Connecting a Mac Studio to NEC PA322

[hubell]

I just acquired a Mac Studio Ultra and tried to connect it to my NEC PA322UHD Monitor using the Displayport cable out of the monitor to the Mac Studio USB-C port using the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter. No dice. So, I connected the monitor back to my 2013 Mac Pro using the same cable, and suddenly the native resolution of the monitor, 3840x2160, was no longer available. The max resolution was limited to 1920x1080. After trying a whole bunch of things like resetting the PRAM and unplugging both the computer and the monitor, nothing worked. Strange, the Displayport cable was working just fine until I tried to use it to hook up the new Mac Studio to the NEC. However, I managed to find an HDMI cable that was lying around and hooked up the Mac Pro to the monitor with the HDMI cable. Voila, the native resolution reappeared on the monitor! Great, I will use  the HDMI cable to connect the Mac Studio, as it has an HDMI port. No such luck...no signal appeared on the monitor. A blank screen. So, I am now 0 for 2 in connecting the Mac Studio. Is this all a diabolical plot by Apple to force me into thinking I have to buy a new Apple XDR Pro or Mac Studio display? The only option left is to buy a Displayport/USB-C cable with no adapter and see if that works.
BTW, I was on the phone with NEC Tech Support a few times today, and they confirmed that the PA line of monitors is being discontinued.  I gather the new Mac Studio Display and even the XDR Pro display are not really ideal for color critical photo editing. Apart from the Eizos, I hear about lots of issues with the Benq, ASUS, and LG alternatives.

[degrub]

i remember reading somewhere about this issue with HDMI maybe in the macrumours forums - solution was to set the connection to HDMI 1.4 instead of default 2.0. Cable spec may have been an issue as well. A little fuzzy memory.

[hubell]

i remember reading somewhere about this issue with HDMI maybe in the macrumours forums - solution was to set the connection to HDMI 1.4 instead of default 2.0. Cable spec may have been an issue as well. A little fuzzy memory.

How would you set the connection to HDMI 1.4 rather than 2.0?

[degrub]

I think it was in the port/display properties in mac os. I’ll see if i can find that thread again.

[degrub]

Sorry, it was displayport, not hdmi. Post #13 in this thread.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-studio-screen-flickering.2338756/

My wife’s mbp was sensitive to the order that power was applied to get her external monitor to sync. Non M1 though. Apple even replaced the interface daughter board to try to solve it. No luck.

Definitely seems to an issue with the cable used and the port on the monitor and the M1 series as there are issues widely reported.

[hubell]

Sorry, it was displayport, not hdmi. Post #13 in this thread.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-studio-screen-flickering.2338756/

My wife’s mbp was sensitive to the order that power was applied to get her external monitor to sync. Non M1 though. Apple even replaced the interface daughter board to try to solve it. No luck.

Definitely seems to an issue with the cable used and the port on the monitor and the M1 series as there are issues widely reported.

I couldn’t even get my monitor screen to flicker!

[Joe Towner]

Something like this - https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-USB-C-Supporting/dp/B01J6DT070/

The TB3-TB2 does not do displayport - just Thunderbolt.  There are specific USB-C to MiniDP out there that work well, but they're more than the actual cable above.

[hubell]

Something like this - https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-USB-C-Supporting/dp/B01J6DT070/

The TB3-TB2 does not do displayport - just Thunderbolt.  There are specific USB-C to MiniDP out there that work well, but they're more than the actual cable above.

Thanks, I saw that cable but it referenced DisplayPort 1.4, and the NEC connector is 1.2.  I ordered a different one from Amazon. After I ordered it, NEC recommended a different one. I will order that one as well.

[digitaldog]

This fellow works on my PA (albeit, not hooked to an M1):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EXKDRAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[TechTalk]

Thanks, I saw that cable but it referenced DisplayPort 1.4, and the NEC connector is 1.2.  I ordered a different one from Amazon. After I ordered it, NEC recommended a different one. I will order that one as well.

The DisplayPort 1.4 specification offers higher bandwidth and resolution than DisplayPort 1.2, but DisplayPort 1.4 cables are fully backward compatible with 1.2 specifications. There should be no need to use a lower bandwidth DisplayPort 1.2 cable.

[TechTalk]

If they are of any help, the links below give cabling recommendations specific to M1 mac hardware and monitors. Generally, it appears that direct USB-C to DisplayPort cables are recommended for your combination of monitor and computer.


"HDMI Video Signal recommendation

Due to the type of video encoding used with the HDMI signal from the Mac to the display, the color performance of the display is not optimal. The calibration accuracy with EA and EX desktop display models is also impacted when using an HDMI signal, which may result in higher than normal Delta E values.

It is therefore recommended to use a DisplayPort (DP) / Thunderbolt connection instead of HDMI when connecting to a Mac.

The following table outlines the recommended connections:"... (see link below)

https://update.sharpnecdisplays.us/spectraview/NEC_SpectraView_README_MacOS_v1.1.42_Mac_M1_Special_Build.html


To connect this device to Mac Studio   | Use a cable...

DisplayPort...                                    | USB-C to DisplayPort...

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-studio/connect-a-display/mac


This Eizo support link discusses hardware issues which apply to "All monitors, including other company's monitors" connected to M1 Mac systems...

"Apple M1 series Chip Equipped Mac Computer and Monitor Compatibility

• Updated March 17, 2022

EIZO conducted a compatibility test with Apple M1 Max chip.

