Hey everyone! I recently started a small video editing and post-production studio with a few friends, and I'm stuck handling the tech side of things. We have a setup that includes a MacBook Pro (M4 Pro), a MacBook Air (M2), and another MacBook Air (M1). Each of us wants to connect two external monitors (one 4K and one 1080p).
Here's what we need from the docking solutions:
1. Solid dual-display support for all three Macs.
2. Enough ports for fast external drives, an audio interface, and Ethernet.
3. Reliable power delivery and stability, even during long editing sessions.
The M4 Pro can handle two external monitors natively, but I'm struggling to find a way to connect two displays to the M2 Air and base M1 Air. If anyone has a docking solution that works well for all three Macs in our workflow, please share your recommendations and experiences! Thanks in advance!
5 Answers
Editing on mobile devices can be tricky! I’d suggest upgrading your hardware to something workstation-level for better functionality. It may seem like a steep investment, but it pays off in performance when you're trying to make a studio setup.
The M2 and base M1 Air can't support two external monitors on their own, unfortunately. But look into DisplayLink docks or splitters. They can handle dual 4K displays at 60Hz, which might be your best bet!
Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely check out those DisplayLink docks.
You can definitely make dual displays work with M2 and M1 using DisplayLink! Just make sure the dock explicitly supports it and install the necessary software. I personally have the Dell D6000, and it works pretty smoothly for me. There’s a good resource with compatible models at m1displays.com if you're interested.
Awesome, thanks for the recommendation! I’ll look into that.
Honestly, it's tough. If you can swing it, consider upgrading to Mac models that natively support dual displays. The Airs aren't really built for heavy lifting, especially when it comes to video editing. You might end up facing many roadblocks trying to make them work.
We're just exploring our options for now, but I appreciate the heads-up!
For the M4 Pro, any Thunderbolt 4 dock should suffice thanks to its native dual-display capability. For the Air models, a dock specifically labeled for dual-display support for Apple Silicon will be essential. Mixing dock models based on each Mac's capabilities could also be a cost-effective strategy!
That’s a smart idea! I’ll consider different models for each Mac.
We’re trying to make the most of our current setup and budget before diving into more expensive hardware.