Pro Display XDR - Owners Thread

[- rob -]

This thread is for general discussion of the Apple XDR display.

Whether you’ve just ordered one or have had one for a while and want to share updates this is the thread for you.

Recent XDR Firmware Updates

• 4.2.3 - Support for in-field recalibration
• 3.3.3 - Controls for calibration
• 2.2.2 - Reference mode support

XDR Experience Report Requests
Do you already have experience with the XDR? People in this thread are looking for feedback on specific aspects of the display.

If any of the following apply to you, please reply to the linked post:

• What is it like to use the XDR Pro Display with the M1? (Mac Mini, MBA or Macbook Pro)
• What is it like to use the glossy (regular XDR) after using Matte? (nano-texture) (Answers: 1, 2)
• What is the optimal arrangement of two XDR screens

Useful XDR Threads on MacRumors

• Using the XDR for Software Development

Useful XDR Info on the Web

• Set up and use Apple Pro Display (Apple product support page)
• Apple's Pro Display XDR Technology Overview (February 2020, .pdf)
• HDTVTest's comparison between XDR and Sony BVM-HX310 reference monitor (video)
• Longwinded discussion on professional color grading using XDR (Gamma Gain)

Testing Quality and Calibration of your New XDR

• EIZO Monitor Test
• In-field recalibration via spectroradiometer

Demo Videos for your New XDR

• Perfect Black HDR 8k Dolby Vision by Eugene Belsky (ft. sugar water drink)
• Art Vision Demo Reel HDR 8k Dolby Vision by Eugene Belsky
• Macro HDR 4k 60 fps Dolby Vision by Eugene Belsky

Official Mac Compatibility (6/30/20, macOS Catalina 10.15.2 or later)

Model	Year
Mac Pro with MPX Module GPUs	2019
15-inch MacBook Pro	2018 or later
16-inch MacBook Pro	2019
27-inch iMac	2019
MacBook Air	2020
13-inch MacBook Pro w 4 TB3 Ports	2020
Any TB3 Mac paired w Blackmagic or Blackmagic Pro eGPU
Any M1 (Apple Silicon) powered Mac	2020

Unofficial eGPU Compatibility (6/30/20)

• General testing with non-Blackmagic eGPUs
• Testing with Radeon W5700

Tested By	OS	Machine	Video Card	Notes
Wago	MacOS ?	2019 Mac Pro	W5700	Requires Cable supporting USB connectors to enable brightness control
"	MacOS ?	2013 Mac Pro	Radeon 5700XT eGPU	"

Unofficial PC Compatibility (6/30/20)

• Testing XDR on PCs and Compatibility Troubleshooting

Tested By	OS	Motherboard	CPU	Video Card	Ram	Notes
PhatBoyG		Z370-A		Zotak RTX 2080 Ti	32 GB	Tested with this cable

Other Mac Display Threads

• Wishful Thinking - WWDC Debut of new Apple Mid-Market Display
• The LG Ultrafine 5k Owners Thread

Please PM me with additions / updates to the above

 

[syndr0me]

I'm a believer. As a single monitor user, the move from 27" to 32" was just right, and exactly what I was after. I've been wanting a bigger monitor for a while without giving up the ppi in the LG5K.

I'm a developer, so while the features for creative professionals aren't benefitting me for my day job, they do help create a better overall experience. The contrast is superb. It won't change your life vs the 5K, but it's noticeably better, and that monitor is no slouch at all.

The stand is beautiful and expensive. You can save some money with an arm, but also consider the price of the VESA adapter. The monitor doesn't wobble much at all on the stand though, something that always bothered me quite a bit with the LG. It's as solid as I've experienced. I don't regret buying it, it's a perfect match, and I've never been big into arms anyway.

 

[- rob -]

I'm a believer.

I like that this was the first line of the first response to this hopefully long, old thread.

The XDR‘s price is high and in a category that most people don’t think to spend heavily on.

Though commonly justified by people who know this market, the stand’s price often distracts people from getting into the value of the monitor at all.

