Apple Releases Studio Display Firmware 15.5 With Webcam Update

[EthanDMathews]

I agree with you. The good news is that some of these downsides can be solved with software/firmware updates. I refuse to believe that Apple put an entire A13 chip with 64 GB of memory just for Center Stage and Spacial Audio. I eagerly await WWDC. Concerning the panel, can you cite where it is 8 bit? I've yet to find a definitive source that nails this issue down, but most sources seem to agree that it is a 10-bit panel with support for 1.07 billion colors. I'm willing to be wrong on this though.

I have two of these displays. I originally had 2 LG 27 Ultragear 4K monitors. While I loved the much faster refresh rate and the support for HDR (though its HDR performance was meager), everything looked blown up and super large when using the displays at native resolution; using scaled modes introduced a bit of fuzziness which was unacceptable to my eyes. I saw the reviews about the camera prior to buying the displays, so I knew what I was getting into. While I do think some of the complaints are a bit of a stretch (the camera is far from unusable), I did expect much better at this price point. I enjoy the center stage feature, but they should've used a better sensor. I do believe they will continue to refine the camera as best they can and that it will get even better however, the display panel is far from a home run. Unfortunately, the only other 5K option is the LG monitor, and while the panels are very similar the build quality is miles apart.

As you say, hopefully Apple will address more of these issues in future updates, e.g. give more practical function to the powerful internal chip and storage space. But it's hard for me to imagine that they'd release a product with major functions temporarily locked and hidden, only to be revealed later. I genuinely hope so. But the lack of internal WiFi would seem to severely limit (cripple) the options of what the monitor could do as a stand alone device, even if they decided to "release the kraken" later.

Re: 8 bit.

"Apple also confirmed this is not a true 10-bit panel. There were several mentions of "over 1 billion colors" during the presentation, but it's an 8-bit panel with temporal dithering (AKA Frame Rate Control) just like the LCD panels in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. The only true 10-bit panel is Apple's lineup is still the Pro Display XDR, and it's safe to assume that it will stay that way." -- DPREVIEW

I may yet get the Studio Monitor, despite these shortcomings. The 5k resolution, brightness, build quality, very good (if not quite excellent) color accuracy, and integration with the Apple ecosystem are all very compelling.

 

[Benjamin Nabulsi]

It’s called the XDR.

psst XDR Dynamic range to the extreme, it's one of the things that makes a display pro, not all of it.

 

[EthanDMathews]

You missed the biggest downside for me and that is it only has one input

Yes! Thank you for pointing that out. I agree and have added it to the list.

I wasn't sure whether to add it or not. It's definitely a downside for me right now: I have a Hackintosh with no Thunderbolt ports, so I can't upgrade to the Studio Display without also spending more on some combination of cards or adapters, which may or may not work fully.

But I'm currently contemplating upgrading to a Mac Studio and Studio Monitor (as the next best thing to a 27" M1 iMac), which would negate issue for me. Well, mostly. It would still be nice to have the option to plug in my Hackintosh or a gaming console.

 

[EthanDMathews]

Do you regularly go around looking at the back of your display?

1. Yes. My display is not against a wall, so I see the back of my monitor every time I go to my computer desk (maybe a half dozen times a day). And everyone who comes into my office will see the back side of the display.

2. Steve Jobs demanded that Apple computers should look good from all sides -- even the insides! His adopted father was a carpenter who taught him the importance of putting equal care and attention to every side and space of a piece of furniture. That included the bottoms of drawers that were rarely seen, and the back sides of dresses that would likely spend their existence against a wall.

Such attention to detail is mark of quality, craftsmanship, respect for the art, and respect for the customer.

Jobs went so far as to demand that the inside of the early iMacs looked good, too. He had his engineers sign the inside of the final design, like a trophy. Jobs even put the the internal design on display with translucent and transparent computer panels for a while!

A key part of the appeals of the Studio Monitor is the lovely design. To be sure, a VESA mount is a compromise -- you lose the large, lovely engineered stand, which is big part of the design aesthetic. But it's also clear that there was little to no thought given to the appearance of the back of the display with a VESA mount.

