A federal class action lawsuit has been filed against Roku, Inc. and TCL North America. The lawsuit alleges that the companies released several faulty software updates that have made thousands of smart TVs unusable.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. It marks a significant escalation in consumer frustration over the reliability of internet-connected home entertainment systems.
The lawsuit says Roku and TCL TV are accused of cutting corners during software testing, which led to firmware that can ‘brick’ devices. Bricking means a software error makes the hardware stop working completely.
Details of the Roku and TCL TV lawsuit
Lead plaintiff Terri Else describes an experience shared by many budget-conscious consumers who used the Roku OS system.
The complaint alleges that, instead of the ‘optimized’ and ‘seamless’ experience promised in ads, users are getting black screens, endless boot loops, and complete loss of video or audio right after automatic updates.
“Roku’s software updates are repetitively defective, materially impairing the functionality of Roku products, rendering many consumers’ televisions either entirely unusable (‘bricked’), blacked out or otherwise substantially degraded,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit focuses on the Roku Select and Plus Series, as well as the TCL 3, 4, 5, and 6-Series models. These have been some of the best-selling smart TVs in the U.S. because they are affordable.
Did Roku and TCL know about the firmware problems?
A key claim in the lawsuit is that Roku and TCL knew about these major failures but did not fix the problems or help affected owners.
The 43-page lawsuit says that even though there were ‘persistent complaints’ on Roku’s support forums and on social media like Reddit, the companies kept sending out the faulty updates without warning users.
When people asked for help, they were given basic troubleshooting steps that did not fix the problem. Many had to buy a new device just a year or two after their first purchase.
What the lawsuit could mean for Roku and TCL TV owners
The lawsuit aims to represent all U.S. residents who bought the affected Roku or TCL models from December 16, 2024, onward. If the case succeeds, the companies may have to pay compensation, refund the purchase price, and change how Roku tests and releases its required updates.