Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Roku and TCL are being sued after firmware updates allegedly bricked TVs.
- The class action suit claims both companies pushed updates without proper quality checks.
- Affected models include Roku Select and Plus Series, plus TCL 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-Series TVs.
A routine software update should improve your tech, not turn your main TV into a useless device. But that’s what some Roku and TCL owners say is happening. A new class-action lawsuit targets both companies, claiming recent firmware updates have bricked smart TVs.
A complaint filed in a California federal court says Roku and TCL released software updates that made some smart TV models freeze, restart over and over, or not turn on at all, according to Top Class Actions. “Bricking” is the term for when a software problem makes a device stop working completely.
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Roku’s operating system runs on millions of affordable TVs, and TCL is one of its main hardware partners. This partnership is usually a plus, but the lawsuit claims the companies did not test these updates well enough before releasing them. Owners say that after the update, their TVs just went black.
The complaint lists the Roku Select Series, Roku Plus Series, and several TCL models like the 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-Series with Roku OS. These TVs are popular budget choices, especially for people who have cut cable.
Owners say these problems started just one or two years after buying their TVs, which is much sooner than most people expect. Even though the companies promised in their marketing and warranties to fix software problems, neither one has provided full solutions.
The lawsuit now aims to represent affected owners across the country. It asks for compensation for the lost value of the TVs and a solution to the alleged negligence.
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