I'm also a developer, and ppi matters a lot to me. I realize the fact that this monitor approaches reference quality is sort of well beyond the needs of the IDE I look at most of the time.

But for me this order is about getting something great that I get huge utility out of. Sort of like a mattress, except I use this constantly to make a living.

I’m excited to get this, should come tomorrow or Friday. I’m upgrading from the Dell P2715Q which has served me very well.

 

[bloomfeld]

But for me this order is about getting something great that I get huge utility out of. Sort of like a mattress, except I use this constantly to make a living.

I’m excited to get this, should come tomorrow or Friday. I’m upgrading from the Dell P2715Q which has served me very well.

I can see the point as it is basically the same approach I have when it comes to commodities I am using every day. Just do not have enough money to buy cheap. So I am typing this on my fairly new 7.1 which I decided to keep even with the upcoming ARM transition. I am currently using a Dell P2715Q too as my main display and an old 30 inch Cinema Display as an auxiliary display that I switch on from time to time.

My plan is to sell the Cinema Display and get a XDR with an Ergotron 45-476-216 HX arm for 2 displays. Then the Dell will be used as the second display.

I look forward having a cleaner desk without monitor stands and having this beautiful 32 inch main display. What I am not so sure about from a purely aesthetic point of view is to have the Dell "tucked" to the XDR. I need the Dell for my working from home PC laptop as it has plenty of ports. I could also keep the Cinema Display for better looks (and it works well with an adapter with the PC laptop), but its low resolution and old tech just had its time.

The only thing that turns me off a bit is that the XDR can not be controlled without an Apple machine. I always have had Cinema Displays (remember the plastic one?), and it always has been a hassle with non-standard connectors, no extra input ports and limited controls apart when not having a Mac connected to it.

So many first world problems at once, eh? So let's not forget to count our blessings.

 

[syndr0me]

XDR was certainly on display throughout the WWDC presentation. Probably because it’s the only thing they have that’ll connect to the Mac Mini. But doesn’t hurt it’s arguably the most beautiful thing they’ve ever made. Kinda funny using a $6000 monitor to show off a $500 dev kit.

 

[- rob -]

That’s interesting you mention it’s presence in the keynote. I noticed that too.

I went back to look and they didn’t seem to expose the machine the display was connected to.

I was curious if the dev kit could drive this display.

My stand arrived today, but the monitor seems a day or two behind.

Officially, the 2018 Mac Mini is only supported with either of the Blackmagic eGPUs.

That’s the setup I use, a maxed out 2018 MM and a standard Blackmagic eGPU.

 

[syndr0me]

The graphics situation is definitely a curiosity. I’m interested to see what the graphics capabilities of the dev kit are. If it can drive the XDR at 6K, how? And if it can’t, what did they use for the demo?

I got the fastest shipping option on my order because it was free. Took like a day and both shipped from California and arrived at the same time.

Curious to hear your feedback with the eGPU setup. My work machine is a 2019 15” MBP that’s lower spec, but does have a dGPU. It actually runs reasonably well, and I ride that machine hard all day. It’s pretty much got fans spinning non-stop. Did that before the XDR though. Between actual work and video conferencing for work, not to mention its constant fight with corporate bloatware, that machine puts up with a lot.

I’m hoping the first ARM device is an Air that can drive the XDR. I’ll ditch my personal maxed out 16” first chance I get. Not a big fan of that machine.

 

[- rob -]

I can see the point as it is basically the same approach I have when it comes to commodities I am using every day. Just do not have enough money to buy cheap. So I am typing this on my fairly new 7.1 which I decided to keep even with the upcoming ARM transition. I am currently using a Dell P2715Q too as my main display and an old 30 inch Cinema Display as an auxiliary display that I switch on from time to time.

I've also invested pretty heavily in monitors over the years. My first big purchase was a pair of the Dell 2001FPs I used with a few PC builds, including my eventual transition from a hackintosh before my first Mac Mini which I also used with the 2001s.

I then used a cinema display for some time, before moving to the P27. That's cool you also use the P2715Q. I once read a review that described the monitor as a classic.

