New Roku Players Hitting the UK 18th October 2017

[schnapps]

According to this Engadget article, Roku will be officially offering to us in the UK two new players from the 18th of October 2017

There will be the Roku Streaming Stick + with 4K & HDR at RRP of £80, together with the Roku Express for a RRP of £30 

Not sure how accurate the article is, if so i might be purchasing a Roku Streaming Stick + to replace my ageing Roku stick 

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/11/roku-uk-4k-streaming-stick/

[schnapps]

Received this email today from Roku Support where i asked them about native 50fps playback on the new recently released UK spec players.

They seem to give a different answer to what members suggested on here ?

I can only confirm my experience with the Roku Express where it definitely plays video back at 60fps.

Here's the email below :- 

Hi 

Your request #(xxxxxxxx) has been marked as resolved.

To add additional comments to this ticket , reply to this email.

Issue : Questions about setup or using my Roku

Joshuapaul Mani, Nov 1, 14:51 PDT:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Roku Customer Service.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and delay in responding to your email.

We understand that you wanted to know whether Roku Express works with 50 fps . We are sorry about that because Roku Stick plus and Roku express supports both 720p and 1080p at 60 fps .


Please write back to us for further assistance.
Thank you for choosing Roku and have a great day.

Regards,
Joshua
Roku customer service

[Anonymous User]

We understand that you wanted to know whether Roku Express works with 50 fps . We are sorry about that because Roku Stick plus and Roku express supports both 720p and 1080p at 60 fps .

I found my Express to be almost unusable on iPlayer due to the 60fps making the picture judder.

I will be dropping it off at the local charity shop at the weekend, will never buy a Roku again if they cant be bothered to provide this simple functionality.

Back to the Now black box!

[Edd18]

Hi, just a quick update on my experience with the streaming stick plus. I've now tried it with NowTV and find the picture to be very good. 

With the auto-adjust refresh rate function enabled programs play smoothly at 25fps but the stick reverts to 60fps when navigating the menus so the screen goes blank for a couple of seconds whilst the refresh rate changes. 

Interestingly this is the reply I got when I enquired about the streaming stick+

Thank you for contacting Roku Customer Support.

You have contacted us regarding the compatible display resolution on Roku stick+

Yes, It will support 50fps playback.

You can check the below link for further.

https://www.roku.com/en-gb/products/streaming-stick-plus

Thank you for providing us with an opportunity to assist you and thank you for choosing Roku.

Regards,
Kumaran Sabarimuthu
Roku Customer Support

[schnapps]

@Edd18

Would you mind try using the BBC IPlayer App on your Roku Streaming Stick + and watch some BBC News with the ticker information bar on the bottom and report back here if the motion is smooth or jerky when your Roku stick is set to Auto Adjust Refresh Rate.

I am guessing there is no option in the settings to force 50 fps playback only Auto Adjust Refresh Rate ?

Cheers. 

[Edd18]

Hi, The news ticker thing does play smoothly at 25fps with Auto-adjust Refresh Rate enabled.

I can't find any way of fixing the frame rate at 50fps.

[commanda6]

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@schnapps wrote:

@Edd18

I am guessing there is no option in the settings to force 50 fps playback only Auto Adjust Refresh Rate ?

Cheers. 

---

Hi @schnapps

Auto adjust refresh rate would actually have the same end result as fixing the output 50 Hz . The issue arises because 50 does not equally divided into 60 /25 does not equally divided into 60. And that leads to motion judder  In effect, what this functionality does is sets the display refresh rate appropriately depending upon the content being played. The BBC stuff should work fine , and if I remember correctly @Edd18 already said he tested it

[chilli2]

So far i havent noticed any 60hz flicker issues with my Roku 3 and ( purple) stick.

 weather or not some people are more prone to it than others, or its the TV/receiving kit ( or a combination of both) i dont know, however the re fresh rate has been discussed on the main roku forums here https://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=107934

The Answer that Schnapps got from roku tech support sounds like the person at Roku didnt understand the question being asked.

