iPad Air & Pro - 4k 60Hz HDMI Output

[learjet]

Hi there,

I was planning to use an USB‑C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with a new iPad Air 5th gen for the following use case:

1. HDMI 4k 60Hz output for an external display
2. Charging via USB-C passthrough
3. Connecting a USB-3-Hub for Ethernet and various other peripherals

Now, according to this Apple support document, all iPads connected to external displays via HDMI fall back to 1080p 60Hz output when displaying the home screen and apps. Only when displaying e.g. video content a higher (up to 4k) resolution is used.

According to Apple: "When you use the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with your iPad, its Home Screen and apps appear on HDMI displays at 1080p and 60Hz. When you begin playing video content, the resolution switches to match the content, up to 4K at 60Hz. Turn on the Match Content option on your iPad in Settings > Displays."

Is that really true? Is this support document up-to-date for the newest M1/M2 devices? So, no 4k 60Hz output when using HDMI, except for 4k video content? Can anyone confirm, that doesn't sound good, because I want to use all apps in 4k, otherwise what's the point of connecting a 4k display?

What's the alternative for real 4k 60Hz output? Connecting the display directly via DisplayPort sounds reasonable, but then you can't charge and connect USB devices at the same time...

Thank you,
learjet

 

[ME Nick]

I tested the apple digital av adapter last night with my M2 iPad Pro 11 inch.
The resolution did indeed fall to 1080 (as alerted to me by the 1440p monitor I was using)
I also tried charging at the same time through the AV adapter, but that didn’t work.
This all because the monitor I was using had the Thunderbolt port fail, and I was forced to use HDMI or DisplayPort.
Ideally, you use a thunderbolt cable and compliant monitor to charge and display full resolution.

 

[learjet]

I tested the apple digital av adapter last night with my M2 iPad Pro 11 inch.

Thank you, interesting findings!

The resolution did indeed fall to 1080 (as alerted to me by the 1440p monitor I was using)

Does that go hand in hand with a mode change, e.g. does the display momentarily go blank?
Does the corresponding setting in the iPadOS settings app -> external display (allow dynamic mode changes or something) change anything, can you somehow force 4k or a fixed higher resolution than 1080p?

I also tried charging at the same time through the AV adapter, but that didn’t work.

Really, can you verify that? I almost can‘t believe that, since that seems to be advertised by Apple. USB-C-charging passthrough would be another essential use case of the AV Multiport Adapter…

This all because the monitor I was using had the Thunderbolt port fail, and I was forced to use HDMI or DisplayPort.
Ideally, you use a thunderbolt cable and compliant monitor to charge and display full resolution.

Unfortunately I don‘t own a display w. Thunderbolt or USB-C-Displayport power delivery, just a standard 4k Display w. DisplayPort and HDMI input. Therefore, my only (pricy) workaround seems to be the Caldigit SoHo Hub.

 

[ME Nick]

As far as I’ve seen, there is no setting in iPadOS 16.2 to force a resolution output for display support.
Still in the infancy of software support…
Changing the ”display zoom” from default to “more space” only changes the iPad, not the display connected.

Not sure why the pass through charging didn’t work on the av adapter.
I was using a USB c connection from a local dell hub that supplies power to all my devices fine.

If your monitor doesn’t have USB C/Thunderbolt, definitely just get a proper hub like the Caldigit.
Then you can have the single cable configuration and not worry about dongles or adapters.

 

[learjet]

As far as I’ve seen, there is no setting in iPadOS 16.2 to force a resolution output for display support.

Should be under "external display", something like dynamic content adaptation, no? But I think the downgrade to 1080p for apps and the homescreen is something of a hardware limitation, altough one that's difficult to understand (since the adapter is perfectly capable of outputting 4k).

 

[ME Nick]

I’ll be able to take a look again tomorrow.
New monitor arrives then.

 

[learjet]

I’ll be able to take a look again tomorrow.
New monitor arrives then.

Would also you be so kind to test USB-C-Power Passthrough one again using your original Apple power adapter, if available?

 

[snourse]

If you have a Stagemanager external display capable iPad you are supposed to be able to display 4k in non-mirroring mode. I have tried every USB-C dock/adapter (including Apples USB C digital AV adapter), USB to HDMI cable, but I can only get 2560x1440 to display on either my 4k monitor or 4k TV when using HDMI. I tried multiple high speed HDMI cables.

The only way I got it to work was with a USB-C to DisplayPort cable to my monitor. It looks mostly great, although in order to get the best color it needs to be in HDR mode, but on my cheap monitor that makes the backlighting haltingly adjust the backlight brightness a lot. Overall it’s a kind of nice experience. I just wish I could get it to work with HDMI as my Mac Mini uses the DisplayPort port normally- I’d love to leave an HDMI cable for my iPad Pro to use.

Has anyone been able to get an iPad to show in 4k using StageManager external display mode over HDMI??