Channels & viewing

[Toddwrtr]

Seriously doubt it, I just got off a lengthy call with Nathan, a Customer Support (lol) supervisor at Roku, and from what he has been told, the issue is still under investigation.

Also, be aware that these Roku OS updates can often take MONTHS to roll out to all supported devices.

[blade_005]

I'm aware that it may not 'fix' the issue and will be a lengthy rollout process. It was just an FYI to the thread in case anyone was still hopeful for a resolution. I have TCL Roku TV's, so they will likely be one of the last to receive an update. It is the reason I have a Fire TV 4K Max connected to each Roku TV. If something is in 4K, Dolby Vision and ATMOS audio on Paramount+ I have a platform that has worked well.

[iFrog]

I have Apple TV(s) for the same reason, and it's not just Paramount+.  It seems like any service can break on any platform at any given time.  With that aside though,  Roku still doesn't support Apple Music, so the Apple TV is also my go to set top device for this as well.  I think currently, Paramount+'s HDR issue is the only current problem I have with my Roku players.

[blade_005]

It's the streaming world. If you don't take a 'belts and suspenders' approach to streaming platform options you will likely be disappointed about some level of support on some app most of the time. 

[iFrog]

Well, it's also how streaming has changed over the years as well.  When I first invested in the technology, it was with the intentions it was a cable tv replacement, and I mainly got it for 2 to 3 channels I  wanted to watch, which had free apps which was a better deal than paying for a package that costs more and I watched almost none of just to get what I wanted.  As far as streaming specific, I think my most used for years were Netflix, and VUDU, and sometimes amazon video.  With all that said: Streaming for me was to replace cable, and any serious movie watching, was still to be from physical media, be it DVD, or Blu-ray (now 4k Blu-ray). I feel part of the problem is there are too many standards now, and people expect too much, and when this happens things break.  In saying this though, I do appreciate the advances that have come to the platforms, because I myself also do benefit.  I'm just someone who usually prefers stability to features though, that can be a frustrating choice today.

[UserOfStreamers]

@iFrog 

Not sure that there are too many standards (unless you are referring to the different streaming platforms as "standards"), or that people expect too much, but rather that they expect things to continue working as they have previously (e.g. not for 4K/HDR10/DV playback to go missing for nearly half a year) and that new features/functionality get introduced over time with updates, without sacrificing reliability/quality availability, commensurate with hardware/software advances.

However, because this isnt/hasnt been the case at times/more recently (e.g. the last 2 years with awful initial RokuOS version upgrade releases, major carriage disputes, eliminating 99% of "private channels"), they either abandon the platform altogether, or are forced/required/choose to implement a multi-platform streaming strategy that they otherwise wouldnt have.

The simple fact is Roku has had a rough couple of years, user-side especially given the above mentioned issues, and coupled with user-wariness, it doesnt seem to have abated.

The P+ HDR issue apparently introduced with RokuOS 10.5.0 is just symbolic/emblematic of the general state of Roku-things writ large (or small, if you dont care about P+ HDR).

[Streamer317]

@UserOfStreamers  But HDR works in Netflix, Prime, HBO Max and Disney+. If 10.5 broke HDR entirely then yes it is a Roku issue. But this is not the case. This involves a mutual hand shake between 2 companies to come up with a resolution. Just like when Google was arguing with Roku about YouTube TV.  Roku has a history of banging heads with various companies. 

[UserOfStreamers]

@Streamer317 

No one claimed OS 10.5 "broke HDR entirely" - the implication is that a change/bug in OS 10.5 (perhaps related to HDR10+) caused HDR playback failure for the P+ app - the loss of HDR playback in P+ coincides with the rollout of OS10.5, and no intervening P+ app updates have restored it, but statements have now been made by multiple Roku employees (coupled with Paramounts help/support pages stating 4K isnt available with OS10.5) either heavily suggesting or outright stating that OS11 restores it.

[iFrog]

I probably should have been more specific.  When I was referring to too many standards, I was referring to SD, HD, 4K, 4K HDR, and then the different standards of HDR, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+.

That's a lot to manage especially when each require different things to work correctly.  I'm not making this a "Roku specific issue", I'm making it a "streaming as a whole, issue".  I'm not even making this a Paramount+ specific issue.  The point about people expecting to have things continue working as they always have I can also understand.  As a consumer that uses these products, that would be my expectation as well.  However, as someone who has studied broadcast, and has a technical background and has an understanding of how things work over the average person who just wants to watch content, I still want to pull my hair out at times, and forget about all the new standards at times.  It can be extremely frustrating.  That's why on one hand, I'm glad I have an older TV with less things to go wrong when it comes to what it supports.  At the same time though, as someone who wants to do their best to keep up with the latest standards for experience, and educational reasons, it would be nice to have a newer TV.  So I'm just saying, I understand both sides of the argument, and can see both points of view.

[UserOfStreamers]

@iFrog 

Unfortunately the streaming industry inherits all the issues/foibles/failures/drawbacks/caveats/etc of the IT industry AND all the same from the broadcast/movie/cable/content industries - a quintuple? whammy for consumers - and if you think about it, thats exactly what we've seen in the past 2 years, especially on the Roku platform (bad forced software upgrades, carriage disputes, content removal, quality limitations/degradations).

At the high-end of streaming (in terms of A/V quality & content access expectations and experiences), a consumer has to be tech-oriented/hobbyist (just as it is elsewhere), otherwise they are going to have a very limited frustrating experience.  So, if you want the best quality content experience, you need to understand all the different specs and standards at play, both with your own devices, and in general.

At the end of the day (cliche considered), we all just want to watch what we want to watch, when and how and where we want to watch it, and when that is limited/precluded/prevented, especially when we were able to do so 24 hours (or nearly 6 months) earlier, it creates a lot of stress and frustration, which is often what many are trying to reduce/avoid when watching.

The best (pre)solution/setup for all-things-streaming-related (including those caused by bad software updates, such as loss of P+ HDR playback) is to implement a multiplatform streaming strategy (I always recommend 3 different platforms, one of which is Android/Android TV, which has working P+ HDR playback as it happens), which is very affordable, considering devices can be had for $20-50 - and it saves lots of time and stress, even if you are tech/hobbyist oriented.