Internet connection for TCL "smart" TV

5 years ago

About a year ago I bought a 55" TCL TV, and have been just connecting it to my cable box, BluRay player, and computer using the three HDMI ports. That works very well. I had reason to try the ethernet/internet connection, so I plugged in my Cat6/RJ45 cable. The first thing that happened is that I had to "update" the TV, so I did. Then it wanted all sorts of information from ROKU (It has built-in ROKU), but when it got to the point where it wanted credit card information, I quit. I cannot get it to switch back to the internet port, although all the HDMI ones work. I have an Apple TV box, which I used to use with my older "dumb" TV, and I'll probably just go back to that, but what happened?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
Contact the manufacturer's tech support.

(should be an automatic step for problems like this, for any kind of product)
wdccruise
5 years ago
"I cannot get it to switch back to the internet port"

I don't understand what you mean.

The TV is now connected to the Internet via the Cat6 Ethernet cable which, I presume, is connected to your router. You now can use the built-in Roku. What's the problem?
Related Discussions
How Fast is Your Internet Connection?
Q
Comments (43)
the 100Mbps is not telling you your internet speed connection it is simply telling you the ability of your router, most today are 10/100Mbps rated. This might help you understand that 10/100 devices mine also says 100 there likely everyone in here would have 100 there too. cox has multiple tiers of service you pay x amount of money for x amount of speed you would need to check your contract to know which tier you are paying for to know if you are getting the proper speed. I am also on cox and if you look way up in this old post you will see my speed test which is much much faster than yours so I would assume you have a lower tier of internet service with them. I do not have any other services with them so I have no bundle just strictly internet.
...See More
TCL Roku TV
Q
Comments (9)
If I'm understanding this correctly you have a TV made by TCL (which is apparently a large Chinese television manufacturer) that has Roku technology built it. This is not a separate Roku box, correct? I'd suspect that TCL's support folks would have mentioned this but are there any firmware updates for the unit? So the kind folks at TCL would like you to send their defective TV back at your expense? Any chance you bought the TV with a credit card, which may offer you additional protection?
...See More
How Much Do You Pay for Phone, TV, Internet?
Q
Comments (39)
Yes, SW, we agree. When you have multiple users on any kind of data sharing system, it slows down. It's often not perceptible in real time, but it shows up as everything from ticks to pauses during HD streaming. I mentioned the ethernet connection as the most robust and stable, not as a necessity. It's the thing to compare the wi-fi to, given the same device/configuration. But that's assuming a short wire. I used to have to run a 100' ethernet cable up the stairs and through the maze every so often, before the double services, and it was noticeably slower than the 5' ones. :) LOL! Lukkiirish, I don't know about being a personal Google, but I often look things up. Like I looked up what my connection speeds were for this discussion. And why I didn't say what I actually pay for telecom because I'd have to parse too many bills to come up with a number. I can say that it seems to be in line with what others are paying for the bits I could compare off the top of my head. I do know a little about a lot of things and a lot about a few things, and I'm pretty good at researching the rest. :)
...See More
Need help in connecting DVD player to TV, please!
Q
Comments (17)
Hi, M. Thanks for the suggestion. I discovered that the Sony plays DVDs, but the VHS side doesn't work. That's okay, as I'd already decided to get a new DVD player. As for my VHS tapes, I converted most of them to DVD myself, using a Panasonic DVD recorder (DMR-EZ37V). I did this some years ago, and have no idea if the unit still works. But I'll try it. If not, I guess I'll take the remaining tapes to Sam's Club. But I'm back with more questions. Once concerns space around the TV. I just discovered that the manual recommends at least 4 inches of space on all sides. My 32" set is set in a corner armoire. It has about 4" of space on top and about the same on the bottom, but very little space on the sides--less than 1/4". The good part is that most of the back of the armoire is cut away, and because it's in a corner, not flush with a wall, there's a lot of air circulation that way. Do you think this is okay? I'll post a picture. The other thing is the new DVD player. I was interested in a couple of Samsungs, but I know I'd find it irritating that they have no light to indicate the power is on. Then I looked at some other models from other manufacturers, but most, including the Samsungs, have streaming capability. This seems like overkill to me because, as you can see, I've installed a Fire Stick on the TV. I also don't need 3D. I could get one of these models anyway, but I'd rather not pay for features I don't need. I can pay a lot less for a non-Blu-Ray DVD player. I seriously doubt any of my DVDs are Blu-Ray. Other than being able to play Blu-Ray discs, is there any advantage to getting a Blu-Ray player? Thank you for taking the time to read!
...See More
mtvhike
Original Author
5 years ago
The problem is that I can't use the build-in Roku without signing up for their service, which isn't free. If it were free, why are they asking me for a credit card number? It's just like Apple - they want to be able to be able to charge you.
wdccruise
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Try this*:

1. Browse to roku.com

2. Click 'Sign in' from the top menu.

3. Click 'Create account' button.

4. "When you are registering on your computer once you reach the credit card number dialog box there is an icon that says skip in the right-hand corner of the screen which will allow you to skip this process." -- Source

*I didn't test this as I have no need for a Roku account.
Mike C
5 years ago
There is no fee to get a ROKU account. They do require a credit card to activate the device - but (again) there is no fee to activate the device. Channels that you install may require a (monthly) - Hulu, Netflix, etc. fee. I have a few services, but pay the service (not ROKU) separately. I have 4 ROKU devices, I only had to provide credit card info on the 1st device. As an aside, the card I used has since expired and ROKU has not asked for updated information.
mtvhike
Original Author
5 years ago
Two questions to Lawrence and Mike. I don't want to give my credit card info to any company from whom I don't intend to make any purchases, BUT, if I do get the Roku account, can I use it to pay for Netflix, etc.? I also have a Samsung TV which also has internet and I can access many free sources on line, and also paid services such as Netflix (if I have an account).
Mike C
5 years ago
For billing through ROKU, check out this - https://support.roku.com/article/208756478-how-to-manage-or-cancel-a-subscription-to-a-channel. I have never paid a penny through ROKU services. My Hulu and Amazon Prime are paid separately at my convenience. I can select HULU, Netflix, Amazon Prime through my SmartTV, but have chosen to use my ROKU. There are some differences in capabilities of each device, IE my ROKU stick is capable of streaming 4K, the SmartTV isn't. Youtube is presented differently on the SmartTV VS the ROKU stick.
wdccruise
5 years ago
1. You can add your "streaming device" to an existing Roku account. So you can add your TCL TV to your Roku account and you can add your Samsung TV to your Roku account if you buy a Roku Player for it.

2. You can purchase channels such as Netflix from your Roku account both from your "streaming device" (e.g., TCL TV) and from your computer. Of course, you must have set up a payment method in your Roku account to do this.
Bruce in Northern Virginia
5 years ago
I've had a Roku for quite some time and I don't remember providing credit card information to get it to work. I do have a Roku account and password, but I think its just used to add channels to the Roku. All my payments go through Netflix, Amazon Prime, Plex, etc.

Bruce

Internet connection for TCL "smart" TV

Comments (9)

Elmer J Fudd

wdccruise

Related Discussions

mtvhike
Original Author

wdccruise

Mike C

mtvhike
Original Author

Mike C

wdccruise

Bruce in Northern Virginia

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Internet connection for TCL "smart" TV

Comments (9)

Elmer J Fudd

wdccruise

Related Discussions

mtvhikeOriginal Author

wdccruise

Mike C

mtvhikeOriginal Author

Mike C

wdccruise

Bruce in Northern Virginia

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mtvhike
Original Author

mtvhike
Original Author