
LG 5K display must be kept at least 2 meters away from Wi-Fi routers - minikites
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/01/apple-lg-5k-display-issues
======
paws
This monitor was Apple's chance to ease the USB-C transition and IMO they blew
it.

The previous gen Thunderbolt display effectively brought all the useful
ports[1] back to the MacBooks with one cable, and made even the Air viable for
a professional. It certainly was a big factor for me back in 2011.

Unfortunately with the current 5k display, the three included ports aren't
even USB 3.1 gen 2. Like many other pros, I prefer to have dedicated
keyboard/mouse, speakers, and Ethernet, and would have been happy to run a
second cable if it brought those things back.

Right now it's looking like our best 'pro 5k' option is duct taping a hub[2]
to the back of someone else's display. And it's not clear which hubs support
the 15" MBP 87W charging requirement.

Feels like such a missed opportunity.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC914LL-27-inch-Thunderbolt-
Dis...](https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC914LL-27-inch-Thunderbolt-
Display/dp/B004YLCKYA)

[2] [https://eshop.macsales.com/preorder/owc-
thunderbolt-3-dock/](https://eshop.macsales.com/preorder/owc-
thunderbolt-3-dock/)

~~~
davzie
I have this 5k monitor. It sits around 30cm from my ASUS 2.4 and 5ghz router.
It's connected to my Macbook Pro 2016 15". I connect one USB hub via a USB A
to USB C adapter. This hub powers a MIDI keyboard, Native Instruments
Maschine, FocusRite Scarlett audio interface, SD cards when I put them in, USB
hard drives when I plug them in. The hub hides behind the monitor. I
personally love sitting down to work with this monitor each day and I don't
understand the arguments against it. There is nothing better on the market
today for the spec you get.

~~~
SeanDav
> _" There is nothing better on the market today for the spec you get."_

Aside from the small detail of the monitor getting blown away by a router
nearby - a router nearby is not exactly an uncommon occurrence in a computing
environment. Not to mention the other issues like possible kernel reboots and
flickering caused by unknown factors.

~~~
allover
In context, it _is_ a small detail (anyone serious enough buy this monitor and
able to afford it will likely be able to relocate their router), and there's
still no other 5k option on the market.

------
naz
Does this mean LG is violating the FCC requirement that a device must accept
interference?

~~~
throwaway37482
It's the reverse. The FCC is about jamming the signal not being jammed.

~~~
aexaey
It's both:

 _Title 47 - Telecommunication. § 15.5 (b) [...] subject to the conditions
that no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted
[...]_

[https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2015-title47-vol1/xml/CFR-...](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2015-title47-vol1/xml/CFR-2015-title47-vol1-sec15-5.xml)

~~~
wl
Not true.

When the FCC says you must accept interference, that means you have to live
with it if the interfering device meets emissions standards. It doesn't mean
the device has to be functional in the face of interference.

~~~
kpil
Are you sure? Seems to be pointless if it just means that it will not be
irrecovably damaged.

~~~
mikestew
Let me try an example: I have an amateur radio rig that transmits only on the
allowed frequencies and it meets FCC standards. You are my neighbor using an
antenna to get your TV. You allege that my radio transmissions interfere with
your TV viewing. Legally, I'm allowed to tell you to pound sand and you have
no recourse. Because your TV has to accept radio interference that is
otherwise legal, whether your reception is affected or not.

(Of course, because I'm not a complete dick, I would assist my neighbor in
properly shielding his TV or otherwise mitigating the situation, rather than
tell her to pound sand.

------
falcolas
I'd be curious if an enterprising soul with some foil and a ground could
identify the specific vulnerable hardware and put out some notes on how to,
err, patch it.

------
markonen
I have one of these displays at the office (as well as the 4K version) and
they both very much feel like an Apple product sans the aluminum casing.

So this makes me suspect that the metal case was really supposed to be there
when the electronics were put together.

~~~
bluedino
I disagree. I used one at an Apple store and it was terribly slow. It looked
great, of course, but as soon as you tried to use Expose or Mission Control
(whatever it's called now) it turned into a slideshow and almost made me think
the computer froze up.

~~~
throwawayish
The computer being unable to render it's UI fast enough has exactly what to do
with the _display_...?

------
rocky1138
I'm not a fan of Apple, but I think it's unfair to blame Apple in this case.
If it's an LG monitor, it's LG's problem.

~~~
deathanatos
The kernel panics and lockups are not LG's fault.

I somewhat agree with you, but the manner in which Apple is promoting this
display combined with the utter lack of ports on the MBP (hooking up my
previous two displays would have been a dongle nightmare) make me less willing
to excuse them.

~~~
thatswrong0
Yeah seriously. The display crashed multiple El Capitan running MBPs at my
office.. so they had to upgrade to Sierra. You think it would work flawlessly
instead.

