LG's UltraFine 5K Display Is a Worthy Companion to the New MacBook Pro, Even Without Apple's Looks

[Lisse]

For several years I've been using two 21 or 22" HD (1920 x 1080) displays with an older Mac Pro (pre-cylinder). I find it convenient to have all of that landscape for the variety of the software I run. I recently jumped onto the new MBP 15", purchased the HDMI adapter and hooked it up to an older (HD) Samsung 23" TV/monitor. When I'm working at my desk the MBP is closed with two adapters USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 (1 for Power and the other with HDMI for the display with USB-A (to which I have an inexpensive Ethernet port/3 USB-A ports adapter). Some of the work I do requires the keypad and I have an Apple wired keyboard plugged into the adapter.

Given all this boring background, I'm writing to get opinions about the display situation. The new Thunderbolt 3 LG 5K display is now ~$50 cheaper than two new LG 4K displays. My local Apple Store has neither one in stock and even if they did I would not be able to get much of a feel for either set-up in the store. I often have three of four Firefox windows (with as many as twenty tabs open), plus an occasional Safari window, plus Final Cut Pro, Word, Excel, Mail, a text editor, a password manager, one or two graphics programs, Media Composer and some music production software open concurrently.

The two HD monitors are great for keeping track of everything, especially utilizing OS's Spaces.

My question is about possibly moving from my current older HD tech displays to either two 4K 21.5 LG TB3 displays or one 5K LB TB3 display, for roughly the same price. (No, I can't afford two 5K displays.)

Any opinions for those who have either set-up or even those considering them are welcome.

 

[simonjallison]

Avoid LG if possible. In terms of technology and connectivity they are good. However, build quality is not.

I've only ever bought one 29" monitor 2 years back. The screen surface shattered in the 15 minute journey, despite being packed in to the seat of my car appropriately.

The replacement I sought and have now is a 29" wide Dell. Very properly made and often built with the same parts or by the same manufacturers as Apple Monitors.

So yes, don't sacrifice build quality. If you can save a little longer and get the specs you want from an Apple product - well consider it

At Apple's MacBook Pro media event back in October, the company unveiled a pair of LG-branded high-resolution displays it co-developed with the display manufacturer. The UltraFine 5K and 4K displays are optimized for the Mac with tight software integration, and the 5K model in particular with single-cable connection over Thunderbolt 3 has been highly anticipated.

Apple has just begun shipping the UltraFine 5K display, and while a handful of lucky customers received their deliveries late last week, availability is significantly increasing this week and we've had about 24 hours with ours to develop some initial impressions.


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Article Link: LG's UltraFine 5K Display Is a Worthy Companion to the New MacBook Pro, Even Without Apple's Looks

 

[scaramoosh]

If those USB-C connectors had video in, I'd buy one.

 

[citysnaps]

Absolutely , as long as what they released was a major update. Making a computer thinner is fashion....

Not fashion, more evolution driving convenience for those who need to have a lightweight mobile computing solution. Look back to laptops in general of the 1990s. Glad I don't have to lug around a honking big 7 pound laptop when I travel anymore.

Over the years laptops have become much lighter in weight and dimensionally smaller (which also drives thinness), and for the most part, with greater battery charge life, and better performance. All laptop manufacturers have gone down this path, other than those that target gamers.

 

[MacBH928]

What don't you understand here. They needed to incorporate the camera up there somehow. So you either make only the top bezel larger to accommodate that and leave the other three sides smaller. Or you make the top larger, and the other three larger to match for uniformity sake. Obviously they chose option one.

I own one, and honestly if you made the other three sides the same size as the top, I think it would look worse. This is all a matter of opinion of course.

1- I believe the camera could be built within a smaller bezel
2-Maybe a pro 5k user doesn't need a camera in the monitor. I imagine they have higher quality image capturing devices around.

 

[Weaselboy]

1- I believe the camera could be built within a smaller bezel
2-Maybe a pro 5k user doesn't need a camera in the monitor. I imagine they have higher quality image capturing devices around.

1. You believe? So you think they could have made it smaller and just made the larger bezel up top for no reason. This makes no sense.

2. I think the whole idea was to make a monitor to replace the Apple Thunderbolt Display and all its features, including the camera.

