News

Roku, TCL sued for allegedly bricking smart TVs with bad updates

Has your Roku TCL TV bricked itself? You're not alone

Streaming software and hardware giant Roku and TV manufacturer TCL are facing a lawsuit after customers complained that recent software updates were bricking TVs.

The complaint, filed in a California court, alleges that Roku and TCL released software updates that caused some smart TV models to freeze, restart over and over (also known as a boot loop), or not even turn on at all.

According to Top Class Actions, Terri Else, the plaintiff in the case, argued that the two companies “knowingly sold” TVs with software defects that “corrupt user experience to the point of inoperability.” Owners have also said that after the update, their TVs just went black.

To add some context, Roku’s operating system runs on millions of affordable TVs, and TCL (referred to in the lawsuit as TTE Technologies) is one of the streaming software giant’s largest clients.

The suit lists the Roku Select Series, Roku Plus Series, and several TCL models, such as the 3, 4, 5, and 6-series of TVs that feature RokuOS.

Owners reportedly say the problems began just one or two years after buying the TVs, and even though the companies have promised (in both marketing and warranties) to fix the software bugs, neither has provided a full solution.

The suit seeks compensation for the loss of value of the TVs and a remedy for the alleged negligence.

Source: Top Class Actions via Android Authority 

MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.

Related Articles