External camera laggy - low frame rate

I'm trying a 4k 27" as well. There are a lot more options in that combination from most major monitor brands. But with 4k to get text the same size as the LG, you have to go to less performant "Scaled" resolutions. It works, but certainly not the same. :-(

This is so frustrating. I have now invested hours into this problem with escalated Apple Support and I have been extremely accommodating up to this point. I lost it today when the senior support person started with the attitude of it’s not an Apple problem asking things like, “well, when and who endorsed this monitor from Apple?” Tim Cook did at a featured event!!! “Oh, well, then did he endorse it for the 2020 MBP?!? I didn’t think so. It’s LGs issue with firmware.” Let me get this straight...this monitor that Apple endorsed as their monitor solution works with every version of the MBPs except the 2020 MBP Intel version, but somehow this is not an Apple issue, and LG is at fault for not upgrading their firmware?

I am now on my second go round sending a DMG file so the “engineers” can see it. I asked the simple question, “given the 12 pages of troubleshooting issue on Apple forums with this specific hardware configuration, what exactly is the outcome they are aiming for? The issue is known and consistent. His response: “well, there may be other people where it works and they don’t post”. It doesn’t make a difference...this issue is known!

I own about 15 different apple products. I’m not looking for a freebie. I came out an asked for a swap out to another MBP model that will work and he said that they’d be happy to “value” my used one and swap it. I’m livid.

I’m going through the whole issue right now that you’ve been through. Sending Apple diagnostics files, hours on the phone with support, etc. I truly feel I’m wasting my time but we’ll see. I bought this monitor direct from Apple at their recommendation. Again, I paid Apple for this monitor that I bought through their store. How can they not support it? I can almost guarantee that everyone with a 2020 MacBook Pro 13” Intel model would have the same problem with this display.

Exact same problem here. I've filled out the Feedback form.

Fingers crossed for a very quick resolution! Currently I'm unplugging my display and using the onboard camera 5-10 times per day when I'm on video chats. Very frustrating.

I had mine for six months so unfortunately I was unable to get a full refund, however I used the trade-in offer and got about $1,200 on it, which I applied to the purchase of my M1. The difference was well worth it. As I said, my M1 lasts for about 10 hours - plus, I can run my iOS apps on it.

I doubt it, but as I said, I would never go back to an Intel Mac. There is just no comparison. 12 hours vs 3 hours battery, and no fan screaming. Plus I can view all my iPad apps right on the screen. My only complaints are that I don't need the magic bar and they have dropped the number of Thunderbolt-C ports from 4 to 2.

Thanks for the comments J Michael, Jungal, and QameraDesign,

While I can understand that it may simply be too many "gremlins" for Apple to patch, I'm disappointed. If I didn't run 5 active Mac systems for my work/life/play and only had a single system, and I was struggling to plug my $4000 maxed-out 2020 "Pro" that should last 3-5 years into a $2000 monitor that was sold to me with the 'just works' mantra, then I'd be furious.

I'm more disappointed that this is an ongoing issue, that Apple hasn't replied to anyone's satisfaction here, and that those of us who decided to sink serious money into an LG Ultrafine 5K, a 2020 MBP, or both, are stuck with something that doesn't do what it was sold to. More frustratingly, Apple continues to sell the Ultrafine 5K, and continues to display it in Apple Silicon marketing materials, while leaving invested users in the dust.

Honestly, this is the first time I've really seen Apple 'give up' on a solution, and I can't tell you how *disappointing* that is :-/

Thanks everyone for the feedback,

-John

Trade in to buy another one is like paying Apple another $1k for THEIR mistake. It is unacceptable. It is the monitor they endorse and they know there is a problem with the hardware. Yet they say “wait for an update”. They should swap these out at no cost.

These are not solutions.

These are workarounds.

And of course you have to be upset if your devices do not work as supposed.

It is not a solution saying that there is other hardware out there.

