Roku made it so that you need internet to watch antenna-based channels on its TVs but don't worry, it promises to fix it

Date:
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:39:33 +0000

Description:
And here I thought that half the point of over-the-air channels these days is so you don't need the internet

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Roku TVs need to be online for the Live TV Guide following an update Offline, the Guide can't select over-the-air channels Roku says it will fix the issue in a few weeks Roku has changed the way its TVs handle over-the-air (OTA) channels as in, channels that you receive with an antenna instead of streaming over the internet. In order to watch free local ABC, CBS, FOX or
NBC channels, you now need to have an active internet connection and, of course, not having internet is a key reason why some people want to watch OTA TV.

It's a bug, not a feature, Roku says: speaking to Cord Cutters News the firm promised a fix, although it may take a few weeks to arrive. But when it does, you'll once again be able to use your aerial to receive TV without needing to be online. Of course, you'll need to be online first to get the update Why
are Roku TVs requiring internet for broadcast TV? It looks like the issue is an unexpected result of Roku's recent rejigs. The Roku interface has been getting some useful tweaks in recent months, and one of those tweaks is
better integration of free, ad-supported streaming TV in the Live TV Guide. Article continues below You may like Your Roku just got yet more free streaming channels, including Pokmon Amazon is bringing 50 Roku channels to Fire TV, and they're completely free to stream. Roku just made a major tweak to subscriptions on its home screen

That integration is good, because it makes it much easier to find and watch free additional channels. But in order to give you a Guide that mixes over-the-air and online channels, the Roku TV needs an active internet connection. And it looks like Roku didn't think deeply enough about what
would happen to the over-the-air channels if an internet connection wasn't available.

Readers of Cord Cutters News have reported blank or gray screens when they
try to watch channels, and say that the Guide doesn't appear fully until they get online. If they do go online, for example by setting up a hotspot from their phone, some users can apparently get the channels and keep watching
but they can't change channels without going back online.

Although this issue is very specific to a fairly small number of people, it does raise a wider issue, which is the way in which manufacturers' or streaming providers' software updates can make significant changes to the
core features or interface of a product you already own, and not necessarily for the better. Thinking of buying a new TV? Try our TV size and model
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/roku-made-it-so-that-you-need-internet-t o-watch-antenna-based-channels-on-its-tvs-but-dont-worry-it-promises-to-fix-it


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