------
pbnjay
Well I'm glad I didn't invest in this monitor yet! My desk in less than 2
meters from my wifi and I can't move either easily... (wifi mounted to
ceiling, nowhere else for the desk)

------
selckin
I have an ASUS VG248QE (144hz) monitor, and when i put my phone under it, the
screen goes black

------
lightedman
Bet that USB-C cable is the issue. I've come across plenty that had horrible
RF shielding.

~~~
ihuman
I wonder if a simple ferrite bead would fix the issue.

------
cm2187
I had a 60in plasma TV from LG that was systematically disconnecting my DSL
connection when the image was too bright. The telephone cable was going under
the wooden floor under the TV. Solved it by switching to an LED TV.

------
jbmorgado
What seems a complete disregard for the costumer is that the solution proposed
by LG itself is to "increase the distance between the monitor and the router".

Seems that working directly with Apple made them take a hint from the "you are
just holding it wrong" excuse of Steve Jobs.

~~~
ClassyJacket
Steve Jobs never said "you are just holding it wrong".

~~~
jbmorgado
He wrote, ipsis verbis, "don't hold it that way".

[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2010/jun/25/ipho...](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2010/jun/25/iphone-
reception-problems-solved)

~~~
ClassyJacket
The very source you linked says he said "Just avoid holding it in that way".

So he did not say what you said ipsis verbis, and he certainly did not say
"You're holding it wrong". That was made up by reddit.

------
gm-conspiracy
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_47_CFR_Part_15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_47_CFR_Part_15)
?

~~~
edwhitesell
Part 15 is only for transmissions. However, it sounds like it isn't handling
reception very well.

------
iwaffles
I haven't had any issues with the 5K monitor and it's about 3 feet from the
router. At least for me it works incredibly well.

~~~
deathanatos
You are lucky. I have an LG 5K, and I have experienced every symptom
(excepting the "no nearby wireless" bit, as I'm not sure if there is wireless
nearby) described here:

> _kernel panics on the host machine, random flickering […], and USB devices
> not being reliably detected when plugged into the monitor._

I'll have to check where my APs are, now that I know about this association.
But it's been a damn struggle; I feel like 50% of the times I connect to it, I
have to disconnect & reconnect USB devices to get them to be detected on the
host.

------
antidaily
Best alternative?

------
FrancoDiaz
I've had a couple 27" 1440p monitors since those cheap Korean (QNX and the
like) came on the market a few years ago.

The natural upgrade path for me would be to ditch those and get a big-ass 5k
monitor eventually, but I don't see the market really moving in that direction
in an affordable way.

One 4k isn't going to cut it and I'm worried two 4k monitors is going to be to
much from a field of vision perspective....maybe I'm wrong there.

Has anybody upgraded from a couple 1440p monitors to a couple 4k monitors, and
what's your experience been?

~~~
mizzack
One 40" 4K has been perfect for me. Roughly the same DPI as my old QNIX
(~110).

I got the Samsung UN40KU6290 (does 4k@60 with 4:4:4 chroma) for under $300.
The PC mode is crisp and responsive. Calibrates well enough. Only complaint is
slow GTG time can look blurry when scrolling text.

~~~
cpr
I've got a UN40JU6500 (40" 4K Samsung) on my MBP (15" late 2013) but it
doesn't do @60, as far as I know.

Are you driving this from a Mac or from a PC? What kind of cable are you using
exactly?

~~~
mizzack
Both. For my mid-2014 15" MBP I had to get an active MiniDP-HDMI adapter.
Looks like your MBP is limited to 30Hz...

[https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206587](https://support.apple.com/en-
us/HT206587)

~~~
cpr
Also, did you have to do any SwitchResX hackery? That's the only way I could
get macOS to recognize the monitor as a Retina display.

~~~
mizzack
Nope, but I run it at 100% scaling. I did notice that if the source on the TV
is not labeled "PC" then the Mac uses YCbCr 4:2:0 and looks like garbage.
Setting the input label to PC must send a different EDID because it seems to
use RGB... On my Windows machine I can just override that in the nvidia
control panel.

~~~
cpr
Oh, you run it at the full 4K (3840x2160) resolution? Must have good eyes.

Right, nothing works unless you label the relevant HDMI input "PC".

------
romanovcode
This monitor is pathetic. 900 dollars for a monitor and it doesn't even
support upstream.

Save your time and money and buy a DELL or something that actually works guys.

~~~
refulgentis
What is upstream?

~~~
paws
According to a comment[1]" "An upstream port connects to the host device (PC)
while the downstream ports are where you plug in peripheral devices (thumb
drives, printers, etc.)."

Of course the 5k monitor does have three USB3 ports. (Not Thunderbolt ports,
ostensibly because there isn't enough bandwidth left.)

[1] [https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/upstream-vs-
downstre...](https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/upstream-vs-downstream-
ports-600980/)

~~~
romanovcode
I like how they use USB-C inputs for USB3 ports as well. Not at all false
advertising and confusing for end-user.

~~~
yoz-y
Why? This is the promise of USB-C "Every port uses the same connector, so you
only need one type of cable". Of course, with the different cables supporting
different ports it is not ideal.

