Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Hulu is finally offering 4K and 5.1 surround sound audio on Roku

Nick Perry
By
Roku Express 2019 remote control

While some Roku Streaming devices support 4K resolution, not all 4K streaming platforms have supported these devices. Disney-owned Hulu recently updated its user-facing help pages to inform customers that the platform is finally offering 4K streaming and 5.1 surround sound audio on Roku devices. Previously, only 1080p streaming was available via the Hulu app on Roku. The platform still does not support HDR streaming on any device.

Hulu has had a difficult time implementing 4K on its platform, announcing the capability in 2016 on select titles and devices before removing support entirely in 2018. It has since been re-added on some devices, such as the Apple TV 4K, but the move to add Roku to the list of 4K- and 5.1-compatible devices indicates the platform hasn’t given up on the latest resolution tech.

Recommended Videos

Streaming in 4K on Roku will not be offered for all of Hulu’s content, of course. Popular Hulu Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale and Catch-22 will be available in 4K, but it appears as though no third-party content is available yet for 4K streaming on Hulu via any streaming device, let alone Roku. In this regard, Hulu trails behind other services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Hulu’s addition of Roku to the list of supported platforms for 5.1 surround sound is great news for Hulu lovers who also own a 5.1 soundbar or other surround systems.

Roku devices are among the most popular streaming devices in the U.S. (as well as the world), making the 4K and 5.1 updates significant ones for Hulu viewers who want to be able to enjoy their favorite content in the best quality.

Here’s the complete list of platforms on which Hulu can stream 4K video:

  • Apple TV (5th generation or later)
  • Chromecast Ultra
  • Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick (4K models)
  • LG TVs (2017-2018 UHD models)
  • Roku and Roku Stick (select models)
  • Xbox One S, X

And the list of supported platforms for 5.1 surround sound:

  • Android TV (select models)
  • Chromecast
  • Amazon Fire TV (3rd generation and Cube) and Fire TV Stick 4K
  • LG TV (WebOS 3.0 and above)
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PlayStation 3
  • PlayStation 4
  • Roku and Roku Stick (select models)
  • Samsung TV (select models)
  • VIZIO SmartCast TVs
  • Xbox One

We should note that the Hulu site does not differentiate between 4K and non-4K Roku models for its 4K video device list, nor does it distinguish between Xbox One models. Our list above contains the missing information.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nick Perry
Nick Perry
Nick Perry is a freelance writer who bounced from Hollywood to Silicon Beach to pajama pants. His work has been featured on…
New Apple TV 4K tweaks the internals and the price
Apple TV 4K 2022.

Apple today announced a new version of Apple TV 4K. It's the third generation of what we consider to be the best streaming device you can buy, and Apple's not really messing with things too much. Same general design. Same general function. But the internals have been tweaked that allow this 2022 model (which follows the models released in September 2017 and May 2021) to work better with more TVs — and to allow for a little more flexibility in price.

Here are the big deals: There are now two versions of Apple TV 4K (or SKUs, for those of you who prefer inside-baseball terms). There's a model that's Wi-Fi only with 64GB of storage for $130, or a model with Wi-Fi and Ethernet with 128GB of storage for $150. For our money, we'd just go ahead and spend the extra $20.

Read more
Disney+ relaunches on PlayStation 5 with 4K and HDR
Playstation 5 system and DualSense controller.

One of the hottest streaming services is ... once again ... available on one of the hottest gaming consoles. That is, Disney+ can still be streamed on PlayStation 5 as part of a "relaunch," Disney said today. (The same, too, goes for Star+ in Latin America.)

And, well, that's pretty much it. You'll still be able to watch all the Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Nat Geo, and more on your PlayStation 5, in 4K, and in high dynamic range, which is the actual big deal here The relaunch comes ahead of the addition of a new tier of Disney+ that will have some advertising but come at a lower cost.

Read more
Optoma’s CinemaX 4K laser projectors now have faster response times for gamers
People using the Optoma CinemaX D2 outdoors.

Optoma is expanding its 4K UHD home theater projector line by introducing the CinemaX D2 Series. Optoma says this is an upgrade from the previous CinemaX P2 projector, and the improvements are based on user feedback. The series includes the CinemaX D2, a 4K UHD ultra short throw laser home projector, and the CinemaX D2 Smart, which adds smart TV features courtesy of an included Android TV dongle.
Ultra short throw projectors are ideal for people with limited space in their room as they can cast an image on the screen from small distances. Traditional short throw projectors need at least four feet to eight feet of distance from the screen to be able to produce high-quality images, but not all rooms have this much area to spare.  That's where ultra short throw projectors can help. The CinemaX D2 Series, for example, can cast up to 100-inch images from less than a foot away from the screen. If you increase the distance a bit more, you get up to 120-inch images. 
The CinemaX D2 Series features 3,000 lumens and a 1,800,000:1 contrast ratio, which, oddly, is a bit of a step down from their predecessor, the CinemaX P2 projector, which offers the same brightness, but with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. 

The biggest boost this series offers is an Enhanced Gaming Mode that claims "blur-free visuals and low lag" with the help of its 16ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz. The 30,000-hour life span (same as its predecessor) seems to be slightly higher than other ultra short throw projectors in this price range as well. Both D2 models have three HDMI 2.0 inputs, instead of the P2's double-HDMI 2.0 and single HDMI 1.4 inputs.

Read more