Channels & viewing

[pixelatedguy83]

Hi all,

Please help, both Roku's in my house (about 2 years old) are extremely pixelated (like unwatchable) when playing live TV (YouTubeTV, FoxSports, ESPN App). This is happening on the TV downstairs as well as the projector upstairs so it's obviously the Roku devices

I've bought new HDMI cords, it didn't help. I've tested the connection speed and both Roku's are getting 41-43mbps up and down. No issue there. Can someone please help? I've reset network settings and the roku themselves, it did not fix the issue. Please help!

[RokuDanny-R]

Greetings @pixelatedguy83 

Welcome to the Roku Community and thanks for posting regarding your pixelation during playback on your Roku devices.

Can you please provide more specific information about what you are experiencing? What Roku model devices are you using? Have you already tried removing the affected channels, restarting the Roku device(s), and then re-installing the channels to see if the issue persists?

Please keep us posted from what you find out and we will be able to assist you further.

Thanks,
Danny

[pixelatedguy83]

Thanks Danny.

When I use live streaming apps (YouTubeTV, FoxSports, ESPN) through Roku all of the shows/events/games are extremely pixelated. It can go from very pixelated to somewhat pixelated but it never is broadcasting anywhere near HD quality. When I use those exact same apps on my phone, computer, or tablet, it is crystal clear HD so it's something to do with the Roku. It is happening on both tv's in our house. Internet speed to the room where the Rokus are is 380mbps but the Roku is only receiving 31mbps (which should still be more than enough to stream HD without pixelation).

I have reset the Roku, the network settings, and removed the apps and turned off Roku then reinstalled and it was better for a 10-15 minutes then went back to pixelation again. It is a Model 3920X Roku Premiere, less than two years ago. Really disappointed especially given the current price I'm paying, appreciate any help. 

[atc98092]

@pixelatedguy83 I don't use any of those channels myself, but we do use Pluto TV on occasion, which offers much of the same content that some of those others might have. I will say that on occasion they start out very pixelated, but basically "ramp up" to a higher quality image after a short time. But your description seems to sound like the bitstream never ramps up.

I was having that issue with Netflix a number of years ago, and my ISP discovered that I was being throttled somewhere out on the Internet. They were never able to find the source, and several months later it went aware on its own. But I was getting video quality that made VHS look good, so I understand how difficult it is to watch something like that. Even though you are showing a reasonable bitrate on your Internet connection (as I was with mine), I would still raise a complaint with your ISP and ask them to look into it. They will need to know the services that are giving you the problem. Simply telling them "all of them" doesn't give them anything to work with. If you have other channels that look OK, let them know about that as well. 

[pixelatedguy83]

Hi there, thanks for the input. That could be the case but the Roku is routinely receiving 40mbps up and down which WAY more than enough that it shouldn't be pixelated like that. I feel as though the Roku's have simply failed after only two years of service. With 40mbps coming in and internet speed tests in the same room up to 400mbps I do not believe whatsoever that the Internet Service Provider (ISP) is at fault with throttling.

I also know this because when I use a computer, ipad, or iphone to access the same channel (YouTubeTV) in the same room as the Roku the connection is clear, HD quality and zero pixelation,. This clearly indicates there is something wrong with the Roku itself. I'm also wondering if I will receive any support from the employees as the thread has gone dark and everything is pointing to a poorly made Roku.

Thanks though, if you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

Still Pixelated Guy

[atc98092]

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@pixelatedguy83 wrote:

I also know this because when I use a computer, iPad, or iPhone to access the same channel (YouTubeTV) in the same room as the Roku the connection is clear, HD quality and zero pixelation,. This clearly indicates there is something wrong with the Roku itself.

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Outside throttling is still a possibility. It's meaningless to compare using different devices, as almost all major streaming providers utilize different servers (often located in different geographical locations) for different platforms. So your iOS devices and computer are likely not streaming from the same site as the Roku.  I'm not saying it's likely, but I wouldn't summarily dismiss the possibility. 

I have a 3920 Premiere, although it's likely the least used device in my home. It was released in Sep 2018 (7th generation), so while it's not terribly old, it has been out-gunned by the two generations that have arrived since then.

I'd say it's most significant potential issue with the 3920 is it only being a single band WiFi. Since it's stuck on the 2.4 GHz, band, which has the most interference, it can't benefit from the relative quietness of the 5 GHz band. My Ultra 4800 sits less than three feet from my closest WiFi access point, and the performance difference between the two bands is enormous. My Internet is near Gigabit speed. My 4800 will report 225 Mbps on 5 GHz, but can't even reach 100 Mbps on 2.4 GHz. Some content streams fine on 5 GHz, while the same content will on occasion choke on 2.4 GHz. I can't emphasize enough how much better the signal quality is on 5 GHz. 

[pixelatedguy83]

Thanks for the input Dan. I suppose you're right it could be an issue with the ISP but dealing with them to try and pin down why and how it's happening will be a nightmare, I'd rather just find a device that works well. I also don't understand why, if the Roku is directly receiving 40mbps I don't understand how I could be having issues with picture quality. 

At this point I don't think I'm going to get anywhere with Roku support (I can't even find a phone number to call) so I'm thinking about switching to Google Chromecast, tons of folks reporting that Chromecast won't have that issue. I'm a bit at a loss of what to do. I've got a really great projector and a huge movie screen and am watching pixelated shows and games because of the Roku with no real solution in sight besides calling the ISP which will be an unmitigated disaster. Hopefully Chromecast will work on those other servers that you mentioned because whatever the case Roku isn't operating correctly.

[atc98092]

If you have a home theater with a projector, I would suggest a better player than a Chromecast. My personal choice is the Nvidia Shield, as it will bitstream all audio codecs from any Blu Ray or UHD movies you might rip, and the Pro version has an outstanding image enhancement system. Dune also makes a quality streaming player. I still use my Roku players for many purposes, but not for my serious home viewing. The Shield is a bit long in tooth, as the last update was released in 2019. But there's still nothing that can touch it for the same price, and even spending more gains very little over the Shield. Dune has a new player coming out soon that will beat the Shield in price and provide as good if not better performance. The current specs (subject to change) is only lacking DTS-MA bitstreaming, which the Shield does do. That makes me think they might still add it before it's released for sale. As to when that is going to happen, I have no idea. All their web site says is "coming soon". 

[pixelatedguy83]

Hello Roku Danny, is Roku support going to actually...umm...ya know...support?

[pixelatedguy83]

@RokuDanny-R