Can I run this amazing monitor with my MacBook Pro? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I *think* the extensive curve of this screen is going to work to my advantage as it will bring text much closer to my eyes in applications I place on the edge of the screen.

With no end to COVID-19 insight, it would be impossible for me to go to a store and try this out. BH Photo was where I was going to purchase it from (mail order). Going into NYC to see it is a HUGE no for me under the circumstances.

BEST BUY is the next best bet. I could buy it day one from the store. I am not sure if BEST BUY stores are open and I really don't like the idea of going into any store. However, I will consider doing it. I have to see what BB's return policy is on monitors.

Right now, I am all set to buy this. However, I will absolutely consider going into a BB store once they are available to see it for myself. Hopefully it will be set up for demo.

 

[Thomas Newton]

To be fair, I'm pretty certain that I've been generally discouraging the idea of the widescreen monitor, if only on the basis of cost. I'm just trying to avoid telling others what to do. I have been wondering how people who use small 4K displays felt about them, because they never made sense to me. The only computer use I see for them is as an inexpensive monitor for editing 4K video. For any other use, they seemed like a bad idea, for the reasons Ron has spelled out.

The resolution of the 4K 21.5" iMac's display seems OK to me. Like the 5K 27" iMac, the 4K 21.5" Mac lets you maintain traditional physical sizes of text and objects, by devoting extra pixels to detail, instead of to real estate.

If you run the system in this way, you get the benefit of better text and photo rendering, with a minimum of artifacts. You don't get 4x as much real estate, but you also do not need eyes like a hawk. Resolutions are balanced relative to physical size.

Think of it like this. A book publisher can print a book that contains one novel, printed in legible 12-point text – or a same-sized book that contains four novels, printed in 3-point text. Which would you want to read?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

The resolution of the 4K 21.5" iMac's display seems OK to me. Like the 5K 27" iMac, the 4K 21.5" Mac lets you maintain traditional physical sizes of text and objects, by devoting extra pixels to detail, instead of to real estate.

If you run the system in this way, you get the benefit of better text and photo rendering, with a minimum of artifacts. You don't get 4x as much real estate, but you also do not need eyes like a hawk. Resolutions are balanced relative to physical size.

Think of it like this. A book publisher can print a book that contains one novel, printed in legible 12-point text – or a same-sized book that contains four novels, printed in 3-point text. Which would you want to read?

Thomas, with all this in mind am I winning or losing by going with the 49" Ultrawide? Don't consider financials in this as that is obviously losing.

 

[Thomas Newton]

The resolution of the 4K 21.5" iMac's display seems OK to me.

That said, I prefer 27" displays – 2.5K or better – with physical text and object sizes that are the same as, or close to, those of a 27" 2.5K display.

The 21.5" 4K iMac has a resolution that is appropriate for its size, but I'm too used to the amount of screen real estate that a 27" 2.5K display provides.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Thomas, with all this in mind am I winning or losing by going with the 49" Ultrawide? Don't consider financials in this as that is obviously losing.

That's hard to say. Earlier, you said that:

I am going to be using this monitor strictly for email, spreadsheets, iMovie editing, and web browsing. Would this monitor be appropriate for that purpose?

Fine for all of those except, perhaps iMovie editing of 4K projects. (You might want to have a screen with at least UHD (3840x2160) resolution in both directions to view the final output from those.)

Overkill, perhaps, but you seem to be interested in this type of overkill.

Since you don't seem to be concerned about financial issues, or how much room this beast would take up on your desk, let's move on.

I don't like the two 27" monitors I am currently running only because they don't wrap around my peripheral vision.

I'm not sure that something that is this physically wide is ideal for anyone who plans to make heavy use of peripheral vision. A curved monitor might help a bit, but at that width, pixel pitch, and working distance, you're probably going to be running up against the limitations of human vision. Expect to swivel your head or chair a lot, and don't expect to notice something changing on the far right side of the screen if you are working on something on the far left.

If there is enough room on your desk to safely do so, you could try temporarily moving your monitors into a "V" shape that approximates the Samsung's curvature. This won't give you an exact idea of what the Samsung monitor is like, but it might help – and you could do this at home, without going to a store where you might meet COVID-19.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thomas,

Thanks for the response.

My problem is I am an impulse buyer. I love new tech.

I stated this previously: I wanted an ultrawide monitor to begin with. However in 2018, only a handful of PRO models would handle these monitors without issues. I was working off of a 13" MBP at the time and it didn't have the Radeon graphics card in it and I was reading stories of issues with the ultrawide monitors and MBPs without the card.

So I went with two 27" monitors.

Right now I am longing for a single screen solution. I don't want dividing bezels. That ultrawide is going to look wicked on my desk.

The only issue is that I have no idea if I am going to like the curvature on this. You pointed out the limitations visually.

