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Roku TV Picture Blurry or Washed Out? Try These Fixes

Fix blurry fast motion, a washed-out picture, halos around moving objects and the soap-opera look on a Roku TV with picture modes, motion, HDR and reset settings.

Updated 8 min read

Quick Answer

While a show is playing, press the Star button on your Roku remote and select Picture settings, Customize Picture, then Expert settings. For blurry sports, turn Action Clarity On, Low or Medium. For films that look like a soap opera, set Action Smoothing to Low or Off, and avoid High settings. If moving edges have halos, turn Sharpness down to 10–20, and if HDR shows look washed out, make sure Picture mode is set to HDR Dark, HDR Standard or HDR Bright.

Common causes

  • Action Smoothing set too high, giving films a soap-opera look
  • Action Smoothing or Action Clarity off, or set too high, for fast motion
  • Sharpness or contrast set too high, or motion features overlapping
  • HDR content not being handled properly by the TV
  • A Roku OS update that changed motion or picture defaults
  • A problem with your Wi-Fi connection
  • Low Power picture mode, the default on Roku OLED TVs

Step-by-Step Solutions

Play a show or video while you work through these steps, and watch for a minute or two after each change before you adjust again.

  1. Step 1: Choose a different picture mode

    Picture modes are presets that change the whole look of the image, and Low Power is the out-of-box default.

    Start streaming a movie or TV show, or switch to the Live TV, HDMI or AV input you want to fix. Press Star on your Roku remote, select Picture Settings, then Picture Mode, and change the mode with the left and right buttons on your remote.

    Your TV stores separate picture mode settings for each video input, so set the mode on each input you use.

    • Roku Smart Picture (recommended): automatically selects the best picture mode for what you’re watching.
    • Low Power: optimized to save energy. This is the default out-of-box setting.
    • Standard: good for everyday viewing in moderate to bright rooms.
    • Vivid: an intense, brilliant picture for rooms with a lot of light.
    • Sports: optimized for sports, where camera panning and action shots are common.
    • Movie: ideal for darker rooms.
    Good to know

    Roku OLED TVs come set to Low Power picture mode by default on every input to protect the panel and help prevent burn-in, so the picture looks dimmer. Roku says this is normal. For a brighter image, press Star while watching, or open Settings, then TV picture settings, and choose Roku Smart Picture Max.

  2. Step 2: Adjust the motion settings for blurry fast motion

    Blurry or smeared fast motion, especially in sports, is often caused by Action Smoothing or Action Clarity being off or set too high.

    Play a show or sports video, press the Star button on your Roku remote, and select Picture settings, Customize Picture, then Expert settings. Roku lists three motion options there, described below.

    For sports, turn Action Clarity On, Low or Medium. Avoid High settings, which can cause odd motion or ghosting. Watch for a minute or two, then adjust again until the motion looks natural.

    • Action Smoothing controls motion processing.
    • Action Clarity helps sharpen moving objects. It’s available on Roku Select 4k, Plus and Pro Series TVs.
    • LED Motion Clarity reduces blur by inserting dark frames. It’s available on Roku Plus and Pro Series TVs, and only on some models.
    Good to know

    Expert Picture Settings is available on 4K Roku TV models, and your TV needs Roku OS 12.5 or higher to open it on screen. On an older version, you can still use Expert Picture Settings in the Roku mobile app. Action Smoothing, Action Clarity and LED Motion Clarity may be absent or named differently on partner Roku TVs, so check with your TV’s manufacturer for details.

  3. Step 3: Turn down Action Smoothing for films

    When motion smoothing is too high, it adds fake frames that make films and shows look overly smooth or artificial, like a soap opera.

    Play a movie or show, open Expert settings as in the previous step, and turn Action Smoothing to Off or Low.

    If you still want a little sharpness in moving scenes, leave Action Clarity on Low.

  4. Step 4: Lower Sharpness to remove halos

    A haze or glow around moving objects can happen when motion features overlap or when the sharpness or contrast settings are too high.

    In the picture settings, turn Sharpness down to 10–20, because a setting that’s too high can cause halos. Make sure Action Smoothing is set to Low or Off.

