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

[Scott Merryfield]

Yeah, mine too. However, I am beginning to really understand all of this. You guys have been incredibly helpful.





I am presuming this cable will suit my purposes perfectly. Since I only need one in addition to the display port cable that comes with the monitor (and if it doesn't I have one), I don't mind paying the high price.

See on Amazon

Monoprice has a cable with the same specs for $63.99. If you can get away with a little shorter cable, the 1.5m length is $58.49. I've had very good luck with their HDMI cables.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Monoprice has a cable with the same specs for $63.99. If you can get away with a little shorter cable, the 1.5m length is $58.49.

Scott, thanks for the price checking. I am probably going to need the 6' so it's not too much more expensive for the longer length cable.

 

[JohnRice]

Ron, like I already confessed, I can only guess at a few of the details. One thing is certain, you need that cable to take full advantage of your dock. Will the ultrawide monitor work with the DP port? It probably will, but like Man pointed out, there are variables such as HDR. But will your computer even send an HDR signal and would you ever use it? Since you don't game, I doubt it. So, there's a possibility the DP won't work with that monitor, but there's no reason to believe the TB3 won't. So, my speculation is that, worst case scenario, you end up having to spend $15 on a TB3 to hdmi cable.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I think the question would be how things work for plain DP ports, not counting how they work for TB3 connections to 5120x2880 displays. Do plain DP ports support 5120-pixel widths? Or might some implementations enforce arbitrary 4096-pixel limits even when there is more than enough bandwidth to spare?

If the answer to this question is, "of course 5120x1440 displays should work," I would hope that vendors would document this and be willing to say so.

Today's response from Caldigit:

Thanks for getting back to us. Yes, as 5k refers to 5120 x 2880 pixel resolution, this should be able to cover resolutions with a lower resolution.

 

[Sam Posten]

As always, these Ron threads are

You guys keep getting into specs and guesses but few of you have actually spent any time with curved and/or ultrawidescreen monitors. You are focused on entirely the wrong things and haven't considered eyestrain or neck exhaustion. The body simply doesn't work the way you all seem to think it does when using these things.

The reason why multiple monitors make sense over ultrawides for office work is that they give distinct spaces for apps to live and breathe in. You can have your spreadsheet in it's own bubble that your eyes are ignoring while you focus on the screen ahead of you. When you need to you can then refocus on that second screen, achieve what you need to, and then refocus back on your main screen when done. Having apps floating around on the main screen is distracting and doesn't allow ANY of them to take advantage of full screen mode.

There's a reason why these monitors are marketed to gamers and not as productivity tools. Gamers desire widescreen FOV where the peripheral stuff is welcome to be out of focus because it's just for situational awareness, think of how they talk about T-Rex sight in Jurassic Park. You need to see rough blobs of activity and then you can turn and get detail ahead of you. None of this is useful in a productivity perspective.

Again, nobody is gonna listen to me anyway and there is no stopping Ron from marching off in his own direction to tech utopian dreams, so that's the last I'm going to say on it.

 

[JohnRice]

As always, these Ron threads are
View attachment 75902

You guys keep getting into specs and guesses but few of you have actually spent any time with curved and/or ultrawidescreen monitors. You are focused on entirely the wrong things and haven't considered eyestrain or neck exhaustion. The body simply doesn't work the way you all seem to think it does when using these things.

The reason why multiple monitors make sense over ultrawides for office work is that they give distinct spaces for apps to live and breathe in. You can have your spreadsheet in it's own bubble that your eyes are ignoring while you focus on the screen ahead of you. When you need to you can then refocus on that second screen, achieve what you need to, and then refocus back on your main screen when done. Having apps floating around on the main screen is distracting and doesn't allow ANY of them to take advantage of full screen mode.

There's a reason why these monitors are marketed to gamers and not as productivity tools. Gamers desire widescreen FOV where the peripheral stuff is welcome to be out of focus because it's just for situational awareness, think of how they talk about T-Rex sight in Jurassic Park. You need to see rough blobs of activity and then you can turn and get detail ahead of you. None of this is useful in a productivity perspective.

Again, nobody is gonna listen to me anyway and there is no stopping Ron from marching off in his own direction to tech utopian dreams, so that's the last I'm going to say on it.

Sam, I am 100% with you on all your arguments. As I read about curved, ultrawide monitors, I learned about curvature and how that conflicts with the way normal computer use works. I have tried to convince Ron that dual frameless monitors is the better way to go. But, you know, I'm also trying to learn that once I've made my argument more than once, to just drop it and let others make their own decisions.

