Hulu is finally offering 4K and 5.1 audio on Roku devices

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Image of a woman in a bonnet that is both post-modern and Puritan.
Enlarge / The Handmaid’s Tale, a Hulu original series.

The long, give-and-take saga of 4K streaming on Hulu continues with the addition of 4K streaming for supported Roku devices. Hulu also added 5.1 surround sound capabilities on Roku.

The Disney-owned streaming platform updated its user-facing help pages with the information sometime in the past few days. Previously, only 1080p streaming was possible with the Hulu app on Roku devices, despite many Roku devices’ hardware support for 4K. Unfortunately, Hulu still does not support HDR.

It’s been a rocky road for 4K on Hulu. The service first offered 4K streaming on select titles for some devices in 2016, then removed support in 2018. It was then re-added on some devices like the Apple TV 4K, but it was not available on Roku sticks or boxes.

The current list of platforms on which Hulu can stream 4K video includes:

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

Presently, the vast majority of content on Hulu is limited to 1080p, however. 4K titles include Hulu Originals such as The Handmaid’s Tale. Hulu trails behind other services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney’s own Disney+ in 4K and HDR support, though it still offers slightly better HD bitrates than HBO Now, which does not deliver high-quality streams or support 4K or HDR despite its pricing at the high end for streaming services. Unlike Netflix, Hulu does not charge a higher monthly fee for access to 4K streams.

As noted, Hulu has also expanded the list of supported platforms for 5.1 surround sound. This is the current list:

  • 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

Disney recently announced a streaming bundle that includes Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. However, it includes the ad-supported version of Hulu, not the ad-free one, and ESPN+ requires additional addons from partners like MLB.tv to access certain programming.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1629103