The Roku Ultra Streaming Player is currently the best on the market

[HDTV1080P]

The Roku Ultra Streaming Player is currently the best on the market

When I have free time, 99% of the time I am watching Blu-ray discs for the best picture and sound quality. I hardly use streaming at all; however, a family member I know loves to use streaming (mainly Netflix). Since the new OPPO UDP-203 does not have any streaming features at all under its existing firmware, I ended up needing to purchase a Roku Ultra , which is much better quality then any Blu-ray player on the market when it comes to streaming services (of course optical discs still have the best picture quality since optical discs offer high bit rate 4K Ultra HD with lossless audio). The Roku Ultra is superfast and the voice search feature is excellent. Most of the time when one speaks clearly into the microphone on the remote the Roku voice technology correctly looks up the name of the movie or actor that one is searching for, and then the Roku will inform the user which streaming services are offering the movie. For anyone that likes streaming, I highly recommend the Roku Ultra.

The Roku Ultra Streaming Player for $129.99 was given a 2016 top pick award by Sound and Vision magazine. In the February/March 2017 review on page 48 it mentions that: “No other streaming player has the search capabilities, robust remote app, and casting photos and music”. In summary there exists no better 4K Ultra HD HDR streaming player on the market (much better than what any standalone Blu-ray player or Smart TV offers, unless the Smart TV has Roku built in). One negative is the VUDU app only supports up to lossy 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus. The only two negatives mentioned in the review is “Playback control for music and slideshows is awkward”, and “Doesn’t play Dolby Atmos from Vudu”. Maybe a future firmware update might support lossy Dolby Atmos if the Vudu app is updated with a future firmware update. However physical Blu-ray discs have much better sound quality when it comes to Dolby ATMOS, because Blu-ray discs use the bit for bit studio master lossless 7.1 Dolby TrueHD core soundtrack. Dolby ATMOS is ideal for consumers that have at least a 11.1 surround sound setup.

[HDTV1080P]

The Roku Ultra has a nice RF remote control that allows one to use it in other rooms of their house, plus pushing the remote finder button on the base unit will cause the remote to beep so that one can locate a loss remote. In addition, the Roku Ultra remote is two directional with a built in battery tester that reports the battery level to the base unit. The best feature of the remote is the built in microphone.

Adding a micro SDXC card to the Roku Ultra

The Roku Ultra has 1GB of internal flash storage that is used to store streaming channels and games. At this time Roku Ultra does not offer any downloading services, only streaming videos and games. Consumers can add a micro SD, SDHC, or SDXC card to the Roku Ultra to increase their storage space. Therefore, consumers should be able to install micro SDXC size cards up to 2TB’s in size (2TB size cards have not been released yet, and superfast 256GB and larger micro SDXC cards are currently more expensive then the Roku Ultra). I installed a SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO micro SDXC card that has 95MB/s read speeds and 90MB/s write speeds.


This high-end fast 64GB micro SDXC card can be purchased for $43.95 plus free shipping (SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I/U3 Class 10 Memory Card with Adapter, Speed Up to 95MB/s (SDSDQXP-064G-G46A)).

Once the 64GB micro SDXC card was installed, the Roku Ultra removed the exFAT filesystem and formatted the card using a custom encrypted file system for security reasons. If a consumer has two Roku Ultra devices, then if the card is removed it cannot be read by another Roku Ultra device since each encryption key is unique to that Roku Ultra device (the microSD card must be erased and reformatted in the Roku Ultra device that the card is going to be used in).

Currently under the existing firmware the Roku Ultra will not download movies to a micro SD card, however installing a 64GB micro SDXC card will allow the Roku Ultra to save several thousands of streaming channels and games since the total storage capacity is increased to 65GB (according to technical support both the 1GB internal flash storage and the external flash storage are used by the operating system at the exact same time).

In some rural areas of the United States there is no cable TV service, so some consumers subscribe to Direct TV and Dish Network satellite system to get HD channels, 4K Ultra HD channels, and other programming. However Direct TV with over 20 million subscribers and Dish Network with over 14 million subscribers does not offer any nationwide Christian channels in HD quality (They have over a dozen Christian channels in 480i SD quality). The Roku Ultra has many unique free HD streaming channels that is not offered by most cable and satellite providers. For example there is over 1,000 free Christian streaming channels and many of them are offered in HD quality. I still prefer the quality of cable TV and satellite TV, however the streaming quality keeps improving and 4K streaming of course looks the best.


Some consumers rent Blu-ray discs from REDBOX or Netflix unlimited Blu-ray rentals online, and then to save money they cancel cable TV and satellite TV service and get a Roku Ultra if they want unique streaming channels not found anywhere else. One just needs high-speed Internet to do the 4K Ultra HD streaming with HDR. Some consumers still subscribe to cable TV and satellite TV since sometimes there is exclusive programming that is not offered on streaming channels.





