MacReviews

Satechi’s 8K ULTRA HD High Speed HDMI 2.1 Cable is cool, but has limited functionality on a Mac

If you need 8K video output on a computer, your best bet is the 8K ULTRA HD High Speed HDMI 2.1 Cable from Satechi. However, its functionality is limited on the Mac.

It will only set you back US$29.99, but provides the newest HDMI technology. It supports higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K@60Hz, 4K@120Hz, and more, which is great for creating content and streaming videos and games. The cable also offers dynamic HDR, 12 Bit color processing technology, and 48 Gbps bandwidth.

The HDMI cable is also durable. It sports a premium braided nylon construction, which prevents breakage, along with a corrosion-resistant 24K gold-plated full metal connector.

In order to get 8K video output using Satechi’s 8K Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, you have to connect one end of the cable to a host device that supports 8K video output through a direct HDMI 2.1 port. The other end must be connected directly to a monitor or TV that supports 8K video resolution. 

If your monitor or host device doesn’t support 8K video, you won’t be able to output at this frame rate. The cable will be limited to whatever resolution your host device or monitor supports. 

You should also note that when using the Satechi cable on macOS, it will only support 4K at 60Hz and nothing above that frame rate. Why? Macs are designed to only support refresh rates of 5K or 6K when connected directly through a Thunderbolt connection and not HDMI. Due to this limitation, your Mac will only allow for the HDMI cable to output 4K resolution, even though this cable is rated to reach 8K on supporting host devices and monitors. 

However, the 6.6-foot cable does support lower resolution outputs including 5K, 4K, 1440P, 1080P, etc. However, a mentioned, the maximum refresh rate is 60Hz. Even if your display supports higher refresh rates (120Hz, 144Hz) and macOS devices (iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, etc.) will have a maximum video output resolution of 4K at 60Hz. On the positive side, the Satechi cable supports audio output.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.