Solving playback issues

[Dmule]

I have a question to the community who are having issues connecting external usb hard drives to the Roku Ultra 4800X. 

Roku support is telling me that the recent 10.0.0 update has fixed this issue, however, at least for me, the problem still persists and I am unable to connect and external usb hard drive to my Roku Ultra 4800X. 

I do want to point out that I can connect usb flash drives without a problem 

[Boris17]

I received the same note. Yes, it still does not work. Here is the reply I sent:

"None of the issues I have raised have been resolved. It has made absolutely no difference whatsoever. And yes the software has been updated.

I assume that your team would have known that it did not work if they tested it?

Whatever was done between this latest iteration of the Roku Ultra and the previous model has significantly downgraded the USB Media Player functionality.

I don’t believe it is a software issue, otherwise why has there been no fix in all the time you have been made aware this was an issue? 

The website customer support person, Danny, said it was being addressed as long ago as last November. It is now June.

Merely saying you have a new software release that should resolve an issue -without even checking that it does- hardly instills confidence in whatever process it is that you allegedly follow.

The customer support addressing this issue both via email and on the website has been extremely poor. Either admit the functionality advertised is not the functionality the new Ultra is able to deliver, or FIX THE PROBLEM."

[Dmule]

Your reply was brilliant. 

[Dmule]

Danny,

this thread has gone dark for a few weeks, and Roku customer service has not replied to my service requests either.

the recent updates have not fixed the issue with the new version of the Ultra not recognizing external hard drives.

This was the very reason I bought the 2020 Roku Ultra, the Roku website listed that as benefit of that device.

what I don’t understand is my Sharp smart TV that has Roku built in has the exact same software version and I can connect the very hard drive that I am trying to use in my ultra.

[ar1978]

So I have a MacBook Air and have a 4tb external hard drive formatted to Mac OS Extended Journaled. This hard drive worked with the 2019 Roku Ultra. It did not work with the 2020 Roku Ultra. 

This bug should be fixed by now. It resulted in me returning the 2020 Roku Ultra which is unfortunate since I usually like having the most modern equipment. 

[SteveA1]

I just went to an Ultra 4800x model.  My level is 10.0.0 Build 4209-C2.  I am running fine with a single hard drive connected to the USB port accessed via Roku Media player.  It is a 

WD 12TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 - WDBBGB0120HBK-NESN

The drive is formatted as NTFS.  

The USB hub does not work to connect multiple drives.  The USB hub works on the built-in Roku on my JVC TV (version 10.0.0 Build 4209-97).  The USB hub also works on the built-in Roku on my TCL TV (version 10.0.0 Build 4209-93).

My TCL TV is a  TCL 50" Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV – 50S431   

My JVC TV is JVC 55" Class 4K UHD 2160p HDR Roku Smart LED TV LT-55MAW595

Since everything is at Version 10.0.0, on the surface it appears that the issue is the USB hardware with the Roku Ultra model itself.  

[RokuDanny-R]

@SteveA1

Thanks for the post and providing us with your information.

I have passed it along to the appropriate Roku team for further investigation.

Thanks,
Danny

[ar1978]

Is this bug just isolated the Roku Ultra 4800X?

I’m looking at the Roku Streambar and wondering if that model will have the same problem. I have hard drives formatted to HFS+ or Mac OS Extended Journaled.

[BiLkaMachang]

I think most people on this thread would not recommend Roku products at this point.

[StreamerUser]

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@BiLkaMachang wrote:

I think most people on this thread would not recommend Roku products at this point.

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Not all products/services meet all consumers needs/wants (or need to).

As the dominant US streamer platform with an installed (and growing) base of 54 million users and at least 54 million devices and a $50+ billion market cap, Roku losing the recommendations of a few users doesnt (and isnt going to) have any impact on them.

There are plenty of competitor products with similar functionality, and work well to fulfill a multiplatform streaming strategy.