Using an 8K TV as a macOS Computer Monitor

I have a dream. A dream that one day I will be able to use an 8K TV as four seamless 4K monitors. I just can't figure out how to make this work. 

Yes, I could get this to work on Windows, but over the last two years, I've become an Apple fanboy. I just spent an ungodly amount of money on the new M3 Max MacBook Pro, which can power an 8K display at 60 Hz, but that isn't the problem. 

The problem is that I can't find any software that will split one giant monitor into four virtual monitors (I can for Windows, but not macOS). I need the TV to act as four different displays because when I full-screen a window, I never want it to fill the whole TV. I just want it to fill the quadrant it's in. 

The other issue is Mac's menu bar. Instead of sticking a menu bar on top of every application like Windows does, macOS sticks it to the top of each display. This would be incredibly frustrating to deal with on one giant monitor. 

Watch the video above where I explain my dilemma in greater detail, and let me know if you have any ideas of how I could pull this off. 

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Lee Morris is a professional photographer based in Charleston SC, and is the co-owner of Fstoppers.com

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6 Comments

There is a possible solution that may help. Not perfect but a possible workaround that may be good enough for you

It won’t truly split your 8K into 4 x 4K monitors but will almost achieve it, and may partially mitigate your menu bar issue to a degree

Download and install and app called “Window Tidy” and with it you can set ‘zones’ on your screen that you can drag apps to and they will snap to fit that zone. Also as the apps are not ‘maximised’ some of the menu bar will stay at the top of the app window.

Cheap and easy if not perfect but worth a try?

Best wishes

Chris

Thanks I'll try!

So, I've done this, with a M2 Max MBP. I can highly recommend Window Tidy or Mosaic.

Here are some of my notes: https://scottstuff.net/posts/2023/10/10/samsung-8k/

The menu bar is an issue, but it's not the *biggest* issue. Getting all of the random color settings so that text isn't terrible was surprisingly difficult, but I'm happy now.

You should flip your speakers for more stereo separation

Try reaching out to Andreas Hegenberg, he made the app Secondbar.