Hi I came across your channel looking for ways to Connect my Mac to 3 displays (2 wired 1 Apple TV) and as I looked through your comments I really appreciate how informative and kind you are to your viewers :) keep up the great work - from subscriber number 20
Thanks for a great review! Looking forward for more videos on tech stuff by you. :) I pre-ordered the 13' version with Touch Bar, but with 16Gb RAM. Waiting for 1 week already for any updates on delivery dates, seems like non-base models have some availability issues. Currently, I'm using Mid 2012 Air, so I'm sure it would be a great upgrade for my workflow, despite all the criticism on the new models. I'm a developer (credible to call myself a Pro? ^__^) and, for 4 years, I've never used any other ports, except USB-A and Thunderbolt (which I use with HDMI-Thunderbolt to connect my ASUS IPS 1080p monitor). So, dongle situation is not a big deal for me: I'll need just one Multiport with one USB-A and HDMI, which I already ordered.
Thanks Michael! Sounds like it'll be a great upgrade and glad you've already figured out your port strategy! Do let me know how you get on once it arrives and what you think of it.
Great review. I think own / Mac sales may have the kind of hub you need but it is expensive. Do you work with the lid closed, when I dock my current MacBook 2014 model, I close it and use my Thunderbolt Display and keyboard and mouse etc. how does the 2016 model work in this way? Do touch bar enabled apps work with the same functionality?
Thanks for watching. After some research it seems that OWC's Thunderbolt 3 dock will do the trick but it's not available until February 2017 and is priced at $279! Belkin's Thunderbolt 3 HD hub similarly looks like it will let me charge, power a 4K monitor and all my USB peripherals but again it's not out yet and is speculated to cost $400. As far as using the external monitor with the laptop closed - as long as it has power it will continue to stay on with the monitor. If you remove external power it will sleep. I tend to have it open on a Rain Design mStand alongside my external monitor when I use it though..
I notice you have a MacPro in the background. I have an Early 2008 MacPro and desperately need to update it. How does the new MacBook Pro compare in performance to your MacPro? I'll be mostly using it for photo editing (not video), if you could bias your findings in that direction.
+Mike Guilbault thanks for the question! I'd say the Mac Pro definitely has an edge in performance here, especially when driving those monitors but it's not all that noticable. I've used Lightroom on both and scrolling between photos (RAW from D800) is definitely snappier on the MP but the MBP is totally fine for the job too. I imagine the MBP 15 is as fast if not faster. I'll try and run some actual benchmarks to give you a more quantitative answer!
Thank you for the review. I just bought a 15" MacBook Pro with touch bar and am hunting for a hub/docking station that does not cost a fortune. I am trying to find one with 2 HDMI ports and a couple USB's and if possible one that charges the MacBook as well. I cannot find anything!! Have you come across anything, do you have a recommendations? Thank you, Mark
Hey Mark, thanks for the comment! Two screens off one hub is tough - still not many options out there. Did you take a look at the CalDigit USB-C hub that costs around $150? Given you have a bunch of USB-C ports on a MBP TB you might be better off going with a one monitor & USB hub plus another cable that goes direct from your monitor to a USB-C connector. It also depends what kind of monitors you're running - are they 4K @ 60Hz? If so you may struggle even more to find a suitable hub.
I was wondering where you bought the display port to usbc cable. I have the exact monitor and a macbook pro 2016, and i was having trouble connecting them too. I still havent figured it out. Thanks!
+Matthew Peterson I purchased the j5create DisplayPort to USB-C cable from B&H Photo here www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1208734&gclid=CjwKEAiAqJjDBRCG5KK6hq_juDwSJABRm03huh1uFZ5D09mQ6VN2GUxq8WOA3oGJnbKxA3mrklMPshoCV5Xw_wcB&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876%2C92051678402%2C&Q=&A=details It works well with no connection problems!
hi. i have the 15" MacBook pro late 2016 w/ touch bar. also i have a Samsung 4k 32" monitor. via a startech 1 meter displayport to usb-c cable i hook these two things up. similiar setup as yours...my question: have you noticed any glitches when you change the display scaling? also after i wake up the laptop, the monitor has a weird scalling and black edges. i have to logout and log back in to get the scalling back to normal. when i unplug my w-lan router this problem goes away. do you have this same or a similar problem with your setup?
Hi Raycizzle - I haven't noticed those kind of issues, however on my Mac Pro I often get scaling issues when it awakens but it sorts itself out after logging in. Did your issues resolve?
