New LG 38UC99-W compatibility with Macbook Pro?

[3587]

Can I ask what you use it for? Thinking about this but worried about sharpness and colour, I'm a designer and love the idea of having lots of windows open. How is the colour and does the curve worry you at all?

Safari, Mail, Photos, and Web Design... Mainly.

It is not very sharp... Very low PPI. I'm going with two 5K's. Once your eyes see the iMac 5K, it is difficult to use anything with less PPI.

The color is pretty accurate... Doesn't seem that bright overall. The curve is nice. If it was brighter and had a higher PPI, I'd definitely keep it!

 

[kingjames1970]

Safari, Mail, Photos, and Web Design... Mainly.

It is not very sharp... Very low PPI. I'm going with two 5K's. Once your eyes see the iMac 5K, it is difficult to use anything with less PPI.

The color is pretty accurate... Doesn't seem that bright overall. The curve is nice. If it was brighter and had a higher PPI, I'd definitely keep it!

Thanks! Ok, I'll do the same I think. Appreciate it. I guess I'm just worried that if those 5Ks will take months to get to us. Making the move from a 2013 iMac and still a bit nervous about the whole thing. I will just get one for now in case I end up going with the 2017 iMac when it comes out as well.

 

[RyanC1384]

Safari, Mail, Photos, and Web Design... Mainly.

It is not very sharp... Very low PPI. I'm going with two 5K's. Once your eyes see the iMac 5K, it is difficult to use anything with less PPI.

The color is pretty accurate... Doesn't seem that bright overall. The curve is nice. If it was brighter and had a higher PPI, I'd definitely keep it!

I'm so confused on what to do. At this point I'm planning on switching to the 13" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

I'd rather have the portability and won't really need to do much heavy work on this. It's more for my personal computer with some word processing and light video editing.

That said, I'd like to go with an ultra wide monitor but you're worrying me.

Would you say that because you've already used to 5k this won't work, or for anyone the picture is going to look crummy? I mean I'm coming from non HD monitors, so do you think I'll think this monitor is going to be a step up?

 

[3587]

Thanks! Ok, I'll do the same I think. Appreciate it. I guess I'm just worried that if those 5Ks will take months to get to us. Making the move from a 2013 iMac and still a bit nervous about the whole thing. I will just get one for now in case I end up going with the 2017 iMac when it comes out as well.

I'm guessing they'll be available the first week of Dec... Who knows when we'll actually get them in hand though.
[doublepost=1480120595][/doublepost]

I'm so confused on what to do. At this point I'm planning on switching to the 13" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

I'd rather have the portability and won't really need to do much heavy work on this. It's more for my personal computer with some word processing and light video editing.

That said, I'd like to go with an ultra wide monitor but you're worrying me.

Would you say that because you've already used to 5k this won't work, or for anyone the picture is going to look crummy? I mean I'm coming from non HD monitors, so do you think I'll think this monitor is going to be a step up?

The 38UC99 should charge the 13"... Because I believe it is a 60W USB-C... The 15" MBP is 85W I believe, which the 5K will be able to power.

You might like the display if you've never used an iMac 5K... If you have, you'll immediately notice how blurry the text and everything is... My eyes can't handle it, especially when I'm used to Retina iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, and Watch... Looking at this screen kills me.

 

[kingjames1970]

I'm guessing they'll be available the first week of Dec... Who knows when we'll actually get them in hand though.
[doublepost=1480120595][/doublepost]

The 38UC99 should charge the 13"... Because I believe it is a 60W USB-C... The 15" MBP is 85W I believe, which the 5K will be able to power.

You might like the display if you've never used an iMac 5K... If you have, you'll immediately notice how blurry the text and everything is... My eyes can't handle it, especially when I'm used to Retina iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, and Watch... Looking at this screen kills me.

