Netflix 4K Support? HDCP 2.2 Compliance On 2016 MacBook Pro 15"?

[werpu]

• Unless they make other chipset changes, a future Kaby Lake MBP probably won't be able to output HEVC main10 4K to a TV anyway due to it only having DisplayPort 1.2.

The verdict is still open on that one. There might be ways to push higher dp versions through the USB-C ports. USB-C itself is capable of handling DP 1.3 maybe there is a possibility to even get DP 1.4 through. Officially Thunderbolt 3 limits DP to 2 - 1.2 DPs, but given alternative modes etc... I am not sure if something higher is not possible if the internal hardware supports it. After all thunderbolt is more or less just an exposed pci express in port form.

If not then oh well, at least 4k/60 is possible at the moment via dp 1.2 and on hdmi via dp2hdmi converters (which some exist already). But I also do not see that changing unless a Thunderbolt 4 is in the pipeline.

The internal Radeon 460 GPU can handle DP 1.4 with HCP 2.2 and HDR just fine. Kaby Lake does not support HDR to my knowledge (I can be wrong however) it just adds a normal HEVC encoding engine, something the Radeon can handle by now. So I expect the biggest boost from Kaby Lake will be in th 13 inch models less so in the 15 inch models, which just might get a better frequence throttling compared to Skylake.
[doublepost=1486730155][/doublepost]

My OCD is going crazy on those issues. The feeling of wanting a perfect machine that can do it all.
That is true on your side, as displayport wont be 1.4 for a while. Lastly, even 1080p videos might be encoded with h.265 HEVC in the future to save space and have better quality.

There never will be the perfect machine. Just one that fits your needs for the moment.
After all, we soon will get HDMI 2.1 and about 10 different variantions of HDR.
Add to that, that Apple has yet to move their retina screens to 4k or 5k (for whatever reason, given that 4k panels by now probably are cheaper than their custom resolution) and Intel is always late to support anything which comes from the Displayport and HDMI side of things.

As for the moment. The Retina Macbook pros can handle 4k just fine, it is just that you miss out on HDR and HDCP 2.2 (although the internal GPU can handle it). Not a big loss unless you want to use your mac as Netflix client connected to your tv and/or you have a hdr capable tv. But for both Tasks there are better suited devices on the market like an NVidia Shield.

And yes 4k over HDMI is also possible there are some adapters on the market which supposingly work (most if not all of them just being dp2hdmi converters)

 

[alFR]

Thanks werpu, good info. Damn, this video standards stuff is confusing...

 

[werpu]

Thanks werpu, good info. Damn, this video standards stuff is confusing...

Wait till you read about USB-C, if there was one messed up spec then it is this one. Add to that that the market atm is flooded with cheap shoddy chinese controllers and cables which partially or completely ignore the spec.

 

[Penlocky]

Have been following this (and the other Skylake vs Kaby Lake threads) with interest. Would a fair summary be:

• The current MBP's discrete GPU can decode / encode HEVC main10 4K and VP9 fine, but uses more battery than a future Kaby Lake model would.
• There's no HEVC main10 4K support in macOS anyway, so the Skylake/Kaby Lake difference is irrelevant unless you dual boot into Windows.
• Unless they make other chipset changes, a future Kaby Lake MBP probably won't be able to output HEVC main10 4K to a TV anyway due to it only having DisplayPort 1.2.

Also, the internal MBP display isn't 4K (and even if it was, most people probably wouldn't see the difference anyway at a typical viewing distance). If all that is right, I'm not seeing the major benefit in waiting for Kaby Lake? I get the future-proofing argument, but honestly how many people who need a MBP routinely keep them for 5-10 years? I do have a 2011 MBP now, but it's just been obsoleted (so no more macOS upgrades I imagine) and had there been a chassis redesign earlier I'd likely have already upgraded.

Correct on those points! Nicely summarized.
Lets see.
Internal display isn't 4k, but a little higher than 1080p, viewing 4k with my eye looks a lot better on the 15" screen on youtube VP9 codec, which eats 40% CPU at 4k in google chrome. But only 8% CPU in 1080p. And I think in the future Youtube will have more 4k like from marques, and gaming channels.

