#THUNDERBOLT DISPLAY ALTERNATIVE PRO#

At Astropad, we’ve created a workaround to bring back Target Display Mode. However, Apple killed off Target Display Mode a few years back because it required too many Thunderbolt ports on newer model macs. Let’s take a look at the lineup to see which might be right for you and your vlogging needs.Target Display Mode was an extremely popular feature that allowed older macs to be used as external monitors for newer macs.

#THUNDERBOLT DISPLAY ALTERNATIVE PRO#

To take things further, JOBY has developed a partnership with Wavo microphones to now add some pretty high-quality audio performance to their GorillaPods, which has now created a de facto “vlogging kit” setup perfect for amateurs to pro creators looking to record on the run.Īs you’ll see below, with the help of Casey Neistat and a small gang of creators, JOBY has unleashed a whole new range of kits that vary (slightly) in sophistication and price point. Designed as a tripod with flexibility, it’s ball-structure design lets users use it as a sort of gimbal tripod and it’s been quite successful for a wide array of content creator types. JOBY has long been known for its solid line of GorillaPods which has been an actually very cool innovation as a hybrid camera mount and stand. Moving on from all of the disclaimers, let’s actually talk a bit about these different vlog kits and what they offer. It has a somewhat similar color gamut with 95% DCI-P3 and 99% Rec. Nelson points to the Dell UltraSharp 32 4K USB-C Monitor, which is half the price of the Studio Display or the LG UltraFine. “There are 4K monitors with far more impressive specs, for less money,” Nelson says. Nelson also goes on to point out that outside of Apple and LG, there are no other companies on the market who see the value in making a 5K monitor and have opted to improve the look of their 4K monitors instead.

Throw in a Thunderbolt 3 port and a nice six-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system, and you have a better product.Ĭonsequently, you can understand why the Studio Display costs $1,599, a hundred dollars more than the LG, but really you end up paying $2,000 when you add $400 for the height-adjustable stand (I’d just use a stack of books). It also has a 12MP camera and uses the A13 processor for image processing. The only real difference is that the Studio Display has an aluminum chassis, not a plastic one like the LG. Nelson continues to say that the specs also match the nearly six-year-old LG UltraFine 5K display. He goes on to point out that the specs of the Studio Display are nearly identical to the 27” 5K iMac from eight years ago, only brighter to qualify for HDR certification, and running the A13 Bionic rather than an Intel processor. “Sounds familiar? That’s because they are,” says Quinn Nelson of Snazzy Labs. It has a 5K resolution with DCI P3 Color at 99% coverage and 600 nits in brightness. The Apple Studio Display sure looks like an iMac, only it’s powered by an A13 Bionic chip. Is Apple trying to push surplus hardware on an eager customer base looking for a mid-range solution?Īre there any other options on the market that are better? With nearly identical specs as the 5K Retina display released eight years ago, and having a similar design as the current iMacs, the Studio Display appears to be just that, but with a few added features.

Thunderbolt display alternative