Any downside to ASD?

[dotzero123]

Now that the Studio Display has been out for some time, do you feel that the product is too mature in its lifestyle to invest in December 23? Arguments about price aside, is there any reason to wait for the next display? I can’t imagine that they will make a comparable screen less expensive, so wondering if the 60HZ will be limiting in the future. Also curious about how long Apple will continue updates. Thanks for any recommendations.

 

[Feek]

I have two of these. If I were buying another display now, I'd have no hesitation about getting another one.

 

[PaulD-UK]

Quote: “is there any reason to wait for the next display?”

60Hz will probably be the limit until Apple implements a higher version of Displayport with Thunderbolt 5.
Which is not anytime soon.

 

[dotzero123]

Thank you! Beautiful display just want to make sure that the timing is still good

 

[Populus]

For me, the major downside is not being able to connect the PS5 and enjoy 4K gaming on it.

There is a rare adapter that apparently enables 4K gaming on the Studio Display, the SIIG HDMI to DisplayPort 1.2 Converter with Audio Extractor, but it is out of stock and nobody knows if it will ever be available again.

I don't know of any other adapter that is capable of taking the 4K signal from the PS5 and showing it on the Studio Display with minimum lag and no loss of resolution. Most cables are able to take the PS5 signal and show it in 1080p on the Studio Display.

That's why I'm considering other alternatives, such as the Sony M9 monitor, or the Dough Spectrum One which is one of the few glossy monitors in the market (I know it carries its own risk purchasing from Dough, I am aware of the track record of Eve).

But then, people say that macOS doesn't look really well on 4k monitors, unless you choose the native 4K resolution or the "looks like 1080p" 2x scaling.

So... I don't know what to do. If Apple had made the monitor more open to be used with other devices, I would have bought it without questions.

 

[dotzero123]

Hope you find your adaptor! I don’t game on mac, so a non issue for me.

 

[meson]

For me, the major downside is not being able to connect the PS5 and enjoy 4K gaming on it.

There is a rare adapter that apparently enables 4K gaming on the Studio Display, the SIIG HDMI to DisplayPort 1.2 Converter with Audio Extractor, but it is out of stock and nobody knows if it will ever be available again.

I don't know of any other adapter that is capable of taking the 4K signal from the PS5 and showing it on the Studio Display with minimum lag and no loss of resolution. Most cables are able to take the PS5 signal and show it in 1080p on the Studio Display.

That's why I'm considering other alternatives, such as the Sony M9 monitor, or the Dough Spectrum One which is one of the few glossy monitors in the market (I know it carries its own risk purchasing from Dough, I am aware of the track record of Eve).

But then, people say that macOS doesn't look really well on 4k monitors, unless you choose the native 4K resolution or the "looks like 1080p" 2x scaling.

So... I don't know what to do. If Apple had made the monitor more open to be used with other devices, I would have bought it without questions.

macOS looks fine on 4k. People fuss over the 2:1 scaling ratio, but Apple’s default resolution on their laptops is not an integer scaled resolution and no one complains about the extra gpu cycles and the appearance. Yes, more pixels per inch gives a sharper image, but a 27" or 32" 4k panel will get the job done quite nicely with reasonable expectations, just not quite as nicely as 5k or 6k glossy panel with Apple's calibration.

I run my 32” display at full native 4k, but looks like 3008x1692 looks fantastic as well. Looks like 2560x1440 is ok. Looks like 1920x1080 is where things really start looking rough to me (I'm sure on a 27" panel, it would look much better).

Given that you want the display to operate in a mixed environment, compromising with a nice 4k display is perfectly reasonable. I suspect you will be quite satisfied in the end. I spent months trying to convince myself that a 32" 4k display was a terrible idea, but the extra screen real estate offered by using every single pixel on the display completely eliminated my need for a second display.

 

[meson]

Thank you! Beautiful display just want to make sure that the timing is still good

Apple is very slow to update displays. If the studio display fits your needs and your budget, go for it. Apple displays hold their value very well. So even if you would decide to sell and purchase a new model, it'll be easier to stomach the upgrade.