Got an iPhone 7, iPad Pro 12.9 and now obviously 2016 15" MBP - you've convinced me! 5K here I come, I will stop looking elsewhere. After that I'll calm down for a couple of years, Apple have enough profits ;-)

 

[3587]

Got an iPhone 7, iPad Pro 12.9 and now obviously 2016 15" MBP - you've convinced me! 5K here I come, I will stop looking elsewhere. After that I'll calm down for a couple of years, Apple have enough profits ;-)

Lol, yup.

It's all about crispy text!

 

[kingjames1970]

Lol, yup.

It's all about crispy text!

Or maybe I'll get two - heh heh. Can write off against tax, poor excuse but I'm sticking to it!

 

[3587]

Or maybe I'll get two - heh heh. Can write off against tax, poor excuse but I'm sticking to it!

Yeah, I'll be pulling the trigger on two of them! Can't wait to have a portable iMac

 

[DrtyHarry]

Not happy to read that many are having issues with text using this display. And with that said, I think I am going to pass and look for a 5K 27" monitor instead.

I know we covered that the new LG UltraFine 5K Display can not work on a 15" 2015 MBP. However, I came across this on the Q&A on Apple's page when the same question was asked. Is there any truth to this answer?? I hope so...but if not, I'll probably pick up the Dell. Thoughts???

Q: Can I connect it to my 2015 MacBook Pro? (LG UltraFine 5K)


A: "If you have the 2015 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, configured specifically with the AMD Radeon R9 M370X, then yes, with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable. With any other 2015 MacBook Pro, no."


http://www.apple.com/shop/question/...t-it-to-my-2015-macbook-pro/QDTJD2AXYD2C4KDUX

 

[nikster0029]

For those still interested in the LG 38" i just got one:

Now waiting for the MBR to go with it.

Hey, would a Xbox One or PS4 Pro be able to fill up the whole screen if connected through HDMI? Thanks for the awesome video!

 

[DrtyHarry]

Hey, would a Xbox One or PS4 Pro be able to fill up the whole screen if connected through HDMI? Thanks for the awesome video!

From what LG told me....you can't get 60hz via HDMI. I would think you would probably like a monitor with a higher rate.....but I'm not a gamer...

 

[nikster0029]

From what LG told me....you can't get 60hz via HDMI. I would think you would probably like a monitor with a higher rate.....but I'm not a gamer...

I agree, but I'm not too much of a gamer myself! I wondered if the consoles would be able to fill up the entire 21:9 aspect ratio or if it can only do the square of the whole thing.

I think this answers it here if anyone wants to know

 

[Pim]

Not happy to read that many are having issues with text using this display. And with that said, I think I am going to pass and look for a 5K 27" monitor instead.

I know we covered that the new LG UltraFine 5K Display can not work on a 15" 2015 MBP. However, I came across this on the Q&A on Apple's page when the same question was asked. Is there any truth to this answer?? I hope so...but if not, I'll probably pick up the Dell. Thoughts???

Q: Can I connect it to my 2015 MacBook Pro? (LG UltraFine 5K)


A: "If you have the 2015 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, configured specifically with the AMD Radeon R9 M370X, then yes, with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and a Thunderbolt 2 cable. With any other 2015 MacBook Pro, no."


http://www.apple.com/shop/question/...t-it-to-my-2015-macbook-pro/QDTJD2AXYD2C4KDUX

I've been looking for an answer to this for weeks. Everything I read about it is very inconsistent. There one person who keeps answering that this adapter will do the trick but there's no evidence to back that up

 

[DrtyHarry]

I've been looking for an answer to this for weeks. Everything I read about it is very inconsistent. There one person who keeps answering that this adapter will do the trick but there's no evidence to back that up

Exactly. When I called and asked Apple....They said no because of no TB3. But they have been wrong so many times before. I didn't reach out to LG about this one though...

 

[RogueHive]

Exactly. When I called and asked Apple....They said no because of no TB3. But they have been wrong so many times before. I didn't reach out to LG about this one though...

Thanks for posting this question, I've scoured the internets for an answer to this as well as reached out to LG...

