As we continue to hunt the elusive Roku 4, a source has provided the below image… which, after a long absence, indicates the triumphant return of S/PDIF optical audio to the Roku platform. And what makes this detail even more compelling is that Amazon has dropped optical from their competing 4K Fire TV this generation, to the consternation of some.
Beyond these restored audio capabilities, which we’d expect from a flagship streamer, we know the Roku 4 serves up 4K video hand in hand with 802.11ac wireless for the first time. A previously disclosed full frontal photo (below) more clearly depicts a new elongated form (“the hotplate“) and from the FCC filing we know there’s a handy new finger-depressable reset button on the bottom. What we don’t know are specific 4k-specific details, like HDMI version or potential support for HDR. Plus, it’s unclear what that sensor or port on the top of the Roku is all about. Lastly, and possibly related, I’m hopeful Roku’s got some software surprises for us.
As to pricing, we wonder if the incoming Roku 4 might slide in at a higher $129.99 as their premium offering. Although, in light of Amazon’s aggressively priced $99 Fire TV, they could conceivably shift the whole lineup down a bit … if the math makes sense for them. But, with Best Buy’s clock ticking, we should have that answer and more in the coming days. Stay tuned!
Hopefully Bluetooth has also been added to the remote, or the box can do Bluetooth audio without the jack in the remote — that pic doesn’t seem to indicate they’ve changed it. I started out looking for a way to jury rig my smartTV so that I could listen to TV wirelessly, wound up with the Roku 3 mainly because it had the 3.5mm jack in the remote. I should have searched Roku’s user forums first. I would’ve found out the audio goes over WiFi, when it can and that Roku tech support is useless. Mostly the wireless audio stutters. Resetting the remote will fix it for about 10 minutes — really distracts from the viewing experience when you can only hear every other word.
2 Roku 3 replacements and 3 remote replacements later… it just doesn’t work well. Otherwise it’s fine — but I don’t use it much any longer.
FCC docs indicate Bluetooth… which doesn’t necessarily mean WiFi Direct is being retired.
Optical!! I remember first using optical back in 1994 between my CD and Mini DIsc players. I thought it was great at the time but that was twenty one years ago. I dumped optical around a decade ago now. Not even the speaker Bars I use need optical for audio. I’ve loved HDMI because one cable gives you audio and video. I couldn’t imagine going back to using optical for audio again.
Not good to hear that WiFi Direct might still be there. Although If they went to BT with the remote then I will definitely be picking up a Roku 4.
What a waste of space. The 1990s called they want their technology back
Optical audio output is great because Roku has many audio channels: music, podcasts, news, etc. With the optical output into an audio system, you can start audio streaming and then shut off your TV while you listen. Why keep the TV on for hours of audio-only playing? With the HDMI cable going into the TV, you have to have the TV turned on to use HDMI audio (unless you have the HDMI going into an A/V receiver capable of splitting out the audio).
I have long wanted to output the audio to my DAC/stereo amp while the TV is turned off. This is great.
I can already turn off the TV if I want and continue listening to the audio. I don’t need to have my tv on with hdmi to continue listening to audio from my receiver with previous Roku boxes.
“I can already turn off the TV if I want and continue listening to the audio. I don’t need to have my tv on with hdmi to continue listening to audio from my receiver with previous Roku boxes.”
aaronwt, scott explicitly notes your use-case-scenario. He, like me, (and I think like Zatz himself), does not have an A/V receiver.
For folks like us, who are probably more numerous than you think, optical audio out matters. (Personally, I’ve never seen the need for an A/V receiver.) You should’ve seen the howls on the Apple forums when it was announced that the new Apple TV with Brawndo™ was dropping optical audio…
Many people – myself included – still have older home theater boxes that are non-HDMI and could definitely use optical. It won’t carry DD+ audio, but no matter. Who cares if they’ve added it? Don’t use it if it doesn’t apply to you.
If you have a TV without hdmi, why would you even consider a roku 4? Besides that, the roku, I believe, is the only one with component cable outputs. The roku 4 is going to be boosted for 4k & 1080p which means, simply put, this device will not benefit you whatsoever. Those of us with 4k tvs can look forward to ultraflix which roku has confirmed it will be built in. And of those who don’t know about ultraflix I have one sentence: 4k lossless signal at 8mbps. Sign up and start streaming 4k is happening very soon.
Another thing, hdmi can achieve many more audio platforms than optical. I honestly do not understand why people still use older tvs that need converter boxes, special order cables, and a headache to try to watch tv. If best buy doesn’t sell it, any cords or converters you need, you should upgrade it. Hdmi has been around for over 10 years now! Technology is changing at a very fast pace. Look at your phone right now. Do you remember what yours looked like in ’04?
I’m using a projector for video, and a very decent audio system (surround) that doesn’t have any HDMI input (only optical and 5.1 analog). I’m okay with this setup for two reasons: it’s way over the top when it comes to experience, and its price is relatively low. My main entertainment sources have been a PC (hdmi video, analog surround audio), a PS3 (hdmi video, optical audio), retro consoles (rgb video, analog audio), etc. All fine and dandy.