1. Display Limitations

Mac computers with an Apple M1 series Chip have the following display limitations."... (see link below)

https://www.eizoglobal.com/support/compatibility/pc/mac/apple-m1

[hubell]

I have now tried two new (and not inexpensive) Displayport-USB-C cables today with the new Max Studio Ultra, and my PA322UHD will still not display a resolution higher than 1920x1080. I also tried an HDMI-HDMI cable and the native resolution is available, but the screen continuously flickers on and off. I did a bit of checking around the internet today, and the forums are filled with reports about people having difficulty connecting their monitors to Mac M1 computers, with many saying that it's a Mac Monterey OS issue. So, the computer at this point is useless as a practical matter. Too bad, as I did do a little testing with Gigapixel AI to see how the Ultra would work with that program, which is is VERY slow with my 2013 Mac Pro. The previews were very slow to update with Mac Pro on a 80MP IQI80 file and it took close to 8 minutes to process the file. With the Ultra, the previews were almost instantaneous and it took less than a minute to process the file. Just amazing.

[TechTalk]

One thing that you might try, if you haven't already, in regard to getting the correct resolution with the USB-C to DisplayPort cable...

If your display appears blurry

If images or text on your display appear blurry or pixelated, check the resolution and brightness of your display.

Adjust the resolution

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences, then click Displays.

2. In Display Settings, select the external display in the sidebar, then press and hold the Option key while you click Scaled to see additional resolutions.

I believe that has worked for some users that weren't getting the expected resolution from their monitor.

https://support.apple.com/If your external display isn't detected or appears blurry when connected to your Mac

[hubell]

One thing that you might try, if you haven't already, in regard to getting the correct resolution with the USB-C to DisplayPort cable...

If your display appears blurry

If images or text on your display appear blurry or pixelated, check the resolution and brightness of your display.

Adjust the resolution

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences, then click Displays.

2. In Display Settings, select the external display in the sidebar, then press and hold the Option key while you click Scaled to see additional resolutions.

I believe that has worked for some users that weren't getting the expected resolution from their monitor.

https://support.apple.com/If your external display isn't detected or appears blurry when connected to your Mac

Thanks, I have tried that a number of times, to no avail. Unclear what the problem is, as the native resolution of the monitor is working with my Mac Pro using Mac OS Monterey. There is something about the M1 chips and these monitors.

[TechTalk]

Are you familiar with this software solution for M1 Macs with monitor resolution issues?

https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDummy

https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/03/Why your external monitor looks awful on Arm-based Macs, the open source fix – and the guy who wrote it

[hubell]

I have not tried BetterDummy, as I now think there is something wrong with the DisplayPort connection port on the NEC monitor. On Friday while I attempting to connect the new Mac Studio to the monitor, I unplugged the DisplayPort-MiniDisplayPort cable that I had been using to connect the Mac Pro to the monitor and tried to use it with an Apple TB 2 to TB 3 adapter on the new Mac Studio. It did not work. When I replugged the cable into the Mac Pro, the Mac Pro was no longer showing the native or higher resolution settings for the monitor in Display Preferences under System Preferences. The maximum resolution was 1920x1080. Same issue with the Mac Studio. I assumed it was a cable issue with the old cable and ordered a new DisplayPort to Mini DispalyPort cable for the old Mac Pro and a new DisplayPort to USB-C cable for the new Mac Studio. This morning, I tried connecting the new DisplayPort to Mini DispalyPort cable to the old Mac Pro and it still wasn't working with the native resolution. Exact same problem as wit the Mac Studio connected to the DisplayPort port on the monitor. OTOH, the HDMI to HDMI cable on the old Mac does display at the native resolution. if I connect the same HDMI cable to the Mac Studio, the screen is blank. No video signal. I could possibly try a HDMI to USB-C cable, but Apple has apparently issued an advisory recommending that m! Macs be connected with a DisplayPort to USB-C cable. Same with Eizo. I will call NEC Tech Support tomorrow to see what they say, I expect they will blame Apple. I have no idea how the
DisplayPort connection and internal firmware could have been screwed up in this process.
Update: I connected the Mac Studio to my old NEC PA271W with a Displayport to USB-C cable  and it did not show any video signal at all on the monitor. However, I tried another Displayport to USB-C cable and...it worked with the native resolution. This would seem to confirm that the problem is with the Displayport port on the PA322 monitor, unless there is something weird with the transmission of the video signal from M1 Macs to a 4k display.
Should I try a DVI-D to USB-C cable? 

[hubell]

Well, I purchased a USB-C to HDMI cable today (HDMI into the PA322) and....it works with the Mac Studio at the native resolution of the PA322! Is there any disadvantage to this configuration rather than using the DisplayPort connection? I should check to see if the Spectraview software works, but any other issues? I know that  the DisplayPort is generally recommended, but I am not sure why.

[Chris Kern]

I should check to see if the Spectraview software works. . . .

You may need a second connection between the computer and the monitor—a USB cable—for SpectraView to work.  Please provide an update when you have performed a test calibration on whether that is the case.  (Also note the "temporary workaround" SpectraView version cited at the link above.)

[hubell]

You may need a second connection between the computer and the monitor—a USB cable—for SpectraView to work.  Please provide an update when you have performed a test calibration on whether that is the case.  (Also note the "temporary workaround" SpectraView version cited at the link above.)

Yes, thanks. I am aware that NEC has released a workaround update for the Spectraview software so that it works with the first gen Apple Silicon Macs. We shall see if that's the case with the Mac Studio versions. So far, my PA322 only works with best quality cables that use the HDMI input port on the PA322. The Displayport input port on the monitor appears to be inoperable at this point for some reason. Hopefully, that's not an issue going forward.

[degrub]

your display port issue may be related to the port you were using on the PA.
The two ports have different dp standards according NEC

https://assets.sharpnecdisplays.us/documents/colorbrochures/pa322uhd_specbrochure.pdf

here are the DP standard spec levels
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort

and  HDMI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

the HDMI connector std can matter as well.