Hey I have a problem with connecting my macbook pro 2016 to a tv thru hdmi. I have the adapter from apple and when I plug it in the screen just blinks for a second and that's it. Nothing is showing on the Tv. I;d be verry happy if you can help
+Denis N hmm, if you go in to the display settings when it's plugged in does it detect the new screen? Thinking it could be a resolution issue maybe...
The battery life continues to disappoint unfortunately, I consistently get 4-5 hours with regular use (browsing, many tabs) where I used to get around 9 with my MacBook Air. The time left estimator is wildly inaccurate and often underestimates how much is left, Google Chrome, Drive and Safari are frequently in the apps that use "Significant Energy". Hopefully this will improve with software updates. As for freezes - I am continuing to notice Chrome freezing at times, not letting me input text or hit buttons for a few seconds. Thankfully the machine hasn't completely frozen or required a hard reboot.
+Laura Mesnet yes, apparently it does. The CPU consumes less energy and the battery is marginally higher capacity (54.5 Wh vs 49.2 Wh for the TouchBar model). So definitely better, whether it's truly 10 hours I'm not sure but there don't seem to be many complaints for the non TouchBar model.
It's a 1st generation Moto 360 with the light metal wrist band. It runs Android Wear and I use it with my Pixel XL (review coming soon!). Great watch with a very distinctive look!
hey, thanks for the review! I'm considering to get the monitor with my 2016 MacBook pro 13 too. I just wondering if you can use another USB C port to charge the Mac while the other one to connect to the monitor. is it possible? thanks
+bady qb yep that's totally possible and it's exactly what I do with mine. One plugs in to the monitor, the other plugs in to my usb-c hub that I plug my power cable in to
Hi I came across your channel looking for ways to Connect my Mac to 3 displays (2 wired 1 Apple TV) and as I looked through your comments I really appreciate how informative and kind you are to your viewers :) keep up the great work - from subscriber number 20
+James Walmsley thank you for the feedback and for subscribing! Hope you're enjoying your Mac setup!
what cable do you use to connect the monitor?
Thanks for a great review! Looking forward for more videos on tech stuff by you. :)
I pre-ordered the 13' version with Touch Bar, but with 16Gb RAM. Waiting for 1 week already for any updates on delivery dates, seems like non-base models have some availability issues. Currently, I'm using Mid 2012 Air, so I'm sure it would be a great upgrade for my workflow, despite all the criticism on the new models. I'm a developer (credible to call myself a Pro? ^__^) and, for 4 years, I've never used any other ports, except USB-A and Thunderbolt (which I use with HDMI-Thunderbolt to connect my ASUS IPS 1080p monitor). So, dongle situation is not a big deal for me: I'll need just one Multiport with one USB-A and HDMI, which I already ordered.
Thanks Michael! Sounds like it'll be a great upgrade and glad you've already figured out your port strategy! Do let me know how you get on once it arrives and what you think of it.
Thanks for watching - let me know what you think! Are you buying a MacBook Pro?
Great review. I think own / Mac sales may have the kind of hub you need but it is expensive. Do you work with the lid closed, when I dock my current MacBook 2014 model, I close it and use my Thunderbolt Display and keyboard and mouse etc. how does the 2016 model work in this way? Do touch bar enabled apps work with the same functionality?
Thanks for watching. After some research it seems that OWC's Thunderbolt 3 dock will do the trick but it's not available until February 2017 and is priced at $279! Belkin's Thunderbolt 3 HD hub similarly looks like it will let me charge, power a 4K monitor and all my USB peripherals but again it's not out yet and is speculated to cost $400.
As far as using the external monitor with the laptop closed - as long as it has power it will continue to stay on with the monitor. If you remove external power it will sleep. I tend to have it open on a Rain Design mStand alongside my external monitor when I use it though..
Can I charge the MacBook and connect an external monitor to the single port at the same time
I notice you have a MacPro in the background. I have an Early 2008 MacPro and desperately need to update it. How does the new MacBook Pro compare in performance to your MacPro? I'll be mostly using it for photo editing (not video), if you could bias your findings in that direction.
+Mike Guilbault thanks for the question! I'd say the Mac Pro definitely has an edge in performance here, especially when driving those monitors but it's not all that noticable. I've used Lightroom on both and scrolling between photos (RAW from D800) is definitely snappier on the MP but the MBP is totally fine for the job too. I imagine the MBP 15 is as fast if not faster. I'll try and run some actual benchmarks to give you a more quantitative answer!
can you make it non-mirroring or closing the lid making it basically a cpu unit or while watching movies
Will the MBP fan goes crazy when doing some photoshop or watching 4K video?