So here's my dilemma... I have a client who would like to purchase 15 of these monitors to compliment his new 13" Touchbar MacBook Pros. I've reached out to LG letting them know I cannot purchase these monitors without confirmation that they will work at the advertised 60 Hz, as well as plug in using the new USB-C/TB 3 ports (not the end of the world if it has to be HDMI as long as they can confirm the refresh rate etc). Apparently a $20,000+ opportunity was not enough to get someone to answer my question... Also, they would not confirm my request email or writing which makes me nervous about purchasing these displays for this deployment.

LG.com removed a (at that point the only, which I have a screenshot of) 1 star review from it's site which was a customer who was in the same boat and claimed it was not working with their new Touchbar MBP. Instead of answering the q, they just deleted the review. Not Cool.

My hope is that this cable (which is not available yet of course) will be the silver bullet. We've ordered a separate single unit for testing and as soon as it arrive's I'll post my experience.

You would think they would want to ride the wave of the new MBPro's right? Why not just come out and confirm this will work?

 

[original poster]

Hi guys,

In need of some help please, some very knowledgeable people here so sure I can get it sorted!

I have the following -

Early 2016 rMB 12"
LG 38UC99

(running at 30hz in Sierra)

I have it connected via the provided USB-C cable with the monitor which provides an imagine and charges the laptop which is great, however -

The screen keeps loosing signal, I have to close the lid of the rMB and open it again for it to come back to life, the same happens when using the monitor with the laptop lid down.

Any ideas? I even got a replacement rMB two days ago thinking it may just be the laptop but its still doing it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[2commakid]

How much did you pay and where did you get it? Extend the warranty? What monitor did you use previously?

Sorry for delay with reply, bought from overclockers.co.uk and paid £1,100 but no extra warranty, before I had the Apple Thunderbolt 27" display.

 

[RyanC1384]

I bought it from Amazon on the 26th for $1,370 US Dollars. It looks to be a steal, but hasn't shipped yet.

 

[2commakid]

Hello,

I have the 2016 MacBook Pro 15" and the LG 38UC99. I'm using the USB-C to USB-C connection. It powers the MacBook Pro as well as pushing the image to this gigantic monitor. In addition, the 38UC99 has two USB ports on the back... Through this one USB-C connection, I now have access to those two USB ports. It works pretty slick!

EDIT - Initially I thought this was charging the MBP, but the battery kept dying, so it DOES NOT charge your MBP, especially when using this gigantic monitor.

I too am having challenges with the charging issue. The main problem is opening the MBP from wake because that is when the monitor is not charging it, the solution I have found is to unplug the USB-C cable and wait a few seconds and then plug it back in...

I'm currently waiting for a call back from LG to see if this is there error, a cable error or apple error!

Maybe I need to return and swap

It could be an issue with the MBP (because it didn't even warn that the battery was drained, but just 'died' suddenly)

I agree with you about the lack of 'retina' text, but I've fallen in love with the ultra-wide format, so I'm waiting to see the resolution of the charging issue - before making a decision to get the new LG 5K which should ship end Dec.

 

[RyanC1384]

I too am having challenges with the charging issue. The main problem is opening the MBP from wake because that is when the monitor is not charging it, the solution I have found is to unplug the USB-C cable and wait a few seconds and then plug it back in...

I'm currently waiting for a call back from LG to see if this is there error, a cable error or apple error!

Maybe I need to return and swap

It could be an issue with the MBP (because it didn't even warn that the battery was drained, but just 'died' suddenly)

I agree with you about the lack of 'retina' text, but I've fallen in love with the ultra-wide format, so I'm waiting to see the resolution of the charging issue - before making a decision to get the new LG 5K which should ship end Dec.

Are you using the USB-C cable supplied by LG?

Do you have the 15" or 13" 2016 MBP? 2 of the ports on the 13" are slower than the 2 on the left side.

Is the text foggy or just not as crisp as a retina display?

Is it possible to just charge the MBP with another cable to keep the juice flowing?

 

[2commakid]

Are you using the USB-C cable supplied by LG?

Do you have the 15" or 13" 2016 MBP? 2 of the ports on the 13" are slower than the 2 on the left side.

