2018 mini: 4K 4:4:4@60Hz via HDMI

[BobMcBob]

Has anyone gotten 4K 4:4:4@60Hz via HDMI to work on the 2018 Mac mini? I can get 4:4:4@30Hz. Or, I can get 60Hz but it's not 4:4:4.

I wonder if the HDMI port on the 2018 Mac mini isn't capable of 4K 4:4:4@60Hz. If not, has anyone tried a USB-C to HDMI adapter?

Sorry if this has been covered already. Thanks.

 

[Cheapassmac]

I can confirm this, you can get 4:4:4 chroma @60hz directly from its hdmi port. I used it on a samsung 6290 smart tv in game mode. It's usable.

 

[BobMcBob]

I can confirm this, you can get 4:4:4 chroma @60hz directly from its hdmi port. I used it on a samsung 6290 smart tv in game mode. It's usable.

So, every line here is razor sharp?:
http://i.rtings.com/images/test-materials/2017/chroma-444.png

And this says 60 fps?:
https://www.testufo.com

And you're at 3840 x 2160?

 

[Cheapassmac]

Yes to all three. I'm aware of what 444 chroma is. I don't recommend getting anything less for a computer as it's hard to read text. It's why I bought a samsung 6290 4k tv, so yes, 3840x2160. It's 60hz, though it does have a tiny bit of ghosting with fast movement. Pre Mohave, it was stuck at 4k 30hz unless you went with display port (and I needed to use an active adaptor to hdmi 2.0). It's noticeable with a mouse cursor on a completely white background and you move very quickly. You can't really be on 30hz by accident and not notice.

Worth mentioning that most TVs are VA panels though, and input lag runs at around 30ms even in game mode. It might make a difference in FPS games.

I don't game seriously, so I moved my computer to my IPS panel instead. An IPS monitor looks better in my opinion, but it was totally doable to use a giant 40+ inch 4k tv if it supports 444 chroma with game mode.

 

[BobMcBob]

Thanks Cheapassmac. I have a couple different HDMI cables on order to see if that fixes it.

 

[Cheapassmac]

I assume the hdmi cables you are using are either high speed or highspeed with ethernet? older cables will be stuck on the 1.4 standard which max out at 4k @30hz
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Thanks Cheapassmac. I have a couple different HDMI cables on order to see if that fixes it.

Also, I don't know what TV you are using, but some require an expanded color option to be enabled as well for the hdmi 2.0 spec.

 

[BobMcBob]

I had to create a CVT-RB (or CVT-RB v2 also worked) custom resolution to get 4K 4:4:4@60Hz. All my HDMI cables worked, and my TV settings were also fine. My TV is a Sony KD-43X720E. This is using the built-in HDMI port, not a USB-C adapter.

 

[ElectricPotato]

I had to create a CVT-RB (or CVT-RB v2 also worked) custom resolution to get 4K 4:4:4@60Hz. All my HDMI cables worked, and my TV settings were also fine. My TV is a Sony KD-43X720E. This is using the built-in HDMI port, not a USB-C adapter.

I use that same Sony TV model with my MBP via a USB-C to HDMI cable. To get 4:4:4 I had to set "enhanced" mode for the HDMI inputs in the TV settings or else it would fall back to 4:4:2. I think only HDMI 2 and HDMI 3 inputs on that model support the "enhanced" mode. I banged my head on that problem for a while until I found those settings on the TV. I now know more about chroma subsampling that I wanted to.

4:4:2 is a disaster for computer text. With 4:4:4 the 43x720e looks great! The 43" 4K works out to about 100DPI without scaling, giving an insane amount of screen real estate.

Edit:
The settings are:
Home -> Preferences -> Setup -> AV Setup -> HDMI Signal Format

On the Setup menu, you have to scroll down far enough to see the AV Setup item. The HDMI Signal Format setting only applies to HDMI inputs 2 and 3. I never got 4:4:4 working on HDMI input 1 so I assume it is not supported on that input.

 

[BobMcBob]

For me, not using a USB-C to HDMI adapter or a MBP, the "enhanced" mode was not enough. That was necessary, along with the Game or Graphics "Scene" setting, and the HDMI 2 or 3 input, but it still didn't give me 4:4:4@60Hz until I made the CVT-RB (or CVT-RB v2) custom resolution.

I agree, the 43X720E does look great, and overall I'm happy with it. My complaints: The bottom 1/2" edge of the screen is darker than the rest. It takes 15 minutes to auto-power off and shows a green "No signal" screen during that time. I wish it were just black for the 15 minutes. There's no auto-power on. So, together, I have to power it on/off manually using the remote or the button on the right side of the TV. Also, I don't have any brightness or volume control though the standard Mac UI. I can get close with the Brightness Slider app and Soundflower. But, the Brightness Slider app doesn't use the standard brightness keys (it's not that bad, I still use it), and Soundflower+SoundflowerBed adds a horrible delay when watching video which makes it unusable.

 

[ElectricPotato]

Also, I don't have any brightness or volume control though the standard Mac UI.

Yes, I noticed the same issues as you. The brightness at the bottom is a matter of viewing angle. If you view the screen from a low position, the bottom brightness is the same. The higher your viewing angle, the more the bottom darkens.

I keep the Sony remote next to the keyboard for volume and manual power on/off. It's not elegant but I'm used to it now. It's not perfect, but the TV was inexpensive and I'm hooked on having that much room for reference docs on the side while I work in the center.

It is frustrating that Windows can control the TV volume programmatically through the HDMI connection while Mac can't. My MBP is on HDMI 2 and a Win 10 Dell box is on HDMI 3. The volume control on the Dell keyboard controls the TV volume just fine so it can be done, Apple has just chosen not to do it.

 

[BobMcBob]

It's not only a matter of viewing angle, because the same angle at every other point on the screen doesn't have the same problem. Even if my eyes are practically level with the bottom of the screen it's still slightly dim at the bottom edge. Yet, 2 inches above the bottom, the effect is nowhere near as extreme.

I just now installed the Sound Control app and it works quite well for controlling the sound volume. I commented on it in this thread.

 

[open0]

You should pay attention on ports the signal transferred following apple's introduction