Review - Using iMac as a monitor with Luna Display

[Only RF]

I was not sure if this is the right forum.

I decided to get a Mac Mini M4 but I didn't want to spend the money on Apples Display. I may look into a 3rd party monitor in the late fall. I looked at several options and decided to try Luna Display which arrived yesterday.

https://astropad.com/product/lunadisplay/

You need a second monitor to set up things up so I used a very old 42" TV which I keep around as a back up. I connected it to the mini by HDMI. It takes a bit of setting up and at first found it a bit frustrating. I decided to go with an Ethernet connection. One Ethernet plug out to the wall to a D-Link (which I had kicking around) and connected to the iMac and Mini. When I rebooted the Mac Mini it wanted the manual connection and I had to turn the TV on and open the Primary Luna App.

Twice now I have emailed support at nighttime and had responses first thing in the morning. They showed me link that led to Automator and the Shortcut app. I set up an automation and now when I reboot the Mini it just opens on the iMac screen to the Mini. I just turned the TV off and unplugged the HDMI and it's working great. I don't even need to have the Shortcut app open.

There were two icons in the top bar. One was for mirroring which was a real pain because if you made the wrong selection it all went to chit trying to figure out how to get things back. Now after shutting off the unplugging the TV I just see this.

Latency. Luna Display does support 5K which I'm using. Ethernet runs to a wall and 1.5 GB hub/modem. Luna specifically states it is not for gaming or heavy video editing. I'm finding using apps like LrC and watching videos on YouTube very good. Snappy and great response. Using LrC opening a file to 100% and back to fit is instant. Multiple masks, etc all responding quickly. I can't see any difference trying this and using the mouse. Snappy. However when I move any open app in any direction on the screen it's a bit jittery but I can live with that.

Astropad provides a link to test latency. There specs are anywhere from 1- 4 milliseconds. I'm showing about 1 millisecond.

I did try WIFI instead of Ethernet and there was a bit of a delay, even moving the mouse but I didn't put much time into it. 27" 5K screen so perhaps that was the issue. I have not tried to connect Mac to Mac using thunderbolt. I'm not sure I will.

Cons

Lock screen mode. If the iMac display shuts off then Luna Display shuts off. I had to turn the TV on to get it to work. Astropad recommends to set Turn Display when Inactive to Never and just use screen saver. Not ideal but again something I can live with. I have yet tested this with the new Shortcut setup. I'll let you know if I decide to try it. Things are running great and my old coconut needs a break.

I can't figure out why Reminders did not sync up. It is in the cloud with everything else like calendars, etc on both devices and they all work properly. I can live with that too as I only use it on iPhone. When I'm in the mood I'll pursue it.

Pros. For that price and the few cons it was worth it to me except look out Canadians. Shipping was free but they used DHL who charged me $37 CND for a customs fee. Crooks IMO and I've had that happen to me with UPS a few times. I was ticked off yesterday but I'll get over it.

 

[Only RF]

I did try setting the display to turn off when inactive. When it shut off the Luna secondary (display) appeared. So it's either that or screen saver. Because of the new automation set up it did start up without needing a second monitor but it took about 15 seconds. Using screen saver it's instant.

 

[Only RF]

Another quick update. I decided to try Mac to Mac and picked up an expensive Apple Thunderbolt 5 USB-C to USB-B cable. Mini M4 supports TB5 but the 2019 iMac only TB3. We talked about the bottle neck and the Apple Store told me I could return it. Good thing because I was wondering if I should have just purchased a new non Apple monitor. I'll likely do that some day.

Surprisingly it was noticeably slower. Latency went from 1 to 2 milliseconds. I didn't think it would make that much difference but it did. Moving something like the LrC window had more jitter so I returned the cable.

While experimenting I only have one ethernet connection coming out of the wall. The fellow I followed on YouTube said to use a switch to feed the iMac and Mini. I had a switch kicking around so I didn't have to spend money on that. Well a switch is a switch so I decided to run two dedicated Ethernet cables to the modem. Modem is only 10ft away in the laundry room and one wall to go through. Sure the wall plug is OK but there are a few connections along the way (it was CAT 5) and it was just as easy to feed two cables. It only cost around $25. The latency report showed less spikes and I think it is a little crisper. I could have lived with switch set up but it would have driven me nuts not to try it.

I shut the TV off which I used a a second monitor and the system reboots correctly. Everything mirrored or in my case now transferring from the Mini to the iMac, except Reminders. As I stated I don't really care because I only use it on my iPhone. Astropad has a way around that as well.

How to Open Applications on Specific Desktop | Mac - Knowledge Base

When using Luna Display, some apps may open on the wrong screen. You can manage where apps open by setting up Multiple Desktop Spaces on your Mac. Note: Since m

help.astropad.com

Works really well. Tons of support articles and their email support was exceptional.

 

[Only RF]

This fellow has several helpful videos.

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