 

[Populus]

macOS looks fine on 4k. People fuss over the 2:1 scaling ratio, but Apple’s default resolution on their laptops is not an integer scaled resolution and no one complains about the extra gpu cycles and the appearance. Yes, more pixels per inch gives a sharper image, but a 27" or 32" 4k panel will get the job done quite nicely with reasonable expectations, just not quite as nicely as 5k or 6k glossy panel with Apple's calibration.

I run my 32” display at full native 4k, but looks like 3008x1692 looks fantastic as well. Looks like 2560x1440 is ok. Looks like 1920x1080 is where things really start looking rough to me (I'm sure on a 27" panel, it would look much better).

Given that you want the display to operate in a mixed environment, compromising with a nice 4k display is perfectly reasonable. I suspect you will be quite satisfied in the end. I spent months trying to convince myself that a 32" 4k display was a terrible idea, but the extra screen real estate offered by using every single pixel on the display completely eliminated my need for a second display.

So, do you think a “looks like 1080p” scaling on a 27” display could offer me a good size of UI elements, considering that I like bigger fonts, that the first thing I do on my Mac after a fresh install is making Finder icons much bigger -from the default 64x64 to 84x84-, the side bar on Finder from normal to big, and the Menu Bar from normal to bigger as well? (Yeah, my eyesight is not what it used to be)

Maybe the best idea to see how ”looks like 1080p” looks on a 27” display is going to an Apple Store and trying this configuration on an Studio Display, although maybe being a 5K panel won’t offer the exact sizes.

PS: OP, excuse me for using your thread for my own questions and inquiries.

 

[dotzero123]

My vision is poor but there are options for the ASD that allow you to customize the way the user interface and websites appear in to compensate. Also, I’ve never seen clearer text or images on any monitor. Not to sound too geeky but it’s like seeing the internet clearly for the first time. Love it!

 

[tomscott1988]

The downside is price otherwise not loads of reason not to.

There are 3 versions of a display like this so pick your poison it’s a very niche display. ASD, LG5K and the Samsung viewfinity S9. With the latter you loose some Apple specific features like truetone.

If you “wait” it might be like the Thunderbolt Display. They didn’t make a new display until the XDR. Long long wait 2011 to 2019.

The bottom line is that everyone is moving to portable devices and the desktop market is and has been crashing for a while. Hence the iMac being one option now and no higher end variant.

Apple doesn’t see a reason to make another display so I think it’s a safe bet to say this is it for now.

 

[AppleTech22]

The only downside is if you are looking to use the monitor for something like a gaming console. It's possible to use the Studio Display with a PC, but I believe I read that some features get wonky when doing so (camera, speakers, USB-C hub).

I personally loved every minute of owning my Studio Display, but after picking up a PS5, I've switched over to the Dough Spectrum One - 27" glossy 4K monitor.

The plug-and-play factor of the Studio Display can't even be touched by the slow Spectrum One. It has no speakers, so I had to pick up a set of Logitechs to plug into the 3.5mm out. The adjustment of brightness can't be done in MacOS (without a third-party utility) requiring you to interact with the clunky menu. The build quality, while miles above most monitors, still doesn't match the Apple's beautiful hardware design.

On the flip side, it's a very high-quality glossy 4K resolution that has truly left me impressed. I thought moving from 5K -> 4K was going to be difficult, considering my experience with 4K displays for years now, but the glossy finish makes a night and day difference. The matte coating on displays should be a crime now that I've experienced a non-Apple glossy monitor. I'm not kidding when I say, I don't miss 5K. Lastly, and most importantly, it's 144Hz and has HDMI 2.1.

I snagged it on Black Friday for $600, which helps offset the PS5 setup cost. If money was no object and I was okay with having 2 displays in my setup for each purpose, I would have kept the Studio Display. But really happy with the swap so far.