Is the text foggy or just not as crisp as a retina display?

Is it possible to just charge the MBP with another cable to keep the juice flowing?

I'm using the LG cable yes, maybe that is an issue?

I have the 15" and tried all the ports they're all the same, it seems to take a very long time to charge the battery with a battery utility showing charging of 28 W, which seen wrong when I think the Apple power brick says 85W.

I will talk with the LG dealer and have them send me another cable.

The text is defiantly not as crisp as my dad's 27" iMac retina!

 

[nikster0029]

I'm using the LG cable yes, maybe that is an issue?

I have the 15" and tried all the ports they're all the same, it seems to take a very long time to charge the battery with a battery utility showing charging of 28 W, which seen wrong when I think the Apple power brick says 85W.

I will talk with the LG dealer and have them send me another cable.

The text is defiantly not as crisp as my dad's 27" iMac retina!

This battery issue thing is very similar to my Lg 27UD88 monitor as well. Someone else resolved it on another forum by using a Belkin USB C cable

Edit: Here: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...inch-macbook-pro.2010576/page-3#post-24012743

 

[3587]

I too am having challenges with the charging issue. The main problem is opening the MBP from wake because that is when the monitor is not charging it, the solution I have found is to unplug the USB-C cable and wait a few seconds and then plug it back in...

I'm currently waiting for a call back from LG to see if this is there error, a cable error or apple error!

Maybe I need to return and swap

It could be an issue with the MBP (because it didn't even warn that the battery was drained, but just 'died' suddenly)

I agree with you about the lack of 'retina' text, but I've fallen in love with the ultra-wide format, so I'm waiting to see the resolution of the charging issue - before making a decision to get the new LG 5K which should ship end Dec.

Yeah, it's a goofy monitor... Mine is being returned for an Apple backed LG 5K. Can't wait until they open it up for ordering. Retina text, it will charge your MBP, USB-C ports, etc.
[doublepost=1480886318][/doublepost]

Are you using the USB-C cable supplied by LG?

Do you have the 15" or 13" 2016 MBP? 2 of the ports on the 13" are slower than the 2 on the left side.

Is the text foggy or just not as crisp as a retina display?

Is it possible to just charge the MBP with another cable to keep the juice flowing?

Hmmm, do you think it might be the cable? Or just that this monitor only provides 65W instead of the 85W needed to charge the '16 MBP 15"?

Text is okay, but no one near Retina. I like my text like reading a magazine. Same brightness as the MBP with the LG 5K.

Yes, you can charge with MBP with the Apple included charger while the monitor is plugged in.

 

[tom-ch]

Hi guys,

In need of some help please, some very knowledgeable people here so sure I can get it sorted!

I have the following -

Early 2016 rMB 12"
LG 38UC99

(running at 30hz in Sierra)

I have it connected via the provided USB-C cable with the monitor which provides an imagine and charges the laptop which is great, however -

The screen keeps loosing signal, I have to close the lid of the rMB and open it again for it to come back to life, the same happens when using the monitor with the laptop lid down.

Any ideas? I even got a replacement rMB two days ago thinking it may just be the laptop but its still doing it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You should try running the latest Sierra Beta, it includes bug fixes regarding external monitors. Please let us know if it fixes the issue!

 

[3587]

Well, now I'm having a change of heart here folks... I'm looking at picking up a BizonBOX for Windows gaming, etc... Apparently this box will never work with the LG 5K monitor... Might be a deal breaker for me... I'd love sharper text and photos, but... We also have no clue as to when LG will release the 5K, could be last next month. I also don't like the idea of two separate monitors vs this one big 38".

Today I confirmed via http://www.testufo.com/#test=mprt that through the included LG USB-C cable I'm getting 60hz, 60 fps, 12 PPF, and 720 PPS... I'm also getting 3840 x 1600. Not sure if/how I can get the 75hz on this monitor via my 2016 MBP 15". Like I said, the three things I dislike about the 38UC99 are the PPI is low, the brightness isn't that great, and it doesn't charge the 15" MBP.