Thank you for the review. I just bought a 15" MacBook Pro with touch bar and am hunting for a hub/docking station that does not cost a fortune. I am trying to find one with 2 HDMI ports and a couple USB's and if possible one that charges the MacBook as well. I cannot find anything!! Have you come across anything, do you have a recommendations?
Thank you,
Mark
Hey Mark, thanks for the comment! Two screens off one hub is tough - still not many options out there. Did you take a look at the CalDigit USB-C hub that costs around $150? Given you have a bunch of USB-C ports on a MBP TB you might be better off going with a one monitor & USB hub plus another cable that goes direct from your monitor to a USB-C connector. It also depends what kind of monitors you're running - are they 4K @ 60Hz? If so you may struggle even more to find a suitable hub.
I was wondering where you bought the display port to usbc cable. I have the exact monitor and a macbook pro 2016, and i was having trouble connecting them too. I still havent figured it out. Thanks!
+Matthew Peterson I purchased the j5create DisplayPort to USB-C cable from B&H Photo here www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1208734&gclid=CjwKEAiAqJjDBRCG5KK6hq_juDwSJABRm03huh1uFZ5D09mQ6VN2GUxq8WOA3oGJnbKxA3mrklMPshoCV5Xw_wcB&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876%2C92051678402%2C&Q=&A=details It works well with no connection problems!
Does the cable you purchased charge the macbook pro while it is connected? thank you for the video and response to Matthew's question.
+George Koenig sadly not, the DisplayPort does not provide power.
hi. i have the 15" MacBook pro late 2016 w/ touch bar. also i have a Samsung 4k 32" monitor. via a startech 1 meter displayport to usb-c cable i hook these two things up. similiar setup as yours...my question: have you noticed any glitches when you change the display scaling? also after i wake up the laptop, the monitor has a weird scalling and black edges. i have to logout and log back in to get the scalling back to normal. when i unplug my w-lan router this problem goes away. do you have this same or a similar problem with your setup?
Hi Raycizzle - I haven't noticed those kind of issues, however on my Mac Pro I often get scaling issues when it awakens but it sorts itself out after logging in. Did your issues resolve?
Do you have any issue with getting internet connection when connected to the monitor?
Thanks for watching! No I haven't had any problems with the internet connection when connected to the monitor - what are you experiencing?
Hey I have a problem with connecting my macbook pro 2016 to a tv thru hdmi. I have the adapter from apple and when I plug it in the screen just blinks for a second and that's it. Nothing is showing on the Tv. I;d be verry happy if you can help
+Denis N hmm, if you go in to the display settings when it's plugged in does it detect the new screen? Thinking it could be a resolution issue maybe...
Digital Doc I fixed it. Thanx a lot and btw great videos!
How is the battery time? Is it freezing sometimes?
The battery life continues to disappoint unfortunately, I consistently get 4-5 hours with regular use (browsing, many tabs) where I used to get around 9 with my MacBook Air. The time left estimator is wildly inaccurate and often underestimates how much is left, Google Chrome, Drive and Safari are frequently in the apps that use "Significant Energy". Hopefully this will improve with software updates.
As for freezes - I am continuing to notice Chrome freezing at times, not letting me input text or hit buttons for a few seconds. Thankfully the machine hasn't completely frozen or required a hard reboot.
Hi! Do you know if the macbook pro without touch bar has a better battery time ?
+Laura Mesnet yes, apparently it does. The CPU consumes less energy and the battery is marginally higher capacity (54.5 Wh vs 49.2 Wh for the TouchBar model). So definitely better, whether it's truly 10 hours I'm not sure but there don't seem to be many complaints for the non TouchBar model.
What's your smartwatch?
It's a 1st generation Moto 360 with the light metal wrist band. It runs Android Wear and I use it with my Pixel XL (review coming soon!). Great watch with a very distinctive look!
hey, thanks for the review! I'm considering to get the monitor with my 2016 MacBook pro 13 too. I just wondering if you can use another USB C port to charge the Mac while the other one to connect to the monitor. is it possible? thanks
+bady qb yep that's totally possible and it's exactly what I do with mine. One plugs in to the monitor, the other plugs in to my usb-c hub that I plug my power cable in to
Did it charge? when you're plugging that usb-c DP cable?
Unfortunately no, no pass through charging on this port. If it were one of the 4k/5k LG screens Apple sell then it would have done.
I can't output 4k - how do I change the options to output 4k
Assuming you have a machine that supports it, the monitor supports it and the cable supports it, the option should show. What's your setup?
Francis Wong I have a 2016 mbp with touchbar and a 4k Acer ET322QK 322 qs monitor and am using usb-c to display port cable
I can only watch RUclips videos in 1080p - I can’t get 4k from my MacBook Pro