HDR processing is supposed to add pop to your streaming image quality, but Roku users are complaining that their HDR images are looking anything but vivid.
“It happens with 4K and HDR titles, all white and washed out,” one user wrote on Roku’s community site. “It makes a ton of shows simply unwatchable.”
That’s just one comment from a lengthy thread about Roku’s recent HDR woes, which (as noted by Cord Cutters News) seem to stem from a recent software update.
Many Roku users have singled out the Disney+ app when it comes to washed-out HDR images, but there have also been complaints about the Netflix app, as well as other streaming channels.
Roku says it’s looking into the issue, and it’s asking users to post details about their Roku rigs and to describe the HDR problems they’re seeing.
“We’re investigating the Disney Plus HDR content that was washed out after the recent update,” reads the Roku announcement, which was posted late last week. “We appreciate your cooperation, and we’ll keep you posted.”
Roku users were happy to oblige, with many of them focusing their ire on Andor, a Star Wars series on Disney+ that just kicked off its second season.
One user posted a pair of comparison images, one from a Roku TV and another from a different streaming device, and the HDR issues are obvious, with a vista on key Star Wars planet looking faded and hazy on the Roku screenshot.
Besides Andor and other Disney+ shows, Roku users are complaining about washed out HDR images from Apple TV+, Netflix, and other streaming services.
Roku’s support post didn’t give a timeline on when a fix for the HDR issue might be rolled out. I’ve reached out to Roku for more details.
The HDR complaints come just a couple weeks after Roku unveiled a pair of new streaming players, the Roku Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick Plus. The compact sticks, which replace the budget-priced Roku Express and Roku Express 4K, are slated to ship Tuesday.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.