 

[meson]

So, do you think a “looks like 1080p” scaling on a 27” display could offer me a good size of UI elements, considering that I like bigger fonts, that the first thing I do on my Mac after a fresh install is making Finder icons much bigger -from the default 64x64 to 84x84-, the side bar on Finder from normal to big, and the Menu Bar from normal to bigger as well? (Yeah, my eyesight is not what it used to be)

Maybe the best idea to see how ”looks like 1080p” looks on a 27” display is going to an Apple Store and trying this configuration on an Studio Display, although maybe being a 5K panel won’t offer the exact sizes.

PS: OP, excuse me for using your thread for my own questions and inquiries.

The studio display will render at looks like 1080p. Go give one a try and see how it seems to you. If you are a fan of larger elements on the screen, this will go a long way toward making that happen. Also try it on a 27" 4k, if you can access one in-store or otherwise.

 

[Populus]

The studio display will render at looks like 1080p. Go give one a try and see how it seems to you. If you are a fan of larger elements on the screen, this will go a long way toward making that happen. Also try it on a 27" 4k, if you can access one in-store or otherwise.

Thanks. I guess the looks like 1080 on a 5K display will render elements a bit smaller than on a 4K one, but it is a good idea to see by myself, and a good start point.

 

[stradify]

"The plug-and-play factor of the Studio Display can't even be touched by the slow Spectrum One."

What are you referring to when you say 'slow'? Is it slow to wake from sleep?

 

[Populus]

The only downside is if you are looking to use the monitor for something like a gaming console. It's possible to use the Studio Display with a PC, but I believe I read that some features get wonky when doing so (camera, speakers, USB-C hub).

I personally loved every minute of owning my Studio Display, but after picking up a PS5, I've switched over to the Dough Spectrum One - 27" glossy 4K monitor.

The plug-and-play factor of the Studio Display can't even be touched by the slow Spectrum One. It has no speakers, so I had to pick up a set of Logitechs to plug into the 3.5mm out. The adjustment of brightness can't be done in MacOS (without a third-party utility) requiring you to interact with the clunky menu. The build quality, while miles above most monitors, still doesn't match the Apple's beautiful hardware design.

On the flip side, it's a very high-quality glossy 4K resolution that has truly left me impressed. I thought moving from 5K -> 4K was going to be difficult, considering my experience with 4K displays for years now, but the glossy finish makes a night and day difference. The matte coating on displays should be a crime now that I've experienced a non-Apple glossy monitor. I'm not kidding when I say, I don't miss 5K. Lastly, and most importantly, it's 144Hz and has HDMI 2.1.

I snagged it on Black Friday for $600, which helps offset the PS5 setup cost. If money was no object and I was okay with having 2 displays in my setup for each purpose, I would have kept the Studio Display. But really happy with the swap so far.

Do you use it with the “looks like 1080p” setting? Or with the native resolution? If you use a different scaling option, how does it look like?

I also read that the display has 60 local dimming zones. Does it work better than the uniform backlight of the Studio Display?

If I have any other question about the Dough monitor, I’ll ask you if you don’t mind. But for now I think I’ll wait until the Gorilla Glass model is available here in Europe.

 

[MisterSavage]

Personally I would go ahead and get it. The webcam is an obvious candidate for a big upgrade. I don't think the current one is terrible, but there's definitely a lot of room for improvement. Since you can use your iPhone thanks to continuity camera you'll always have a way to have great video for video calls.

For me, the major downside is not being able to connect the PS5 and enjoy 4K gaming on it.

That would have been pretty sweet if the ASD had supported it.

 

[Populus]

That would have been pretty sweet if the ASD had supported it.

So sweet, that I would have an Apple Studio Display right now. Despite its price here in Europe.

My current Dell monitor is from 2007 (an 1080p VA panel with HDMI and Display Port and two DVI inputs) so for me, the money spent in a good monitor is a good investment.

But I don’t want to invest on a long term monitor if I’m only going to be able to use it with my Mac. For me, being able to plug several devices to it is essential.

