Apple
An update to Safari on the developer version of macOS Big Sur brings a much-requested and missing feature: support for Netflix 4K HDR broadcasts. Additionally, Apple TV is receiving support for the VP9 video codec, which means that Apple TV 4K owners will finally be able to watch 4K YouTube videos on that device’s YouTube app.
Both changes address the frustrations users have had in the Apple ecosystem when consuming video content. Apple TV 4K ranks as the world’s most capable consumer streaming box, but it doesn’t support higher resolutions in one of the world’s most popular apps. And while there has been less demand for 4K HDR on Macs since most Macs don’t have 4K or full HDR displays, this is a welcome change for those using external displays that do support those things.
However, there is an important caveat. Netflix 4K HDR broadcasts are only supported on some Macs. Only 2018 or 2019 MacBook Pro models and iMac Pro support HDR on the device’s own display (although, again, the specs don’t meet the same HDR brightness standards as the high-end televisions). Those machines plus the Mac mini 2018 and Mac Pro 2019 can do HDR on external displays.
Also, while the Apple TV YouTube app got 4K capability, Big Sur Safari doesn’t appear to have been updated to get the same functionality on YouTube. However, that could change between now and the final release of Big Sur.
In theory, adding HDR support to Safari on Mac applies to more than just Netflix, but this is the first publicly known example. Twitter user Ishan Agarwal shared a screenshot showing that the functionality is there. He made this discovery when he noticed that the video he was watching on Netflix was playing in 4K and Dolby Vision, a popular HDR standard. 9to5Mac reported on the tweet, revealing the story to more people.
It’s worth noting that AirPlay 2 recently supports 4K on iOS 14 and Big Sur, so this appears to be part of a concerted 4K push by Apple on its platforms. Also, in a development that is only tangentially related, the Apple TV app on LG TVs now supports Dolby Atmos.
iOS 14, tvOS 14 and macOS Big Sur are still in a testing phase with developers, so some things might change before launch, but this is where things are now.
