Solving playback issues

[mikew_nt]

A couple months back I bought a new Ultra 4802 for the main TV (2019 Vizio PX65-G1) anticipating buying an OLED and so I could move the old Ultra 4670 to the downstairs TV.

We just bought a Samsung S90C to replace the Vizio as the main TV, and immediately hit the HDCP errors and resolution problems that have been described here and elsewhere. I tried different cables, different HDMI ports, various resets, every suggested setting change. Obviously both the Roku and the TV are completely updated.  No dice.

A Google will turn this problem up in Reddit posts, other web forums and some here in the Roku forums as well.  This is a known issue across many TVs.

This is Rtings #1 rated OLED TV, it's not like it's some obscure budget TV.

Someone mentioned that the only thing that fixed theirs was putting an old 4670 in it's place, so I swapped the two (changing NOTHING else), and the problem has gone completely away. The S90C doesn't have Dolby Vision, so it really doesn't matter to me which one I use on the main TV.

I'm an electrical and computer engineer by education (BS and MS) that did both hardware and software for a while, and this just reeks of bad implementation. It doesn't help that people can plug in other Roku products, Fire Sticks, Google TV, etc and those all work fine.

People have also noted this behavior for other brands of TV sets, so it's not specific to Samsung either.

My best guess based on the trends I could note when using various methods to "wake" the TV and Roku (direct power button, CEC, etc) and at various time intervals (after 10 minutes, after an hour, after 8 hours) is that there's something in the already flaky power conservation feature in the new Ultras that's causing an issue, like one side starts handshaking before the other is ready, and the whole thing comes to a crashing halt.

HDMI/HDCP handshaking is notoriously finicky, somebody at Roku needs to just hook up an analyzer, reproduce this, and the issue would probably be fairly obvious.

Roku - what is the deal here?  Will you fix this?  I'm OK for now, but can't rely on an old unit to be the only Ultra that works on my set.

[mikew_nt]

Model 4802X - Roku Ultra

Serial number X010005V4CNS

Version 12.5.5 build 4174-C2

Device ID S0DA238V4CNS

TV: 65" Class OLED S90C | Samsung US, QN65S90CAFXZA

SW Version 1310

[RokuAustin]

Hi there, @mikew_nt! 

We saw your post over at reddit and we'll have our engineers take a look with you. 

Can you force an HDCP error and get us a tracker ID? Using your 4802 and the Samsung TV, wait until you see the HDCP error, and using your Roku remote, press Home 5x then Back 5x to generate a tracker ID. This allows us to "bookmark" when you're seeing HDCP and we can check the handshake. Our engineering team would love to take a look at this.

Thanks for posting.

[mikew_nt]

Mmmmmm, we don't have the 4802 hooked up to the Samsung anymore, and the HDCP error was sporadic in nature, but let me swap them perhaps overnight and see if I can reproduce some morning.  The other common issue was the Display Resolution was getting crashed back to 720p, sometimes associated with an HDCP error, sometimes without.  Let me see if I can find some time to try it.

[mikew_nt]

Oh, quick note.  Check the IR codes in the 4802 for Samsung.  I can IR connect the remote with the 4670, but must use CEC for the remote on the 4802.  That really doesn't make sense since the S90C is a current stock TV.  I suspect the Samsung codes are wrong in the 4802

[mikew_nt]

**bleep**, well, I typed in a whole reply and it was lost because Roku logged me out....

OK, so I have played with this since mid-day yesterday and did not reproduce a problem until this morning.  I didn't reproduce the HDCP error screen, but I did get the display resolution crash.

I had just tried to reproduce the HDCP error by turning on the TV about 15 minutes ago.  As I went downstairs just now I glanced over and the light on the 4802 was OFF (it is almost always on)

I turned on the TV via the TV remote, I saw the Roku screen saver, the display went black a couple times, and when I checked the resolution it had crashed down to Auto-720p (normally it's Auto-4K HDR10+)

I got a tracking number, but of course that's now lost since my post got lost.

I'll leave it plugged in until this evening when I need to swap back in the 4670 for my wife to watch TV while I'm out with our son.

Also, it appears the crash broke CEC communications because I could not turn off the TV via the Roku remote (see other post, IR codes for the S90C on the 4802 seem to be wrong, so CEC is the only working option).

My understanding is resolution crash can be associated with HDCP issues, but I did not get the separate screen this occurrence.

The light off, the screensaver on, it all MAY point to the flaky power savings implementation in the 4802.

One Redditor commented that he "fixed" this by disabling the Roku from going into a low power state, but I have no idea how they did that since I've tried power savings both enable and disabled, and the problem still appeared.

Another Redditor commented: Not-Inevitable79·18 hr. ago
I've had the same issue. My 4660 was better than the 4802 replacing it. I've essentially resolved the issue by (1) disabling the 20-minute time out; (2) going to the HDMI hidden menu and turning off the auto recovery; (3) manually setting the resolution to Dolby 4K HDR. I still had the very rare occasional HDCP handshake error, but way less than before. I finally changed out my HDMI cable and that resolved all of the errors

All of this may seem to point back to a bad power saving implementation and/or a handshaking sequence issue that is not taking into consideration any power savings.

Thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Roku/comments/1agb5ls/roku_ultra_hdcp_errors_and_resolution_problems/

[mikew_nt]

RokuAustin:

OK, I have been able to reproduce.  Please confirm that you've read this and let me know resolution.

Issue ID NS-065-507

I woke up the TV with the Home button which turns on the TV via CEC.  I immediately went to Netflix, selected a movie, got a jumbled HDCP error screen due to what I think was resolution renegotiation (when I checked, it had crashed to 720p).  It took a bit to get the issue screen to pop up, but above is the ID.

Note that since I reported the issue there have been no system updates, and I double checked and there are none available.

The problem definitely still exists, and hopefully the tracker will help you find the issue.

See also my note that I believe your IR codes are incorrect for this TV for the 4802.

[mikew_nt]

Again tonight, same scenario and outcome.

NS-073-410

Is anyone at Roku going to acknowledge this and let us know if they are working on it?

Roku has stopped replying.

[RokuERey]

@mikew_nt,

Thanks for keeping us posted, and we're sorry for the late response about this.

It seems like we've got a lot of information about this case. I'll share this with the appropriate Roku team for further investigation.

We'll keep in touch here if there's any available update about this.

Thanks,
Rey

[NHVF]

Roku 4802RW

Serial: X01000SUAM8T

12.5.5 Build 4174-C2

Device ID: S0DC235UAM8T

Samsung QN65LS03AAFXZA

FW Ver: 2210

HDCP issues all the same.  New cables, New Roku, repairs made to TV thinking it was the issue.  About to make the switch to Apple TV boxes.  This has been going on far too long.