Recently I've been really happy with the the investments I've made in Mac hardware--and I think that was a building block in making the leap for the XDR.

I know people are upset about the mac keyboards and touchbars but I managed to steer clear of those. I returned the first redesigned 13" mbp with the touchbar, and waited things out with a maxed 2015 Air (which my partner still uses).

The Blackmagic eGPU was widely panned in early reviews. Some of my more influential developer pals were not encouraging about getting it. However, after using it first with the 2018 MBA and then the Mini, I think that product is completely underrated. I have a few posts on this in this thread and others I can dig up.

One of the things I dig is that my workstation is effectively silent right now. (It's one of the reasons I ruled out building my own eGPU.) But also, both the mac mini and the 2018 air are not really equipped to even push pixels to the P27. You can tell the os animations are not as smooth. And for the only game I play these days, Dota 2, the impact is huge.

You may want to give it a try, they are reasonably priced on ebay used now. Though there is possibly an updated Blackmagic Pro coming.

The XDR is a whole other league price-wise but all I do is stare at a screen all day. I'm hopeful after a year or two I'll feel the same way about that investment.

My plan is to sell the Cinema Display and get a XDR with an Ergotron 45-476-216 HX arm for 2 displays. Then the Dell will be used as the second display.

I look forward having a cleaner desk without monitor stands and having this beautiful 32 inch main display. What I am not so sure about from a purely aesthetic point of view is to have the Dell "tucked" to the XDR. I need the Dell for my working from home PC laptop as it has plenty of ports. I could also keep the Cinema Display for better looks (and it works well with an adapter with the PC laptop), but its low resolution and old tech just had its time.

Do you mean you'll be hiding the Dell display behind the XDR when not in use? Do you mean the P27 has low resolution? I had to look it up but ya, the P27 is now ranked 15 on pixensity. It has 163 PPI vs the XDR's 217. Interestingly, apart from the Dell UP3218K 8k, it is basically tied for 2nd place in PPI for desktop monitors, afaik.

The only thing that turns me off a bit is that the XDR can not be controlled without an Apple machine. I always have had Cinema Displays (remember the plastic one?), and it always has been a hassle with non-standard connectors, no extra input ports and limited controls apart when not having a Mac connected to it.

Yes, I think a lot of folks are turned off by this. At this point, I'm pretty committed to Apple hardware. Overall, I think the entire ecosystem is headed the right way. But I've also already done the straight line depreciation on this monitor and realize there could be some head-mounted hardware that supersedes it in the coming years.

So many first world problems at once, eh? So let's not forget to count our blessings.

Yes, absolutely. I can't help but feel like I'm about to get a Bentley. This is a pretty fancy piece of hardware.

 

[bloomfeld]

One of the things I dig is that my workstation is effectively silent right now. (It's one of the reasons I ruled out building my own eGPU.) But also, both the mac mini and the 2018 air are not really equipped to even push pixels to the P27. You can tell the os animations are not as smooth. And for the only game I play these days, Dota 2, the impact is huge.

You may want to give it a try, they are reasonably priced on ebay used now. Though there is possibly an updated Blackmagic Pro coming.

Having an almost silent workstation was the main reason for me to upgrade my 2009 Mac Pro to the 2019 Mac Pro. I also got used to the PCI slots so I was biased towards the Mac Pro, but the setup you describe would have been my second option. I am glad to hear that the solution works well and without noise.

Regarding the Dell P2715Q I am really happy with it. When working from home became the norm the HDMI and multiple DP inputs have been a life saver. I can hook the Dell both to my PC working laptop and to my Mac and switch inputs with the Dell on screen menu. This is also reason why I am going to keep it alongside the XDR.

Do you mean you'll be hiding the Dell display behind the XDR when not in use? Do you mean the P27 has low resolution? I had to look it up but ya, the P27 is now ranked 15 on pixensity. It has 163 PPI vs the XDR's 217. Interestingly, apart from the Dell UP3218K 8k, it is basically tied for 2nd place in PPI for desktop monitors, afaik.

