Fix Roku Apple TV+ ‘Video Not Available’ Error

Users of the Apple TV+ channel on Roku devices seem to be experiencing a common error when they try to watch content. They receive an error that says “Video not available. There is a problem loading this video, if this continues check your internet connection.” Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take to try to fix this problem.

What Causes This Error?

It seems that somewhere, a change was made by either Apple or Roku that suddenly caused problems with playing video in Apple TV+. The channel seems less resilient to Internet bandwidth issues than it was before. It seems that when the channel encounters minimal network connection problems, it just aborts and displays to ‘Video Not Available’ error instead of attempting to buffer the video.

Fix 1 – Improve Internet Connection

Be sure your Roku has a solid connection to the Internet. Try unplugging your network router and modem, then plugging them back in. If you’re using a Wi-Fi connection, ensure it is connected to a 5GHz network instead of a 2.4GHz network. 2.4 GHz networks are not as reliable because of interference from the many items that use 2.4GHz networks such as microwaves, baby monitors, and cameras. An even better option would be to use a wired Ethernet connection if possible.

For more tips about solving Wi-Fi connection problems, read our guide “Roku Won’t Connect to WiFi (Error 014-40)“.

Fix 2 – Switch to SD Video

This is the workaround that many users have had success with. These steps will set the Apple TV+ app to play video in a lower quality. This will allow more durability for when there is a blip in the Internet connection.

• Open the Apple TV+ app.
• Arrow over to the right to choose the Settings gear.
• Set both the “Limit Purchase and Rentals to SD” and “Limit Playback to SD” to “On“.
  

Fix 3 – Change Display Type Setting

1. From the Home screen of the Roku, select “Settings” on the left pane.
2. Open “Display type“.
3. Try a selection that is not “Auto detect”. See which one works best for you. I went with “4k 60hz“.

I hope these steps help you solve the “Video Not Available” error on your Apple TV+ Roku app. Drop me a comment below to let me know if it worked for you.