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

Roku Plus Series TV shown at side angle — (Image credit: Future)

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.

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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.

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