Fantastic device, a no-brainer purchase I recently started using a Luna Display with my new M4 Mac Mini and my 2014 27" 5K iMac. The computers are connected via an ethernet cable. Setup was a breeze and I could not be happier with the result. For everyday use the iMac is as functional as any dedicated 5K monitor. If there is any delay I do not notice it. Watching movies on Plex, surfing the internet, live sports - all work fine. I am not a gamer so I cannot speak to how it would work for those who are but I feel they too would be happy with this device. I measured the latency and it was about 1 ms. It is imperceptible. By the way, it works great in headless mode! Another benefit is that I can easily switch back to my normal iMac function at any time. Luna Display is well worth the money. If you have an older 5K iMac hanging around and need a high quality monitor for your new Apple silicon computer, Luna Display is your answer.
As I understand it, you are directly connecting the M4 Mac Mini and 2014 27" 5K iMac with an ethernet cable. How then do you connect the M4 Mac Mini to the internet ? Via a USC-C to ethernet adaptor ?
Thanks for these videos Phil. I am definitely buying an M4 mini and I am also hoping that I will be able to use Luna Display on my 2015 Monterey 27” which is partitioned with Bootcamp to operate Windows 10 and Monterey. I have it on good authority that it is possible to install Lunar on both operating systems although support for that arrangement may be limited. I will update here once I get it setup-or not 😊.
If you need to use Bootcamp then that feature will come from the new M4, whilst you use the iMac 27" as just a monitor.You can't use the computing/processor features of the iMac when in Luna Display mode.
Thanks for your videos. I never really understood if an iMac 2019 5K 27" could be connected to a recent Mac Mini. The way the website is saying things is very confusing. Do you have an idea about that please? Thanks 👍🏻
I'm about to upgrade to a Mac Mini2 and don't want to get rid of the 5k display I have on my iMac, so this is right up my alley. My only question is whether it works in multi-user situations. My wife and I use fast user switching so we can both have our own desktop environments. I'm questioning whether this will work with the Luna display.
Thanks for this video. From your statements I gather that using an iMac in headless format has some problems. I have with me an old MBA. Can this be used as a primary display for a proposed new Mac Mini M4, and use the iMac as the secondary or actually the main display?
You can only use one additional Mac as a display. I prefer to suggest that you acquire a second monitor, your iMac can still be the 'Main' monitor, but you will have times when a second monitor is required for start-up, logging in, and other operations when you don't have the iMac on first.
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks for your reply Phil. So my old MBA cannot be used at all and thus save on costs? Sorry for not having knowledge in these matters to be able to understand why you are saying so. Would you mind me contacting you by email or would you prefer me to communicate with you through this thread? I need your advice related to many things on my heart for I perceive that you have the necessary wisdom on these matters that aren't clear to me. Regards. Dr. Somanna
@@garudasomanna I support Luna Display and other Mac related subjects as a hobby which fits into life when I have time. You can't use your MBP and iMac at the same time as monitors for your new iMac. Luna Display only supports one Mac as a monitor.
I've just set up my M2 Mac Mini Pro like this - using my 2012 (4K screen) as the single monitor. Everything works - except streaming. When I fire up the streaming service I get audio but no video. Same result regardless of which browser I use. All other video apps work fine. I'll keep looking for a solution but this could be a showstopper.
The Facetime camera, Speakers and microphone will not work on your iMac whilst in Luna Display mode, so you'd need a separate camera, speakers and Microphone connected to your MacMini/Mac Studio.
Thank you for all the info on this! If I wanted to switch over to my imac just to do a video conference with the built in camera is that easy to do? Or is it not so intuitive to switch back and forth just to use the camera?
Hi, I have a mac studio M2 and a 2015 5k imac 27". I currently use 3 screens with my mac studio by using the HDMI and 2 adaptors. This works really well, but I would like to be able to use my Imac as one of the 3 screens. will this work with luna display? if so, how? Thanking you in anticipation.
Yes. Easy. Buy the Luna Display USB-C version, plug it into one of your Thunderbolt ports. It won't be as responsive as a dedicated screen but ideal for giving your iMac a second life.
To use this Luna display product, does it have to be an Apple product to another Apple product? I work remote. I have an iMac 2019 Retina 4K and a Dell PC.
