New to 4K

[MKVPlexRoku]

I've been using MakeMKV for a while to rip all my DVDs and BluRays and just recently got into 4K UHD (purchased from @jonghotti) and everything seems to rip fine.

I put the file onto my Plex server and can get it to play on my Roku Ultra 4800X, but every time it plays, it always transcodes down to 1080. When I pull the stream information, it says:

transcode: Selected audio stream is incompatible.
Unsupported video stream: hevc HDR.

I've ran the file through HandBrake multiple times and using multiple configurations ("Roku 2160p60 4K HEVC Surround", and the various H.265 and H264 MKV 2160p60 settings), but it still transcodes. I have been able to fix the audio stream by converting it to AC3 5.1, but I haven't been able to get it to play in 4K.

I'm new to the 4K world, so I'm sure that I'm missing something stupid. I can play other 4K media from the Roku and have been looking through postings here, on Plex's forums and other sites, but just missing it. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[Woodstock]

Probably Plex's profile for the Roku in question doesn't know about its capabilities, and is treating it like a 1080p unit. Check on the Plex forum to see if there is an updated profile available.

[dcoke22]

Many UHDs have lossless audio; either TrueHD or DTS-MA. My home theater won't decode those, so I use MakeMKV to create FLAC audio in place of whatever the lossless audio is on a UHD. This lets my Plex client direct stream a 4K UHD and have high quality audio, no Handbrake required.

I do know that picking a subtitle track can sometimes be problematic for direct stream.

I think your Roku has a USB port; can you play files from a USB stick? It might be a way to take Plex out of the equation so you can figure out what kind of files your Roku can play.

[MKVPlexRoku]

Probably Plex's profile for the Roku in question doesn't know about its capabilities, and is treating it like a 1080p unit. Check on the Plex forum to see if there is an updated profile available.

Thanks. I've asked question in the Plex forums. I see the Roku Ultra as an authorized device, but it doesn't show the capabilities.

[MKVPlexRoku]

Many UHDs have lossless audio; either TrueHD or DTS-MA. My home theater won't decode those, so I use MakeMKV to create FLAC audio in place of whatever the lossless audio is on a UHD. This lets my Plex client direct stream a 4K UHD and have high quality audio, no Handbrake required.

I do know that picking a subtitle track can sometimes be problematic for direct stream.

I think your Roku has a USB port; can you play files from a USB stick? It might be a way to take Plex out of the equation so you can figure out what kind of files your Roku can play.

I was able to direct stream the audio by changing the audio, but no matter what I do with the video, it still transcodes. Yes, the Roku does have a USB port, so I'll try that. Not sure what formats the Roku can play, but I'll try that.

[MKVPlexRoku]

Thanks for the responses. I found that I could install the Plex player directly onto my TV and it 4K works perfectly, so it has something to do with the Plex's player on Roku. Hopefully Plex can figure it out.

[ZU476B72N4PC]

I have a Roku TV and am able to Direct Stream 4K video including HEVC and HDR from Plex, with some exceptions*.

Any chance you have a subtitle track selected for playback? Roku does not support image-based subtitle formats such as PGS, so Plex has to transcode the video to show them.

These are the settings I have set in the Plex Roku app:
Local Quality: Original
Remote Quality: Original
Direct Play: Auto
Allow Direct Stream: Checked
Maxmium H.264 Level: 5.1

These are the settings I have set for the title:
Playback/Direct Play: Auto
Playback/Allow Direct Stream: Checked
Streams/Subtitles: None
Streams/Audio: Any track compatible with output device. In my case, my soundbar doesn't directly support DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD but is happy to passthrough the embedded DTS or Dolby content within those formats.
Streams/Video: Whatever the native format, up to 4K (HEVC Main 10 HDR). Haven't tested Dolby Vision yet.

*Exceptions:
The Roku does not like titles with bitrates above 80mbps or so. All Roku players with an ethernet port are only up to 100mpbs wired. Even if the wifi radio on the Roku can negotiate well above 100mbps, it still chokes on content starting at around 80mbps. See discussion here. I may end up buying an NVIDIA Shield for this reason.
I am also currently experiencing a bug that the Roku built-in media player, including though Plex and direct USB, abandons playback on some MKV files that include a PGS (Forced only) subtitles stream. I will be making a separate post about this, I'm unsure if it's a problem with what MakeMKV is doing or a bug in the Roku OS itself.