4K Scaled Resolution Issues

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

I recently upgraded to a 4K TV. I was using my Fire Stick 4K with a 1080p screen before with no issues.

However, I noticed that when playing back on the 4K screen, the stick doesn't scale the resolution to 4K which causes the picture to look washed out. In fact, the menu UI looks like it's displaying in 1080p, as well. My iPad is able to scale content to match the retina screen, and my Android is able do the same with lower-res content.

I checked all the settings, but I don't see a way to force a display resolution. Is anyone having this problem on other devices?

#2

The only streaming device that renders its menu at 4K is the Apple TV. All the other ones use 1080.

1 Like
#3

Try showing video stats while playing back video to see what the native res of the player window is.

#4

I displayed the stats, native res is at 1080p, and scaled res is at 1080p.

I'm alright with the menu being at 1080 so long as the playback is scaled properly.

#5

Yeah, certainly something is messed up. Check for a Videos section in the Settings I guess.

#6

I double-checked the settings, I don't see a Videos section anywhere.

#7

Fire Stick 4K will stream everything to your TV at 4K by default. If there is no setting to do this, try resetting the device to factory. Amazon took all the good things in Android out of the Fire Stick 4K. I returned and am using Chrome Cast with Google TV. Works great as a Channels DVR client and for everything else I've tried.

#8

Go into the Settings on the FS4K and look for Display. Lets you choose automatic resolution or you can pin it to a resolution of your choosing.

#9

Like @VTTom described, you can manually set the resolution in the Fire TV Stick 4K settings:
Fire TV Settings > Display & Sounds > Display > Video Resolution

Also, check that the detected max resolution looks correct:
Fire TV Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio and Video Diagnostics
(More info: "4K Ultra HD Not Working on Fire TV Devices": https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GCKWRQF6VWJYXQ3X)

If only 1080p is shown on the Fire TV diagnostics page, you might need to use a different HDMI port on your TV that supports HDCP 2.2.
(More info: "Watch Video in 4K Ultra HD on Your Fire TV Device": https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201859000)

(Note: If clicking on the above links doesn't work, try copy-pasting them directly. The forum currently seems to modify Amazon links in a way that inadvertently breaks these, since the necessary nodeId parameter is overwritten by tag=channels04-20).