No, you can use Luna Display between PC to Mac. Take a look at the requirements here help.astropad.com/article/189-computer-to-mac?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
follow this TH-cam video: th-cam.com/video/QBYDYuvWl7o/w-d-xo.html
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Can we use this device with different wifi connections, for example, if I want to connect my Mac mini and iPad together, can I use my Mac mini at home and my iPad at work?
Hi Phil. Thanks for your really useful videos. I've got an new Mac Min M4 coming on Friday and I'll be following your tips with using Luna to keep using my 2012 iMac screen. Just one question though. Will the Mac Mini utilise the speakers in the iMac?
Thanks for your helpful videos which I'm going through as I have a 2017 iMac which I want to use as the display for a new Mac mini. I'd hate to discard the beautiful 27" screen and your videos offer a useful way to continue using it. However, I do photo editing and I'm wondering if the latency would affect this type of editing. I use Capture One Pro and usually will dodge or burn photos by brushing on effects using my mouse. Would this setup slow down this type of photo editing?
I am also thinking of using my iMac Late 2013 as the only display for Mac Mini 2023. Would there be any noticeable lag between video and audio? Thanks.
Depends how old your older iMac is - running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later. help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Hi Phil, initially I'm going to use the luna display with a new mac mini m2 pro in headless mode to an 27 iMac late 2015 - the router is quite far away so ethernet is not possible. Can I use the usb c to usb a method without any noticeable problems - it's for general tasks and photo editing - I'll also need to do some video calls. thx
@@HelpfulPhil thank for your prompt reply! Do you happen to know if the usb-c to usb-a (3.1?) cable is of a particular type - I understand you'd need one capable of file transfer, correct?
I connected my 2016 MacBook Pro (USB-C) via ethernet cable via dongle directly to my 2014 iMac (which does not have USB-C but has ethernet) and even with a direct wired ethernet connection I found the connection somewhat laggy. When I move the mouse it's not super smooth, and video definitely is a no-no (can maybe get 1080p video to run barely, but I can't imagine 4K). Would Thunderbolt 2 cables with a Thunderbolt 3 adapter be better or not necessarily? Is there a way to have streaming video from the source computer playback smoothly on the second screen? My ideal use case scenario would be to buy a new M3 Mac Mini and use it in headless mode to my 27 inch 5K iMac. Do you know if streaming films in 4K would be possible via this setup?
this is exactly how I'd like to use my 2017 5k 27" iMac .... as a display for a new Mac mini M4. for me photo editing and 4k streaming. I'd also be interested in the answer !
Hi Phil! I have a late 2015 27 inch iMac and I'm buying a new Mac mini M4 with a 27 inch Apple Studio Display. And the appropriate Luna dongle of course. Can you suggest how to connect the two displays please? My router is in another room and I can't connect to it with the ethernet cable. Could I connect the Studio display thunderbolt port to the iMac's thunderbolt 2 mini display port using a mini display port to usb c cable? Many thanks!
Although I don't have the same setup I'm sure you can connect the iMac with a valid Thunderbolt cable to either your studio display or your Mac mini. See the connex options here: help.astropad.com/article/470-connection-methods? sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Thank you for these very helpful videos! I have a 27" iMac from 2017 that I still use as my personal computer. I also have a Macbook pro (M1) provided by my employer. I want to use my 27" iMac as a external screen for my Macbook for those days when I work from home, so Luna Display seems to be the right solution for me. The one thing that is still not clear to me is this : when I'll use my iMac as an external screen for my work Macbook using Luna, will I still have access to the iMac as a full computer at the same time? More precisely, can I still access all the files and software from my personal iMac, or do I have to disconnect my Macbook and "turn off" Luna to be able to use my iMac again as an actual computer?
When launching Luna Display Secondary on your iMac, you will not have access to its apps, but you do have access to files and folders on the iMac (via the Network & Locations access in the Finder). To use your iMac as a standalone, simply close the Luna Display application.
