PC macbook pro monitor?

[menizzi]

I have a 2023 macbook pro M2. I have a SSF(small form factor PC that i want to take with me offshore. I have a HDMI cable and want to use my macbook pro as a monitor to start all my 3d renders but this turning out to be harder then i thought because i'm not really a mac guy.

How can i do this? I have parallels install on the mac as well. if i need to go windows 10 to windows 10. I just need a screen to start renders on the pc and i can unplug.

If i need software i need to be able to do this all offline nothing that share a screen via wifi or any other bull ****. (internet is bad offshore)

 

[menizzi]

No one?

In any case tomorrow I am going to go down to best buy and try to buy a hdmi to usb C and see if it works because of right now the hdmi to hdmi does not seem to work. Or maybe I don't have the right settings who knows. I will keep you guys updated as this thread might help someone else in the future

 

[iMacDragon]

I think what you need here is windows remote desktop in some form, whether native RDP or some form of VNC or similar.

If using wifi for it is not possible, you woudl probably need to use a direct network cable in some form.

Though this may not play nicely with needing to access 3d acceleration, may possible need a dummy hdmi dongle to trick pc into thinking it has a monitor plugged in, depends how things are setup on windows I think, but there's no way to really use laptop displays directly to accept input from external devices, in windows or mac world, sadly. Often I'd love to be able to use laptop as a display for something like a console portably, but they're just not set up for that.

No form of direct video cable will work, both ends are only sources, not sinks.

 

[Honza1]

The above is correct. There is no simple way you can use notebook displays for external computer. You could use VNC or some other remote desktop client, but that will have major issue - those I know about require connection through internet and will not work without it. And for setup or configuration you will need real monitor before you could get that all running. You could fake local network with router and proper cable, but that is getting really complicated.
I think your best bet is to buy transportable external monitor.

 

[menizzi]

Yeah the HDMI adapter did not work.

I guess I will have to look into that. I just hate doing that not because of money but because of weight and space in my bag lol

 

[menizzi]

Thanks for setting the record straight and saving me some time

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Should be here tomorrow with 1 day free shipping.

 

[iMacDragon]

It's probably the simplest 'safest' solution, yeah.

It would be technically possible to manage something via networking and remote desktops, but if anything goes wrong it would be hard to recover without actual display as backup.

I really do wish you could use laptops that way.. been a long time desire.

 

[Honza1]

One more note - if you travel to hotels, most do have TVs. Depends on country, but most do. And practically all TVs do have HDMI inputs. I have seen rare case where TV inputs were not accessible due to mounting, but typically you can add your own device. While this is not guaranteed, you could risk relying on hotel TV.

 

[Basic75]

Yeah the HDMI adapter did not work.

Did you buy the correct type of HDMI adapter, i.e. where the HDMI port is an input and it presents itself via USB-C as a video capture device, or just the more wide-spread USB-C to HDMI video output adapter?

To keep in mind, even with one of those you don't have a direct HDMI connection from the PC to the laptop's display, that is simply not possible. You'll always have some indirection, either network or faking a webcam.

 

[iMacDragon]

Did you buy the correct type of HDMI adapter, i.e. where the HDMI port is an input and it presents itself via USB-C as a video capture device, or just the more wide-spread USB-C to HDMI video output adapter?

True, I guess a hdmi capture adapter could work for this scenerario, where latency is not an issue.. didn't really occur as usually reasons to display on laptop display like would be more latency sensitive where capture isn't a good solution.

 

[Basic75]

those I know about require connection through internet and will not work without it

Internet? Would a direct LAN connection with an Ethernet cable between the two machines not work? Just with Zeroconf, or if that doesn't work with one of the machines running a DHCP server for the other.

 

[Honza1]

Internet? Would a direct LAN connection with an Ethernet cable between the two machines not work? Just with Zeroconf, or if that doesn't work with one of the machines running a DHCP server for the other.

Yes, that might work and I am fully aware of it. But configuring this all is adventure for expert, especially when connecting mac and windows. We do it at work and it is not something I would expect regular user to do. Starting with minor issue, that Mac do not have ethernet port anymore, so OP would need USB dongle for that, proper cable(s), may be small router, and expertise to configure both sides for network AND properly configure VNC server/client. Good luck.

 

[Basic75]

But configuring this all is adventure for expert

I agree that it's not an everyday task, but you don't require special hardware. Any Ethernet cable Cat 5e or above will work, you don't need a switch, and most definitely not a router. If Zeroconf does the job, which I haven't tested for a while, you can omit what might be the hardest part, setting up your own dhcp daemon.

 

[psingh01]

There are very few laptops that have hdmi input to be used as monitors for other devices. The hdmi port is usually just an output port to add a second monitor.

I have a 2013 Alienware laptop that does have hdmi input. It’s not a feature I used often and Alienware dropped it from their models not long after that one.

You can look into a portable monitor for your small pc.