Channels & viewing

[Howches]

Recently I have been getting extremely washed-out color on 4K shows only when watching 4K on Netflix and Hulu. The black become a medium gray. I am able to switch to Netflix on my native LG OLED TV app and the problem disappears.  I have checked settings and everything seems right.  Advanced display settings are set on automatic and 4:2:2  for HDR auto sampling.  The Roku device is several years old.  What is going on?

BTW I am considering trying a factory reset, but does that mean losing all of my apps, even if I use Netflix on other devices.  Does that mean I lose the logons as well?  might I lose them on my other devices?

[RokuERey]

Hi @Howches,

Thanks for keeping in touch with us here in the Roku Community!

We understand that you're having a playback issue with Netflix along with the Hulu channel. Thanks for flagging us about this.

Let us know...

• When did you start seeing this issue occur?
• What are the steps to reproduce the issue?
• Are there some recent changes that might affect this?
• What are the troubleshooting steps you've taken so far and what didn't work?

Tell us more about this so that we can further assist you.

Regards,
Rey

[Howches]

I noticed the problem a few weeks ago.  I think I made the issue clear in my question and I hope that someone out there has experience/knowledge with this issue.  

[RokuJechealR]

Hi @Howches,

Thanks for the response!

We're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you when streaming the Netflix and Hulu channels. In some cases, that resolves the issue by removing the affected channel and re-installing it. Make sure you restart your Roku device before adding the channel back in to ensure the process is successful. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Remove the channel: Highlight the channel tile on your home screen and press the Star button to open the options menu. Select Remove channel and confirm.
   
   • Note: If you remove a subscription channel billed to your Roku account, you must cancel the subscription before seeing the Remove Channel option. For help identifying this type of subscription channel, read the detailed article about removing a channel.
2. Restart your Roku device: If reaching the power cord to unplug your Roku device is inconvenient, you can restart the device from the settings menu. Go to Settings > System > Power > System Restart > Restart. (If you do not see a Power submenu, skip to the next step.).
3. Reinstall the channel. After your Roku device restarts, visit the Roku Channel Store and add the channel again.
   
   • Note: If you add a subscription channel billed to your Roku account, you must re-subscribe.

For more references on how to troubleshoot any channel playback issues, you can visit our Support page.

Please keep us posted regarding the behavior you are experiencing, and we will be more than happy to continue assisting you further.

All the best,
Chel

[atc98092]

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@Howches wrote:

BTW I am considering trying a factory reset, but does that mean losing all of my apps, even if I use Netflix on other devices.  Does that mean I lose the logons as well?  might I lose them on my other devices?

---

I no longer use Netflix or Hulu, so I can't speak to their current picture quality levels. Washed out 4K sometimes might be HDR content that the TV doesn't detect and leaves the TV in SDR mode. This might be caused by a problem with the apps themselves. The suggestions from the moderators to remove, reboot, and reinstall the channel has proved successful in the past with channels that misbehave. But let me clarify for you the question you asked above. 

Doing a factory reset on a Roku only impacts that specific device. It does not remove any channel attached to your user profile and will not impact any other Roku device. Once the reset device boots again, it will act like it's brand new and have to be linked again to your user account. Once that is done, it will automatically reinstall every channel you now have (along with some that Roku pushes out to all devices on initial setup). Some channels will restore your login credentials from your Roku account, while others will require a login again (but should only be needed once). Again, it will not impact any other Roku device you have on the same account.

As an aside, there is no Roku "Ultimate". The top Roku player is the Ultra, and there are eight different versions so knowing your specific model number might be of value when troubleshooting issues. 🙂

[Howches]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I removed Hulu, rebooted, reinstalled and the problem is still there.  4K is gray.  Any other ideas?  I still would like to know the consequences of a factory reset.  Will I lose apps on all my devices?  Will I have to sign in again for all of my apps?

[Howches]

Thanks for the info about factory reset.   That is exactly what II wanted to know.    I looked up the purchase date and see it was 2018.  Is there something about the age of the unit that might affect this problem?  BTW I should have written "Ultra" and not "Ultimate."  I am inclined to try the factory reset next and can report back.

[atc98092]

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@Howches wrote:

I still would like to know the consequences of a factory reset.  Will I lose apps on all my devices?  Will I have to sign in again for all of my apps?

---

I answered both of those in my previous post. No, you don't "lose" your apps on any other Roku device. Yes, you might need to sign back into some of the apps, but just on the Roku that was reset. 

[atc98092]

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@Howches wrote:

Thanks for the info about factory reset.   That is exactly what II wanted to know.    I looked up the purchase date and see it was 2018.  Is there something about the age of the unit that might affect this problem?  

---

By the end of 2018, the first three versions of the Ultra had been released. The 4640 was released Oct 2016, the 4600 in Oct 2017, and the 4661 in Oct 2018. There's little difference between the 4660 and 4661. The 4640 had an optical out jack and also included a Dolby encoder (to help with devices that didn't support EAC3 audio or DTS). Roku added the encoder back on the 4800 but only the Roku Streambar players have an optical jack now, and I believe it's an input not output jack to feed audio from other devices.  

Naturally, as electronic devices age the potential of a failure increases. Assuming you have the latest model (4661) it's still approaching six years old. But for devices like this any failure is usually total, not just for specific apps/channels. If you were seeing the same washed out colors on every app you use, then you might consider the video processing chip is having problems. But with it only on individual channels/apps, that doesn't seem likely. 

[Howches]

I checked and my Roku is a 4660.  The color problem occurs only on 4K material and seems to be across Netflix, Hulu and Prime.  With Max i get normal color, but resolution is poor..  I tried the factory reset and that didn't solve it.  I ordered a new Ultra and will open the box if no one offers a solution before it arrives.  I'd be pleased to hear another suggestion so I can return the unopened box to Amazon.  Thanks.