Features, settings & updates

[AliasJB]

I have a plex server set up and stream a lot of content direct to my TV. However, I also have another older TV that does not have the Plex player app. I purchased a Roku Express HD to facilitate a Plex player so I could stream the content to the TV. It works great until I try to play 4K content at which point the transcoding burden is too much for my server and I get buffering every few seconds. I am wondering if the Roku Express 4K or 4K HDR versions are capable of downscaling the output so that rather than my server do the transcoding, the Roku could just downscale the output. Following on from this I am wondering if the Plex client app for the Roku would actually request the content without it being transcoded when it knows it is connected to an HD display. Anyone had any experience of this that they can share please?

[renojim]

The last time I tried to play 4k material on a 4k Roku device connected to a non-4k TV it wouldn't play and gave an HDCP error message.  There was a thread here somewhere about it.  I don't believe it got any attention from anyone at Roku as they usually don't care much about people trying to stream their own content.  I suspect it sees the video is 4k, but HDCP 2.2 isn't supported by the TV, so it automatically blocks it instead of doing the proper thing which would be to downscale.  I don't think I have the latest firmware version (11.0) on any of my 4k devices yet, so I don't know if it's been fixed, but I'd be surprised if it was.

If you're only interested in Roku for the ability to stream your own material then there's probably better options out there.

[MilesT]

How much of a downscale?  4k to 1080? 720?  SD480?  

Enquiring minds want to know more so they can skip what doesn't work.

[AliasJB]

Ideally whatever it is plugged into but in this case 1080i

[renojim]

No Roku device supports 1080i.

[AliasJB]

Sorry it is 1080p but not really relevant to the question I asked 

[TK0]

Roku Express 4K has a strange PLEX only color problem with many H265 video files, It makes some non-HDR movies look purple and green only. There are workarounds(force direct play or something) but than the audio doesn't work for some videos with this workaround. 

https://community.roku.com/t5/Channel-Issues-Questions/Severe-color-contrast-distortion-while-Plex-s...

Roku Express 4K can downscale 4k to 1080p but you have to get a plex pass to fix the HDR colors, otherwise HDR colors will look washed out on a non HDR tv.