6 Best Fixes for Google Play Movies Not Playing in 4K on Android TV

Like there is iTunes for Apple TV users, you can rent or purchase movies from Google Play Movies on your Android TV. Google Play Movies now supports a lot of new and existing titles in 4K HDR and Dolby Vision. The audio playback is mostly limited to Dolby Digital 5.1.

However, some users complain of not enjoying 4K playback with Google Play Movies on their Android TV. If you also face similar issues, this post will suggest solutions to fix Google Play Movies not playing in 4K on your Android TV.

1. Check Your Purchase Details

While buying or renting a movie title, the streaming quality is mentioned in the Google Play Movies app. But is possible that some few 4K titles get downgraded and show up in 1080p on your Android TV. So we suggest checking the details of your movie title purchase once again to confirm its streaming quality.

Check on Desktop

Step 1: Open Play Movies in a web browser on your Mac or Windows PC.

Visit Google Play

Step 2: Click the profile icon at the top-right corner.

Step 3: Select Library and Devices.

Step 4: Click the Movies tab and click the movie title you purchased.

Step 5: Scroll down and click on About This Movie.

You should now see whether the movie is available in 4K streaming quality.

Check on Mobile

Step 1: Open the Google TV app on your iPhone or Android.

Step 2: Tap on My Stuff at the bottom-right corner.

Step 3: Select the Library tab at the top right side.

Step 4: Tap on the movie title you purchased and scroll down to the bottom to check its streaming quality.

2. Switch to 5GHz Frequency Band

After you confirm the streaming quality of the movie title, you can switch to a 5GHz frequency band for faster internet speeds. 4K streaming on Google Play Movies needs a minimum of 15 Mbps internet speeds. So connect to a 5GHz network and run a speed test to ensure that your Internet Service Provider is not facing any downtime.

You can also read our post if your Android TV is not connecting to Wi-Fi.

3. Force Quit and Relaunch Play Movies

If you cannot watch Google Play Movies in 4K quality, you can try to force quit and relaunch the app on your Android TV. This will give the app a fresh start.

Step 1: Go to Apps on your Android TV home screen.

Step 2: Scroll down and long-press the selection for the Google Play Movies app icon.

Step 3: Select Info.

Step 4: Scroll down and select Force Stop from the left menu.

Step 5: Select Ok to confirm.

Step 6: Relaunch Google Play Movies and check if the problem is solved.

4. Clear Play Movies App Cache

If you are still not getting 4K streaming quality in Google Play Movies, you can try clear its App Cache on your Android TV. After this solution, you might have to log in again to your Google account.

Step 1: Go to Apps on your Android TV home screen.

Step 2: Scroll down and long-press the selection for the Google Play Movies app icon.

Step 3: Select Info.

Step 4: Scroll down and select Clear Cache from the left menu.

Step 5: Relaunch Google Play Movies and check if the problem is solved.

5. Update Google Play Movies App

We suggest installing a new version of the Google Play Movies app if 4K streaming is still limited on your Android TV.

Step 1: Open the Google Play Store on your Android TV.

Step 2: Select your profile icon in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Select Manage Apps and Games from the left menu.

Step 4: Select Check For Updates.

Step 5: If an update is available, download and install it.

Step 6: After that, relaunch Google Play Movies and check if the problem is solved.

6. Switch to YouTube App

If none of the solutions have worked for you, we suggest switching to the YouTube app on your Android TV to watch your movies in 4K.

Step 1: Open the YouTube app on your Android TV.

Step 2: Select Movies from the left menu.

Step 3: Select your movie title to start watching.

Play Movies in 4K

These solutions will help when Google Play Movies is not playing in 4K on your Android TV. You can also read our post if Google Assistant is not working on your Android TV.