I can only hope Apple has some crazy magic on the next model that can change display port 1.2 to hdcp 2.2 supportable.

I have to keep this investment for 5+ years because I am still a student, no income yet. I wish I can be like others that can buy new ones often.
[doublepost=1486736711][/doublepost]

Thanks werpu, good info. Damn, this video standards stuff is confusing...

Yeah I just learned about the Video Codec last week. If I haven't tripped on this issue randomly last week, I might have been happy with my purchase and never know why it drains energy in 4k. =P Knowing too much sometimes can't be undone.
[doublepost=1486736743][/doublepost]

Wait till you read about USB-C, if there was one messed up spec then it is this one. Add to that that the market atm is flooded with cheap shoddy chinese controllers and cables which partially or completely ignore the spec.

Whats wrong with USB C?

 

[werpu]

Whats wrong with usb-c is that it basically is a good idea with mostly a shoddy implementation. The entire adapter market is a huge mess of half baked half working adapters and outside of apple usb-c often has been partially implemented. There are computers with severl usb-c ports for instance and only one of them allows to load power into the computer. Other USB-C ports either do not have thunderbolt or even USB 3.1 etc.. The entire thing is a huge mess. Fortunately Apple pretty much has everything implemented which is allowed and possible atm in USB-C.

 

[Penlocky]

The verdict is still open on that one. There might be ways to push higher dp versions through the USB-C ports. USB-C itself is capable of handling DP 1.3 maybe there is a possibility to even get DP 1.4 through. Officially Thunderbolt 3 limits DP to 2 - 1.2 DPs, but given alternative modes etc... I am not sure if something higher is not possible if the internal hardware supports it. After all thunderbolt is more or less just an exposed pci express in port form.

If not then oh well, at least 4k/60 is possible at the moment via dp 1.2 and on hdmi via dp2hdmi converters (which some exist already). But I also do not see that changing unless a Thunderbolt 4 is in the pipeline.

The internal Radeon 460 GPU can handle DP 1.4 with HCP 2.2 and HDR just fine. Kaby Lake does not support HDR to my knowledge (I can be wrong however) it just adds a normal HEVC encoding engine, something the Radeon can handle by now. So I expect the biggest boost from Kaby Lake will be in th 13 inch models less so in the 15 inch models, which just might get a better frequence throttling compared to Skylake.
[doublepost=1486730155][/doublepost]

There never will be the perfect machine. Just one that fits your needs for the moment.
After all, we soon will get HDMI 2.1 and about 10 different variantions of HDR.
Add to that, that Apple has yet to move their retina screens to 4k or 5k (for whatever reason, given that 4k panels by now probably are cheaper than their custom resolution) and Intel is always late to support anything which comes from the Displayport and HDMI side of things.

As for the moment. The Retina Macbook pros can handle 4k just fine, it is just that you miss out on HDR and HDCP 2.2 (although the internal GPU can handle it). Not a big loss unless you want to use your mac as Netflix client connected to your tv and/or you have a hdr capable tv. But for both Tasks there are better suited devices on the market like an NVidia Shield.

And yes 4k over HDMI is also possible there are some adapters on the market which supposingly work (most if not all of them just being dp2hdmi converters)

I did not see this just now. Sounds like Intel is late =).
I want my MacBook to be hub to everything like the TV streamer too. But I might not use that function in the end =P.
[doublepost=1486746355][/doublepost]O

Whats wrong with usb-c is that it basically is a good idea with mostly a shoddy implementation. The entire adapter market is a huge mess of half baked half working adapters and outside of apple usb-c often has been partially implemented. There are computers with severl usb-c ports for instance and only one of them allows to load power into the computer. Other USB-C ports either do not have thunderbolt or even USB 3.1 etc.. The entire thing is a huge mess. Fortunately Apple pretty much has everything implemented which is allowed and possible atm in USB-C.

Ow, Apple make the USB-C all in one eh? It's frustrating to know intel does not make it perfect so it makes Apple's life easier. =) With their delays in thunderbolt 3 controler on display port 1.3, etc.
But intel also have their own problems too. If I were to wait for the perfect computer, I will have to wait another 5 months probably when Kaby comes out, or forever!
So did you get the 15"?