As for refresh rate, the details as outlined here https://support.roku.com/en-gb/article/115012823268-how-to-change-the-display-refresh-rate-of-your-r... seem to fix things for those affected by the 60hz flicker if the refresh is set to 24fps , however i dont think this option is present in the expres models, only the 4K Roku devices ( its not present on my Roku 3 running OS8)

[schnapps]

@chilli2

Yeah, it does look like the email i received from the Roku Support person is totally inaccurate 

The Roku support article that you linked on your post together @Edd18 testing confirms that the Roku Streaming Stick Plus 4K player definitely has the Auto Adjust Refresh Rate feature.

Where the Roku article mentions that only 4K players have this function.

I own the Roku Express and can definitely confirm there is no Auto Adjust Refresh Rate feature on this 1080p player where it outputs all video content at 60fps.

I do notice the 60fps judder on things like the BBC News ticker bar info feed or fast panning camera shots across the screen (usually sports in my case) where i mainly purchased the Roku Express for watching movies and TV shows on my projector where the 60fps refresh rate doesn't bother me so much.

[chilli2]

Just checked on my Roku 3, and there is a slight hardly noticable not that smooth scroll on the news ticker, although its not smooth scrolling its not a huge anoyance, alhtough i may de semi de sensitised to it, as my first expeirience of 60Hz was via a Sega Dreamcast where it was an optional mode (50/60Hz) and i always used to select 60Hz

 will try and ask Roku anbout the/a 50Hz mode, see what happens.

[ukbobboy]

@chilli2 @schnapps @commanda6

Hi Chilli

I just have a small query to ask, you said, "...my Roku 3 running OS8". Well, I checked my Roku 3 just now and it's still running OS7.7 - build 4135-04 since 29th August. 

Can you check when your Roku 3 was updated?

Cheers.

UK Bob

[commanda6]

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@ukbobboy wrote:

@chilli2 @schnapps @commanda6

Hi Chilli

I just have a small query to ask, you said, "...my Roku 3 running OS8". Well, I checked my Roku 3 just now and it's still running OS7.7 - build 4135-04 since 29th August. 

Can you check when your Roku 3 was updated?

Cheers.

UK Bob

---

I concur with what you said @ukbobboy the Roku three should not be on OS 8 and least not yet the latest version for the Roku three is 7.7 and that was indeed released sometime in August. I haven't actually heard anything  anywhere to suggest Roku are going to update . I'll check later and post the exact version (build number) my Roku three is using.

If/when they do update older hardware (I've heard rumours older hardware may be updated  early next year ) probably be sometime after new stuff gets whatever patches it needs after the initial release. The way it tends to work with Roku is that their latest hardware gets new software and features first before anything else.

[commanda6]

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@commanda6 wrote:

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@ukbobboy wrote:

@chilli2 @schnapps @commanda6

Hi Chilli

I just have a small query to ask, you said, "...my Roku 3 running OS8". Well, I checked my Roku 3 just now and it's still running OS7.7 - build 4135-04 since 29th August. 

Can you check when your Roku 3 was updated?

Cheers.

UK Bob

---

I concur with what you said @ukbobboy the Roku three should not be on OS 8 and least not yet the latest version for the Roku three is 7.7 and that was indeed released sometime in August. I haven't actually heard anything  anywhere to suggest Roku are going to update . I'll check later and post the exact version (build number) my Roku three is using.

If/when they do update older hardware (I've heard rumours older hardware may be updated  early next year ) probably be sometime after new stuff gets whatever patches it needs after the initial release. The way it tends to work with Roku is that their latest hardware gets new software and features first before anything else.

---

@ukbobboyWhat I meant to say there was I hadn't heard anything specific, which suggests that Roku are going to update the older hardware within the next few weeks. 

[Andy]

@commanda6 They are in the process of rolling out updates now. My Roku updated to 8.0.0 build 4108-04 overnight. Probably take a few days for all boxes to receive it.

[commanda6]

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@Andy wrote:

@commanda6 They are in the process of rolling out updates now. My Roku updated to 8.0.0 build 4108-04 overnight. Probably take a few days for all boxes to receive it.