Jony Ive would have found an elegant solution.

Instead, we're left with a VESA mount that wrecks the aesthetics of monitor whose hefty price is largely justified by its aesthetics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[SSDGUY]

You mean a product that doesn’t exist anymore? Apple will continue to sell these panels as fast as they can make them, so their value is correct.

If you think Apple is providing a good a good value, knock yourself out. It's not for me.

 

[Feek]

Jony Ive would have found an elegant solution.

Yes, I have no doubt he would, and not only that, we'd have been able to listen to his silky smooth voice as he described the process. I do miss Jony.

Instead, we're left with a VESA mount that wrecks the aesthetics of monitor whose hefty price is largely justified by its aesthetics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I've gone with a height and tilt stand. No VESA for me.

 

[robpil]

I can tell you exactly what I expect. I expect the image quality to at least match the dumb-looking $100 camera that I guess I'll just need to keep on top of my Studio Display.



Cost is not the issue. I would have happily paid more for the display if I didn't need stack more hardware on top. However, I do think it is pricy enough as it is to warrant expectations of a decent camera.



It could even be compared to the 2014 iMac, there have been very few meaningful improvements to the display since then.

Couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I bought this monitor was to get rid of my Logi webcam. Now I can't.

The 15.5 update did improve the quality of the image a bit, but the framing/cropping issue is still a total drag. If I disable Center Stage, the camera software re-frames and places my face at the bottom of the screen, and shows a lot of ceiling. I have to tilt the display way forward to get my face properly framed. This happens in Safe Mode, with a different User Account, with Zoom or FaceTime, and even with a different computer plugged into the display. It's clearly a firmware problem, and the 15.5 update improved it a little, but has not eliminated it.

This is the fist time I've ever regretted buying an Apple product ... and I've bought a LOT.

Curious: does everyone else experience this with Center Stage disabled?

 

[MisterSavage]

Couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I bought this monitor was to get rid of my Logi webcam. Now I can't.

The 15.5 update did improve the quality of the image a bit, but the framing/cropping issue is still a total drag. If I disable Center Stage, the camera software re-frames and places my face at the bottom of the screen, and shows lot for ceiling. I have to tilt the display way forward to get my face properly framed. This happens in Safe Mode, with a different User Account, with Zoom or FaceTime, and even with a different computer plugged into the display. It's clearly a firmware problem, and the 15.5 update improved it a little, but has not eliminated it.

This is the fist time I've ever regretted buying an Apple product ... and I've bought a LOT.

Curious: does everyone else experience this with Center Stage disabled?

Mine does that too when I turned off center stage. Face is much lower on the screen and there's lots above it on the screen. But isn't that the point of center stage? I like having it on and centered on my face.

 

[theorist9]

Seems there's a simple summary for all of this: Apple repackaged a 7 year old display, and charged $1600 for the base configuration. That means the Apple designers & engineers, who are smart, knew they'd need to it to wow in every other area—especially the camera which, after the display itself, is the item whose performance level buyers will notice the most. It didn't, and in fact did the opposite.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

@danbalsh
Fans on the display? Air doesn't have fans, right?

 

[robpil]

Mine does that too when I turned off center stage. Face is much lower on the screen and there's lots above it on the screen. But isn't that the point of center stage? I like having it on and centered on my face.

No. The point of Center Stage is to move with you as you move. There is no benefit to having the camera aimed so high (without Center Stage invoked) that you have to tilt the monitor all the way forward to frame your face properly. This is clearly a mistake. Up until a month ago I had an iMac, whose built-in camera framed me perfectly when the monitor was in its proper viewing position. This Studio Display doesn't even come close.

 

[robpil]

I wish there was an option to turn OFF centerstage. I feel like that could be part of the problem because of the dynamic cropping needed via software.

There is. Open an app that uses the camera, such as FaceTime. Then in your Menu Bar, open Control Center. Click on the Video Effects button and you'll see where to turn on Center Stage and/or Portrait Mode.