I am going to make an effort to go to BestBuy when this monitor is available again. I don't even know if they are open these days, but I am guessing they are. Hopefully, there will be a demo unit.

BestBuy has a 14-day return policy on monitors. While that may not be an optimal amount of time for me to love or hate it, it seems at least enough time for me to put it through its paces.

There is an outside chance Samsung may send me one to review for this forum. Very outside chance. However, I'm not a gamer and I don't have enough knowledge of the product to do a video that would be of any use to someone looking for a gaming monitor. I would be embarrassed to ask Samsung to send me one.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am a big fan of Chris from DailyTech. He actually does a review of my second choice for a monitor, the LG 49WL95C-W 49" 32:9 Curved UltraWide HDR IPS Monitor

And this would be a GREAT choice for a monitor. However, start watching at the 13:50 mark and Chris hits upon the VERY reason why I want to move up to Samsung.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

BestBuy has a 14-day return policy on monitors. While that may not be an optimal amount of time for me to love or hate it, it seems at least enough time for me to put it through its paces.

Does Best Buy charge a re-stocking fee on monitors?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Does Best Buy charge a re-stocking fee on monitors?

I checked that this morning. They do not.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I am a big fan of Chris from DailyTech. He actually does a review of my second choice for a monitor, the LG 49WL95C-W 49" 32:9 Curved UltraWide HDR IPS Monitor

And this would be a GREAT choice for a monitor. However, start watching at the 13:50 mark and Chris hits upon the VERY reason why I want to move up to Samsung.

Ron, that LG has 3800R curvature, which is the lowest amongst such ultrawides. He mentioned he woulda preferred a little more curvature, but not clear whether that would be 1800-1900R or all the way to 1000R -- Samsung has both of those options as I mentioned.

While 1000R might give you what you currently desire near/along the edges, it might also easily lead to distorted (curved) views of straight lines and geometric shapes across parts of the screen that lower curvature might not (or at least yield less). Of course, you might also get used to it quickly enough... as it seems fairly subjective... which is partly why a good return policy is prudent...

Anyway, here's a pretty technical review of the LG:

LG 49WL95C-W Review

The LG 49WL95C-W is a good 49 inch, super ultrawide monitor with an impressive 5120x1440 resolution, but you can only get this resolution over a DisplayPort conn...

www.rtings.com

And one for the somewhat cheaper Samsung 1800R model:

Samsung C49RG9/CRG9 Review

The Samsung CRG9 is a good super ultrawide monitor. Its 32:9 aspect ratio provides plenty of space for an immersive gaming experience and allows you to work comf...

www.rtings.com

Unfortunately, they haven't reviewed the Samsung C49TG9 yet for comparison, but it should probably be pretty similar to its somewhat cheaper sibling(?), except for the curvature, refresh rate and maybe HDR (that seems higher on the cheaper model).

I checked that this morning. They do not.

That seems hard to believe for such a beast from them. In the past, I got the impression BB isn't that great for returns of opened items w/out restocking fees, except maybe for big TVs they deliver themselves I guess. Of course, all that may have changed since I last checked/observed several years ago...

Do be aware though something like this may be a bit difficult to return in original packed form to avoid restocking fees in general, especially if you have to return by shipping instead of in person.

IF you get this shipped to you, they will most likely *not* double-box it for you since it's already quite big in its original packaging.

_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Man,

I will look at the reviews you provided above later this morning. Thank you for those.

My plan is to do pickup from BestBuy. I will do my best to preserve packaging if it needs to be returned. I will have to look closer at the BB return policy posted on their site. I simply did a Google search on BB return policy for monitors and got a general Google statement on it.

Thanks for all the information again, Man

 

[Thomas Newton]

In the past, I got the impression BB isn't that great for returns of opened items w/out restocking fees, except maybe for big TVs they deliver themselves I guess. Of course, all that may have changed since I last checked/observed several years ago...

They still might have return fees for something like this. This page appears to be about orders made from their Web site, but might be indicative of their retail store policies.

Note the parts about return fees for special-order items, damaged packaging, or items returned in anything less than like-new condition.

Best Buy – Returns and Exchanges

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thomas,

Thanks for looking into that.

There have been some changes since I last spoke to you guys.

I am definitely purchasing an ultra Widescreen monitor. That's going to happen.

The Samsung G9 Odyssey has been recalled. There were problems with panel separation, some flickering, and backlight bleeding.

Samsung is not officially calling it a recall as the monitor never made it into the hands of the general public. Only reviewers were sent a unit.

Speaking of which, I did reach out to Samsung. They have confirmed they will consider sending me a unit once they are available.

However, I am not putting my eggs in that basket right now. There are a lot of online reviewers who want them. I did let Samsung know that my objective was to do a review for non-gamers. I was looking through the comments on YouTube and there are a lot of people like myself interested in knowing whether this monitor will suit their needs.

