Luna Display's Mac-to-Mac Display Feature Now Works Over Ethernet and Thunderbolt

[dannytang]

It should work with TB1/2 as well , since Thunderbolt standard between devices is just a network connection.

I remember reading, albeit a long time ago, that TB1/2 don't have enough bandwidth to drive the 5K Display and that was one of the reasons that Apple dropped Target Display mode in the 4K and 5K iMacs.

Mac Performance Guide says 4K display requires 14Gbps and 5K display requires ~22Gbps... so even TB2 wouldn't have enough throughput for the 5K iMacs it seems.

 

[niho]

This is exactly why I’m glad I kept my 5K iMac. I’d love to get an M1 iMac and use the old beast as a 2nd display / boot camp machine.

It's stupid that we cannot make use of that gorgeus 5k display. I'd definetely buy imac 5k and use it as my main computer and I'd use my work laptop to use it as a monitor. Instead, I got a regular monitor and a hackintosh.
Unfortunetely, with Luna or similar solutions, you won't be able to use 5k@60hz.

 

[niho]

I remember reading, albeit a long time ago, that TB1/2 don't have enough bandwidth to drive the 5K Display and that was one of the reasons that Apple dropped Target Display mode in the 4K and 5K iMacs.

Mac Performance Guide says 4K display requires 14Gbps and 5K display requires ~22Gbps... so even TB2 wouldn't have enough throughput for the 5K iMacs it seems.

Luna and similar solutions are utilising highly compressed image data.
It will work, but the picture you'll see won't be as good as native display.

 

[dannytang]

Luna and similar solutions are utilising highly compressed image data.
It will work, but the picture you'll see won't be as good as native display.

Fair enough. Was really hoping for native display quality like I have with the older iMac and Target Display Mode. Hopefully it'll let me put my Luna to good use again, haven't used it in a while, when I replace my 5K iMac with M2 mac mini.

 

[macduke]

Apple needs to bring back target display mode with the new iMacs, or at least the new iMac Pro whenever that comes out later this year or early next, and make it just work with any USB-C video connection. I'd love to run my Xbox Series X and PS5 through the iMac display using HDMI to USB-C. This is also a great feature for people who have small apartments and want to save on space. The new iMac Pro will probably be 32" 6K which is a nice size for a small apartment in the city.

 

[dannytang]

Apple needs to bring back target display mode with the new iMacs, or at least the new iMac Pro whenever that comes out later this year or early next, and make it just work with any USB-C video connection. I'd love to run my Xbox Series X and PS5 through the iMac display using HDMI to USB-C. This is also a great feature for people who have small apartments and want to save on space. The new iMac Pro will probably be 32" 6K which is a nice size for a small apartment in the city.

Isn't TDM mac to mac only? Doesn't seem like letting you using TDM with a third-party device would be very Apple-esque.

 

[gfbane]

Any word on if this will work via Thunderbolt cable while one mac is on a VPN while the other is not?

 

[richinaus]

Apple needs to bring back target display mode with the new iMacs, or at least the new iMac Pro whenever that comes out later this year or early next, and make it just work with any USB-C video connection. I'd love to run my Xbox Series X and PS5 through the iMac display using HDMI to USB-C. This is also a great feature for people who have small apartments and want to save on space. The new iMac Pro will probably be 32" 6K which is a nice size for a small apartment in the city.

I would be a very happy customer if we were able to use an M iMac with inputs from other computers / consoles, and easily swap between inputs. Basically like some monitors do with built in KVM.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Thanks for the callout. I've been very low key aware of product for some time, and have mused that it'd be nice to use my iMac as a display for the MacBook in some rare cases. Your post encouraged me to open their website and it is surprisingly very light on any sort of clear specifications.

Hiding in the depths of the help docs was confirmation:

Nonstarter then. No retina, forget it

 

[DanTSX]

If this finally pushes Apple to build in the function to allow us to repurpose old iMacs as external monitors for newer iMacs that we get then I’m all for it.

But they wouldn’t match. ew.

 

[ulyssesric]

Instant buy if it has Windows-to-Mac mode.

 

[DaSebsch]

I still seem to have a lot of compression at moving pictures even though I am using ethernet now. Couldn't try thunerbolt yet. Does anyone have success (clear picture, no pixelation/blur) on a 1440p iMac?