 

[JohnRice]

Just to add, which also goes along with what you said Sam, even though I run two monitors, they aren't "equal. IOW, I don't have them centered with the gutter in the middle. I've been using dual monitors for a long time, and the workflow has evolved to what simply makes sense, for me at least. So, I have a "Main" monitor, which is centered in front of me, with the "second" monitor to the side, to the right in my case, on all three computers I use at work and home. It just works for me, and is quite efficient.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have no issues with dual monitors and they are already in a "V" configuration that does a nearly simulated wrap around.

I have already reached out to a few reviewers who did early YouTube reviews and they have no issues doing normal productivity work. Trust me, I have been researching this relentlessly as I understand this is an enormous purchase.

Most all of the comments in this thread have been positive, constructive, and without snarky comments that aim to talk down the opinions of others.

That's a beautiful monitor and I would be crazy to pass up the opportunity to see if it will work for my needs. If I don't like it, I can return it.

 

[JohnRice]

Ron, I hope you didn't think I was being snarky. That wasn't my intention. I'm quite certain that a curved monitor is not for me, but I'm also trying to make a concerted effort to express my reservations about things, then leave it alone and try to be helpful with others achieving their goals. There's so much "everyone has to do what I do" these days. I'm trying to avoid that in my own actions.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Sam, I am 100% with you on all your arguments. As I read about curved, ultrawide monitors, I learned about curvature and how that conflicts with the way normal computer use works. I have tried to convince Ron that dual frameless monitors is the better way to go. But, you know, I'm also trying to learn that once I've made my argument more than once, to just drop it and let others make their own decisions.

John,

I basically have that now and I am not happy with that setup.

There are many videos from Mac users on the LG 49" UltraWide. It's an IPS monitor that is better for my needs but it doesn't have the curve that I desire.

Other than the fact that is an IPS monitor designed for productivity vs. the Samsung gaming monitor it seems to me it's still basically the same single screen design that I haven't seen a significant amount of complaints about using for productivity.

Are you more concerned about the extra curvature or just using a single 49" screen?

I would actually have picked the LG 49" IPS monitor if not for the handful of complaints regarding connection issues with Macbooks.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron, I hope you didn't think I was being snarky. That wasn't my intention. I'm quite certain that a curved monitor is not for me, but I'm also trying to make a concerted effort to express my reservations about things, then leave it alone and try to be helpful with others achieving their goals. There's so much "everyone has to do what I do" these days. I'm trying to avoid that in my own actions.

No, absolutely not. I had no problem with your remarks.

I responded to you at the same time you responded to me.

I am just trying to find out if you have more issues with the 49" all-in-one screen (such as the LG IPS monitor) or the extra curvature of the Samsung.

 

[JohnRice]

No, absolutely not. I had no problem with your remarks.

I responded to you at the same time you responded to me.

I am just trying to find out if you have more issues with the 49" all-in-one screen (such as the LG IPS monitor) or the extra curvature of the Samsung.

Ron, my main concern is the side effects of the curvature, but I've also never personally used a curved monitor. I just know that both Sam and John Dirk have commented on HTF that they found the curvature too annoying to use, and sent back the monitors they got. For me IPS (or something equavalent) is an absolute must for computer monitors, so I completely agree with you there. Regarding your current setup, one of the major problems is resolution issues. The fact that you can't get readable size text while maintaining sharpness. That particular problem would also be solved with dual 27" WQHD monitors rather than the 4K ones you are using now, while also allowing you to have IPS panels. If the gutter in the middle of the desktop is also a major complaint, the only way to solve that is with an ultrawide monitor. That issue simply doesn't bother me.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I see your point, John.

Your advice would be so much easier to digest if I didn't already have two 27" monitors that would be replaced with two of the same sized WQHD monitors. I am more fearful of buying two more dual monitors that I am not happy with rather than a single Ultrawidescreen monitor which I think I would prefer.

This is especially valid when I watch a dozen YouTube reviews from owners of Ultrawidescreen monitors who love them.

Now, I admit, those reviews were of the LG 49" IPS monitor which is made for productivity.

I am taking a huge chance with the Samsung Ultrawide as it's designed for gaming. The YouTube reviewers I have spoken to don't have any major objections to using it for productivity.

Let me sleep on this further. The Samsung monitor may be months away from being available again. Maybe I should consider the LG Ultrawide IPS panel instead. All I know is that I want to ditch the dual monitors and go with a single display one way or another.

 

[JohnRice]

I can only speculate on how a curved monitor works, which is why I moved on to just trying to address the technical aspects.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

@Sam Posten, there are going to be pros and cons either way. And everyone won't feel the same about them.

AFAIK, in this thread, I probably have the most experience w/ actually using a curved, ultrawide monitor although the Dell I have isn't as wide... and I don't use it on my main PC -- it's used on the family PC that I occasionally use. I prefer it over using dual monitor setup, which I've used on and off for a few years mainly for work. I kinda doubt I'd like it as curved as this 1000R Samsung though, but then again, we're talking 32:9 ratio instead of 21:9.