If I don't get it through Samsung I will take my chances with Best Buy.

Once again, I thank all of you for your input and advice. If I get this monitor I will be back to ask questions about optimal display settings, though some of you have already thrown out suggestions.

 

[JohnRice]

Ron, really the optimal settings for resolution is just to run it at the native 5180x1440. Things will be a bit smaller than "normal" but much larger than what you have now. As I said, I run the same resolution across two 27" monitors and I measured the physical dimensions of them, and they are identical to the dimensions of the G9, so the pixel density (size of text, etc.) will be identical to what I get.

To compensate for the slightly smaller dot pitch, I increased the font size of Finder text a little and run Firefox at 110%. I only just got these two monitors this past Spring and it's a very nice desktop.

Have you confirmed how it needs to be connected to your MBP? There should be no problem from a pure pixel count factor, but I don't know what cable you'll need.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron, really the optimal settings for resolution is just to run it at the native 5180x1440. Things will be a bit smaller than "normal" but much larger than what you have now. As I said, I run the same resolution across two 27" monitors and I measured the physical dimensions of them, and they are identical to the dimensions of the G9, so the pixel density (size of text, etc.) will be identical to what I get.

To compensate for the slightly smaller dot pitch, I increased the font size of Finder text a little and run Firefox at 110%. I only just got these two monitors this past Spring and it's a very nice desktop.

Have you confirmed how it needs to be connected to your MBP? There should be no problem from a pure pixel count factor, but I don't know what cable you'll need.

John,

I am saving this message for future reference as I needed to know the optimal settings I would need to set it at.

Best I can figure, I am going to be using a display port cable from the monitor to a Caldigit dock. Then from the Caldigit dock I will use either a single USB-C or a Thunderbolt 3 cable. Not sure which I will need.

So, I'll finally get my single-cable solution, hopefully.

It's gonna be a wait for this monitor. Not sure how long it will be until Samsung fixes the issues and manufactures new units.

 

[JohnRice]

John,

I am saving this message for future reference as I needed to know the optimal settings I would need to set it at.

Best I can figure, I am going to be using a display port cable from the monitor to a Caldigit dock. Then from the Caldigit dock I will use either a single USB-C or a Thunderbolt 3 cable. Not sure which I will need.

So, I'll finally get my single-cable solution, hopefully.

It's gonna be a wait for this monitor. Not sure how long it will be until Samsung fixes the issues and manufactures new units.

I strongly suspect you'll have to use a full-blown 40Gb/s TB3 cable between the computer and the dock. It came with one, but only 2ft.

As far as the resolution for the display, "Default for Display" in Displays Setup should be the way to go.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Best I can figure, I am going to be using a display port cable from the monitor to a Caldigit dock. Then from the Caldigit dock I will use either a single USB-C or a Thunderbolt 3 cable. Not sure which I will need.

Is this a Caldigit TS3 Plus?

It supports "a maximum resolution up to 4K" on its DisplayPort. I could have been wrong about the chances of (5120x1440) requiring two cables; a (5120x1440) screen has fewer pixels than UHD 4K one. Still, you might want to contact Caldigit ([email protected]), to ask if that resolution will work, and at what refresh rate.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Is this a Caldigit TS3 Plus?

It supports "a maximum resolution up to 4K" on its DisplayPort. I could have been wrong about the chances of (5120x1440) requiring two cables; a (5120x1440) screen has fewer pixels than UHD 4K one. Still, you might want to contact Caldigit ([email protected]), to ask if that resolution will work, and at what refresh rate.

Thomas, thanks for the concern. I did send Caldigit Support an email moments ago asking if the dock can handle the screen resolution of 5120x1440 and at what resolution. I also asked if a single display port cable to the dock and a TB3 cable to the Macbook Pro is all I need. I also asked if there were any screen resolution limitations to the dock connection.

Caldigit support is excellent. I should hear from them in a few hours and will report back.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

John,

I am trying that 5120x1440 resolution on my current dual 27" displays.

I have my Display setting (Mac Settings) set to default. I go to a program like SwitchRezX and I can't even find that setting in the dozens that are being offered. Even if I switch to SCALED I am not offered that option.

Would love to bring the size of everything up a little as it's hard to read when in 3840x2160

What am I missing?

 

[JohnRice]

Ron...

The 5120x1440 resolution is for a single, ultrawide monitor. That's not what you have now. You have two regular width monitors. So, the equivalent resolution, for the purpose of seeing text sizes, etc. but with the loss of sharpness due to scaling, would be to set each monitor to 2560x1440. 2560 x 2 is 5120, which is what the total for that double wide monitor would be. aka, two monitors in one.

Just to clarify, that will let you see what text sizes and general use will be like, but it will be blurry due to scaling. There's no way to do that and not have blurriness.

You can probably select that either with SwitchRez or by scaling it in the monitor setup. See if one looks better than the other.