Easy Roku cable mistake is killing your picture quality – fix is as simple as changing where you put cable to unlock 4K
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.
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 2.2 MEANING – WHAT IS IT?
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).”
WHY DOES HDCP 2.2 MATTER?
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.
What is 4K, Ultra HD and UHD?
Here's an easy guide to what 4K means...
- 4K, Ultra HD and UHD are all different names for the same type of TV screen. 4K refers to the number of pixels on your TV screen – or the “image resolution”
- The pixels are the tiny dots of colour that make up the image you see on your telly. A pixellated image is one where the pixels are really obvious, because there aren’t many. But images with lots of pixels – like a 4K movie – generally look sharper and clearer
- A true 4K screen has 4096 x 2160 pixels. That means on your TV screen there are 3840 pixels across, and 2160 pixels vertically. That’s roughly 8.3 million pixels on the display in total
- 4K gets it’s name because it’s got four times the number of pixels as a standard Full HD TV
- Full HD (or 1080p) screens have 1920 pixels across, and 1080 pixels going upwards – for around two million pixels in total. So 4K just means your TV has many more pixels on the screen compared to a more common Full HD display
- Ultra HD, or UHD, is basically the same as 4K. If you buy a UHD telly in a shop, you’ll be able to watch 4K content on it with no bother
- But there is a small difference. Almost every TV you ever buy has an aspect ratio of 16:9. That means for every 16 pixels horizontally, there are 9 vertically
- True 4K footage doesn’t quite fit in with that ratio, so you won’t often find TVs with 4096 x 2160 pixels. Instead, to fit with the 16:9 ratio, most 4K TVs will have 3840 x 2160 pixels instead
- If it doesn’t make sense, grab a calculator and divide 2160 by 9. Then multiply it by 16, and you’ll get 3840. That’s the aspect ratio working its magic. So when you see an Ultra HD TV, it just means it’s a 4K image with slightly fewer vertical pixels
- If you try watching a 4K video on a non-4K TV, the video will still play – but it won’t be in 4K quality. To watch a 4K video in 4K quality, you’ll need to fork out for a 4K TV. Similarly, if you’re watching standard or HD footage on a 4K TV, it won’t magically become 4K quality
- Some TVs promise “4K upscaling”, which converts your standard or HD footage to near-4K quality. This works by using software to guess what colours would fill the extra empty pixels missing in HD footage, and then filling them in. This creates a 4K-like effect, but it’s not true 4K
That means you’re missing out on the best quality for no good reason.
HOW TO FIX HDCP 2.2 PROBLEMS
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.
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.”
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.
What is HDR? TV tech explained
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.