#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI HOW TO#
#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI FULL#
#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI PRO#
#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI TV#

If you plan on connecting external displays to your laptop, you need to know which alternate mode your device supports and buy a display, or an adapter, that supports that mode. Your laptop has DisplayPort if thereвЂ™s a D-Shaped icon next to your USB-C port, but it also might have it and not have that icon. ThereвЂ™s also DisplayPort, which is bundled with ThunderBolt 3 but also offered independently on some devices. There are a few other alternative modes: HDMI and MHL, for example, both allow certain kinds of displays to be connected. But only devices built to be compatible with Thunderbolt 3 can get those speeds, and even then only if you have a Thunderbolt 3 compatible cable. Thunderbolt 3, for example, is a collaboration between Intel and Apple that offers transfer speeds of 40 gbps-four times faster than the USB 3.1 standard-and support for two 4K displays connected to a single port. The complexity here is introduced by alternative modes, which use the USB-C form factor to offer additional features. If you need to use them for anything else, like connecting devices or transferring data, they will either not work, or will be extremely slow. And most of the cables on the market support USB 2.0 rather than USB 3.0 or 3.1.Д®ditorвЂ™s Note:В we canвЂ™t overstate that last bit enough-most of the USB-C cables on the market are USB 2.0 rather than 3.1 because they are only designed for charging. ThatвЂ™s not quite how USB-C is: adapters and cables may or may not work, depending on what features your device offers. With USB-A, things were relatively simple: basically anything you could plug in would work.

#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI HOW TO#

RELATED: Watch Out: How to Buy a USB Type-C Cable That Won't Damage Your Devices Not All USB-C Ports Are The Same Assuming a cable is fine because it fits is not good enough anymore-check out resources like to ensure your cable wonвЂ™t cause any problems. But itвЂ™s important to keep in mind that not all USB-C cables are created equally, and itвЂ™s up to you as a consumer to make sure what youвЂ™re buying is compatible with your device. My colleague Chris outlined how to buy a USB-C cable that wonвЂ™t damage your devices, so I wonвЂ™t re-hash that too much here. The trouble is, it can be really hard figuring out which cables are good and which are not, unless youвЂ™re buying from a reliable vendor that provides good technical specifications. Now, to be fair, properly-made cables can have resistors inline to prevent this from happening. So, for example, if you plug a USB-A device (like a cell phone) into a USB-C port using one of these cables, the phone may draw too much power, frying your phone, USB-C port, or even computer. (USB-A, if you didnвЂ™t know, is the traditional USB plug weвЂ™ve all been using for years.) But, USB-C devices (and cables) support faster charging than USB-A. Those notebooks would support HDMI to USB-C cables, providing Mac users with another option for connecting 4K displays and TVs.The problem is specific to cables with the older USB-A connector on one end and the new USB-C connector on another.

#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI PRO#

In addition to the 12-inch MacBook, Apple is rumored to release updated MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models featuring USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 as early as October.

HDMI-enabled 4K displays and TVs connected to a 12-inch MacBook via adapter, for example, only support a 30Hz refresh rate.

Thunderbolt remains the more popular I/O protocol for connecting 4K displays and TVs to Macs, since existing models are unable to drive 4K displays or TVs at 60Hz over HDMI by default.

#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI TV#

Connecting an HDMI-enabled 4K display or TV to a 12-inch MacBook currently requires using Apple's $79 USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

#MACBOOK USB C SUCKS HDMI FULL#

The new specification will lead to the release of simple HDMI to USB-C cables that support the full range of HDMI 1.4b features, including 3D, Ethernet, and CEC. The licensing group behind the HDMI interface has introduced a new HDMI Alternate Mode that will allow for USB-C devices like the 12-inch MacBook, smartphones, and tablets to connect to HDMI-enabled 4K displays and TVs over a single cable, with no adapters or dongles required.

Macbook usb c sucks hdmi