With June 2016’s firmware update 7.2, “Enable selecting all resolutions” was abruptly removed from Platform Secret Screen > System Operations Menu. (Home 5x, FF, Play, RW, Play, FF) The capability still is in the hardware, but evidently the Roku powers-that-be are bound and determined not to reinstate user-access to it.
Do documented API hooks exist to “Enable selecting all resolutions” such that a simple one-trick pony channel might be dashed-off to turn it on? (I am not a programmer.)
Failing that, there at least used to be a way to telnet into a Roku’s IP address on port 8085 to do things like sending remote control key-presses. Is there a telnet command to toggle “Enable selecting all resolutions”?
Failing that, is there such thing as a pre-v7.2 firmware installer, or in the form of a channel (if it even can work that way), to be side-loaded if necessary, to roll-back the firmware temporarily, just so we can set “Enable selecting all resolutions”? Of course we would promptly get auto-updated again, but we would have enough time to do the deed, and have the installer or channel on-hand if needed again.
Failing that, here’s an idea: Roku Support sets up a webpage to enter our Roku serial number and it pushes-out “Enable selecting all resolutions.” This way, Roku retains complete control, and eliminates incentive for us to find a hack. Win-win, everybody happy!
(disclaimer: as outsider, i am not privy to Co’s mysterious ways)
No - and not likely to be, allowing single channel to flip video signal resolution (eww)
Not that i know of - and very doubtful, given option was removed from the secret screens
No. Quite sure not going to happen, since they have been pushing forward, firmware to always be “current” - with rare exception during release cycle of short time back off to previous version
Laughably unlikely someone to bother with such work - esp. consider the note from (2), if they intently removed it
What’s your use case - what did they break by disabling “all resolutions”?
^ 1) (I didn’t say flip video signal resolution with a channel; I said toggle the ability to see all available resolutions when using the regular Settings > Display type.)
I said a temporary firmware update, just to be able to change the setting that was in the System Operations Menu for years. (The firmware would be auto-updated back to current on the next phone home.)
They broke the ability to choose “4:3 standard” in Settings > Display type, for Roku owners with old TVs adding an HDMI-to-Composite converter, because they need the advanced features and speed in HDMI-only models, such as 5 GHz Wi-Fi in apartment complexes hammered by neighbors’ 2.4 GHz interference.
It was nice to have the “Enable all resolutions” option for developing. While not a substitute for a true SDTV to ensure there’s no problems, it was great to be able to pump 4:3 to my HDTV to get an idea of sizes and positioning on image canvas and roScreen. Can’t understand why they got rid of the option. If they don’t want to enable the option for everyone, just enable it for boxes that have enabled developer mode.
Bumping this in hopes that a developer or Roku engineer will see it, who knows a way to turn-on “Enable selecting all resolutions.” … Or else at least some way to directly set the Display Type to “4:3 Standard.”
Bumping this. I’m in the exact same situation as OP, except I’m still using an old Roku 2 XS. Would love to upgrade, but there exists no Roku for me to buy! Setting a newer one to 4:3 output and using an HDMI to composite converter would be a solution, if only setting it to 4:3 were possible.
I’ll shake that tree, though no guarantee of success.
Thank you for having described well your use cases.
Other people with the same need, please post here explaining why.
I think it’s a nice feature for developers. You can do most of your development for SD displays using an HD display by setting the Display Type to 4:3. Then you only have to do a final check using an actual SDTV to make sure everything is ok. It may be less of an issue these days since there appears to be more and more autoscaling provided by the firmware, but for game development I’m not sure how much that applies or if specifically using two coordinate systems doesn’t provide better results. I’ll know more once I start converting my image canvas stuff to roScreen (assuming that doesn’t go away).
As a viewer, I would like that capability too, since I enjoy seeing old 4:3 movies on an old 4:3 TV without the black, empty sides of a 16:9 monitor. Also, some 16:9 monitors caution against watching a lot of 4:3 with black left/right borders because of possible burn-in issues. Simply piping 16:9 into an old 4:3 monitor causes people to look squished, thin, and unnatural. Please provide an output setting for 4:3 monitors. Thanks.
This feature would be useful if only to test Roku certification for SD mode which is required, on a device that doesn’t currently have it as an option.
I got rejected from certification because of SD positioning issues… and I have no idea how to fix them. I’ve got an office full of tvs and monitors, and none of them do 480.
Being able to force the resolution would be perfect.
I don’t think that is fair – is there a specific reason you can use to justify removal of the feature? Without it, developers will need to buy an SD-capable roku unit and an SD TV, so I suppose generating more money for Roku off the backs of developers is a good reason?
I miss it and would like to see its return especially since I have a slew of channels I’m going to have to update to the dreaded roSG in the near future. Unless Roku is planning on abandoning SDTVs, as destruk said, what is the reason for its removal?
I didn’t find out that this option no longer existed until after I bought my new Roku Express. I am using the HDMI to Composite adapter and found out about the secret menu but was very disappointed to find that the option was not there. I would definately be in favor of restoring it.
