Which TV's support 5G?

[dendavis]

Sorry for the broad brush question, I wasn't sure exactly how to pose the query. A couple of years ago I purchased an LG OLED 77" flat screen, which I love. Recently, I got a T-Mobile 5G Internet antenna and service, for my general Internet and cell-phone needs. I tried connecting my Roku to the T-Mobile setup, it would not work, and an inquiry to Roku service revealed that Roku does not support 5G. I also contacted LG with the same query, and received the same reply. Incidentally, when I bought the LG in 2023, it did have OTA capability, but it was shut down a few months later due to issues with the OTA "whatever." Not that I want to replace my LG, but I am wondering how members are addressing this 5G compatibility issue with their TV's? Thanks

 

[harshness]

Let's be absolutely certain not confuse 5G broadcast TV with 5G broadband service.

The device (be it a TV or a streaming device) doesn't care how it gets its broadband bandwidth; be it wired or wireless.

"5G TV" is a whole new technology that isn't supported by any streamer, TV, DVR or external TV tuner. It differs from 5G broadband in that it is unidirectional and uses multicast to send the same stream to all receivers. The US has only recently begun to test 5G broadcast so it is likely years away if it comes at all. Most of the testing thus far has been in Western Europe.

When you say the Roku won't connect, where do you get hung up?

 

[dendavis]

Let's be absolutely certain not confuse 5G broadcast TV with 5G broadband service.

The device (be it a TV or a streaming device) doesn't care how it gets its broadband bandwidth; be it wired or wireless.

"5G TV" is a whole new technology that isn't supported by any streamer, TV, DVR or external TV tuner. It differs from 5G broadband in that it is unidirectional and uses multicast to send the same stream to all receivers. The US has only recently begun to test 5G broadcast so it is likely years away if it comes at all. Most of the testing thus far has been in Western Europe.

When you say the Roku won't connect, where do you get hung up?

Thank you for the very concise, understandable clarification. It makes sense to me now. As to the Roku query, I still have my non-5G modem for my ISP, I went into the set up menu on Roku and selected the T-Mobile 5G modem for the connection, it simply did not complete the set up, no warning, etc. So I contacted Roku and got a standard reply from within their menu to the effect that they do not support 5G.

 

[harshness]

So I contacted Roku and got a standard reply from within their menu to the effect that they do not support 5G.

This is more likely a situation where Roku doesn't support whatever Wi-fi security protocol (i.e. WPA 3) that T-Mobile is using. If that is the issue, there may be workarounds.

5G is simply the RF frequency and modulation scheme used on the Internet side of the T-Mobile gateway, not something your Roku needs to understand. Once you stop dragging 5G into the discussion (because it isn't involved), solutions may begin to appear.

 

[Jimbo]

This is more likely a situation where Roku doesn't support whatever Wi-fi security protocol (i.e. WPA 3) that T-Mobile is using. If that is the issue, there may be workarounds.

5G is simply the RF frequency and modulation scheme used on the Internet side of the T-Mobile gateway, not something your Roku needs to understand. Once you stop dragging 5G into the discussion (because it isn't involved), solutions may begin to appear.

Doesn't the router also do 2.4 ?
You would think, the Roku would see both the 2.4 and the 5g, but if it doesn't see 5g, no big deal, use the 2.4 ...

T Mobile can't bring a router out that Doesn't accept 2.4, can it ?

Your right about the 5g Broadcast mix up, its going to get confusing, if it makes it.

 

[harshness]

You would think, the Roku would see both the 2.4 and the 5g, but if it doesn't see 5g, no big deal, use the 2.4 ...

You're piling on terminology problems. You're sloppily using the term "5g" in place of "5GHz" and that's asking for big trouble when discussing 5G Home internet.

Without knowing what model T-Mobile gateway is in use, it is difficult enough to suggest how the issue with the Roku connecting to the gateway's Wi-fi might be addressed without inventing a fake "5g".

 

[Jimbo]

You're piling on terminology problems. You're sloppily using the term "5g" in place of "5GHz" and that's asking for big trouble when discussing 5G Home internet.

Without knowing what model T-Mobile gateway is in use, it is difficult enough to suggest how the issue with the Roku connecting to the gateway's Wi-fi might be addressed without inventing a fake "5g".

I was under the presumption that all routers use 2.4 and 5 was added later.

 

[harshness]

I was under the presumption that all routers use 2.4 and 5 was added later.

5GHz band was added 26 years ago; just two years after the debut of 802.11 so "later" is a relative term.

6GHz band was added four years ago with the Advent of Wi-fi 6E.

I'm pretty sure that none of this has anything to do with the problem that the TS is having.

WPA3 is what I suspect the incompatibility problem is with the undisclosed Roku device. WPA3 is a security protocol, not an RF scheme so it would be grand if we could cease all this talk about 5G wireless (which doesn't use frequencies in the 5GHz band) and 5GHz Wi-fi we could get down to the real issue.

It is my hope that the T-Mobile gateway can be configured to use WPA2 or whatever the Roku is capable of working with.