The monitor arm has two VESA mounts, so the Dell will look like it would be attached to the XDR on the right side. This means I can turn the Dell on when in need of a second screen, or work on the Dell when having the PC laptop connected. The monitor arm allows to move the screens so that the main display can be centered in view.

My point about low resolution was regarded to the Cinema Display and I phrased it misleading - what I meant was pixel density. The Cinema Display looks good when I change its resolution to HiDPI mode with 1280x800 pixels, but in its native resolution text is difficult to read for me.

Yes, I think a lot of folks are turned off by this. At this point, I'm pretty committed to Apple hardware. Overall, I think the entire ecosystem is headed the right way. But I've also already done the straight line depreciation on this monitor and realize there could be some head-mounted hardware that supersedes it in the coming years.

Are you going to use your Dell along with the XDR too? Or are you turning to a single monitor setup?

 

[- rob -]

The graphics situation is definitely a curiosity. I’m interested to see what the graphics capabilities of the dev kit are. If it can drive the XDR at 6K, how? And if it can’t, what did they use for the demo?

I think this is a great question, I hope someone asks this in one of the follow-up videos related to wwdc.

I got the fastest shipping option on my order because it was free. Took like a day and both shipped from California and arrived at the same time.

I did too, actually. The stand came in under 24 hours, but the monitor is now due for delivery today.

Curious to hear your feedback with the eGPU setup. My work machine is a 2019 15” MBP that’s lower spec, but does have a dGPU. It actually runs reasonably well, and I ride that machine hard all day. It’s pretty much got fans spinning non-stop. Did that before the XDR though. Between actual work and video conferencing for work, not to mention its constant fight with corporate bloatware, that machine puts up with a lot.

I actually got your post and the above one I quoted confused. I actually meant to suggest the eGPU to you after reading this.

I’m hoping the first ARM device is an Air that can drive the XDR. I’ll ditch my personal maxed out 16” first chance I get. Not a big fan of that machine.

I've been thinking for some time it would be the Macbook. Because that is the heart of the entire line and in the 12" was meant to represent forefront of innovation in the mobile line. Given its size, battery performance would really shine here. Also since it has been out of market for a while, there isn't really an easy Intel comparison for people to be happy or sad about, it is just a Macbook which sort of gives people a chance to give it a fresh take.

What would be crazy is if a new small portable could drive the XDR! I'm very curious to see what graphic capabilities Apple debuts with ARM, since they put so much emphasis on graphic performance during the Apple Silicon portion of the WWDC Keynote. The benchmark for machine capability internally could really only be, "can this drive the XDR?" which would mean performance ~RX 580.

 

[- rob -]

Having an almost silent workstation was the main reason for me to upgrade my 2009 Mac Pro to the 2019 Mac Pro. I also got used to the PCI slots so I was biased towards the Mac Pro, but the setup you describe would have been my second option. I am glad to hear that the solution works well and without noise.

Ah, I got my wires crossed in my replies, see above. I agree it is so great to have no computer noise. I use a pair of Edifier S880DB's right now to listen to tunes while I work. What Pro configuration are you running? Have you done any aftermarket upgrades?

Regarding the Dell P2715Q I am really happy with it. When working from home became the norm the HDMI and multiple DP inputs have been a life saver. I can hook the Dell both to my PC working laptop and to my Mac and switch inputs with the Dell on screen menu. This is also reason why I am going to keep it alongside the XDR.

I have really been happy with it also, though I have had a fair amount of intermittent sleep/wake issues with it through the Blackmagic eGPU, though. They have cleared up over the past 9 months compared to a year ago. But I am hopeful there are zero issues with the XDR.

The monitor arm has two VESA mounts, so the Dell will look like it would be attached to the XDR on the right side. This means I can turn the Dell on when in need of a second screen, or work on the Dell when having the PC laptop connected. The monitor arm allows to move the screens so that the main display can be centered in view.

I see. When they're both going that is going to be some massive real estate. The XDR looks big next to the presenters in the WWDC videos.

Are you going to use your Dell along with the XDR too? Or are you turning to a single monitor setup?