I have no reason to upgrade the audio system when it comes to supported formats. I won’t be adding new speakers anytime soon (no plans for 7.1, atmos, etc) and there wouldn’t be a significant jump in sound quality either, when you consider the whole chain as well as the room’s own acoustics. That would just be a waste of money, at least for now.
I can’t plug in a Wii U, because that console lacks an optical port. It’s either a crappy video (composite, to have some stereo sound as well through RCA jacks) or no audio (HDMI only). I think that only recently Nintendo pushed an update to the Wii U so users can have HDMI video *and* analog audio, but, meh.
So yeah, I like seeing this optical thingy on a Roku.
I don’t understand the running of optical without a receiver. Whether I use a speaker bar or a receiver it’s the same thing. I run hdmi to it and I don’t need to have the TV on to listen to anything from the Roku. Even when I used optical twenty years ago, it was still routed through a receiver. So what is the optical being sent to so that the TV isn’t on?.
It’s very simple. The HDMI from the Roku goes directly to my TV. When I’m listening to music on my Roku, I would like to turn the TV off, but if I do the sound goes off too because it is coming from the TV’s audio outputs. With optical audio output on the Roku, I can shut the TV off and use that optical output to listen to the music through my DAC and stereo amp.
This is a very obvious use for optical audio output for audio-only content. It takes the TV out of the loop in cases where the Roku HDMI is going directly into the TV. If this doesn’t make sense to you, just read it again more slowly.
Renard: what kind of technology is the projector and what kind of screen?
“It’s very simple. The HDMI from the Roku goes directly to my TV. When I’m listening to music on my Roku, I would like to turn the TV off, but if I do the sound goes off too because it is coming from the TV’s audio outputs. With optical audio output on the Roku, I can shut the TV off and use that optical output to listen to the music through my DAC and stereo amp.”
Yup. If your TV panel does competent passthrough, it’s a cheap, competent, and convenient setup.
Like I say, scott, me, and Zatz himself all seem to find this a quite adequate solution. It just works, and works well. And I’d strongly guess we’re far from alone.
There are rationales to have an A/V receiver. And a fair amount of TV panels don’t do competent passthrough, which if you’re stupid enough to accidentally buy one, forces you to buy an A/V receiver. But if your TV panel can handle that not-difficult task, there are compelling simplicity and cost rationales to avoiding an A/V receiver. If you’re doing this properly, the choice between going with an A/V receiver or not just depends on your use-case-scenario.
(And let’s not even get into MRV situations. Do folks really want to need an A/V receiver in every room?)
Like I say, there’s a good reasons masses of platform fanbois were screaming in pain when the new Apple TV with Brawndo™ zapped the optical output. We’re far from alone.
Finally, as an aside, this is why I primarily use the last Glo available (S4) with my S5 TiVo, despite also having a (free) S5 Slide. The programmability of the Glo, which TiVo inexplicably EOL’d, allows me to use the ‘mute’ button as a ‘magic’ programmable button to control my receiver between ‘TV’ and ‘audio’. Works like a charm. And the damn TiVo remote that everyone loves and is the front line of UX is the last place TiVo should be be pinching pennies…
“I can shut the TV off and use that optical output to listen to the music through my DAC and stereo amp.”
And something I missed on my first crack: I’ll note that while this works with old stereo amps, if that satisfies you, which it can for many use-case-scenarios, you can cut out the DAC, and run optical to a more modern non-A/V receiver, which offers modern sound capabilities still without the cost and complexity of an A/V receiver.
The bottom line here is that choice is good. And some modern audio gear, like Bose and Sonos soundbars, are optical only. So it’s clearly still in use by prominent brands.
“The bottom line here is that choice is good.”
Let a thousand sensible use-case-scenarios bloom.
From Roku support:
Will Roku 4/4K UHD streaming work with my receiver?
In order for your 4K UHD TV to display a full, native 4K UHD stream, the entire HDMI signal path must be HDCP 2.2 compatible. This means that any device between your Roku 4 player and your 4K UHD TV must also have an HDCP 2.2 compatible HDMI input and output.
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I’m far from an audiophile but I think the optical out will allow me to still view the 4k content and take advantage of my AV receiver. While my receiver is not that old, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t support HDCP 2.2. I wouldn’t want to have to pass my hdmi through the av at the cost of losing the 4k. Am I reading this correctly?
Too bad they still are using that awful UI…they need a new design
i like this a lot. there are some old receivers out there that will put to shame 95% of the receivers availble today, in sound quality, that can now be put back to use.
the 20lb receivers today that use poor class D amplification almost make me want to just use the tv speakers. compare that to a b&k receiver circa 1998 that weighs 56 lbs, has a huge toroidal transformer, class ab amplification, and puts even some high quality separates to shame.
it was $3000 new, now you can pick it up for $100-150 and with the new roku 4 you can actually get discrete 5.1 to it and have a high quality audio experience.
other manufacturers of mid to high end receivers that can be picked up cheap:
rotel
b&k
classe
sherwood newcastle
etc
I currently use an HDMI audio extractor to send the audio via it’s optical output to my older non HDMI AV receiver. With the Roku 4 I won’t need this device.