Roku Device Features, Settings & Updates

[TomLaird]

Hi,

I need a media streamer with a digital output and the Ultra seems to fit the bill. However I cannot find it on the Roku web site and I do not want to but an obsolete product.

best regards

Tom

[andyross]

If by digital output, you mean digital audio, then no CURRENT Roku has that. Older versions of the Ultra did, but it was dropped a few years ago. If you really need digital audio separate from HDMI, there are several 'splitter' options available on Amazon that can output optical or coaxial. They are around US$25-30. Just search for "HDMI to optical" or similar.

[Psilobite]

AFAIK it's not discontinued:

https://www.roku.com/products/roku-ultra

As the previous poster noted, it no longer has an optical audio output, but there are devices you can buy that will add one via HDMI. (HDMI in, HDMI + Optical Audio out)

[TomLaird]

Hi,

Thank you for getting back to me. I've looked at these $20 splitters before and they all look like badged versions of the same thing with the same reviews regarding functionality.

I found one on the Octava web site at $149 which is probably more representitive of what you would need to pay.

I'll probably get an older Ultra with the opticaloutput and hope to get a few years out of it. I need either optical, co-ax or USB as input to an Arcam rDAC.

best regards

Tom

[TomLaird]

2 other options:

The Atlona HD-570 or the one from Essence - the Evolve.

[Psilobite]

Another option is Gefen. That's what I've always used for this sort of thing. They are very expensive but extremely well made and a million times better than the cheap devices you can usually find on Amazon.

For adding an optical audio output to a 4K HDMI device like the current Roku Ultra I believe you would want the EXT-UHD600A-12-DS (~$300).

[andyross]

That is all extreme overkill. The best you will get with optical/coax is DD. Plus, most streaming is low-bitrate DD or DD+. The basic China things should work well enough, and the money saved can be put to eventually replacing the old AV receiver with one that supports HDMI.