Dual display over usb c on new MacBook 2016

This is simple.

• Use something cheap like this Lenovo USB 3.0 Dock
• Connect said dock to your new mac with a USB C to B cable like this one
• Download Display Link drivers
• Connect two monitors to the USB Dock
• Enjoy a single cable solution while extending (not just mirroring) to two separate displays

All this without any need for snark towards people that are simply trying to help you too!

Yes, I am using two external displays (Dell U2410 and U2415) with the MacBook 2016.

Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter connected to USB-C port.

HDMI to HDMI cable from adapter to U2415.

USB cable from adapter to Diamond Multimedia Ultra Dock Dual Video USB 3.0/2.0 Universal Docking Station (DS3900V2)

HDMI to HDMI cable from docking station to U2410.

Wired keyboard and other USB peripherals connected to docking station.

I installed the DisplayLink driver from http://www.displaylink.com/downloads/macos. (Before doing this, the U2410 did not light up.)

Also, note some issues with Sierra here: http://support.displaylink.com/knowledgebase/articles/949426. (I was getting some flickering in the Safari title bar, but after clicking System Preferences -> Accessibility -> Display -> Reduce transparency, the flickering went away.)

Ken

This is simple.

• Use something cheap like this Lenovo USB 3.0 Dock
• Connect said dock to your new mac with a USB C to B cable like this one
• Download Display Link drivers
• Connect two monitors to the USB Dock
• Enjoy a single cable solution while extending (not just mirroring) to two separate displays

-------------------

I have this same setup. The only problem I have is that it is impossible to find a DVI-D to DisplayPort cable. Unfortunately the two displays I'm trying to connect to only have VGA and DisplayPort inputs.

For the life of me I can't find a DVI-D to DisplayPort convert. It is as if everyone assumes you need to go FROM DisplayPort to DVI... never the other way.

I'm afraid for my use case, I'm going to have to get an active DVI-D to VGA converter to run my second display.

Thanks for the suggestion, didn't know that DisplayLink had MacOS drivers.

I have now set up with Lenono ThinkPad USB 3.0 dock (version ULTRA).

Connected two displays (1 HDMI and 1 Display Port) > USB 3-dock > USB-B to USB-C cable to the MacBook Pro 2016

The issues that I experience are:

1. I can't close the lid and just run the two external displays. The MBP does into sleep. This is not happening with the Kensington SD4600p dock. So I must run three screens now 😟
2. The corrupted menu in FINDER as confirmed even by DisplayLink (Known issues)
3. The smoothness of the visuals are somehow reduced. It doesn't feel as smooth as normal, like the dock, cursor and when scrolling in a webpage.
4. All known issues by DisplayLink can be found here

My conclusion is that until now, there is no 100% functional product that it fully compatible with MacBook 2016 (with or without Touchbar), but I hope that DisplayLink improves there drivers soon.

I was able to work this out after finding very little information online and being told by Apple that it could not be done.

1. I purchased this device: http://plugable.com/products/ud-ultcdl/
2. Downloaded the plug-ins available from their website: http://plugable.com/drivers/displaylink
3. Plugged the usb-c cable from the MacBook Pro to the usb-c input on the back of the device.
4. !!! Now have two external monitors running extended via HDMI outputs from the device.

Loving it!!

Agreed, this is massively disappointing and frustrating. The "pro" in MacBook Pro seems to be becoming an ever diminishing distinction. Especially if this is, in fact, a software decision. There are tons of great and full-featured USB-C docks out there that support multiple display output - on Windows machines. Even on the MacBook running Boot Camp/Windows - so it's not even a hardware limitation. Someone decided to implement this specific functionality reduction in macOS, and it stinks.

For reference, I already own https://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/Laptop-docking-stations/usb-c-laptop-doc k~MST30C2DPPD and can say for certain that it only supports dual monitors when they are mirrored, when connected to my brand new Touch Bar MBP 13". Who exactly would ever want that?