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@@HelpfulPhil Thank you so much for your prompt reply! It's very helpful. Now you'll have to explain to me how you manage to get such good lighting on your videos without any reflection in your glasses. :)
too complicated...with two cables, i have connected my m1 mac mini to an apple cinema display....no way 5k or even 2k , but it works flawlessly. i wanted to have a studio display or an apple silicon iMac, but i'm not rich!!!😉
i have both usb-c's "filled", so....on the contrary i plugged my cinema display (including the two extra cables), into my hdmi of my mac mini....i'm happy with that as i am not a "videophile" (i come from the 80's using a greek ibm pc compatible which had a "hercules" (hi-res but monochrome) video mode, but back then , i liked cga (320x240) somewhat more, because of the colors of this video mode.@@HelpfulPhil
Fantastic device, a no-brainer purchase
I recently started using a Luna Display with my new M4 Mac Mini and my 2014 27" 5K iMac. The computers are connected via an ethernet cable. Setup was a breeze and I could not be happier with the result. For everyday use the iMac is as functional as any dedicated 5K monitor. If there is any delay I do not notice it. Watching movies on Plex, surfing the internet, live sports - all work fine. I am not a gamer so I cannot speak to how it would work for those who are but I feel they too would be happy with this device. I measured the latency and it was about 1 ms. It is imperceptible. By the way, it works great in headless mode!
Another benefit is that I can easily switch back to my normal iMac function at any time.
Luna Display is well worth the money. If you have an older 5K iMac hanging around and need a high quality monitor for your new Apple silicon computer, Luna Display is your answer.
Thanks for the positive, helpful comments.
Mark, does the audio come through the iMac?
@@AM-tj2ek there is no audio from the iMac in Luna Display mode
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks
As I understand it, you are directly connecting the M4 Mac Mini and 2014 27" 5K iMac with an ethernet cable. How then do you connect the M4 Mac Mini to the internet ? Via a USC-C to ethernet adaptor ?
what are the "extra set up requirements" you mentioned when connecting iMac to M2 Mac via ethernet cable?
Thanks for the tip re: Sleeping the source and accessing the secondary iMac 🏆Just hooked up new M1 Mac Studio to 2013 2K iMac - works great so far
Thanks for these videos Phil. I am definitely buying an M4 mini and I am also hoping that I will be able to use Luna Display on my 2015 Monterey 27” which is partitioned with Bootcamp to operate Windows 10 and Monterey. I have it on good authority that it is possible to install Lunar on both operating systems although support for that arrangement may be limited. I will update here once I get it setup-or not 😊.
If you need to use Bootcamp then that feature will come from the new M4, whilst you use the iMac 27" as just a monitor.You can't use the computing/processor features of the iMac when in Luna Display mode.
Thanks for your videos. I never really understood if an iMac 2019 5K 27" could be connected to a recent Mac Mini. The way the website is saying things is very confusing. Do you have an idea about that please? Thanks 👍🏻
Of course! All of my 'Luna Display' videos answer this very question.
@ Thanks a lot 👍🏻
Thanks for this Phil... You answered my previous question from another of your videos :)
I'm about to upgrade to a Mac Mini2 and don't want to get rid of the 5k display I have on my iMac, so this is right up my alley. My only question is whether it works in multi-user situations. My wife and I use fast user switching so we can both have our own desktop environments. I'm questioning whether this will work with the Luna display.
Fast user switching will work on the MacMini M2. You won't need to use user switching on the iMac 5K.
Thanks for this video. From your statements I gather that using an iMac in headless format has some problems. I have with me an old MBA. Can this be used as a primary display for a proposed new Mac Mini M4, and use the iMac as the secondary or actually the main display?
You can only use one additional Mac as a display. I prefer to suggest that you acquire a second monitor, your iMac can still be the 'Main' monitor, but you will have times when a second monitor is required for start-up, logging in, and other operations when you don't have the iMac on first.
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks for your reply Phil. So my old MBA cannot be used at all and thus save on costs? Sorry for not having knowledge in these matters to be able to understand why you are saying so. Would you mind me contacting you by email or would you prefer me to communicate with you through this thread? I need your advice related to many things on my heart for I perceive that you have the necessary wisdom on these matters that aren't clear to me. Regards.
Dr. Somanna
@@garudasomanna I support Luna Display and other Mac related subjects as a hobby which fits into life when I have time. You can't use your MBP and iMac at the same time as monitors for your new iMac. Luna Display only supports one Mac as a monitor.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you for being so helpful. Would the purchase of a cheaper portable monitor serve the purpose?
