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M1 Macbook Pro - Target Display Mode?

R

_redefine_

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 20, 2022
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Hello everyone,

I recently bought one of the latest MacBook Pro 16" with M1 Pro processor, to replace my "old" 2019 MacBook Pro 16" with touchbar.

I use my old 2021 27"iMac as an external monitor (iMac plugged with thunderbolt cable + thunderbolt/usb-c converter plugged into the MacBook Pro).

To my surprise, when I plugged into the new M1 machine nothing would happen when I hit Target Display Mode on the iMac (cmd +f2): I called Apple and they confirmed M1 machines doesn't support anymore this option o_O the customer service advised maybe Luna Display would do the trick....but maybe.

Argh! Anyone knows a legit workaround which doesn't imply buying a new external monitor? I work with Motion Graphics so it's very important there is no delay between screens.

Someone else also advised me to get this cable which I struggle to believe would make any different to my current cable...

Any advise would be REALLY appreciated - thanks!
 
It has been more than a year since the M1 came out and every post or workaround to 'activate' a native target mode I have found has ended in a dead end. Luna may be the only option at this time.

You may be better off with another monitor, especially since target and luna do not support retina resolutions
 
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Oh my..... what a disgrace. Suddenly, I'm not too excited about this new upgrade...

What's the best recommendation for an external monitor at this point? Something as similar as the output of an iMac in terms of clarity (and no shading in the corners like lots of external monitors out there) and decent speakers?

Thanks in advance!
 
There are probably a lot of decent monitors out there. LG sells a 27" 5K monitor (without speakers) which i believe uses the same panel as the iMac for $1300.

That is the rub with the iMac, you get a lot of good stuff built in which gets lost when you upgrade.

Since your iMac is a 2021 is it fast enough to do your motion work on its own?
 
brucewayne said:
There are probably a lot of decent monitors out there. LG sells a 27" 5K monitor (without speakers) which i believe uses the same panel as the iMac for $1300.

That is the rub with the iMac, you get a lot of good stuff built in which gets lost when you upgrade.

Since your iMac is a 2021 is it fast enough to do your motion work on its own?
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no no, the iMac is an old one, from 2013 I believe, one of those first slim line iMac (still with thunderbolts...)
 
Not to mention that is a lot of money for a display that was discontinued 6 years ago

Any HDMI monitor will work fine with a usb-c to hdmi adapter
 
I mean they going on eBay for around $300 which is quite fair considering the screen quality is what I'm used to and also it does have speakers too!
 
_redefine_ said:
I mean they going on eBay for around $300 which is quite fair considering the screen quality is what I'm used to and also it does have speakers too!
Click to expand...
A new 1440p monitor will not cost much more than that, if at all. The 2012 iMac’s screen was a 1440p screen, non HDR, etc etc. I would strongly advice to upgrade to a modern monitor (4K) and do your new Macbook justice!
Of course, it’s easy for me to say, as I have no clue about your budget?
 
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I hear you...

I would like to spend probably $650, I really like that LG 5K but it's double my budget. My main concern is a lot of screen out there have bright 'patches' in the corner once you bump up the brightness - and i totally hate it. With that Apple monitor, even if an old wreck, at least I know it's reliable in terms of color accuracy....and it also cost me a fraction...

Maybe this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BBRL...dcw-gb-3095376863975401500-21&geniuslink=true

uhm, not sure. I quite trust Apple in those cases...
 
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_redefine_ said:
Oh my..... what a disgrace. Suddenly, I'm not too excited about this new upgrade...

What's the best recommendation for an external monitor at this point? Something as similar as the output of an iMac in terms of clarity (and no shading in the corners like lots of external monitors out there) and decent speakers?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Target Display Mode hasn’t been an available feature on an iMac since the introduction of the 2014 Retina 5K model. This is not a new thing.
 
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The LG Ultrafine 4K is $699 MSRP, a bit outside your range, but you can get it cheaper used/on sale on places like Expercom, B&H, etc. It is a 24 inch screen, so a bit smaller than your iMac, but it's also got much better resolution so you could scale it for more space, etc, and it's got pretty decent speakers with Thunderbolt 3 support as well.

There's also a list on 9to5mac of decent Mac monitor options.
 
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With a bit of luck, I could maybe get one of those LG Ultrafine 5K which were endorsed by Apple years ago. Although, the used market seems to have a bunch of dead pixel....
 
_redefine_ said:
With a bit of luck, I could maybe get one of those LG Ultrafine 5K which were endorsed by Apple years ago. Although, the used market seems to have a bunch of dead pixel....
Click to expand...
That 5K seems to have its fair share of problems. I bought a bigger 32’’ LG 4K HDR with Thunderbolt, highly recommended!
 
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TracerAnalog said:
That 5K seems to have its fair share of problems. I bought a bigger 32’’ LG 4K HDR with Thunderbolt, highly recommended!
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True. The one in the second market are pretty much well used. the outer plastic seems to break quite easy.

I'm wondering if the 4K Ultrafine is any better?

Ideally, I'd like a glossy monitor (just like the Apple Thunderbolt Monitor) and there aren't many out there...
 
_redefine_ said:
True. The one in the second market are pretty much well used. the outer plastic seems to break quite easy.

I'm wondering if the 4K Ultrafine is any better?

Ideally, I'd like a glossy monitor (just like the Apple Thunderbolt Monitor) and there aren't many out there...
Click to expand...
The LG’s are not glossy (that I know of). I prefer less reflections, and the HDR 4K is very impressive if you come from a 2012 iMac. Best you can do is check it out in a store, if you have the chance of course ?. Or, pick a retailer that has a good return policy and try it out for real.
 
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The problem with Dell & LG is that the Volumes/Brightness keys doesn't work from Apple keyboard which is quite annoying at least for me. Doesn't it bother you guys?

On the other hand, I read some people are experiencing glitches on the screens of Apple Thunderbolts Displays which is a huge pain....
 
_redefine_ said:
The problem with Dell & LG is that the Volumes/Brightness keys doesn't work from Apple keyboard which is quite annoying at least for me. Doesn't it bother you guys?

On the other hand, I read some people are experiencing glitches on the screens of Apple Thunderbolts Displays which is a huge pain....
Click to expand...
github.com

GitHub - MonitorControl/MonitorControl: 🖥 Control your display's brightness & volume on your Mac as if it was a native Apple Display. Use Apple Keyboard keys or custom shortcuts. Shows the native macOS OSDs.

🖥 Control your display's brightness & volume on your Mac as if it was a native Apple Display. Use Apple Keyboard keys or custom shortcuts. Shows the native macOS OSDs. - MonitorControl/Moni...
github.com github.com
 
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Hey all, just wanted to point out that on my side I wanted to have a spare iMac 2013 that I wasn't using anymore as a dock station to do "personal work from home" after being done with "work from home".

Indeed target display doesn't work as it has been mentioned here.
I have also given a try the LunaDisplay dongle since I use it from time to time with an iPad when the employee's network vpn blocks Sidecar (a random security policy).

It isn't that great but it works, lag is barely noticeable (but it is there mind you) and for strictly work related tasks it's ok. However the worst part is that when big chunks of the screen move or update it compresses the image a lot, often the screen and text looks like a heavily blocky compressed JPEG image when moving things around.

Definitely not great for use as a main screen and things like Blender, After Effects, AutoCAD, etc. Great for a secondary more static one though.
 
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