Roku TV
It is possible to fix water damage to the Roku TV, but it requires special care with the internal parts. Leaving the collected water in the screen can cause the internal components to corrode and damage the diffuser sheets. Here is how to dry out the inner parts of the Roku TV.
- Locate the screws that hold the TV back to the TV unit.
- Unscrew them and remove the TV back.
- Use the low setting of a hairdryer to dry out the components.
- Go slowly with the dryer to avoid further damage.
- Leave the TV back off for a couple of days to allow additional drying.
Final Thoughts
No one ever welcomes problems with the TV, but there are several fixes to try when you have white lines running horizontally from top to bottom. These repairs are something you can do to attempt to return the TV to proper working order so you can watch your shows again without the lines ruining the picture.
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Gizmo Geek Guide published this original article on January 26, 2023.