In the midst of busy schedules, seemingly endless to-do lists, and a clock that does not stop ticking, entertainment in this day and age needs to be on demand.
TV streaming services, for this reason, have witnessed an immense surge in popularity in the last decade. Convenience, affordability, and a wide range of options — these services tick all the right boxes for the modern-day viewer.
You get to watch what you want, when you want, at a fraction of the cost of cable TV. What’s not to love?
There are myriad options when it comes to TV streaming services, and Roku is among the top names in this space. In a partnership with smart TV manufacturer TCL, the two companies created the TCL Roku TV, a smart TV that runs the Roku operating system.
Bringing together the ease-of-use and lifelike visuals of a smart television and the plethora of streaming channels with 500,000+ TV series and movie options that Roku offers, the TCL Roku TV became an instant crowd favorite after its release.
Stemming from this, like any other gadget, the TCL Roku TV can sometimes malfunction. A common issue that users report is that it sometimes does not turn on.
If you are facing a similar problem where your TCL Roku TV will not turn on, there are a few different things you can try to troubleshoot and get to the root of the issue.
Check the Power Supply
The most obvious reason why a TCL Roku TV may not turn on is a lack of adequate power for the TV circuitry.
The power supply is responsible for supplying steady, consistent power to the TV. Any malfunction of the power supply and the TV will not turn on.
Even worse, if you keep trying to use the defective power supply to operate the TV, the internal components can get damaged. For this reason, it is crucial to troubleshoot the power supply first thing when your TV refuses to turn on.
To start with, you need to check the power cable as this is usually a weak point that gets damaged over time. Look for signs of wear and tear, especially in the joints. See if the protective plastic coating has come off anywhere and whether there are any exposed wires.
If you see any of these signs, you need to discard the power cord immediately and get a replacement. If the defective power cable was not supplying power to the TV, this should solve the issue.
Power Cycle Your TCL Roku TV
Incorrect settings, malicious apps, issues with software updates, and more—there can be many reasons why the software on the Roku TV gets corrupted and will interfere with the powering on process.
Usually, these difficulties are ironed out with a fresh boot of the OS, which you can accomplish with a simple power cycle. Power cycling the TV involves cutting power to it completely and supplying it back on, allowing the TV to go through the entire boot process from scratch.
To do this, you need to unplug the power cable from the wall outlet where your TV is connected. Locate the power button of the TV but not the one on the remote.
You need to find the hardware power button that is physically located on the body of the TV. Keep this pressed in for about 30 seconds. This allows all residual power left in the capacitors and other components of the TV to drain out.
Once this is done, plug the TV back into the outlet and try to turn it on. If it turns on, then the issue has been resolved.
Rule Out a Faulty Outlet
Another obvious reason why your TCL Roku TV will not turn on is a faulty wall outlet. Unless the TV gets a steady supply of power, it will not turn on and a faulty wall outlet is incapable of providing that power.
You can diagnose this in two parts.
First, unplug the TV from the wall outlet. Then, plug in any other appliance into the wall outlet and see if it turns on and functions properly. At the same time, plug the TCL Roku TV into another wall outlet and see if it turns on.
If you see that the TV turns on, the issue is with the outlet and you can keep using a different outlet for your TV while you get the affected one repaired or replaced (or, hopefully, you just need to flip a breaker!). Based on this, if the outlet works fine with other appliances, then you might need to try the next step in this guide to come closer to a diagnosis.
Some users also use extension cords or cables, spike eliminators, or multi-outlet units to provide power to their TVs. If you have such a device, check it first with other appliances and plug your TV straight into the wall to check if it turns on. In most cases, a faulty extension unit is the result of a blown fuse due to a spike or a surge. These fuses are easily available and you can change them out yourself.
Make Sure All Cords are Undamaged
Typically, a TCL Roku TV can have a lot of cables attached to it. This can include HDMI cables, DisplayPort cables if your TV supports them, analog cables, and USB cables.
An issue with one of these cables can be the culprit that does not allow the TV to turn on which sucks if you are about to watch Gold Rush or Chicago PD – hopefully you have already seen 24!
To rule this out, you have to check all the cords individually for damage. Take a close look at the cords and check for signs of fraying, breakage, and loose wires. It’s also crucial to look at the plugs and ports as these can often get damaged due to frequent use.
Another good way is to unplug all the cords from your TV and try to turn it on. If you find that your TV turns on, you can start attaching the cables one by one and figure out which is causing the issue. Then you can just replace the faulty cable and the problem is taken care of.
Ensure that the TCL Remote is Working
Since you have to use the TCL Roku TV remote to turn your TV on, any issue with the remote will prevent you from doing so. There can be a few issues with the remote that you can check for.
The simplest is to see if the remote has adequate power. A remote with a depleted battery will not work as expected. First, watch out for the little LED indicator on the remote and check whether it activates when pushing a button. Take out the batteries from your remote and install fresh ones. Then, try to turn your TV on.
If the remote does not turn your TV on even with new batteries, but you can turn your TV on using the physical power button on the device, then you have a faulty remote. Fortunately, this is easy and inexpensive to replace. Simply order a replacement remote and your television should work as intended.
Factory Reset Your TCL Roku TV
If none of the above steps are working, you can try to factory reset your TCL Roku TV as a last resort. Keep in mind, however, that this will wipe the internal memory of the TV. You will lose all your apps and data that you have stored on the TV so far and would have to install and configure everything from scratch once the TV boots up again.
Normally, you would factory reset your TCL Roku TV when it is on using your remote. Furthermore, since the TV is not turning on, you will have to manually reset your TV using the dedicated button on the TV panel.
To find the button, consult your TCL Roku TV manual where its position will be clearly shown in a diagram. For most models, this pinhole will be located near (just underneath) the HDMI ports on the side or rear of the TV.
Take a metal paper clip and straighten out one end. Find the recessed reset button on the TV and insert the straight end into the hole. Push till you hear a click and know that the switch has been engaged. You need to keep on pressure and hold the reset button in for 20 seconds or so.
The indicator light will show when the reset cycle has completed, at which point you can let go of the button. The TV will reboot (no, this has nothing to do with a Michael Bay Transformers movie) and the setup process will get started.
Replace Power Supply Board
This is a solution that requires two important things:
- An accurate diagnosis — you need to be sure that the power supply board is the faulty component.
- A moderate level of DIY skills
If your TV is still under warranty, I wouldn’t even consider this fix. In all likelihood, you will void your warranty by replacing the power supply board — or even just taking off the back panel of your TV.
But for anybody that has some DIY skill and some free time, replacing a power supply board really isn’t too challenging. Before attempting this, you may want to find a multimeter and be absolutely sure that you are correctly diagnosing the problem. This video gives a good overview of the process for diagnosing.
It basically just requires you to remove the back panel, remove the faulty power supply board, and install an aftermarket power supply board [video link here].
You can find replacement power supply boards online for less than $100, but be sure to confirm that the replacement parts are compatible with your television! These boards are not interchangeable between different TV models, so the whole project will be futile if you purchase the wrong part.
Contact Support
If all else fails, you might have to get your TCL Roku TV repaired. Contact the support phone number and describe your issue, telling the support engineer in detail about the diagnostic steps you have taken to give them a better understanding of the situation.
Keep your manual and warranty papers handy and follow their instructions about sending the TV off for repairs.
The Result You Want
Hopefully, one of the above steps will help solve your issue and get your TCL Roku TV up and running again.
The step-by-step process of diagnosis and ruling out common culprits one by one can also be extremely helpful if you do end up contacting support..
