Direct answer
For the Roku Express, input selection, source output, cable, port and handshake should be tested in a direct minimal chain. First, connect one source directly with a known certified cable at standard resolution.
What this covers
- Roku Express (3960R/3960X)
- Roku player or Roku TV family; remote type, Wi-Fi radio, Ethernet and Dolby formats vary by model.
- The specific fault this record addresses: shows no signal on HDMI
What it does not cover
- ×The same symptom on a different Roku product line, which has its own record and its own cited source
- ×An on-screen error code whose meaning has not been checked against this exact model's manual
- ×Live electrical, gas, sealed-system, internal battery-cell or structural repair — a technician boundary, not a self-service step
Differential
What actually causes this, and how to tell them apart
These are ordered by how often each one is the answer, not by how easy it is to try. The point of the middle column is that two causes producing the same headline symptom rarely produce the same detail — that detail is what tells you which one you have before you change anything.
- 1
The cable cannot carry the bandwidth being negotiated
What separates it No signal specifically at high resolution or high refresh rate, while lower settings work. Common when a 4K120 or 8K source is connected with an older cable.
How to confirm Bandwidth requirements rose sharply with HDMI 2.1. A cable that worked perfectly for 4K60 may fail entirely at 4K120. Test by lowering the source's output resolution — if the picture returns, the cable is the limit.
- 2
The port does not support the format being sent
What separates it No signal on one specific port while another works with the same cable and source.
How to confirm Most televisions support their highest bandwidth on only some ports, and the manual states which. A console set to 4K120 plugged into a lower-bandwidth port shows nothing at all.
- 3
The HDMI handshake has stalled
What separates it It worked yesterday, nothing changed, and now there is no signal.
How to confirm Power everything off, unplug the TV from the wall for 60 seconds, then power on the TV first and the source second. A stalled handshake is extremely common and this clears most of them.
- 4
An enhanced-format setting is enabled on a port that cannot sustain it
What separates it No signal after enabling an Enhanced, HDMI UHD Colour or Input Signal Plus setting for that port.
How to confirm These settings raise the bandwidth the port negotiates. Turning the setting off for that port restores a picture, at reduced capability.
- 5
A device in the middle of the chain cannot pass the format
What separates it No signal only when routed through a receiver, switch or soundbar, and fine when connected directly.
How to confirm Connect the source directly to the set as a test. The weakest device in the chain sets the ceiling for the whole chain.
- 6
Copy protection has failed to negotiate
What separates it A black screen or an HDCP error on protected streaming content, while menus and other apps display fine.
How to confirm That split — menus fine, protected content black — is characteristic of an HDCP failure, usually caused by an adapter, splitter or non-compliant cable.
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
Every item below stops existing the moment a reset, re-pair or settings change is made. Written down first, they are what separates the causes above; recovered afterwards, they are guesswork.
- Whether the problem follows the port, the cable, or the source when each is swapped.
- The resolution and refresh rate the source is set to output.
- Whether the port is one the manual lists as supporting that bandwidth.
- Whether menus display but protected content is black, which points at HDCP rather than bandwidth.
Power everything off, unplug the TV for 60 seconds, then power on the TV first
ReversibleA stalled HDMI handshake is one of the most common causes and this clears most of them.
Change one variable at a time: port, then cable, then source
ReversibleSwapping several at once produces a working picture with no idea which change fixed it.
Lower the source's output resolution or refresh rate as a test
ReversibleIf the picture returns, the cable or the port cannot carry the bandwidth the source was requesting.
Confirm the port supports the format, using the manual's port table
ReversibleMost sets support their highest bandwidth on only some ports.
Connect the source directly, bypassing any receiver, switch or soundbar
ReversibleThe weakest device in the chain sets the ceiling for the entire chain.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
Generic advice for the product line fails here. Each item below is a property of this specific model family that changes which of the steps above apply to you.
- Model scope
- 3960R/3960X. Roku player or Roku TV family; remote type, Wi-Fi radio, Ethernet and Dolby formats vary by model.
- Device type — streaming player, not a TV
- An entry streaming box for a TV's HDMI port; no panel of its own, so picture settings live on the TV. Runs Roku OS.
- Resolution — 1080p HD only, NOT 4K
- The decisive limit: the base Express (3960) outputs Full HD 1080p only — it cannot do 4K or any HDR. A '4K content looks soft / won't play in 4K' complaint on this model is the device ceiling, not a fault. The Express 4K, Stick 4K or Ultra are the 4K options.
- Connectivity / hardware
- The most basic hardware in the range (512MB memory), single/dual-band Wi-Fi, no Ethernet. Its smaller memory is why it feels slower and is more prone to app slowdowns than the 4K models; a restart (Settings › System › Power › System restart) clears most of those.
- Symptom boundary
- This record covers Roku Roku Express when it shows no signal on HDMI. A different symptom on the same hardware, or this symptom on a different Roku product line, has its own record with its own causes and its own cited source.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
Continuing past any one of these costs more than the repair saves — in safety, in warranty, or in evidence a technician needs.
- !Do not use HDMI splitters or adapters marketed as removing copy protection — they frequently cause the handshake failures they claim to solve.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Visible sources support the visible claims. Home Product Support records the publisher, the fact used and the review date; community reports can suggest an issue but do not become a published fact on their own.
Where the manufacturer's article stops. Roku publishes this as "What to do if you see an “HDCP Error Detected” message or a purple screen". Roku's HDMI handshake article; a failed HDCP negotiation is what produces no signal or a purple screen. Probed 2026-08-21: title-verified. What that article does not carry is the model boundary — it is written for a product line, and 3960R/3960X is the scope applied here. Where a control label, terminal, indicator pattern or reset sequence differs on your unit, the manual for that exact model is the authority, not this page and not the article.
Exact questions
Common follow-ups
Why won't my Roku Express play 4K?+
The base Roku Express (model 3960) is a 1080p Full HD device — it has no 4K or HDR capability at all, so 4K content is streamed to it at 1080p. That is the hardware limit, not a setting or a fault. For 4K you need the Roku Express 4K, Streaming Stick 4K or Ultra.
It worked yesterday and now says No Signal with nothing changed.+
That is usually a stalled HDMI handshake, and there is a reliable fix: power everything off, unplug the TV from the wall for a full 60 seconds, then power the TV on first and the source second. The order matters, because the display has to be ready to negotiate before the source starts trying.
My console shows no signal at 4K120 but works at 4K60.+
That is a bandwidth limit — either the cable or the port. HDMI 2.1 needs substantially more bandwidth than 4K60 did, so a cable that has always worked can fail completely at the higher mode. Check the manual for which ports support the full bandwidth, since most televisions only support it on some of them.
Does this answer apply to every Roku model?+
No. It is scoped to 3960R/3960X. Roku player or Roku TV family; remote type, Wi-Fi radio, Ethernet and Dolby formats vary by model.
What should I record before troubleshooting HDMI no signal or input?+
Record the complete model identifier, exact message or indicator, software/firmware where visible, the operating stage and what still works.
Why is a factory reset not the first step?+
A reset can erase accounts, networks, maps, schedules or preferences without distinguishing HDMI no signal, input. The ordered checks preserve that evidence.
When should I stop and use qualified service?+
Stop for hot connectors, bent ports, sparks or signal loss when a fixed port moves.
Answer for the exact device and software version shown above.