 

[MH01]

Not fashion, more evolution driving convenience for those who need to have a lightweight mobile computing solution. Look back to laptops in general of the 1990s. Glad I don't have to lug around a honking big 7 pound laptop when I travel anymore.

Over the years laptops have become much lighter in weight and dimensionally smaller (which also drives thinness), and for the most part, with greater battery charge life, and better performance. All laptop manufacturers have gone down this path, other than those that target gamers.

Thinner is okay, it's when form takes over function, that is when I see it as fashion. Sorry but I see the current focus on looks

 

[KanosWRX]

Would have preferred if it were at least a 32" monitor, 27" inches is too small for 5k imo. Also I don't see any reason not to include at least a display port input or a normal usb input... I guess they wanted it to be as useful as the macbook pro for professionals. Honestly I can sort of understand it on the macbook pro.. but on a monitor to leave off functionality on a large device that obviously wasn't under scrutiny to become smaller and lighter, it just doesn't make sense.

 

[filmantopia]

I think we can at least all agree that Steve is rolling in his grave at the sight of this plastic monitor.

You know Steve Jobs introduced a device called the "Rokr" by Motorola, right?

 

[justperry]

Avoid LG if possible. In terms of technology and connectivity they are good. However, build quality is not.

I've only ever bought one 29" monitor 2 years back. The screen surface shattered in the 15 minute journey, despite being packed in to the seat of my car appropriately.

The replacement I sought and have now is a 29" wide Dell. Very properly made and often built with the same parts or by the same manufacturers as Apple Monitors.

So yes, don't sacrifice build quality. If you can save a little longer and get the specs you want from an Apple product - well consider it

You don't make sense, You blame LG for a broken screen which is very likely your fault.
I Have LG Tv's and built quality is OK.
FYI, The Dell has the same display as the LG!
Next you say get it from Apple, haha, Apple stopped making Displays.

 

[citysnaps]

Would have preferred if it were at least a 32" monitor, 27" inches is too small for 5k imo. Also I don't see any reason not to include at least a display port input or a normal usb input... I guess they wanted it to be as useful as the macbook pro for professionals. Honestly I can sort of understand it on the macbook pro.. but on a monitor to leave off functionality on a large device that obviously wasn't under scrutiny to become smaller and lighter, it just doesn't make sense.

AFAIK, there are no 32" 5K display panels.

Also... are there any laptops that support DisplayPort 1.3, which is needed for driving a 5K display with a single cable?

With respect to a "normal" USB port, a tiny slimline adapter that costs $4 and is highly rated will get you there. That would drive the price of the display from $974 to $978. Frankly, going forward in 2017, on a new 5K display, I'd rather not be stuck in the past with "normal" USB ports.

 

[jujufreeze]

Now its function over form then. Can we ever have a happy medium

 

[krazzix]

Don't buy this display just yet! There are probably gonna be announced a lot of new 4/5K displays at CES end of this week.

 

[SpamJunkie]

I've got the 5k with a powered usb 3 hub plugged into it using the apple usb-c to usb adapter. When I unplug the macbook, when I plug it back in the display comes on fine but nothing connected to the hub works. I seem to have to unplug the hub and plug it back in.

Is anyone else using a similar setup, and does it have the same problem?

 

[hollandog]

I've got the 5k with a powered usb 3 hub plugged into it using the apple usb-c to usb adapter. When I unplug the macbook, when I plug it back in the display comes on fine but nothing connected to the hub works. I seem to have to unplug the hub and plug it back in.

Is anyone else using a similar setup, and does it have the same problem?

I have same setup but no issue with the hub. but my hub is not powered (Amazon 4 port usb 3.0 hub).
I have the logitech solar keyboard and wacom intuos pro connected to the hub. They function properly everytime the display turns on.

 

[dwsolberg]

Same issue with 4K on my 13". I chatted with Apple support and they told me to turn off "turn disk to sleep when possible" in energy setting. So far 2 days and good

This did not solve it for me.
[doublepost=1483306995][/doublepost]

I've got the 5k with a powered usb 3 hub plugged into it using the apple usb-c to usb adapter. When I unplug the macbook, when I plug it back in the display comes on fine but nothing connected to the hub works. I seem to have to unplug the hub and plug it back in.

