Else Sues Roku and TCL Over 2024 TV Update Bricking — Roku Software Update Defects Lawsuit
Terri Else has filed a roku software update defects lawsuit accusing Roku and TTE Technology, doing business as TCL North America, of selling televisions that became unusable after software updates. The case says Roku TV products sold from Dec. 16, 2024, to the present can be left blacked out, degraded, or completely inoperable.
Else v. Roku, Inc.
Else, the named plaintiff, says the defects were built into the update process and were not disclosed before purchase. She is seeking to represent a nationwide class and a California subclass in Case No. 8:26-cv-00748 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Roku Select and TCL Series
The suit covers Roku Select Series, Roku Plus Series, and TCL 3/4/5/6 Series Roku TVs. That scope matters for buyers who assumed the TVs would stay usable through automatic updates, because the complaint says the updates instead can corrupt the device experience to the point of inoperability.
Software updates at issue
The lawsuit says Roku’s software updates are repetitively defective, materially impairing the functionality of Roku products, rendering many consumers’ televisions either entirely unusable (‘bricked’), blacked out or otherwise substantially degraded in terms of device performance. It also says consumers have reported repeated system failures and that the defendants offer no recourse.
Else claims breach of express and implied warranties, along with violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act. She is asking for declaratory and injunctive relief, actual and statutory damages, restitution, and a jury trial, which puts the practical question on the table for owners of affected sets: whether the televisions can be repaired, replaced, or compensated through the case.