*** Important update ***


In the fourth quarter of 2019 Direct TV for the very first time added a total of two nationwide Christian channels in true HD quality. I have verified that both the Trinity Broadcasting Network and Sonlife Broadcasting Network are now in true 720P HD with 2.0 Dolby Digital stereo for the around 21 million Direct TV subscribers (Before those channels were only in 480i SD quality).

[HDTV1080P]

The Sound and Vision magazine review for the Roku Ultra streaming player was just made available today for free on their website. Here is the link:


http://www.soundandvision.com/conten...FK7Ed2PYAjA.97

[HDTV1080P]

I am hearing comments that lossy Dolby ATMOS now works on the ROKU Ultra when using VUDU. Perhaps the VUDU app was updated. I have not personally tried VUDU and ATMOS since I prefer physical 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs with lossless audio, however maybe sometime in the future I might rent a VUDU movie.

[Clark Kent]

Some people think Nvidia's SHIELD is a better streamer. I've never seen a side-by-side comparison but the SHIELD has more high-powered hardware.

[nycomet]

I love Roku. I have several Rokus in my home.

My only gripe is that Roku doesn't support 3D streaming.

[HDTV1080P]

The Shield Pro is $299.99 with free shipping and is the ultimate videogame streaming device that also does movies like VUDU and Netflix. It comes with a videogame controller since the Shield Pro has exclusive videogames that are too powerful to run on other peoples streaming devices. However, the video and audio quality for things like VUDU and Netflix should be exactly the same as the Roku Ultra. If someone is not interested in videogames then the Roku Ultra for $129.99 is a better device at a cheaper price (excellent voice search). Also someone that is really into videogames are most likely going to purchase a XBOX One that has a 4K Ultra HD BD-ROM drive that can read up to 100GB size videogames on Blu-ray.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by nycomet

I love Roku. I have several Rokus in my home.

My only gripe is that Roku doesn't support 3D streaming.

In theory the Roku Ultra should support 3-D streaming since it has the latest VUDU app and with the latest HDMI interface which is most likely HDMI 2.0b so that it can support both Dolby Vision and HDR10. However this information I posted would need to be verified. I would be surprised if the 3-D feature is disabled from VUDU.

[ewsjr]

https://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=98184
Just to make people aware this is a discussion going on over at the Roku forums about frmware updates that are abusing some pretty serious problems. My Ultra has been perfect but not using for 4K yet. Just in anyone is interested.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

I am hearing comments that lossy Dolby ATMOS now works on the ROKU Ultra when using VUDU. Perhaps the VUDU app was updated. I have not personally tried VUDU and ATMOS since I prefer physical 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs with lossless audio, however maybe sometime in the future I might rent a VUDU movie.

I got my Roku Ultra back in October and back then I got Atmos via DD+ on Vudu.


Not sure what the reviewer was using.

[Scottie]

I've been reading a lot of mixed reviews on this product.

I'm going to purchase an LG OLED or Sony 4K with Smart Features so it almost seems like this is irrelevant.

However, I currently have a Samsung 50" 1080p and I've been having issues with the streaming services. Specifically, Amazon Instant Video almost always appears out of sync when I play a movie. The audio is almost always 1/4 of a second ahead of the video and it's quite noticeable.

A Best Buy tech told me that this is a Samsung issue, but I'm not entirely sure I believe him.

[KenHurd]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I've been reading a lot of mixed reviews on this product.

I'm going to purchase an LG OLED or Sony 4K with Smart Features so it almost seems like this is irrelevant.

However, I currently have a Samsung 50" 1080p and I've been having issues with the streaming services. Specifically, Amazon Instant Video almost always appears out of sync when I play a movie. The audio is almost always 1/4 of a second ahead of the video and it's quite noticeable.

A Best Buy tech told me that this is a Samsung issue, but I'm not entirely sure I believe him.

I have been using my Roku Ultra for a little over a month now, and I've been pretty happy with it. I had some initial problems with it, such as Amazon Video being out of sync, but I was able to get it working properly by connecting the Roku directly to my TV instead of running it through my Onkyo receiver, and using an optical audio cable to send the audio to my receiver. At first, I noticed that Amazon would take about 10 or so seconds before it would stream in HD, but lately it's been starting in HD. I'm not sure if there was a firmware update or what, but I haven't been having any of those issues with it lately.

[zubinh]

You mentioned that you have the Oppo UDP-203. Did you connect the Roku Ultra to the HDMI in of the Oppo? If so, any issues passing thru HDR and Atmos sound? Thanks

[HDTV1080P]

I have never tried using the HDMI input on the OPPO UDP-203, I was only interested in the HDMI output.

