Why Is Hulu So Dark On My Roku TV? – (Quick Fix!)

Wondering why is Hulu so dark on my Roku TV? Well, we’ll help you decipher this easily!

When encountering a display problem with Roku, the first step should be to consider whether the settings of the third-party platform (Hulu in your case) are correct.

If your Hulu app appears too dark on your Roku TV, adjust the display settings and picture mode on your TV, or check for any app-specific brightness settings within the Hulu app itself.

Other cases include misconfiguration in the Roku settings or Hulu-related user interface bugs!

Let’s envelop this problem further!

Why Is Hulu So Dark On My TV?

It is unusual for added channels on Roku to be so dark that they are barely visible.

To resolve the problem, identifying the source of the problem is necessary so that we could come up with working solutions.

Here are all possibilities why Hulu is so dark on the Roku device:

• A temporal broadcasting outage with the Hulu channel.
• A problem related to the app cache of the Roku device.
• The Roku device is running outdated system firmware.
• The selected Roku picture mode is darkening your Hulu.
• An issue with the current broadcast that Hulu is playing.

Is Only Hulu That Dark?

It is an absolute necessity to determine whether it is only Hulu with reduced brightness on your Roku or other channels that are also affected.

If the problem entangles other applications as well, you’re facing an issue with the Roku device, rather than the Hulu platform only. 

Hulu Is Dark On Roku TV – Easy Solution Guide!

1. Restart the Hulu Broadcast

There’s a chance that a simple commercial bugged the entire broadcast and now everything within Hulu is temporarily dimmed or the brightness settings got tempered.

To resolve this, it is necessary to exit the current stream within Hulu and switch to an alternative live TV/on-demand.

Here’s how to restart a broadcast within the Hulu application:

1. Press the back arrow button to exit the Hulu broadcast.
2. From the home page of the platform, highlight another stream.
3. Press the “OK” button to start streaming content within Hulu.

Tip: Test multiple different movies and TV shows within Hulu to check whether the dimming problem occurs on all of them.

2. Brighten 4K HDR Roku TV Image!

If the image is dark while playing 4K HDR content on Roku, there is a way to increase the brightness by simply pressing a button on the remote.

All you need to do is play a broadcast that supports 4K HDR and access the picture settings on the Roku device.

• Once a compatible broadcast is played, press the * button on the Roku remote!

Once the quick access settings are displayed on the screen, select “Picture Settings” and scroll down to the “Brightness” slider.

Using the left/right arrow on the remote, increase the brightness of the screen to view Hulu more vividly. 

Note: The Roku device must be compatible with 4K HDR to adjust the brightness settings.

3. Reboot the Roku TV / Player

If Hulu has encountered temporal functionality issues, it’s best to restart the Roku device and access the platform again.

The extensive dimness might be there due to issues with the power of the Roku device or potentially a glitch with the Hulu platform.

Follow these steps to reboot the Roku device effectively:

1. Press the Home button on the Roku remote.
2. Select the “Settings” button and go to “System”.
3. Choose “Power” and then press on the submenu.
4. Select the “Power Off” or “Shut Down” option.
5. Once Roku has powered off, unplug it from power.
6. Wait for 60 seconds while Roku is unplugged.
7. Reconnect the power supply to the Roku device.

Notice: While the Roku device is unplugged, inspect all hardware equipment in the setup!

4. Change the Picture Mode

Some Roku users reported that Hulu’s picture goes dim after a commercial. This is an unusual problem, and the community identified that changing the “Picture Mode” helps.

Well, the actual reason why this helps might be because a switch in the picture mode causes a “refresh”. 

• You only need to switch back to the “Normal” picture mode!

Here’s how to change the picture mode on Roku:

1. (Optional) Wait for a commercial to dim the Hulu screen.
2. Press the “*” (Option button) on the Roku remote.
3. Scroll down to the “Picture Mode” settings.
4. Press the “<” (left arrow) multiple times.
5. Once “Normal Mode” is highlighted, press “OK”.

Note: This is a bug and there is still no permanent solution. 

The way this is expected to unfold is by Hulu releasing a software update for the Roku platform, which will solve the annoying issue.

5. Clear Hulu’s App Cache

To improve the functionality of Hulu and fix any issues with the picture settings, it’s necessary to clean the piled-up app cache.

All installed applications on your Roku device generate a cache over time that fills up in the storage, slows-down performance, and occupies available storage.

Follow these steps to clear the app cache for Hulu and all other apps:

1. Press the “Home” button on the Roku remote.
2. Choose “Home” and then press “Home” 5 times.
3. Press the “UP” button on the Roku remote once.
4. Press the “Fast Forward” button 2 times.
5. Wait for about 10-15 seconds while Roku restarts.

Note: In order to clear all cache generated by applications, Roku has to restart.

6. Re-Add the Hulu Channel

One of the most-effective solutions against darkness in the Hulu app on Roku would be to remove and cleanly re-add the Hulu channel.

In order to access the channel lineup of the Roku device, you need the Roku app or a device with access to an internet browser.

Here’s how to re-add a channel on Roku:

1. Press “Home” on the Roku remote.
2. Highlight the Hulu channel from the list.
3. Press the star button on the Roku remote.
4. Select “Remove channel” and confirm.
5. Launch the Roku app or access it online.
6. Navigate to the “Account” page on Roku.
7. Sign in to your account and go to “Home”.
8. Access the channel store and go to “Channels”.
9. Locate the Hulu channel and press “Add Channel”.

Alert: All custom configurations for the Hulu channel on Roku will be permanently erased!

7. Connect Roku to a Power Outlet

The reason why is Hulu so dark on my Roku TV, could be due to low power income from the outlet or due to a defective power-related component.

This happens, especially when the Roku device is connected to one of the USB ports on the TV and not directly to an electrical outlet.

A potential electrical insufficiency or fluctuation could be making the screen darker and brighter, which is why you might be seeing Hulu darker than usual.

Also, some TVs might automatically go into “Low Power” mode due to power insufficiency, which makes the screen darker.

Here’s how to connect Roku directly to a power outlet:

1. Unplug the USB cable from the back of the TV.
2. Acquire a compatible power adapter for Roku.
3. Connect the USB cable to the back of the adapter.
4. Plug the power adapter into a nearby power outlet.
5. Check if the Roku device will power on and test Hulu.

Note: If there’s no nearby power outlet to the Roku device, use a power cable extender!

8. Factory Reset the Roku Device!

In case Hulu is still dark, we recommend initializing all content and settings on the Roku device by conducting a factory reset.

This process will erase all apps, reset all settings to their factory value and resolve any issues with the screen or brightness on the Roku.

Follow these instructions to factory reset the Roku device:

1. Press the “Home” button on the Roku remote.
2. Scroll down and press the “Settings” button.
3. Choose “System”, then “Advanced system settings”.
4. Press the “Factory Reset” button next and wait.
5. At the options screen, choose “Erase everything”.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Note: After the factory reset is complete you would need to set up your Roku from scratch!

Quick Recap:

This is why is Hulu so dark on my Roku TV and to make the screen brighter, you should increase the brightness of the 4K HDR broadcast and power cycle the device.

In case it doesn’t help set the picture mode to “Normal” and factory reset the Roku TV or player. Follow our blog for more technical resolutions!

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