 

[bluespark]

My vision is poor but there are options for the ASD that allow you to customize the way the user interface and websites appear in to compensate. Also, I’ve never seen clearer text or images on any monitor. Not to sound too geeky but it’s like seeing the internet clearly for the first time. Love it!

Yes: There is a Settings option to enlarge the size of text and on-screen elements. Mac OS also has other accessibility options, although I'm not an expert on those.

To your original question, no one can say for sure what Apple's future release plans are, but they seem very pleased with Studio Display sales and I doubt they are looking to change it anytime soon.

 

[xraydoc]

I have two. Other than the price, there's no downside.

 

[venom600]

The biggest downside i see is that it's not particularly good at anything except being pretty. You want 5k? The Samsung equivalent 5k monitor is roughly $1000 now and exceeds the featureset. You want HDR? You can get an OLED or MiniLED monitor for half the price. Same with high frame rate. I didn't see much of a reason to buy it when it came out, and now I really don't. It just isn't competitive.

 

[xraydoc]

The biggest downside i see is that it's not particularly good at anything except being pretty. You want 5k? The Samsung equivalent 5k monitor is roughly $1000 now and exceeds the featureset. You want HDR? You can get an OLED or MiniLED monitor for half the price. Same with high frame rate. I didn't see much of a reason to buy it when it came out, and now I really don't. It just isn't competitive.

Except there are no >60Hz 5K displays from anyone, Samsung included. Nor are there HDR 5K displays from anyone -- though Apple and Dell do have HDR-capable 6K displays, but at a much higher price point.

Image quality is at least as good if not better than the Samsung 5K. Built-in speakers are far better. Build quality is better (probably over-engineered as is usual from Apple, but can't deny that the materials it's made out of aren't excellent). Webcam is debatable -- ASD doesn't have 4K but it does have Center Stage, so it's up to the user to decide which is better.

5K displays might be a bit niche, but Apple's offering is still competitive with other's. And for the most part, the only competition is the Samsung, and if you can find one, the LG.

For text-based work, the Apple 5K is still a killer display. And while text on a 4K display looks decent, there's a very noticeable difference between text at 4K and text at 5K.

So again, other than the price, it's the best 5K display you can find anywhere. For video work up to 4K, or for 6K work, then there's other competition. If you don't need or can live without 5K, then you've got options.

I look at medical images and text. That's what I use my two ASDs for. I write research and review medical images, and the ASDs are better than even some of the FDA-approved/certified medical displays -- the ASDs are higher in resolution than some of our $17,000 FDA-certified displays (most of which use DCI 4K resolution specs) and the grayscale tracking is virtually the same. So the PPI is better, making text look sharper. Based on experience, I'm confident that the ASD can keep up with many other medical-grade displays insofar as grayscale tracking as well.

If you're a video or photo editor, things may be different since HDR and higher frame rates might be as important or more important.

But if you spend a lot of time editing text, the 5K ASD is a killer display without going up to the more expensive 6K variants.

 

[antipodean]

Very happy with my dual ASDs. Single cable via caldigit TS4 and also work fine with my work Dell laptop (including webcam, mics and speakers). Text is tack-sharp.

 

[MisterSavage]

Very happy with my dual ASDs. Single cable via caldigit TS4 and also work fine with my work Dell laptop (including webcam, mics and speakers). Text is tack-sharp.

The speakers were a big deal for me. I returned my desktop ones because the ASD sounded great to me.

 

[venom600]

But if you spend a lot of time editing text, the 5K ASD is a killer display without going up to the more expensive 6K variants.

So your entire argument is that it's competitive because even though it isn't better at anything and costs 50% more than the competition, it's good for text work, something that every office worker in the world does on a 1080p monitor, if they are lucky?

The reality is it's a luxury purchase. It is a technically unremarkable monitor that carries an extremely high price because it is unnecessarily over engineered and has an Apple logo on it. The same way an apple watch band is $100 from Apple and $500 from Hermes.