Is anyone else using a similar setup, and does it have the same problem?

Same problem, although it doesn't always happen. I hope this is something that is fixable in software.

 

[Karma*Police]

?????? Dood.... you just proved my point !!! When i say "as it used to be" you aren't going back far enough. They've made more mistakes THIS YEAR than on your 10 year long list.

Most of what you list are problems or manufacturing issues. Not MISTAKES. Not mis-steps. Not being completely clueless and user hostile. YOU said "perfect" not me. Not it wasn't perfect. But it was 1000X better than is now.

What mistakes did they make exactly that has you so hot and bothered? This year I purchased the following Apple products: iPhone 7, 15" MBP and AirPods. I'm very happy with all of them. In fact, I liked the 15" so much that I ordered a 13" MBP and the 4K LG display for work. This, after 8 years of using PCs for work.

Just because Apple didn't release products that YOU wanted, doesn't mean they made mistakes.

 

[btrach144]

You know Steve Jobs introduced a device called the "Rokr" by Motorola, right?

Because he knew it would lay the foundation for the iPhone.

A plastic monitor isn't laying the foundation for anything except Apple's bean counters getting a pat on the back for saving a few bucks.

 

[RightMACatU]

2010 called... they want their large bezel monitors back

 

[dogslobber]

The monitor doesn't have any buttons. None! I mean, what's going on here? I want buttons on my monitor as I don't want to control it through the computer. Seriously, what a terrible omission therefor it get an 'F' grade from me.

 

[coin3d]

Does anybody know how the display performs compared to a Retina iMac 27? Is it the same panel, same display? Does the picture look the same, better, worse?

 

[smirking]

Any opinions for those who have either set-up or even those considering them are welcome.

I have close to the setup you're talking about. I have a single 30" ACD monitor for the past 10 years. I originally tried two 23" monitors side by side, but found that I had a tendency to only use one monitor all the time and developed headaches and neck pain from always having my head turned. So then I centered one display and eventually tired of the seldom used display taking up space on my desk, but I still needed some more real estate so I went for the bigger monitor and I've loved using it.

Occasionally, I'll open up my MBP to have a second monitor when I'm doing certain tasks when you really could use a subordinate screen. Otherwise, I'm basically a one monitor... one big monitor kind of guy.

I make vigorus use of Spaces though so I have program assigned to different spaces and I flip back and forth between the screen spaces on reflex. My Web browsing screen is always the main space. My coding screen is the second space. Photoshop is third. Other photo/image manipulation is in the 4th space and so on. I find this to be the best of both worlds. I get to have a huge screen to see things at max size, but I'm not hunting around different screens, nor am I getting pain and soreness from looking off to the side all the time.

You can divide your LG monitor screen into different squares and use each like a different monitor, but I'd personally find that pretty hard to deal with. Even when the monitors are "glued" together with no bezel, it's not very natural for me, but I do use BetterTouchTool to help me snap my windows into quarters, columns, full screen, and otherwise so I can neatly size up my windows and keep them aligned to allow me some of the benefits of using my one screen like several independent screens.

If you want to do multiple screens, try it and see if you can get used to it.

 

[philosopherdog]

Looks like a decent option. I'm running a 4K Dell over display port on the new 2016 MBP. Dell build quality is nowhere close to this LG. Displays are way too cheap for Apple to bother continuing to make them. They need to focus on core products.

 

[jozero]

This did not solve it for me.
[doublepost=1483306995][/doublepost]

Same problem, although it doesn't always happen. I hope this is something that is fixable in software.

Didn't fix it for me either. Not a huge fan of constantly having to force shut down my new Mac.

 

[Mxbzz]

Didn't fix it for me either. Not a huge fan of constantly having to force shut down my new Mac.

My base model 2016 15" is under Apple repair for this very reason. I think they would have released an update by now if it were a common issue, so I'm leaning towards an issue with the dGPU failing to activate on boot.

I couldn't go through two full days without my MBP needing a reboot in one way or another-- at that point I figured I'd let someone take a look at it instead of waiting on a possible future software update.