[HDTV1080P]

The Roku Ultra was introduced in 2016 as the top of the line flagship Roku device for $129.99. In the year 2017 the Roku Ultra is still the latest top of the line device, but there has been a $30 reduction in the list price, with a new October 2017 list price of $99.99. The advantage of the Roku Ultra is that it offers 4K Ultra HD streaming with HDR, voice search, and Ethernet connection for those that are on a 100% wired or hybrid wired/wireless network. Lower end cheaper Roku models lack voice search technology and also have no Ethernet jack and require WI-FI. Currently Amazon sales the Roku Ultra for $92.72 with free shipping (prices can change daily).

[HDTV1080P]

The Roku Ultra is capable of 4K Ultra HD at 60Hz with HDR. The Roku Ultra will also upscale everything up to 4K Ultra HD at 60Hz, however the maximum downscale resolution is 720P. The Roku Ultra also supports 1080P however, 480i, 480p, and 1080i resolutions are not supported (All 480p streams are upscaled to a minimum of 720P on the HDMI output). The Roku Ultra will also output the streaming source materials native frame rate like 24fps if the application supports it. To turn on this feature go to “Advanced Display Settings”, then go to “Auto-Adjust Display Refresh Rate”, then place a check mark next to “Enable”. Now when watching movies from VUDU, the Roku Ultra will automatically switch the HDMI output from 30Hz or 60Hz to 24Hz if the movie is native 24Hz. Other apps should also work with 24fps as long as the app programmers were smart enough to offer a native source direct mode like 24fps for most movies.

Now when purchasing a streaming movie on VUDU, VUDU has an option where one can now also purchase a physical optical disc for additional fee (Walmart must mail the DVD or Blu-ray to the customer when this option is picked). For example when purchasing a 480P streaming movie, a 480i DVD version of the movie is mailed out, when purchasing a 1080P streaming movie, a 1080P Blu-ray version of the movie is mailed out, when purchasing a 4K Ultra HD streaming movie, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version of the movie is mailed out (however the titles I looked at in the menu for some reason did not offer the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc version, only the 4K Ultra HD streaming version).

While the Roku Ultra is capable of downscaling a 4K Ultra HD streaming source to 1080P or 720P for those consumers that own older displays. The problem is this is only true if the program content does not use HDCP 2.2 technology, like some YouTube videos or other 4K Ultra HD video sources. The problem with the Roku Ultra is that when one uses the VUDU app (verified) and also the Netflix app from what I read, if HDCP 2.2 equipment is not connected then what happens is VUDU and Netflix will not send a 4K Ultra HD stream. The advantage of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format is that native 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs can be downscaled all the way down to 480i even when HDCP 2.2 equipment is not connected (which is ideal for 1080P displays or lower). However the VUDU app if one rents a movie in 4K Ultra HD and tries to stream it to a display or other equipment that is not HDCP 2.2, instead of the signal being downscaled to 1080P like a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player does, instead VUDU only sends the HDX 1080P stream. On most the apps on the Roku Ultra, like VUDU and Netflix, HDCP 2.2 compatible equipment needs to be connected or the 4K Ultra HD stream will not occur.

Therefore, a family member ended up purchasing a 4K Ultra HD rental movie on VUDU, then VUDU popped up a message that they are only going to send the HDX 1080P stream since HDCP 2.2 was not detected. After watching the movie in 1080P on a Pioneer plasma, I connected the Roku Ultra to a HDCP 2.2 4K Ultra HD display and then VUDU streamed the rental movie that was purchased at 4K Ultra HD with lossy Dolby ATMOS surround sound. A 16Mbps Internet connection ended up being fast enough for VUDU 4K Ultra HD streaming (The old 13Mbps Internet speed was not fast enough). However, I could not get the Netflix app in the Roku Ultra to display 4K Ultra HD streaming titles in the menu. Everything I did to troubleshoot the problem resulted in only showing 1080P HD with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus. There is a known issue with the 4K Netflix app on the Roku Ultra sometimes not showing or being able to stream a 4K Ultra HD movie even when a HDCP 2.2 display is connected (I even had the family member upgrade their Netflix account to 4K Ultra HD and still the application was not working correctly but the VUDU application worked perfectly fine). Therefore, I could not test the 4K Netflix feature from the Roku Ultra do to some software bugs preventing me from seeing titles that are offered in 4K Ultra HD from Netflix.