My sense is 32:9 is overkill even though that's just equiv to 2x 16x9.

Also, if I were to go back to multi-monitor setup, I might consider 3 w/ a 16x9 (or 16x10) in center flanked by 2 4x3 on both sides. Probably not 2x 16x9... unless I'm running 2 PCs -- one for each -- perhaps.

RE: the desire for distinct spaces as provided by multi-monitor setup, there are ways to get that w/out separate physical screens. But you can't really go the other direction. And honestly, 2x 16x9 probably isn't ideal for that anyway, if that's what you want. For that, IMHO, 4x3 screens make more sense for most (productivity type) applications, including web browsing... but many of us do use apps that also benefit from wider like (some) photo and (especially) video editing and of course watching the occasional movie or playing the occasional game.

Basically, there's really no one size fits all.

_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

_Man_


This has been nothing but a cluster F for me. I find a monitor that, aesthetically, I love and want.

Then you hear that it's not going to serve your productivity purposes as well as an ISP monitor.

So, for the past 45 minutes, I have been reading review after review of the LG 49WL95C-W ISP Monitor from various sites (including LG's own website) and there are many mentions of the screen either not working with 2018 13" MBP or blacking out several times with 2019 16" MPB (both of which I own).

So, it's kind of like fate is just begging me to go for the Samsung display and there are doubts that the extra curvature will be tolerable for my purposes.

There really is no answer here for a Ultra Widescreen preference.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Ron, that's why I recommended seeing it in person and spending as much time w/ it as possible before committing -- a very good return policy seems important.

Who knows? Maybe you will love this flagship Samsung. OR maybe the somewhat cheaper, less curved Samsung I suggested checking might suit you better -- that one is more curved than the LG w/ similar curvature as my less-wide Dell.

OR maybe you'll find that 21:9 ratio actually suits you more than 32:9 (and cost less) -- it's pretty nice for watching an occasional, 2.35:1 AR action flick, hehheh...

Do you really regularly use the entire screen real estate of your current dual monitor setup? IF not, maybe 21:9 is better for you. Remember, unlike dual monitor setup, you're free to use the entire screen however you want/need at any given time for whatever set of apps. And w/ 21:9, the far edges aren't as far off to the sides as what you have now, which may be preferable.

Something worth considering me thinks...

_Man_

 

[Thomas Newton]

The reason why multiple monitors make sense over ultrawides for office work is that they give distinct spaces for apps to live and breathe in.

I can see where Full Screen behavior might change. (Now you're using the whole ultra-wide area, not just half of it.) Otherwise, isn't the discipline involved in creating distinct spaces more or less the same for an ultra-wide monitor, as for two regular side-by-side monitors in extended desktop mode?

You can have your spreadsheet in it's own bubble that your eyes are ignoring while you focus on the screen ahead of you. When you need to you can then refocus on that second screen, achieve what you need to, and then refocus back on your main screen when done. Having apps floating around on the main screen is distracting and doesn't allow ANY of them to take advantage of full screen mode.

Three words: "Mission Control / Spaces"

 

[Ronald Epstein]

For those of you still following this (and I sincerely thank you for doing so), I have a question about desk mounted swing arms which I will ask momentarily.

I came very close last night to just buying the LG 49WL95C-W monitor. I could have it next week delivered from Amazon. BestBuy does not carry it.

However, review after review I have read has raised issues with Macbook Pros successfully working with this monitor -- even the new 2019 16" MBP. Here is a perfect example of what people are running into. Start watching at 7:21 for about 10 seconds and you will see the very problem that many people have been experiencing.



So, for that issue alone, I can't buy this monitor and just hope that I won't experience the same problem. If I could buy it from BestBuy today and have the ability to return it, I would chance it. Not from Amazon.


Now my next question...

I'd like to mount my next Ultrawide monitor off the desk. I don't want to drill holes in the wall so a clamp desk mount would be ideal.

This one is highly rated:

See on Amazon

Here is the problem. My desk has thick wood back paneling along its back that would prevent me from clamping this on dead center. However, the wood backing does not completely cover the entire desk.

If I go 21" to the left-center to mount, will there be enough arm extension in the mount to make the screen centered across the desk? Is it a bad idea to mount it in that fashion?

I like the swing arm idea as I can move the monitor forward if I have problems reading it.

 

[DaveF]

Oh. wow. Bezel centered, both monitors off center. That’s...a choice.

I see why you’re so desperate to get an UWD if your approach to computing has been bezels in your prime focus area.

(i use one monitor centered and second monitor to the right. I want my primary work orientation to be straight and centered. Not always all day looking right or left.)