@@garudasomanna Yes.
I've just set up my M2 Mac Mini Pro like this - using my 2012 (4K screen) as the single monitor. Everything works - except streaming. When I fire up the streaming service I get audio but no video. Same result regardless of which browser I use. All other video apps work fine. I'll keep looking for a solution but this could be a showstopper.
What streaming service? I don't really see how Luna Display would affect a 3rd party app like that.
will my camera and microphone and speakers work using this method? Or would I need a separate webcam for that?
The Facetime camera, Speakers and microphone will not work on your iMac whilst in Luna Display mode, so you'd need a separate camera, speakers and Microphone connected to your MacMini/Mac Studio.
Thank you for all the info on this! If I wanted to switch over to my imac just to do a video conference with the built in camera is that easy to do? Or is it not so intuitive to switch back and forth just to use the camera?
@@ES-yi8vv Easy. Just Quit Luna Display app and your iMac returns to being just an iMac.
Hi,
I have a mac studio M2 and a 2015 5k imac 27". I currently use 3 screens with my mac studio by using the HDMI and 2 adaptors. This works really well, but I would like to be able to use my Imac as one of the 3 screens. will this work with luna display?
if so, how?
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yes. Easy. Buy the Luna Display USB-C version, plug it into one of your Thunderbolt ports. It won't be as responsive as a dedicated screen but ideal for giving your iMac a second life.
Thank you. I’m looking forward to trying it out. Hopefully, it will fit the bill
To use this Luna display product, does it have to be an Apple product to another Apple product? I work remote. I have an iMac 2019 Retina 4K and a Dell PC.
No, you can use Luna Display between PC to Mac. Take a look at the requirements here
help.astropad.com/article/189-computer-to-mac?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
Hi again Phil. I've finally got my new Mac Studio and I'm setting things up. How do I access the hard drive on the iMac?
follow this TH-cam video: th-cam.com/video/QBYDYuvWl7o/w-d-xo.html
Can we use this device with different wifi connections, for example, if I want to connect my Mac mini and iPad together, can I use my Mac mini at home and my iPad at work?
Nope! You’d need to be on the same network.
Hi Phil. Thanks for your really useful videos. I've got an new Mac Min M4 coming on Friday and I'll be following your tips with using Luna to keep using my 2012 iMac screen. Just one question though. Will the Mac Mini utilise the speakers in the iMac?
No. Speakers, Microphone or Camera will not work on the iMac whilst connected with Luna Display. I think I cover this in a Q&A video on my channel.
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks Phil. I must have missed that in the Q&A.
Hint, your tv has hdmi, probably an easy way to setup for the first time. Since most have a tv nearby.
Thanks for your helpful videos which I'm going through as I have a 2017 iMac which I want to use as the display for a new Mac mini. I'd hate to discard the beautiful 27" screen and your videos offer a useful way to continue using it. However, I do photo editing and I'm wondering if the latency would affect this type of editing. I use Capture One Pro and usually will dodge or burn photos by brushing on effects using my mouse. Would this setup slow down this type of photo editing?
Using Luna Display will not impact your photo editing as there will be no discernable lag, it is even very good for video editing.
@@HelpfulPhil Hey Phil thanks for the quick response. Very helpful....
Thank you for the review! I'm a bit confused. I am going to use my imac 5k retina as my only display with a mac studio. Can I watch videos on youtube?
Yes. I watch TH-cam all the time, try to be using the fastest connectivity between the two Mac's.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you! And the USB Cable is the fastest or is the ethernet connections faster?
And what about the webcam? Will that still work?
@@matthewkerner945 no webcam nor audio from the iMac.
@@matthewkerner945 both the same as far as I can tell.
If I use a Tv do I plug the Luna into the Mac or the Tv.
@@Twin2Lens I hoped that it was clear that you plug the Luna Display dongle into the Mac.
I am also thinking of using my iMac Late 2013 as the only display for Mac Mini 2023. Would there be any noticeable lag between video and audio? Thanks.
there is no discernable lag between audio and video, but make sure you're using wired connection to get the best response times.
Is this setup works for old iMac with iMac from 2021? If so, how old this iMac can be? Thank you
Depends how old your older iMac is - running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later.
help.astropad.com/article/157-system-requirements?sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you!