And not everyone is a photographer/video editor. There are a lot of issues for programmers/developers that cannot simply move to M1 yet

Actually, it's not Apple's mistake that they made a better computer. And as I said, if you want to stick with an Intel, that is your choice and there are external webcams that work much better than any built-in webcam could.

Indeed that may be one reason why Apple still uses low-res cams on their 'pro' notebooks. It's just a question of balancing the many use cases.

Personally I would like to see higher res cameras but that may not be a priority in their dev cycle and pricing model. As a user, I am not willing to pay a premium for a higher res camera on my laptop. Same for monitors.

As a designer and developer, I need a monitor that shows critical colors and high definition. I am not really that interested in the quality of the webcam, which is really just a convenience. (However I do want the webcam to work!) So I'm buying the monitor, not the cam - and the LG Ultrafine is still the best monitor matched for Macbooks. If I am focused on quality of Zoom calls, I would have purchased a higher quality external webcam anyhow, even if the lag / low frame rate issue in this tread did not exist.

I'd also like to see a touch screen. But I digress.

You have options.

Of course, I have options. I am indeed using an external webcam, because I need it to work.

But I should have the option to use the built-in webcam in the monitor. Because you pay for it, I should have the OPTION to use an external webcam and not being obliged to use the external webcam because my 4 digit$ hardware is defective and Apple does not want to solve it.

@Qamera - sounds like you don't have any problems buying newer hardware, and aren't interested in the overwhelmingly frustrating issue that many other folks here have voiced, so how 'bout you depart this thread and save your comments for other spaces where it might be more productive?

The 1080p webcams in my 5k Ultrafines (yes, plural) are great, and I don't like having to find a spare USB webcam - a rare and hard-to-find commodity since March 2020 with the onset of COVID - to get a similar quality image than I had with my all-in-one solution.

Some may say external webcams have better image quality, but I can't see much of a difference between my $250 USB webcam or the 1080p cam included in the Ultrafine, but I guess I only have 8 years of production experience in live TV and film to inform me on what 'looks good'.

And as an Apply fanboy myself who is excited to see where Apple Silicon goes, but has a lot of eggs in the Intel basket and doesn't see a suitable replacement for any of my 5 daily use cases for my different workstations, abandoning an entire generation of hardware is simply accessible.

mlasalle was right - Consumer Protection laws in a number of jurisdictions already have the power to force Apple to do what they need to do, which is refund the cash purchase value of these devices due to 'planned obsolescence", and I'm not taking a $1000-$1500 hit on a 6-month old laptop because two multi-billion/*trillion* dollar companies can't get a Dev on writing a new Driver.

Also +1 for Jungal - Apple sells their products at 20-25% margins based on the fact that 'it just works', and this is a kick in the teeth to anyone who has invested in these solutions that were developed together and sold with the promise of Apple's 'magic'. For a company who continues to crow that they have the highest satisfaction reports from their customers across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Services, etc. for the past decade (or longer) to have Apple throw up their hands isn't what long-term customers who have built their processes, their businesses, and their expertise on the 'it just works' promise want to hear, and frankly should hear.

Finally, still looking for positive confirmation that someone here with a MacBook Air 2020 (Intel Silicon and Integrated Graphics, Magic Keyboard) *can* use the 5K Ultrafine *without* any of the problems the 13" MBP 2020 is showing - anyone out there who can help so I can pass these monitors on to family members who may appreciate them while I consider my next steps?

Thanks,

-JK

Jungal, I certainly share your frustration. And I'm glad you took care of the issue by obtaining an external webcam. Obsolescence is not fun, but it has become more the rule than the exception in this fast changing world. As a developer, I hate that the operating systems, dev frameworks, and dev tools (Xcode in this case) are changing so fast that I have to completely retool my simple app every year or so. Such is life. I can complain or I can adapt. I guess that's why they call it Agile. And the same applies to my cameras, lenses, editing software, mass storage - pretty much everything.

Should have clarified, sorry about that! It is the same:

• LG UltraFine 5K
• 2020 MacBook Pro 13-inch
  • 4-port, 10th-gen i5 2GHz, 16 GB RAM
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 1536 MB graphics