Macbook air M1 + decent external monitor

Donux

Hi,

I would like to get some advice from someone with experience using external monitor with macbook air m1.

Specifically, does it solve eye strain considering that monitor is PWM free and is not the cheapest with eye care, blue light branding, or eye strain persists presumably due to temporal dithering being carried over into external monitor?

Thanks,

Donatas

insta42014

From what I’ve seen on this forum people are still getting eyestrain even if the external monitor is good

If you want to solve eyestrain you need to use another laptop that doesn’t use temporal dithering

karut

insta42014

This is my experience

Donux

insta42014 Auch. Bad Apple.

mirza

I own at the moment Benq BL2711U monitor, but there is eye strain when used with MBA M1 (there is no eye strain with PC). I was talking today with Benq support, and they recommended some monitors which work well with MacBooks M1, and one of them which I'm interested is Benq PD3420Q

But, nothing is 100%, so, if there is someone here who has this monitor with MB, would be awesome to share how it is regarding eyes.

Sunspark

Don't bother. Your problem is the M1 not monitors.

Donux

Sunspark Would higher end product from apple such as Macbook pro 14 at least work eye strain free with flicker free external monitor?

karut

Donux

I dont think so.

Donux

But based on purely objective tests Macbook air M1 does not have temporal dithering:

Source 1 (notebook check):

Source 2 (youtube temporal dithering close up test):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzms_c0prNk

Regarding other source these were reported issues that were successfully solved for M1 devices:

Refresh rate at 30 Hz for macbook air m1. This has been fixed already for most monitors
Random flicker caused by using colour scheme that came with a monitor (e.g. BENQ). Solution to use one of macbook supplied colour profiles (e.g. Colour LCD)

insta42014

Donux The test was done with the 240fps slow-mo of an iPhone which is insufficient to detect temporal dithering, a very high fps camera would be needed

With a very high fps camera we could detect temporal dithering on any monitor and also PWM if the frequency is not too high but unfortunately they are too expensive

Donux

I think this color profile should be the best together with increased contrast:

Donux

Sorry folks for flooding this chat with wishful thinking, but had to switch to windows laptop again, nothing works, changed color profiles, tinkered with everything that is possible in Mac os, nothing works. Mac OS is very inviting, but it is also too painful. Got severe eye strain only after about 20 minutes of use. I think probably will need to give up on solving this.

Lauda89

Donux Did you try to use the betterdisplay app?

https://ledstrain.org/d/1920-disable-dithering-on-m1m2-devices/76

Donux

Lauda89 Have tried it, and it seams like there is some relief, still trying to see over longer term whether this is not placebo. Clearly, after using laptop in the evening and after sleeping I will know for sure. But for now, will stick to these settings:

One thing to note, this app allows to actual get somewhere in between default resolution and large resolution, which is perfect for me.

Also, I set up these battery settings with intention that apple does use battery mode on every component, including throttling down WIFI transmit power lowering daily EMF exposure:

Donux

Hi just an update, I do not see any better solution than lowest grade possible colour profile. This app really has no affect for me at all. If this is temporal dithering, then for sure if you select lowest colour grade, there will be no need to emulate colours for lower grade display, and I'm pretty sure bellow colour profile:

Has lowest spectrum coverage, and also, it is less bright - making PWM flicker less intensive as contrast is higher.

And those ideas that suggest to turn off "True Tone" are also a bit absurd to be honest, since there is no way this could have negative affect on eyes, only positive.

coffee

Weird, I have the opposite. I feel fine when using an M1 Air on its own, but when connected to a 32 inch Dell 4K monitor, I get nausea immediately. The monitor works completely fine with my Lenovo and Asus laptops, only when I connect a macos laptop to it, it gives me eye strain and nausea. I can't figure out any setting that will fix it.

ryans

coffee Try @NewDwarf commands here.