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[JamesAndersonJr]

Feature Request: WiFi 6E (6 GHz Band) In 2021 Roku Ultra

[atc98092]

That requires new hardware, so it can't be added to an existing device. Perhaps the 2022 version. 

[JamesAndersonJr]

Actually, Roku releases new hardware near the end of the year. So, the 2021 version hasn't been released yet.

[andyross]

Given the massive chip shortages due to the pandemic and altered buying habits, it may be awhile before there are any changes, assuming there enough Roku's being made to even sell. Car companies are scaling back production due to the inability to get chips for the electronics! Then add in the Texas storm that shut down some chip fabs, and a fire in a Renesas facility in Japan, and it's a perfect storm.

[chrblack]

I would love to see any Roku device supporting 802.11ax aka WiFi6 or 6E. I have a large library of uncompressed 4K HDR video content that I cannot play over my wireless without transcoding.

[atc98092]

If by uncompressed you mean ripped from a UHD Blu Ray, they still have some video compression. But my UHD rips stream at an average of 80-100 Mbps, and I've never seen a peak higher than 180 Mbps. 801.11ac is more than enough for that amount of bitrate.

But I've never been successful streaming any of my UHD rips to a Roku player. First, the audio still has to be transcoded, as no Roku supports Dolby TrueHD or DTS Master Audio. But even with a wireless connection that is less than 5 feet, and the server is connected to the same Gigabit switch as the access point, I still get severe buffering that makes playback impossible. Several years ago I bought my first Nvidia Shield, and that's what I use for my UHD movies. Since it also supports the lossless audio codecs, I mostly use the Shield for my 1080 content as well. If you're going to the trouble of ripping UHD discs, you really want the Shield so nothing is transcoded. Roku players are still my go-to for my online providers, and for some TVs that don't have an AVR attached, so the lossless audio isn't a factor. 

[JamesAndersonJr]

@atc98092

An NVIDIA Shield?! 😳 That's considered TREASON on this forum!! Be careful, Roku Staff may hang you upside-down by your toenails for such a statement...Just Kidding. ;D 😉😆

[joep94553]

Tomorow is 2024 - where is the WiFi 6E (6 GHz Band) Roku Ultra?  people been asking this for 3 years -- if it's not in the 2024 model - I suggest you stop calling it Ultra ... 

[atc98092]

Roku has not released a new model for over two years. They are behind the curve for product releases, so hopefully something is in the pipeline. I agree that networking is one area they need to improve, not only with WiFi 6 but Gigabit Ethernet as well. But to go along with those faster network connections they need a faster processor. I've documented that the Roku can't keep up with a 250 Mbps video feed, so faster networking really wouldn't make much difference. 

Roku also needs a premium product to compete with the Nvidia Shield. To do that, they need to support bitstreaming lossless audio, image based captions, and much higher bitrate speeds. Nvidia hasn't updated the Shield since 2019, so there's plenty of space for a new product. Many of us want to watch our local media with the full bitrate audio and video. Roku players can't do that yet.