At this point I'm not planning to, but I will have to try and test running both off the Blackmagic. I will def keep this around, though it maybe time to part ways with the old beat up cinema display I keep in the basement.

 

[syndr0me]

So, what's the verdict?

 

[- rob -]

So, what's the verdict?

We went out of town for 24 hours. The package was 4 blocks away for the 3 hours before we left.

I finally had to redirect it to the the local ups access point.

The monitor is now stuck in this state:

I had a lot to do once we got back so I didn’t let it bother me.

However I’m ready to pick it up now so I am going to call and ask why it isn’t delivered. I’ve refreshed this page way too many times expecting it to update to delivered.

I wish it had arrived before we left, though I thought this was still going to be straight forward.

Edit: I just checked and this UPS store is not open until tomorrow 9am. So I'm guessing the store was closed by the time they tried to deliver it and they now aren't going to try dropping it off again until tomorrow when it opens at 9am.

FWIW. I am looking at replacing my desk with a sit stand, so I may just go and try to take care of that tomorrow morning so I'm ready for this beast.

 

[syndr0me]

That’s the worst. Good luck with the adventure tomorrow.

I’m a fan of the Uplift desks. I spent most the day yesterday converting my L shaped sit/stand to a single 84” desk. The L is nice but with 30” wide tops, it felt like I had two small desks with a bunch of dead space in the corner. With the bigger monitor it felt extremely cramped. Much happier with this layout. Doing wire management again is long, soul-crushing work though.

 

[- rob -]

That’s the worst. Good luck with the adventure tomorrow.

Thanks, it is now scheduled for 10am-2pm tomorrow. So tomorrow afternoon!

I’m a fan of the Uplift desks. I spent most the day yesterday converting my L shaped sit/stand to a single 84” desk. The L is nice but with 30” wide tops, it felt like I had two small desks with a bunch of dead space in the corner. With the bigger monitor it felt extremely cramped. Much happier with this layout. Doing wire management again is long, soul-crushing work though.

Having a space that accommodates the XDR is probably not fully appreciated. I need to take some measurements I think before picking something.

I had looked at Fully because they are local to Portland, though there is a used furniture store that has a selection of discounted steecase and others.

I may have to slow my decision on that so I can learn more about the product.
Given the price of the XDR getting the right desk seems like “cheap“ but important afterthought!

 

[- rob -]

I've got the display running now, and have been taking notes on the experience so far.

Rather than offer some quick takes, I'm going to use it for a bit and take more notes. I'll share the compilation.

 

[pollycat]

Had this display for about a month and am very satisfied. I spend a lot of time at my computer and appreciate the screen real estate, the sharpness and clarity, it's easy on the eyes and solid as a rock. No glitches or problems. No complaints.

 

[PhatBoyG]

My display showed up today. It is amazing. The big question for me was whether or not it would work with my gaming PC as well (of course it started right up with the Mac Pro 5700x).

And the answer is, yes, absolutely. Using a USB-C cable (from Amazon, $12.99 US) connected to the VirtualLink (USB-C) port on the RTX 2080 Ti, came up full resolution, and even worked with HDR (though I turned HDR off after seeing some glitches - once my display updates to the latest firmware I'll try it again).

Gaming at native display resolution with 50% rendering resolution was solid 60FPS, so yeah, pretty stoked.

 

[syndr0me]

Can you control brightness?

 

[BeatCrazy]

My display showed up today. It is amazing. The big question for me was whether or not it would work with my gaming PC as well (of course it started right up with the Mac Pro 5700x).

And the answer is, yes, absolutely. Using a USB-C cable (from Amazon, $12.99 US) connected to the VirtualLink (USB-C) port on the RTX 2080 Ti, came up full resolution, and even worked with HDR (though I turned HDR off after seeing some glitches - once my display updates to the latest firmware I'll try it again).

Gaming at native display resolution with 50% rendering resolution was solid 60FPS, so yeah, pretty stoked.


View attachment 929256

Any ideas for switching between your gaming PC and Mac Pro, besides unplugging? I’ve been wondering about a simple USB-C switch of some kind, but haven’t come across any that I think will work for this applicaiton.