[Webmaster1990]

I currently have the Streaming Stick + enable refresh rate change automatically. In other words, it will go back and forth between 1080/24p and 1080/60p. This is a problem, however, when browsing through Netflix as the video changes its video format as the content changes. This can be very inconvient as sometimes it will change too much and results in stuttering video or nothing at all. My question is: Is there a way to only change the video format when I actually play the movie/tv show I am going to watch; VUDU also shares this same problem but only when rewinding and forwarding.. Also, YOUTUBE seems to have a problem adjusting to 24 frames per second video i.e Movie Trailers, etc.

[Batman1980]

2 Rokus in my house, the niece and nephew need another player, maybe I'll get them this for a birthday.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by Webmaster1990

I currently have the Streaming Stick + enable refresh rate change automatically. In other words, it will go back and forth between 1080/24p and 1080/60p. This is a problem, however, when browsing through Netflix as the video changes its video format as the content changes. This can be very inconvient as sometimes it will change too much and results in stuttering video or nothing at all. My question is: Is there a way to only change the video format when I actually play the movie/tv show I am going to watch; VUDU also shares this same problem but only when rewinding and forwarding.. Also, YOUTUBE seems to have a problem adjusting to 24 frames per second video i.e Movie Trailers, etc.

The Netflix video menu is 60fps (or 30fps that is converted to 60fps), and when a preview trailer starts to automatically play the Roku Ultra will switch to 24fps if the native trailer frame rate is 24fps. Then when one navigates in the menu once the trailer is over, the Roku Ultra switches back to 60fps. Now when watching a 24fps movie there should not be a issue. Its only when the native frame rate of the source changes frame rates is when for a second or a few seconds video is lost (but not during the movie or series). It appears some Sony Blu-ray players the Netflix interface starts at 60fps and then when it switches to 24fps, it stays at 24fps until the Netflix application is exited. So sometimes I believe the menus are shown at 24fps instead of the native 60fps, but the advantage of doing this is that there is less loss of video when navigating in the menu. The work around to the problem is to turn off the 24fps feature in the Roku Ultra. A better solution would be for Roku Ultra to write a firmware update so that the Netflix menu interface stays at a 24fps frame rate and does not switch back to 60fps when the 24fps movie is over. However some videos on Netflix might be native 30fps, in those cases one would want the Netflix Interface to switch to 60fps.

[HDTV1080P]

Updated information about 4K Netflix and 4K VUDU with lossy Dolby Atmos on the Roku Ultra

The Roku Ultra offers lossy Dolby ATMOS object based surround sound (Blu-ray offers 11.1 lossless Dolby ATMOS which is much better). Lossy Dolby Atmos contains a lossy Dolby Digital Plus core soundtrack for older A/V receivers. Both Netflix and VUDU offer many 480P SD and 1080P HD programs with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. In addition, many 4K Ultra HD programs on Netflix and VUDU contain lossy Dolby ATMOS surround sound along with lossy Dolby Digital Plus surround sound for older equipment.

Some older Blu-ray players from 2010 only offer VUDU 1080P with 5.1 Dolby Digital, and only 720P Netflix with 2.0 Dolby Digital. Even some of the latest 2017 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players sometimes only offer a 1080P application for VUDU (with Dolby Digital Plus) and a 4K Netflix application that only supports 5.1 Dolby Digital with no support for Dolby Digital Plus or lossy Dolby Atmos.

4K Netflix on the Roku Ultra (plus a little bit of VUDU information)

I was finally able to get the Netflix interface on the Roku Ultra to work at 4K Ultra HD quality. So that 4K Netflix bug was fixed. After a family member upgraded their Netflix account to 4K Ultra HD premium, and after connecting the Roku Ultra to a HDCP 2.2 display (plus a power cycle on the Roku Ultra), the Roku Ultra Netflix interface finally shows in its menu a list of several programs that are available in 4K Ultra HD. However, the Roku Ultra resolution cannot be set at 720P or 1080P, and must be connected to a 4K Ultra HD display that also has HDCP 2.2. Once the Netflix interface detects HDCP 2.2 and the Roku Ultra detects a 4K display is connected, then everything works. On an Internet connection of only 16Mbps, I was able to stream a 4K Ultra HD movie over Netflix successfully as long as no one else in the house was using the Internet. Now VUDU will show a list of 4K Ultra HD titles available but if one is connected to a 1080P display, VUDU will not allow for a 4K Ultra HD stream, and instead only streams 1080P. Again, HDCP 2.2 is a requirement to do any 4K Ultra HD streaming on VUDU. VUDU also works fine at 4K Ultra HD resolutions with a Internet connection speed of only 16Mbps, as long as no one else in the house is using the Internet.

The Roku Ultra also supports High Dynamic Range streaming for 4K Ultra HD programs (Something that appears to be missing from some 2017 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players when the streaming feature is activated).