 

[junior]

Nonstarter then. No retina, forget it

This page states specifically that Luna has Retina resolution:

Luna Display vs. Apple's Sidecar | Astropad

Luna Display is the only wireless hardware that turns your iPad or extra Mac into a true second display. Here’s how we compare against Apple’s Sidecar.

astropad.com

 

[niho]

Any word on if this will work via Thunderbolt cable while one mac is on a VPN while the other is not?

Probably it won't, if your VPN is blocking local LAN.
Many new VPN solutions has feature to allow local connections, if your company allows. In that case, it'd work.

 

[Googlyhead]

Isn't TDM mac to mac only? Doesn't seem like letting you using TDM with a third-party device would be very Apple-esque.

The original TDM was Target DISK Mode.

But regardless of the acronym; the original Target Display Mode simply provided a bi-directional DisplayPort - no limitations to connected device, as long as tha cable and signal were correct.
This is pretty much the same as the earlier Target Disk Mode, where the TDM computer was simply reported as a basic drive to any suitably connected device.

When it moved to thunderbolt; I don’t believe there was an actual imposed restriction to Mac computers. But for anything else; you would obviously have to convert the output to the thunderbolt protocol and connection (and pretty much only Macs had thunderbolt, let alone displayport over thunderbolt...)

 

[sean+mac]

This page states specifically that Luna has Retina resolution

I posted a quote from their help docs prior which states otherwise for Mac-to-Mac mode. So I think this is a case of "it depends on how you're using it."

From May 5 2021 release notes about the new ethernet/thunderbolt support, which also links to the help doc I originally quoted in a prior message (https://help.astropad.com/article/226-retina-m2m )

 

[Lemon Olive]

No Retina support = no purpose whatsoever.

 

[dpace32]

Does the $100 dongle need to be purchased to use the ethernet to ethernet feature?

 

[SummerSoFar]

Does the $100 dongle need to be purchased to use the ethernet to ethernet feature?

Ethernet and Thunderbolt Support for Mac-to-Mac Mode

Release Notes: Luna Display 4.5. Luna Display's Mac-to-Mac Mode allows you to any Mac as a second display, with full trackpad and keyboard support for both devices. With today’s update, Mac-to-Mac Mode now supports Ethernet and Thunderbolt connection between Macs.

astropad.com

Unless the need for the adapter is purely snake oil it must be still performing some sort of handshake.

 

[chucker23n1]

Apple’s gonna Sherlock the **** outta this.

I think this is too niche for Apple to be interested.

 

[chucker23n1]

Ethernet and Thunderbolt Support for Mac-to-Mac Mode

Release Notes: Luna Display 4.5. Luna Display's Mac-to-Mac Mode allows you to any Mac as a second display, with full trackpad and keyboard support for both devices. With today’s update, Mac-to-Mac Mode now supports Ethernet and Thunderbolt connection between Macs.

astropad.com

Unless the need for the adapter is purely snake oil it must be still performing some sort of handshake.

My understanding was the adapter simply emulates an HDMI device, so anything treats it as a screen.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

I posted a quote from their help docs prior which states otherwise for Mac-to-Mac mode. So I think this is a case of "it depends on how you're using it."

View attachment 1770704

From May 5 2021 release notes about the new ethernet/thunderbolt support, which also links to the help doc I originally quoted in a prior message (https://help.astropad.com/article/226-retina-m2m )

I think that's correct.

 

[ignatius345]

I think this is too niche for Apple to be interested.

And probably too much "something that would let people repurpose old Macs instead of buying new Macs".

 

[ktecac]

How does it work ? I have an old non-Retina iMac I'd love to keep around but am worried having it running nonstop as a display if its pretty intensive to run the relevant software on (ie. if its running at full tilt just to display text or another safari window)

 

[ignatius345]

How does it work ? I have an old non-Retina iMac I'd love to keep around but am worried having it running nonstop as a display if its pretty intensive to run the relevant software on (ie. if its running at full tilt just to display text or another safari window)

If my understanding of this is correct, the image is being generated on the main machine and being fed to the second one, which is just displaying it -- which doesn't seem too taxing. Am I wrong about this?