We use a Roku Ultra 4800 to stream mostly the Roku, Sling, and Prime channels thru HDMI connected to a 1080p Panasonic plasma TV. The lowest connected speed reported in the Roku's settings has been 74 Mbps but it normally reports +/- 85 Mbps. Is it normal for:
1) The TV to lock-up, then display a full-screen of color pixels, and then reboot to the bouncing ROKU screen (happens unexpectedly several times/month in fact it just happened again as I write)?
2) Have a movie interrupted by the "Loading Bar" in the middle of every movie before resuming play (happens one or more times during playback of most any movie)? and
3) Have the "spinning buffering wheel' appear every time an app is selected and again every time a show or movie within the app is chosen or changed?
The Roku is hardwired thru a 1-Gbps switch to a rock-solid Asus AC66U router connected to a Hitron 1-Gbps modem leased from Midco with a 100 Mbps service. No other connected devices (including a PC, an AVR, and 3 cell phones), whether connected by hardwire or wireless, are affected. I had filed a support ticket with Roku some time back but, got tired of answering the same old questions and repeating the same old network troubleshooting steps (switching ports, cables, changing ISPs, resetting and rebooting, installing and uninstalling ...) every time I reported back the lack of a result, so I gave up. Also, support would not answer questions regarding issues it may be having with its own servers or the device, the device's settings, or the HDMI cable that came in the box (the screen does not display sparkles or other artifacts commonly associated with HDMI issues) nor would Roku entertain a replacement of either the device or its pre-packaged HDMI cable.
We are getting a new 4K TV next week and are concerned whether;
4) The issues we have had since buying the Roku will be aggravated even further when we begin watching shows and movies requiring even higher bandwidths which, at a reported 70-90 Mbps, makes no sense to be the cause of our issues in the first place,
5) The Roku Ultra firmware supports not only DV but also low-latency DV (LLDV). Apparently, Sony's 2020 TVs require external devices to support both DV and LLDV to view a DV movie. Apple, Amazon, and Nvidia apparently recently issued firmware updates with LLDV for their streaming devices but, I have been unable to find out if Roku has or will do the same, and
6) We could replace the router, a 2013 dual-band, 3x3 model, with a newer router with a better processor but, have better things to spend our money on if it would not solve the issues with a hardwired Roku.
Thanks in advance for helping me understand if the issues we are experiencing with the Roku are normal and for any other advice you may have --
Bump ......
To take advantage of Memorial Day Weekend sales, Question No 6 appears to be the most pressing.
Anyone know whether the issues we have might be solved by replacing an older router that has a single core processer with a new router that has a dual core processor hardwired by Cat 6 to a Roku Ultra 4800??
Thanks again for your response
Sorry to bump again but I got a response from Asus regarding replacing our router.
Not unexpectedly, Asus says the problem is not with our router but, considering the troubleshooting we've done, is with the Roku. Also unexpectedly, Asus says replacing our router, which has a single core processor, with a new router having a quad core processor, more RAM, and lower latency might improve our streaming, even if it is handled by an ethernet connection through a LAN port.
A penny for your thoughts -- and thanks again ....