    If you see flickering, turn LED Motion Clarity Off. Then restart the video and check again.

    Good to know

    Only Roku Plus and Pro models have Local dimming and support the LED Motion Clarity setting.

  5. Step 5: Check the HDR picture mode and brightness

    If the picture looks dim, faded or washed out, especially in bright scenes or HDR, your TV may not be handling HDR content properly.

    The HDR signal can sometimes make colors look flat or grey instead of bright and detailed. While HDR content is playing, press the Star button, select Picture settings, Customize picture, then Expert settings, and make sure Picture mode is set to HDR Dark, HDR Standard or HDR Bright.

    Check for HDR Brightness, Color Temperature or Local Dimming settings, and try lowering Brightness. If colors look dull, increase Contrast slightly and lower Brightness a little.

    Good to know

    The HDR picture modes appear only when your TV supports HDR, and HDR settings are available on Select 4k, Plus and Pro Series Roku TVs. If HDR or 4K won’t turn on at all, see our guide to Roku 4K and HDR not working.

  6. Step 6: Change HDMI mode for a cable box or game console

    If the washed-out picture comes from an HDMI device such as a cable box or game console, Roku suggests changing that input’s HDMI mode.

    Open Settings, select TV inputs, select the HDMI input your device uses, then select HDMI mode and change it from Auto to Standard.

    Restart the TV and check the picture again.

    Good to know

    Because your TV keeps picture mode settings for each input, check the picture mode on the HDMI input itself. In Customize picture you can also select Apply settings to all inputs.

  7. Step 7: Update the TV and reset the picture settings

    Some Roku OS updates change motion or picture defaults, for example turning motion smoothing back on or altering HDR color balance.

    Open Settings, select System, then System update, and select Check now to install any new fixes.

    To undo the changes you made to the current picture mode, play a video, press Star, select Picture settings, then Customize picture, then Reset Settings, and select Reset.

    If the picture changed suddenly after an update, reset only the picture: open Settings, select System, then Advanced system settings, then Factory reset, and select Reset TV picture settings. Then re-adjust your preferred motion and picture settings.

  8. Step 8: Check your Wi-Fi connection

    If the picture still looks blurry after you adjust the settings, Roku says it could be an issue with your Wi-Fi connection.

    To improve your Wi-Fi connection, see the Wi-Fi steps in our guide to a Roku that keeps buffering.

Picture still blurry or washed out?

Roku says most blur or haze problems on Roku TVs come from picture settings, not hardware. If the problem continues after you’ve tried every step, note your TV model number, your Roku OS version and the app or input where the problem appears, then contact Roku Support. If your TV isn’t a Roku-branded TV, contact its manufacturer.

Before you reset anything: Reset Settings erases all the changes you made to the selected picture mode, and Reset TV picture settings resets only the picture settings, so you’ll need to re-adjust your preferred motion and picture settings afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the soap opera effect on a Roku TV?

It’s the overly smooth, artificial look films get when motion smoothing is set too high and adds fake frames. Setting Action Smoothing to Low or Off avoids it.

Why can’t I find Expert settings or Action Smoothing on my Roku TV?

Expert Picture Settings is available on 4K Roku TV models and needs Roku OS 12.5 or higher on the TV; on an older version you can use it in the Roku mobile app. Action Smoothing, Action Clarity and LED Motion Clarity may also be absent or named differently on partner Roku TVs.

Why won’t Expert Picture Settings open on my Roku TV?

Expert Picture Settings needs either an active HDMI input or an active stream. If you see “Changing Expert Picture Settings requires the Roku device to have a physical input selected or an active video stream”, start playing a video or switch to an HDMI input, then try again.

Why does my Roku OLED TV picture look dimmer?

Roku OLED TVs use Low Power picture mode by default on every input to protect the panel and help prevent burn-in, which Roku says is normal and intentional. Choose Roku Smart Picture Max if you prefer a brighter image.

Why does the picture look different on my cable box input?

Your Roku TV stores separate picture mode settings for each video input. Set the picture mode while you’re on that input, or select Apply settings to all inputs in Customize picture.

Sources & review

This guide was checked against Roku’s official support instructions on October 6, 2026. Device options can change with software updates.

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