{"id":231,"date":"2026-05-07T08:37:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=231"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:37:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:37:32","slug":"lawsuit-accuses-roku-tcl-of-bricking-tvs-with-defective-software-updates-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=231","title":{"rendered":"Lawsuit accuses Roku, TCL of ‘bricking’ TVs with defective software updates"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

Roku faces a lawsuit over alleged defective software updates (Photo illustration by Cheng Xin\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>

Read more Iran latest: \u201cProject Freedom\u201d pause could pave way for Iran deal<\/a><\/p> <\/div><\/div> <\/div>

A new lawsuit filed against Roku and TCL accuses the streaming service and TV company of sending out chronically defective software updates that leave smart TVs “bricked” and unusable.\u00a0<\/p>

Roku has denied the allegations. Here\u2019s what we know:\u00a0<\/p>

Roku, TCL lawsuit over \u2018defective software updates\u2019<\/h2>
<\/div>

The backstory:<\/p>

Roku offers streaming services through devices like streaming sticks that integrate into smart TVs, or by purchasing Roku\u2019s own TVs or devices pre-integrated with Roku\u2019s operating system. TCL televisions, the other company named in the lawsuit, are pre-programmed with Roku streaming.<\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, a Los Angeles woman, accuses Roku of issuing software updates that are “repetitively defective, materially impairing the functionality of Roku Products, rendering many consumers\u2019 televisions either entirely unusable \u2026 blacked out, or otherwise substantially degraded in terms of device performance,” the lawsuit states.\u00a0<\/p>

The lawsuit alleges that Roku and TCL are aware of the defective updates, as they\u2019ve been documented multiple times on Roku\u2019s official community forums.\u00a0<\/p>

RELATED: <\/strong>Apple settlement: Owners of some iPhone models could get $95<\/strong><\/p>

“Over the weekend, one of my two TCL Roku TVs went black,” one Roku user complained in the forum, according to the lawsuit. “It flickers for a moment when I turn it on, then black. It still has audio. This happened once before on the same tv, but after about three days it started working again. I have tried all the tricks multiple times, but nothing has worked. I suspect last time this happened it was an issue with a software update due to some other posts on here.”<\/p>

Another user reportedly had four Roku TVs go down after an update.\u00a0<\/p>

“Defendants knowingly sold (and continue to sell) tens of thousands of Products that have Software Defects which corrupt user experience to the point of inoperability, including screen black outs, loss of video, the screen flashing on and off, or otherwise malfunctioning,” the lawsuit states. “Despite consumers\u2019 persistent complaints of repeated system failures, often leaving their TVs completely inoperable, Defendants offer no recourse. This is inconsistent with representations made in express warranties which promise to repair, correct, or otherwise remediate the Software Defect.”<\/p>

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\u2018Bricked\u2019 TVs<\/h2>

Dig deeper:<\/p>

According to the lawsuit, “bricked” is another term for an “entirely unusable” television, and Roku\u2019s not the only company accused of knowingly “bricking” devices.\u00a0<\/p>

Another class-action lawsuit in California accuses\u00a0Amazon of misleading customers by marketing its early Fire TV Stick<\/u> devices as “instant” streaming with no buffering, then later “bricking” them and rendering them nearly unusable.<\/p>

RELATED: <\/strong>Amazon Fire stick TV lawsuit: Are you affected? Here\u2019s what to know<\/strong><\/p>

The lawsuit alleges that by removing support, Amazon forced customers to upgrade to newer versions to regain the same “instant” streaming experience.<\/p>

Roku responds<\/h2>

The other side:<\/p>

A Roku spokesperson told FOX TV Stations that “we believe the claims are meritless.”<\/p>

TCL was not immediately available for comment.\u00a0<\/p>

By the numbers:<\/p>

Roku reported $1.25 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2026, up 22% year-over-year.\u00a0<\/p>

What’s next:<\/p>

Court records show the lawsuit remains open, with no status updates or hearings scheduled. Attorney Daniel Karon told\u00a0The New York Post<\/u><\/i> that the plaintiff may have a hard time proving there are enough potential victims to be granted class-action status.\u00a0<\/p>

Read more American cruise ship passenger dies during stop at island vacation hot spot<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A class-action lawsuit filed against Roku and TCL accuses the streaming service of knowingly “bricking” smart TVs through defective software updates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-consumer"],"yoast_head":"\nLawsuit accuses Roku, TCL of 'bricking' TVs with defective software updates - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=231\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lawsuit accuses Roku, TCL of 'bricking' TVs with defective software updates - 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