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Comment by egdod | Hacker News Reader

Having just dealt with the HDMI cable 4K refresh rate debacle, I can say that it is indeed a mess. The only way to make it worse would be to incorporate USB-C somehow.

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> The only way to make it worse would be to incorporate USB-C somehow.

Why? I run DisplayPort over USB Type-C port on my Linux Laptop and it works quite well for 4K at 60Hz. DisplayPort over Type-C is a pretty common configuration on laptops. https://www.displayport.org/displayport-over-usb-c/

I have the same setup on my Macbook Pro. Works great.

I was mostly joking. USB-C is fine if you get the right cables. But that can be a big “if.”

It’s a far cry from the trivial “just plug anything into anything with any cable and it’ll work” that we were promised.

> It’s a far cry from the trivial “just plug anything into anything with any cable and it’ll work” that we were promised.

It pretty much works exactly like that except for very edge cases near end of protocol capability. Things like 100W power supply and 4k/60Hz.

(Also I don't know who exactly promised you that any cable will work for high performance protocols.)

I suspect that the parent comment was making a joke based on the fact that the USB-C spec is complex and confusing, maybe not realizing that in fact reality is already one step ahead.

My laptop (Thinkpad L390) shows 4K@60Hz via USB-C on a LG 27UK850 while running linux. It is charged at the same time via the same cable. It's convenient: no need for a docking station.

Agreed. I've been trying to get my 2018 MBP to do 4k 60hz through my AVR and TV via a USB-C to HDMI cable with no luck so far. The AVR, TV, and cable are each individually HDMI 2.0a or greater, but my MBP refuses to believe that more than 1080p 60hz is possible.

And it actually worked at 4k 60hz the first time I plugged everything together, just not since then. Irritating to say the least.

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