Q. My brother has an extra Roku streaming box that he wants to give me. But it’s a Ultra box which is a 4K one. My question is will it work on our High-Definition TV even though it’s a 4K box? Is there anything special we have to do to make it work? — Shelley, Reno, Nevada. 

Shelley, you’re right. The Roku 4K Ultra streaming device can display 4K programming on a 4K TV, but it will work with any TV that has an HDMI connection, including older high-def models. (In fact, any Roku device that’s 4K-enabled will work on a HDTV.)

However, note that it will not show any programming in 4K on your HDTV. For that, you would need to buy a 4K TV and connect the Ultra to it rather than your current high-def TV.

Roku says a successful Ultra to HDTV connection will also require a high-speed HDMI cable unless you are connecting a Roku Streaming Stick+ to the set. (The Streaming Stick+ also can display 4K programming on a 4K TV.)

You can purchase a high-speed HDMI cable for less than $20, and I will post a few here in Amazon product ads for your convenience.

So Shelley, tell your bro to send that Roku Ultra over because it will perform without an issue.

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— Phillip Swann