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edtv411's avatar
edtv411
Newbie
3 years ago

YouTube and YouTubeTV 720p picture quality on Roku Ultra (2018 & 19) devices

I've noticed that both YouTube and YouTubeTV are having quality issues with any 720p streams from both YouTube and YouTubeTV.  Both of these issues are happening on my Roku Ultra devices.  Both devices are up to date (both apps and Roku software).  I even did a factory reset on one of them and the issue came back.

Most notably, this happens on any YTTV channel where their max resolution is 720p.  Even by selecting that resolution by default, the result is a very blocky, pixellated picture, and it even does the same when the same setting is applied to channels that are available in 1080.  It also does it on the default setting.  Once I switch back to 1080 on those channels, the picture is fine.  The only thing I have not done is  to delete and re-install the app...is that worth a try?  It's just a pain I'm trying to avoid since all my Roku devices have the family accounts on them and I would need to set all those up all over again...

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  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    3 years ago

    Hi  edtv411

    Thank you for the inquiry!

    Many channels on Roku are maintained by the channel provider themselves. Since the error only occurs on the YouTube channel, that's an indication that there's likely an issue within that specific channel that needs to be addressed with an update from them. We indeed recommend contacting YouTube Support to report the issue and get help.

    Thank you for your understanding.


    Warm Regards,
    Lianna

  • UserOfStreamers's avatar
    UserOfStreamers
    Roku Guru
    3 years ago

    edtv411 

    You could try reinstalling the YTTV app, but it wont impact this issue at all.

    if the Auto (default) setting for 720p/1080p/4K channels results in macroblocking/low resolution, the solution is always to manually select 720p/1080p/4K (once for each resolution) - this is the recommended configuration regardless.

    "Auto" relies on stepping/ramping from very low resolutions to begin coupled with network conditions to determine the resolution.

    However, even with manual resolution selection, this may occasionally need to be re-done, due to app updates, firmware updates, changed network configuration, or changed network conditions (e.g. dropped packets/low bandwidth).

    Make sure your network conditions are reliable (e.g. if using WiFi, try using 5Ghz instead of 2.4Ghz, or switch channels) to prevent/minimize this from occurring, and be prepared to occasionally manually configure each resolution.

     

  • ROGERCPOST's avatar
    ROGERCPOST
    Channel Surfer
    3 years ago

    ME TOO!

    MY ROKU IS CONNECTED TO A 1080P TV. I AM NOTICING THAT YOUTUBE VIDEOS THAT ARE 720P LOOK AWFUL, POOR INTERPOLATION UP TO 1080P. YOUTUBE 1080P MATERIAL IS FINE. MY TIVO FOR COMPARISON PLAYS YOUTUBE 720P VIDEOS WITH GREAT QUALITY. WHY DOES THE ROKU DO SUCH A POOR JOB OF PLAYING 720P YOUTUBE VIDEO???

  • dt9's avatar
    dt9
    Newbie
    2 years ago

    Fix poor quality on live sports. Go to ROKU settings - network - about - scroll to bandwidth saver and set it to off