The only screen I have is my iMac, what do I do please?
You'll need to find another monitor to set everything up. Some use TV's as Apple supports those.
Hi Phil, initially I'm going to use the luna display with a new mac mini m2 pro in headless mode to an 27 iMac late 2015 - the router is quite far away so ethernet is not possible. Can I use the usb c to usb a method without any noticeable problems - it's for general tasks and photo editing - I'll also need to do some video calls. thx
Yes, the USB cable option is good. Your use cases, app requirements are fine too.
@@HelpfulPhil thank for your prompt reply! Do you happen to know if the usb-c to usb-a (3.1?) cable is of a particular type - I understand you'd need one capable of file transfer, correct?
@@davew3139 Use the best USB 3.1 or better cable you can find.
I connected my 2016 MacBook Pro (USB-C) via ethernet cable via dongle directly to my 2014 iMac (which does not have USB-C but has ethernet) and even with a direct wired ethernet connection I found the connection somewhat laggy. When I move the mouse it's not super smooth, and video definitely is a no-no (can maybe get 1080p video to run barely, but I can't imagine 4K). Would Thunderbolt 2 cables with a Thunderbolt 3 adapter be better or not necessarily? Is there a way to have streaming video from the source computer playback smoothly on the second screen? My ideal use case scenario would be to buy a new M3 Mac Mini and use it in headless mode to my 27 inch 5K iMac. Do you know if streaming films in 4K would be possible via this setup?
this is exactly how I'd like to use my 2017 5k 27" iMac .... as a display for a new Mac mini M4. for me photo editing and 4k streaming. I'd also be interested in the answer !
Hi Phil! I have a late 2015 27 inch iMac and I'm buying a new Mac mini M4 with a 27 inch Apple Studio Display. And the appropriate Luna dongle of course. Can you suggest how to connect the two displays please? My router is in another room and I can't connect to it with the ethernet cable. Could I connect the Studio display thunderbolt port to the iMac's thunderbolt 2 mini display port using a mini display port to usb c cable? Many thanks!
Although I don't have the same setup I'm sure you can connect the iMac with a valid Thunderbolt cable to either your studio display or your Mac mini. See the connex options here:
help.astropad.com/article/470-connection-methods? sca_ref=3948717.ToH2p0eo7q
@@HelpfulPhil Thanks will try it soonest
I have the exact same setup and use a Ethernet cable and works great
@@rtacherHi thanks. Can you please tell me how it's connected?
On both ends 😊
Thank you for these very helpful videos! I have a 27" iMac from 2017 that I still use as my personal computer. I also have a Macbook pro (M1) provided by my employer. I want to use my 27" iMac as a external screen for my Macbook for those days when I work from home, so Luna Display seems to be the right solution for me. The one thing that is still not clear to me is this : when I'll use my iMac as an external screen for my work Macbook using Luna, will I still have access to the iMac as a full computer at the same time? More precisely, can I still access all the files and software from my personal iMac, or do I have to disconnect my Macbook and "turn off" Luna to be able to use my iMac again as an actual computer?
When launching Luna Display Secondary on your iMac, you will not have access to its apps, but you do have access to files and folders on the iMac (via the Network & Locations access in the Finder). To use your iMac as a standalone, simply close the Luna Display application.
@@HelpfulPhil Thank you so much for your prompt reply! It's very helpful. Now you'll have to explain to me how you manage to get such good lighting on your videos without any reflection in your glasses. :)
@ I use 2 ring lights and make sure that they're in positions that don't reflect.
too complicated...with two cables, i have connected my m1 mac mini to an apple cinema display....no way 5k or even 2k , but it works flawlessly. i wanted to have a studio display or an apple silicon iMac, but i'm not rich!!!😉
If you have a USB-C Thunderbolt port available you could buy a cheap used 5K iMac plus Luna Display for a 5K, 2x screen solution.
i have both usb-c's "filled", so....on the contrary i plugged my cinema display (including the two extra cables), into my hdmi of my mac mini....i'm happy with that as i am not a "videophile" (i come from the 80's using a greek ibm pc compatible which had a "hercules" (hi-res but monochrome) video mode, but back then , i liked cga (320x240) somewhat more, because of the colors of this video mode.@@HelpfulPhil