Sure, but that's not the point. I'm looking for a one cable solution, which is what USB-C promised to deliver. If I wanted to disconnect a whole bunch of cables I could have just used the Digital AV adapters in the first place.

Sorry, Orangejon, if my post was not helpful to you. I was responding to Rob's initial question, which was whether anybody had been able to use 1 usb c cable out of a new 2016 MacBook to drive two external displays (not mirrored but extended). As for disconnecting a bunch of cables, I only have to disconnect the one USB-C adapter from the MacBook to take it away for portable use. Thanks.

So if both of the monitors are plugged into the same usb-c port (one through the adapter, the other through the dock to the adapter) why couldn't you just use two of the ports on the dock? I already have two DVI monitors I'm trying to do this with, and a DVI to HDMI adapter, so couldn't I just use the HDMI and DVI ports on the dock and skip the adapter? Realizing I would need a USB to USB C cable to connect the dock to the computer directly. Let me know if I'm missing something. Trying to solve this with the shortest daisy chain possible. Thanks.

Can you confirm you're actually running this solution? Almost everyone on the new Pro says you can't use a simple dock like this for two monitor extended use. Just want to confirm you have tested this and it works. Thanks!

Absolutely. Most people are talking about plugging into a dock that doesn't support DisplayLink technology.

The dock that I mentioned in my post does, and so I plug directly into it with a converter cable, and out of that dock via DVI to two separate 1080p monitors. This is my in office set up for work.

I use dongles at home instead.

One thing I will say is that DisplayLink has its quirks in the latest version of MacOS, this is on their site and they have confirmed it's due to Apple not coming to the table with them for the fix.

Nev369 thank you for this solution it is working for me on a Macbook 2015. I get three monitors found the two Dells and the built-in one on the macbook showing in extended mode. But I can also switch to mirroring in "preferences" "display". Running 2 different dell 1080p monitors one to vga using a small dvi-to-vga adapter at the docking station and the other directly to the dvi connector on the docking station.

Only one issue is that the Macbook does not seem to be getting power and is running off the battery. Do you use another adapter for this that will allow power to pass-thru?

Thanks again you rock!

Hey Retna, glad to hear this was helpful for you!

I'm currently using the 2 thunderbolt ports on the right side of the laptop for the monitor dongles, leaving the two on the left side free, so I'm just powering up from the left side power port.

I have seen an adapterif you are using one of the macbooks that only has 1 port on each side that allows for you to use USB C passthrough for power, as well as HDMI and a couple other ports. That one's rated well and is fairly priced.

I ended up buying a USB-C (charge port) + USB3 to USB-C dongle / hub. MBP power runs to USB-C charge port on the hub/dongle. USB3 runs to my Lenovo hub, and the USB-C output plugs into my MBP.

It's pretty nice with a $14 vertical dock off of Amazon. One cable connection into the MBP for everything.

"CalDigit says a specific MST function called “MST hub” is not turned on in macOS, but believes Apple could enable it later. With Windows, the dock can drive two separate external displays on a capable Windows system."

I think the plot is a bit thicker because macOS WILL do MST when you use an Apple Cinema display. And in fact, if you daisy chain multiple non-Apple displays together but hang a thunderbolt device somewhere in the chain it WILL daisy chain as well!

As you say, the hardware works to daisy chain in Windows. Therefore I think macOS is checking to see if the connected display is an Apple Cinema display and/or legit thunderbolt device. If the check fails, the port is downgraded to DP 1.2 and you can only mirror the display. This theory helps explain why this MST issue has been present since they introduced Thunderbolt 2.0 in 2013. The hardware MUST be DP 1.3 for Windows and Apple displays to work. If you google you'll see people complaining about this issue ever since and perpetually hoping the latest OS will fix it. Bugs like this don't stick around for 4-5 years! There is a business decision behind it and I reckon its to sell Apple displays.