ROKU has revealed a simple but easy-to-make mistake that might be silently ruining your picture quality.
Thankfully the fix might be as simple as changing where you plug your HDMI cable in.
One possible error screen for your HDMI connection appears during set-up[/caption]It’s all linked to something called HDCP 2.2, an anti-piracy technology.
And if you’re not using it correctly, you won’t get the best 4K and HDR picture that your system might offer.
HDCP stands for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, which is quite a mouthful.
What it does is try to prevent you from illegally recording copyrighted material.
“HDCP is the copy and content protection standard used by the movie and TV industry,” Roku explains
“Copy protection/content protection has been around for a long time, and in its early stages was what prevented you from copying commercial VHS tapes.
“The latest copy protection technology is called HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection).
“And is used on HDMI connections for digital devices like Blu-ray players, cable boxes and Roku streaming devices.
“HDCP 2.2 is specifically designed for 4K Ultra HD (4K) content, as well as movies and TV shows available with High Dynamic Range (4K HDR).”
HDCP is important because all parts of your TV set-up need to support it.
And if even one device in the system doesn’t, then you want be able to view your TV show or movie in 4K and HDR.
Instead it’ll be reduced to a lower resolution like HD 720p or Full HD 1080p.
Here's an easy guide to what 4K means...
That means you’re missing out on the best quality for no good reason.
Roku may warn you if it detects a HDCP issue when you first set up your device.
Or you might see a warning if you try to change your display settings.
This error shows up if you’re trying to change to a 4K HDR image[/caption] This error might appear when you try to play 4K or 4K HDR content[/caption]Thankfully there are several ways to make sure you’re properly set up for HDCP 2.2
For a start, make sure you’re not using a poor-quality HDMI cable.
“Be sure to use Premium High Speed HDMI Cables for each link in the chain,” Roku explained.
“Using a subpar cable for even one link may cause an HDCP 2.2 failure.”
Look for a HDMI port that’s marked as supporting HDCP 2.2[/caption]You’ll also want to ensure that your cable is plugged into a HDMI port that supports HDCP 2.2.
Often this will be labelled with “HDCP 2.2”.
If you’re unsure, typically the first HDMI port is the best.
Also, the same will be true if you’re routing your cable through another device like a sound bar or some other kind of receiver.
HDR stands for high dynamic range, and is on most mid- to high-end tellys these days.
In a nutshell, it can bump up the pixel quality on your 4K TV, resulting in better, more accurate colours and better contrast.
First thing’s first – HDR is not an alternative to 4K Ultra HD (UHD), but rather a complementary TV tech that allows you to watch HDR content on compatible sets.
The amount of HDR entertainment out there is growing all the time, and encompasses games, downloadable films and 4K UHD Blu-rays, and streaming shows.
You’ve probably spotted HDR on your smartphone’s camera, but it’s slightly different on video.
While 4K references the amount of pixels in your telly, HDR is all about the quality of those pixels over quantity.
Not only does it improve the TVs brightness, but it also adds more detail to the picture quality.
As a result, 4K HDR TVs boast darker blacks (or what’s known as “true blacks”) and brighter whites (and more contrast in-between) as compared to non-HDR 4K TVs.
You can then go into Settings > Display Type and make sure your Roku system is set up to watch the highest quality footage.
But note: not all content is available in 4K and HDR.
So if you’re not getting a 4K HDR picture then the content might be to blame.
Additionally, your Roku box itself (or the TV you’re using) may not support 4K or HDR – so check the specs on all of your devices before assuming it’s a HDCP 2.2 issue.