---

Thanks @Andy I certainly didn't have the knowledge of Yoda this time did I  and I also thought I dictated something I hadn't my first post didn't make sense 

Of course, I just remembered that OS8 has already been out for a month or two in the states survey probably are ready to push it to older kit by now

[Andy]

@commanda6 I wasn't expecting it, and I probably wouldn't have noticed if I didn't see your post! 😄

[schnapps]

Hi @commanda6

This Roku Blog mentions that all Roku players will have the OS 8 update before the end of the year.

https://blog.roku.com/pages/roku-os-8-release-notes

I was wondering, do Roku send out updates in batches maybe working on your box serial number, or maybe if @chilli2 has say for example an American import device would that have any bearing who's Roku players get the updates sooner than others.

To be honest i don't know what procedure Roku uses for rolling out updates to their devices ?

BTW - My old Roku stick Is still on OS 7.7, where i have OS8 on my new Roku Express, where apart from the initial jumping Roku start up logo and the background menu looks slightly different i can't see much difference between both OS's (still need more time testing my Roku Express mind).

Edit - Between getting an Authentication Error on my initial draft post and my slow typing skills looks like @Andy seems to answered the question   

[Andy]

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@schnapps wrote:

do Roku send out updates in batches

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@schnapps Yep

[chilli2]

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@commanda6 wrote:

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@commanda6 wrote:

---

@ukbobboy wrote:

@chilli2 @schnapps @commanda6

Hi Chilli

I just have a small query to ask, you said, "...my Roku 3 running OS8". Well, I checked my Roku 3 just now and it's still running OS7.7 - build 4135-04 since 29th August. 

Can you check when your Roku 3 was updated?

Cheers.

UK Bob

---

I concur with what you said @ukbobboy the Roku three should not be on OS 8 and least not yet the latest version for the Roku three is 7.7 and that was indeed released sometime in August. I haven't actually heard anything  anywhere to suggest Roku are going to update . I'll check later and post the exact version (build number) my Roku three is using.

If/when they do update older hardware (I've heard rumours older hardware may be updated  early next year ) probably be sometime after new stuff gets whatever patches it needs after the initial release. The way it tends to work with Roku is that their latest hardware gets new software and features first before anything else.

---

@ukbobboyWhat I meant to say there was I hadn't heard anything specific, which suggests that Roku are going to update the older hardware within the next few weeks. 

---

Roku 3,  (UK) running  software 8.0.0 build 4108-04

[schnapps]

I was wondering does the Roku Streaming Stick Plus have the newer looking Amazon Video UI App (i.e. similar looking to the Fire TV layout) ?

The reason i am asking is that my new Roku Express still has the old clunky Amazon Video App, where i have been watching a few YouTube videos where American Roku Express owners seem to have the newer Amazon Video UI App (Fire TV style).

So does any of the UK Roku devices older models or the newest 4K Stick Plus model have the newer Amazon Video UI App or not ?

[commanda6]

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@schnapps wrote:

I was wondering does the Roku Streaming Stick Plus have the newer looking Amazon Video UI App (i.e. similar looking to the Fire TV layout) ?

The reason i am asking is that my new Roku Express still has the old clunky Amazon Video App, where i have been watching a few YouTube videos where American Roku Express owners seem to have the newer Amazon Video UI App (Fire TV style).

So does any of the UK Roku devices older models or the newest 4K Stick Plus model have the newer Amazon Video UI App or not ?

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Hi @schnapps

If I could find my Roku streaming stick plus I'd check for you, but it has the course been hidden so I can't have it until Christmas 

@ukbobboy my Roku 3 is now on OS 8 I had to check for an update manually to get it to update. After the update, though it did freeze up. At one point and then all of a sudden came back to life, so it looks like the old freeze ups might have returned in this version the Roku three has always been known to have  lock-ups but mine stopped doing that from about OS 7.5

[ukbobboy]

@commanda6 @schnapps @chilli2 @Andy

Hi C6

Thanks for that bit of info, when you said, "...now on OS 8 I had to check for an update manually....After the update, though it did freeze up....looks like the old freeze ups might have returned". Which I interpret as not to force an update, just to let it happen when it happens.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Cheers

UK Bob