Mac with T2 Security Chip required to play 4K Netflix streams in macOS Big Sur

Those looking forward to streaming Netflix content in 4K HDR with the upcoming macOS Big Sur operating system will need a Mac with Apple's T2 Security Chip, limiting the feature to recently released hardware.

Netflix recently updated a Help Center webpage with new guidance on viewing 4K HDR content in Safari on macOS Big Sur, noting both operating system and hardware requirements, reports Apple Terminal.

According to the support document only "[s]elect 2018 or later Mac computer[s] with an Apple T2 Security chip" are compatible with Ultra HD streaming. Further, all external monitors must feature 60Hz 4K capabilities and an HDCP 2.2 compliant connection.

Netflix fails to explain why Macs need a T2 chip to play back 4K HDR streams when comparable Windows machines do not. The chip does integrate a number of critical controllers like the system's image signal processor and audio controller, which have been proven to lend a moderate boost to video encoding. It is possible that Netflix simply added the T2 requirement to ensure subscribers are using modern Macs with current graphics components.

Apple in a Support Document notes HDR video playback is limited to 2018 or later MacBook Pro models, 2018 or later MacBook Air models, the 2020 iMac, iMac Pro, 2018 Mac mini and Mac Pro, with 4K restricted to iMac and iMac Pro variants. T2 chip requirements are not mentioned.

Safari in Big Sur's forthcoming compatibility with Netflix Ultra HD content was first spotted in June, early in the beta testing period. At the time, testers discovered the web browser enables 4K video streams encoded using the HEVC codec.

Apple is expected to debut macOS Big Sur in the coming weeks.

28 Comments

mykem 33 comments · 11 Years

About 4 years ago

The T2 chip is more than just a security chip. It incorporates everything from the System Management Controller (SMC), SSD Controller/Hardware Encryption/Secure Boot for system storage, ISP (image signal processor), audio controller and Security Enclave.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208862

White Paper on the T2:

https://www.apple.com/euro/mac/shared/docs/Apple_T2_Security_Chip_Overview.pdf

hackintoisier 86 comments · 5 Years

What about eschewing Safari and just use Chrome? I haven’t tried Netflix 4K on macOS but YouTube works at 4K in chrome on Catalina when safari doesn’t support 4k.

chasm 3595 comments · 10 Years

I note that this is specifically about 4K *HDR* content, so possibly the T2 is handling the image processing on that -- or, as the article posits, Netflix is over-generalizing to ensure that 2018 and later Macs are used when streaming Netflix to those devices.

Just my own opinion, but I spend plenty of time on my Mac and would rather not continue to sit there to watch a film. I can access services like Netflix on an iPad, on my Apple TV (or other streaming box, if I had one), and on every model I'm aware of Netflix is already built into the smart TV directly. A computer screen is the second-least desireable screen I would use for movie-watching (the first being a smartphone, though they'll do if you're stuck on a flight in economy class or some such).

F_Kent_D 98 comments · 6 Years

chasm said:

I note that this is specifically about 4K *HDR* content, so possibly the T2 is handling the image processing on that -- or, as the article posits, Netflix is over-generalizing to ensure that 2018 and later Macs are used when streaming Netflix to those devices.
Just my own opinion, but I spend plenty of time on my Mac and would rather not continue to sit there to watch a film. I can access services like Netflix on an iPad, on my Apple TV (or other streaming box, if I had one), and on every model I'm aware of Netflix is already built into the smart TV directly. A computer screen is the second-least desireable screen I would use for movie-watching (the first being a smartphone, though they'll do if you're stuck on a flight in economy class or some such).

I may be completely incorrect but I believe Apple had to come up with something (A chip) to handle the heavy-hitting processes like these because of Intel’s failure in the chip development allowing their iWhatever processors to process said 4K content without totally overheating and cooking the computer it’s in and all other components without throttling. Hence the whole reason Apple is in the process of switching to their own silicon, Intel cannot handle all of it on their own. My opinion, that’s all.