 

[bcaslis]

My display arrived Friday but the stand did not arrive until today (Monday). Boy was that a long weekend. I've only had a couple of hours with it so far but it does seem amazing both in display and in build quality.

 

[- rob -]

The big question for me was whether or not it would work with my gaming PC as well...

And the answer is, yes, absolutely.

Can you give more details about the PC system you have been testing the XDR with?

This is the first time I’ve heard the monitor works on something other than the officially supported Mac and Mac / eGPU configurations.

One of the common complaints about the display is that it does not work on PCs.

I just saw that Apple does say the XDR works on Windows via Bootcamp, but it sounds like you’re saying it works stand alone.

 

[PhatBoyG]

Can you control brightness?

I had a post bookmarked that linked how to trick the installer to let the drivers install on Windows 10. Once installed, that should work to adjust brightness. Will report back once I get it done.

This is the thread with the Bootcamp driver setup

Can you give more details about the PC system you have been testing the XDR with?

Typical higher end iBuyPower gaming rig, Z370-A motherboard, Intel 8-core CPU all cores locked at 4.9 GHz, Zotac Gaming RTX 2080 Ti (has maybe 3x DP 1.4, 1x HDMI, 1x USB-C (VirtualLink). 32GB RAM. Really, nothing special but the RTX cards all support DSC and have 4-lanes of DP in the VirtualLink port. So enough for 6K at 60 Hz.

Any ideas for switching between your gaming PC and Mac Pro, besides unplugging?

I don't have a solution other than unplugging the cables and switching them - I'm sure I'll scratch the hell out the area by the TB3 port eventually. I don't game every day (I mostly develop software) so it isn't too much of a hassle for me.

For developing software, I have to say, I was on the fence between a 5K2K and this display. The text clarity of having true retina 220 ppi vs the 160 ppi is truly mind blowing, even on my 50 year old eyes. I have had the 38" LG before (UW, 3840x1600 I think) and it was way to grainy at that ppi (106 I think) to be usable so now it's my daughter gaming monitor.

 

[Macdude2010]

I also bought one of these monitors with the assumption that I would have it for a long time (I still have a 10 year old Cinema Display), I also managed to get a substantial discount on it, which made it even more worth it. I have had it for a month and I have to say, its breathtaking, especially when you load HDR content on it. Besides HDR content, its like an LG Ultrafine with more accurate colors and a lot more display space. I didn’t opt for the stand and went for an arm instead, not sure if i made the right choice there, but it certainly was a bit under half the price of the Pro Stand. I also look forward to ARM Macs so something smaller than my 16 inch MacBook Pro can run it without breaking a sweat.

 

[syndr0me]

Can't get a definitive answer on whether or not the dev kit drives the XDR at 6K, but it sounds like no. Some interesting talk about not needing TB3 to drive the XDR at 6K, just USB-C with compression.

There's plenty of other threads about this, but I'm not at all enamored with my 16" MBP. It's blazing fast, to be sure, but it's not the right laptop for me these days. If these ARM chips are as fast as it appears they might be, I would be all in on an ARM Macbook Air (or something similar in the 13" space). Biggest question will be how well it can drive this display. The current iGPU solutions seem to be subpar, and dGPU appears to only be an option in the big laptops. Will Apple use the GPU on their A series chips? Will it be powerful enough?
[automerge]1593534923[/automerge]

I also bought one of these monitors with the assumption that I would have it for a long time (I still have a 10 year old Cinema Display), I also managed to get a substantial discount on it, which made it even more worth it. I have had it for a month and I have to say, its breathtaking, especially when you load HDR content on it. Besides HDR content, its like an LG Ultrafine with more accurate colors and a lot more display space. I didn’t opt for the stand and went for an arm instead, not sure if i made the right choice there, but it certainly was a bit under half the price of the Pro Stand. I also look forward to ARM Macs so something smaller than my 16 inch MacBook Pro can run it without breaking a sweat.

View attachment 929342

Nice looking setup! I love perusing r/macsetups and r/battlestations for desk/office ideas.