iMac update: Users wont be able to stream 4K Netlfix videos

MacOS Big Sur, the future update of Apple’s Mac operating system, will actually let you watch Netflix 4K HDR video. However, it turns out that this would only operate with Apple’s T2 security chip on 2018 or later iMac, according to a recent Netflix support document.

That means that the complete list of Macs that can stream 4K video on Netflix is as follows, at least for now:

• iMac (2020) 
• iMac Pro 
• Mac Pro (2019) 
• Mac mini (2018) 
• MacBook Air (2018 or later) 
• MacBook Pro (2018 or later) 

Disappointingly, it won’t be feasible for older iMacs and pre-2018 Mac laptops that could potentially play Netflix 4 K content on their built-in screens or from an external 4 K or 5 K monitor. Why the T2 protection chip is required is not clear: Netflix did not have an immediate reaction to us, and Apple did not respond to a request for comment. 

Users need to go to their Apple menu (top-left corner of the screen) > Device Settings > Controller / iBridge to verify if their Mac device comes with a T2 chip or not. 

You will still need to switch to Netflix’s $15.99 a month Subscription plan if you want to view 4K Netflix and have a compatible Laptop after macOS Big Sur rolls out this fall. And according to Netflix’s Help Doc, you can only stream 4 K Netflix content via Safari, not other browsers. 

However, Mac users are not the only ones with unique criteria for viewing 4K Netflix: on Macos, you need to be on Windows 10, with a 4K-capable monitor and a computer with a reasonably powerful Processor or GPU, using Microsoft Edge or the Netflix software.