 

[Neil Harrison]

I didn’t buy it for the camera. that was just an added bonus. I had a £500 LG 4K monitor. Comparing the two shows the apple display miles ahead. Even with HDR the LG is not as good quality and didn’t have speakers or built in mic. I know it’s a 3rd of the prices and the studio is overpriced, I would still take the studio

 

[MisterSavage]

No. The point of Center Stage is to move with you as you move. There is no benefit to having the camera aimed so high (without Center Stage invoked) that you have to tilt the monitor all the way forward to frame your face properly. This is clearly a mistake. Up until a month ago I had an iMac, whose built-in camera framed me perfectly when the monitor was in its proper viewing position,. This Studio Display doesn't even come close.

Agree to disagree. As someone who came from an iMac I like having my face in the center, no matter where I happen to be in relation to the ASD. I don't have to tilt anything because I have center stage on.

 

[robpil]

We may not be disagreeing. I like having my face in the center, too. But Center Stage creates a slightly noisier image as it is digitally zoomed in, so sometimes I prefer to turn it off. And when I do, the camera frames me at the very bottom of the screen. In order to properly frame my face without Center Stage invoked, I have to tilt the monitor almost all the way forward. It's a problem if one doesn't use Center Stage. And it's clearly a mistake.

 

[jjd]

It's still terrible. Still looks like there is Vaseline on the lens. What an own goal from Apple. Center stage a terrible decision. There is ample room for a high quality camera - it should 4k FFS. The iPhone FFC is 100x times better... ugh

 

[petvas]

But it will still be using the ultra-wide lens so the image will look a little odd and soft.

Yes, and it will put you maybe a little down the frame

Couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I bought this monitor was to get rid of my Logi webcam. Now I can't.

The 15.5 update did improve the quality of the image a bit, but the framing/cropping issue is still a total drag. If I disable Center Stage, the camera software re-frames and places my face at the bottom of the screen, and shows lot for ceiling. I have to tilt the display way forward to get my face properly framed. This happens in Safe Mode, with a different User Account, with Zoom or FaceTime, and even with a different computer plugged into the display. It's clearly a firmware problem, and the 15.5 update improved it a little, but has not eliminated it.

This is the fist time I've ever regretted buying an Apple product ... and I've bought a LOT.

Curious: does everyone else experience this with Center Stage disabled?

Yes, with Center Stage disabled the camera puts our face at the bottom. It was worse before the update, but still not good enough.
I like center stage though and I am happy that Apple put it in the Studio Display. I guess Apple cannot please everybody.

 

[Feek]

By definition, the vocal minority will always be louder than the silent majority.

I suspect my opinion here is that of the silent majority.

I haven't received my Studio Display yet but when I do, I won't give a hoot about the camera. I bought it as a display with speakers and that's how I'll be using it. I've had various model iMacs and Apple laptops for over ten years and I can count the number of times I've used the camera on them all combined using the fingers of one hand.

Just to redress the balance slightly, this is a complete and utter non issue for me and probably the majority of owners.

 

[Artemis70]

The image quality is comparable to the 720p images that my Lenovo X1 Carbon notebook makes. That is also not ideal when viewing fullscreen on a 27" display. The issue I have is that I would expect better than 720p quality on this screen. But I'm not the target audience, as I'm not going to buy this screen. I'm just using 27" 4k screens with my MacBook Pro and Lenovo X1 Carbon. That gets the job done for me.

 

[Arctic Moose]

I've had various model iMacs and Apple laptops for over ten years and I can count the number of times I've used the camera on them all combined using the fingers of one hand.

That’s great for you, I guess?

I, and the other 15000+ people at the three companies I currently deal with, spend hours in online meetings every week.

Having a decent camera wouldn’t impact you at all, but it would be a huge quality of life improvement for those of us that need it.

Personally, I couldn’t care less about the speakers. I exclusively use either headphones or an external amp with wired speakers. However, I wouldn’t dream of piping up in a thread about the audio glitches explaining that it is a non-issue for me. What’s the point?

Those who do not use the camera or do not care about the quality are silent in this thread for good reason.

 

[Feek]

That’s great for you, I guess?

Yup and like I said, the vocal minority will always shout louder than the silent majority.

Those who do not use the camera or do not care about the quality are silent in this thread for good reason.

