4K TV HDMI 2.0 Question

SamTheeGeek said:

Hello,

I would like to ask knowing that the hdmi on the nMP is 1.4, do i need 60fps hdmi 2.0 for final cut?

If so, i do have a supported hdmi 2.0 port but not thunderbolt so i would need a converter adapter right?


thank you

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Which display / video card combo are you working with?

SamTheeGeek said:

Hello,

I would like to ask knowing that the hdmi on the nMP is 1.4, do i need 60fps hdmi 2.0 for final cut?

Click to expand...

No unless completely fixated on HDMI. If need 4K 60fps can use the Thundebolt ports in DisplayPort v1.2 mode.

If just doing reference movie 4K monitor alongside Final Cut editing monitor then don't necessarily need 60fps.

If so, i do have a supported hdmi 2.0 port but not thunderbolt so i would need a converter adapter right?

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It doesn't have to be Thunderbolt. It can be DisplayPort. If the only thing on the 4K monitor it HDMI 2.0 that is kind of odd since it was only released this September. Right now there are alot more devices that can generate 4K via DisplayPort than as HDMI v2 sources. That will change over time but as a transition the DisplayPort solution is more mature at this point.

SamTheeGeek said:

So mini display port to hdmi will work well with hdmi 2.0 @ 60hz ?

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AS HDMI 2.0 chips are relatively new, I believe existing active MDP to HDMI adapters are not outputting HDMI 2.0.

If you can find an MDP-to-HDMI adapter that specifically states HDMI 2.0, that should work, but I cannot find any such thing.

SamTheeGeek said:

So mini display port to hdmi will work well with hdmi 2.0 @ 60hz ?

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The point is that there is not a need for HDMI to do 4K. If want to confine yourself to HDMI there are not going to be many solutions at all at 60Hz right now. Any 4K monitor with solely HDMI v2.0 ports on it is going to be stuck for a while a very small set of solutions.

Eventually someone may do a DP v1.2 active converter to HDMI v2.0 4K, but as there are hardly any HDMI v2.0 devices out there so no one is likely in a hurry to make any. I don't think that will well in a trivial fashion so I wouldn't buy any gadget that says it can do it without a proven track record. ( 4K is typically being sent in multiple DP streams. If flipping to HDMI have to take dual streams and flip them to HDMI which also is likely has dual streams going. Have to do all that without significant impact on signal synchronization. It is possible, just not trivial. )

This is kinda stopping me from considering the new Mac Pro (2014) for the time being for lack of version 2.0 HDMI. No doubt it's not an issue for everyone, but for some power user's, developers and editors specifically requiring 4K output capability well above 29/30fps (for at least the min 60fps) for certain high-end game developing, smooth 4K video, fluid 3D simulation and quality high-end gaming/testing; then this is quite an important feature even if considered to be a small detail.

I know it's probably a matter of time before Apple may possibly update the HDMI port capability on the new Mac Pro (from v1.4 to v2.0) and therefore surfaces the other question whether current new Mac Pro's are essentially future proof (hardware-wise), i.e. if the HDMI port only requires a driver version update from Apple (if only software based) then this would be great. However if version is 'hardware restricted' then this would pose a more immediate problem with current Mac Pro units for potentially some user's...

Quite a few 4K TVs announced at CES are supporting HDMI 2.0 at hopefully more reasonable price and more size options.

I own a Sony 4K TV that has an HDMI 2.0 input. But as far as I know, there is NOTHING that officially provides an HDMI 2.0 source right now. And I know for sure that nothing I have will output HDMI 2.0 at this time:

• 2013 Retina MacBook Pro (4K 30hz only)
• New Mac Pro (ordered but not yet received; 4K 30hz only)
• Gaming PC with Radeon R9 290X (4K 30hz only)
• Sony PS4 (only 1080p enabled but supposedly supports 4K)

My TV just needed a firmware update to support HDMI 2.0 so hopefully some of these can be updated to support HDMI 2.0. I have heard that the R9 290X hardware does support HDMI 2.0 and just needs a firmware update. Haven't heard if this is possible on the Macs.

The HDMI 2.0 question is also plaguing me. I have the 4K Sony Bravia that supports 60hz 4k content via HDMI 2.0. It was upgraded from HDMI 1.4 to HDMI 2.0 in December with a firmware update from Sony. I don't know what it takes to send a 60hz signal at the hardware level but I hope it can be addressed via GPU driver.

Update:-

I was on the phone to Apple Technical Support soon after my 'reply post' earlier and can confirm after holding on the phone for a while (while the support assistant was seeking confirmation himself), the resulting answer was that it the version HDMI in the new Mac Pro (2014) is dependant on the internal port interface hardware.

Not the answer I was hoping for, i.e. would have preferred if it was driver dependent, however I won't take that as absolute just yet in case this revelation is not 100% accurate although generally Apple tech are normally on the ball.

I did ask if they could relay this feature issue to Apple HQ, which he kindly said he would as well as him advising me to also use the Apple Feedback webpage.

DIESEL-X said:

Update:-

I was on the phone to Apple Technical Support soon after my 'reply post' earlier and can confirm after holding on the phone for a while (while the support assistant was seeking confirmation himself), the resulting answer was that it the version HDMI in the new Mac Pro (2014) is dependant on the internal port interface hardware.

Not the answer I was hoping for, i.e. would have preferred if it was driver dependent, however I won't take that as absolute just yet in case this revelation is not 100% accurate although generally Apple tech are normally on the ball.

I did ask if they could relay this feature issue to Apple HQ, which he kindly said he would as well as him advising me to also use the Apple Feedback webpage.

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Keep us posted on the results of the apple feedback. I would like to know the answer.

It doesn't. Guys the nMP only has hdmi 1.4. Really simple. There is currently no way to get hdmi2.0 from it. If you need 4k at 60Hz you will have to use dp1.2

DP1.2 doesn't need special cables. Any mini dp to dp cable will do. The important thing is that the screen supports the dp1.2 protocol.

SamTheeGeek said:

well the display does have hdmi 2.0.

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Then you are out of luck. There is currently no way to drive a hdmi2.0 screen from a nMP. You would need an active converter and there are none available yet.

SamTheeGeek said:

Mini dp to hdmi cable wont do the trick at all?

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No it will only give you hdmi 1.4. So 4k at max 30 Hz.

Dranix said:

Then you are out of luck. There is currently no way to drive a hdmi2.0 screen from a nMP. You would need an active converter and there are none available yet.

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Thanks, ^--< That's what I am looking for "HDMI 2.0 -> none available yet"

I get exhausted googling for like 2 hours... :O

Laters...

I don't think there is a way to update an HDMI 1.4 port to HDMI 2.0. I'm pretty sure that's hardware driven, not software.

It's probably always going to be an HDMI 1.4 port. I don't see a software update ever changing that.