What is up my friends, it’s Ray back here and today I wanted to give you guys a one
year update on the Apple Studio Display!
I made a few videos on the Studio Display shortly after it released last year and I
figured I would update you guys an update as to how it’s holding up after 1 year of
heavy use.
The Studio Display is my go-to, workhorse display for all of the video editing and creative
work that I do.
I can’t even begin to estimate how many hours this display has been on.
I took a chance and blindly preordered this thing shortly after it was announced and it
turned out to be one of the biggest game changers for me and the work that I do.
There are a lot of things I love about the Studio Display but there are also some things
that I would change about it.
So without further ado, let's get into this one year update!
The model of the Studio Display that I have here is the VESA Mount model with Nano Texture
Glass.
I have it sitting on a Dell MSA20 monitor arm and I'm really pleased with the setup
that I’ve got going on!
The nano glass option is especially useful because it significantly reduces glares and
reflections.
You can barely see any here.
I clean the display often by wiping it down with the included polishing cloth and its
still looking as good as new, even a year later.
One of my favorite things about the Studio Display though is the convenience that it
offers.
This is a display that’s not only beautifully designed and incredibly well built but it's
also dead simple to use.
If you’ve got a Mac, it’s pretty much plug and play.
I use the Studio Display with my M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro and it charges them
up as I’m working.
All it takes is that one Thunderbolt cable.
I consider my desk setup to be a docking station for my MacBooks and the Studio Display has
been the perfect companion in bringing that vision to life.
Another thing that I really like about this display is the 5K picture quality.
This display is razor sharp, the colors are bright and vibrant and it’s just all around
perfect for the creative work that I do.
While the nano glass does cut down sharpness a little bit, I personally prefer having no
glares or reflections from nearby lights.
I feel like it helps me focus better.
Others might prefer that slight boost in sharpness over the reduction of glares.
It’s all personal preference.
A big benefit that I found to the Studio Display though is that the colors are the same as
on my MacBooks right out of the box so no matter if I start a project at my desk or
out on the go, I’ll be seeing the same colors no matter where I am.
This is huge for those who do creative work like editing photos and videos.
Another thing that I really like about this display are the built-in speakers.
Still to this day, I am surprised by how loud these things get and how good they sound.
The sound is crisp, clear and punchy with the bass.
They aren't as good as a pair of dedicated stereo desktop speakers but it sure is impressive
what these things are capable of on their own.
When you hear them, you probably aren't even going to consider getting a pair of external
speakers.
[Apple Studio Display Speaker Test]
Another thing that I really like about the Studio Display is that it acts as a USB-C
hub.
Alongside, that 1 Thunderbolt Port, there are 3 additional USB-C ports.
I use those for my Insta360 Link webcam, Elgato Wave XLR, which I'm using right now to record
audio and an SD card dongle, since I’m always transferring footage.
These ports are invaluable, not only for connecting accessories but also for keeping your setup
looking neat and tidy.
Another convenient thing the Studio Display has going for it is the built-in webcam but
it’s just not very good.
There’s no better way to say it.
It is nice to have a built-in camera here and it did slightly improve since I got the
display last year but I just don’t use it.
It's useful in a pinch as a last resort but I ended up covering it up with the Insta360
Link webcam and use that.
The quality is significantly better, it's small, doesn't take up a lot of space or block
any vents and I just plug it into a USB-C port on the back.
If you plan to get the Studio Display and plan to use the built-in webcam often, I would
recommend checking out an external one like the Link.
It's going to be so much better.
Before I had the Studio Display, I had the Dell U2720Q 4K display on my desk setup here
and that display quickly turned into one of my favorites.
If you watched any of my work from home office desk setup videos in the past, you’re probably
familiar with me speaking very highly of that display.
I loved that thing.
It had amazing 4K image quality, a plethora of ports around back, it powered your laptop
over a single USB-C cable and much more, all for a decent price.
In the end though, that display walked so the Studio Display could run.
That said, the U2720Q did have somethings that I would have liked here on the Studio
Display.
Simple things, actually - notably a power button and a detachable power cable.
Even though the Studio Display doesn’t necessarily need either of those things, they would be
nice to have.
A power button would be nice so you can easily reset the display, fully power it down and
things like that.
It would be a lot better than just pulling the plug on it.
Another thing that the U2720Q had that I would have liked here is a detachable power cable.
It would be so much easier to swap the display out when it comes time to upgrade, it would
be easier to manage cables and it would be a lot easier to move, if need be.
To start wrapping this up, I took a chance on the Apple Studio Display when it was revealed
last year and it turned out to be one of the biggest game changers for me and the work
that I do.
The 5K picture quality is sharp, crisp and vibrant, perfect for create work, the nano
glass almost completely eliminates glares and reflections, those built-in speakers sound
incredible, the additional ports around back simplify your setup and it’s just all around
great at what it does.
If the webcam was as good as it was touted to be, the Studio Display would be the ultimate,
all-in-one display hands down.
Still, adding something like the Insta360 Link webcam on top of it makes it just that.
It perfectly covers the other webcam, doesn’t block the vents on top and it’s small and
compact enough to blend in nicely with the display and you're going to get significantly
better quality.
All in all, the Studio Display was an incredible investment and if something were to happen
to this thing I would buy another in a heartbeat.
It would hurt yeah but it would be a really good investment for me and the work that I
do.
One year later and I am still smitten with this thing.
The Studio Display is really great!
So that’s about it for this video my friends!!
I hope you enjoyed it and found out helpful.
If you did and you liked what you saw, be sure to give it a thumbs up and hit that subscribe
button because it always helps out the channel.
Also, don’t forget to follow @raystrazdas on Twitter and Instagram for much more!
Until the next one, I will catch you guys later.
Peace!