Which is why I thought I'd just offer the alternate view.

I, and the other 15000+ people at the three companies I currently deal with, spend hours in online meetings every week.

Do these 15,000+ people all have Studio displays?

 

[JR-in-Florida]

I agree with Arctic Moose. Who would buy this monitor to have a family chat with Grandma?

Most buyers will be people like me who need an effective tool to get their work done. One of the main things that I do with my desktop Mac is have videoconferences and virtual meetings. That was never a problem before my Studio Display arrived. I am absolutely embarrassed about the way that I appear through this camera.

I just hate going backwards with technology. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that my new gear should be better than the gear it replaced. This camera produces video that looks like it came from the webcam that I had 15 years ago.

I'd just like to state that I rarely complain about Apple's products. Outside of this issue, I feel that my Mac Studio / Studio Display system is the best desktop that I've ever had. I love the form factor of the Mac Studio. I also have a 2021 16 inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro). I think that it is the best product of any kind that I've owned in my life. If I were a broke college student again and I could only own one item, it would be my 2021 MBP.

 

[Arctic Moose]

I'd just like to state that I rarely complain about Apple's products.

Same here, I have been pretty much unreservedly positive about every aspect of my Mac II, SE/30, PowerBook Wallstreet, PowerBook 12”, the 2010 MacBook for which I paid extra to get a matte display, the iMac 5K, and everything in between, up to and including the 14” I am using now. (Not to mention iPods, iPads, iPhones, keyboards, AirPods and other peripherals.)

I loved the G4 Cube and 22" Cinema Display I paid ~USD 8300 for in 1999 money, and still have it sitting on a shelf in my office.

I still use the other Steve Jobs flop, the iPod Hi-Fi, now paired through the optical interface to an Airport Express for Airplay 2.

The Studio Display is a dumpster fire. The only other Apple product I’ve ever been this upset with is the 2017 MacBook Pro 15" that I despised so much that I sold it after a month of use, and perhaps also the 11” iPad Pro due to the bending tendencies. (I guess the PowerBook 5300 wasn’t great either, but I cannot recall why I didn’t like it.)

 

[robpil]

By definition, the vocal minority will always be louder than the silent majority.

I suspect my opinion here is that of the silent majority.

I haven't received my Studio Display yet but when I do, I won't give a hoot about the camera. I bought it as a display with speakers and that's how I'll be using it. I've had various model iMacs and Apple laptops for over ten years and I can count the number of times I've used the camera on them all combined using the fingers of one hand.

Just to redress the balance slightly, this is a complete and utter non issue for me and probably the majority of owners.

I'm sincerely glad it's not an issue for you. The quality of the display is definitely lovely, and you'll undoubtedly be happy with that. I am, too.

Please understand, however, that Apple MARKETED this display as having a "sensational" camera. "It's so much more than a display", the website still touts. And the 12MP camera was the very first of the "More than a display" selling points they list. It was one of the reasons many of us bought the display, and the main reason many of us are disappointed in it.

I've never been disappointed in any other Apple product. But I find the camera on the Studio Display to be a step back in quality from the 720 camera on my 2020 iMac. If I'd known this, I would not have bought it.

 

[jjd]

I'm sincerely glad it's not an issue for you. The quality of the display is definitely lovely, and you'll undoubtedly be happy with that. I am, too.

Please understand, however, that Apple MARKETED this display as having a "sensational" camera. "It's so much more than a display", the website still touts. And the 12MP camera was the very first of the "More than a display" selling points they list. It was one of the reasons many of us bought the display, and the main reason many of us are disappointed in it.

I've never been disappointed in any other Apple product. But I find the camera on the Studio Display to be a step back in quality from the 720 camera on my 2020 iMac. If I'd known this, I would not have bought it.

Exactly. And they marketed it this way for reason - namely that the vast majority of users do care and do need a high quality webcam. Feek, you are in the small minority my friend.

I sold my 5K LG monitor when I bought my ASD. It has an identical panel but a terrible webcam. But, the LG webcam was much better than the ASD's. And for the record, I am a card carrying Aplle fanboy...