Roku has announced a forthcoming software update to address a significant issue affecting its Roku TVs, restoring the ability to access over-the-air (OTA) broadcast channels via an HDTV antenna even when no internet connection is available. The company confirmed the problem directly to Cord Cutters News, acknowledging that recent platform changes had inadvertently made the Live TV Guide and antenna functionality dependent on an active internet link in many cases. Cord Cutters News first reported this over the weekend.
For years, Roku TVs equipped with a coaxial input have provided seamless support for free local broadcast signals from major networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. This feature has been especially valuable for cord cutters who rely on antennas for reliable, fee-free access to live programming. A core advantage of this setup has always been its independence from broadband service—allowing viewers to tune into local stations during internet outages, power flickers, or other disruptions that knock out online connectivity.
Recent enhancements to the Roku operating system, particularly deeper integration of free ad-supported streaming content into the Live TV Guide, altered this dynamic. The guide now merges traditional OTA broadcasts with numerous internet-streamed live channels from The Roku Channel and partner services. While these updates have improved search capabilities, content discovery, and the overall unified viewing experience, they appear to have introduced a reliance on online connectivity for the guide to load properly. Without internet, many users encountered a blank or gray screen when attempting to access the antenna input or browse channels, effectively blocking OTA viewing until a connection was established, even temporarily.
Testing by Cord Cutters News verified the behavior: the interface refused to let you watch your antenna without an internet connection. Once you had an internet connection, you could watch your antenna and keep watching it if the internet went out, but you couldn’t change channels without internet. This dependency proved especially problematic during high-demand events like live sports on local affiliates, where internet failures left viewers unable to fall back on their antennas.
The issue seems to stem from recent updates to the Roku Live guide that offered more free streaming channels, search, and more. Now, Roku says they are working on a fix for that issue that will soon make it so Roku TVs will let you watch your antenna even if your internet stops working.
Roku says its engineering teams are actively developing and deploying a fix, with rollout expected over the coming weeks. The update will ensure that antenna-fed channels function reliably offline, preserving the core offline capability that has long defined Roku TVs for broadcast reception. Once applied—through an automatic over-the-air software push—the change should eliminate the need for an internet connection to access and navigate OTA TV channels.
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