Roku users have been experiencing issues with washed-out colors while streaming content, particularly following the recent v14.5 software update. Many have reported that HDR or 4K content on platforms such as Disney Plus, YouTube, and Amazon Prime appears overly bright or dull. This has led to an outpouring of complaints on Roku’s official forums, where a dedicated thread has been set up for users to share their experiences. Among the reports, users have noted that the color issues persist while watching content in 4K HDR resolution.
One user, who owns a TCL model 65S405, described their viewing experience as having colors that appear “bright/washed out.” While some adjustments to HDR settings have shown minimal improvement, the general opinion is that content still looks washed out or excessively bright. A few users have also mentioned facing similar problems on Amazon Prime, although the issues seem to lessen when watching in standard HD quality. The timing of these complaints is crucial, as they all emerged after the implementation of the v14.5 update.
Despite the update, which aimed for performance improvements and bug fixes, users suspect that it might have accidentally triggered these color issues particularly on TCL and, in some reports, Hisense devices. Roku is aware of the situation and is currently investigating. Additionally, Roku has faced criticism for introducing unskippable ads that users encounter when starting their devices. Many have expressed frustration with these ads as they block access to the main home screen.
Although Roku claims users can skip them, many have found that this option is either misleading or unavailable, leading to further dissatisfaction. As Roku navigates these user complaints, both the color issues and advertising practices will likely remain hot topics among its customers.