Apple Releases Studio Display Firmware 17 With Improvements to Built-In Camera

[citysnaps]

The hypocrisy of you telling others not to complain while all you do is complain is wild.

So Apple made a display with a poor camera and tries to release new firmware to improve the camera. So your response is to complain further without even trying the update? Strange

Rather astonishing, isn't it? I've had my Studio Display for more than a year, processing image files everyday, and it's superb.

 

[mwa4]

How do we access the zoom/framing controls, once updated?

Curious if anyone else has figured this out yet either! I can't seem to find it. Thought it would be in the little green menu bar icon that appears when you launch FaceTime, but no such luck. I also had a little trouble with my update: System Settings kept downloading the update but then telling me the Studio Display wasn't connected. I unplugged it from the power and reset it, and now it won't show me the update - so I'm assuming it installed after the restart?

 

[StudioMacs]

You do know there's a lot more 5K monitors besides the StudiNo Display and the LG Ultrafine right?

how much do they cost?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

And even then, I gotta know how you're typing that your entire monitor is wobbling. My monitor doesn't wobble and I gamer rage a lot.

Through some top secret hacking, I managed to source an example video to show how these "wobble" people are hitting them keys...

"Wobbly" screens is like USB-C lint magnet (though curiously no lint issues in the rest of the Apple lineup) and Intel PCs needing your own personal nuclear reactor: things that get written over and over to justify the favorite brand's option. How quickly we forget that the Ultrafines were the ones Apple endorsed by selling them in their own stores for MANY years before rolling out ASD. They apparently only become "crappy plastic" and "wobbly" after Apple rolled out their own branded 27" screen.

See sentiment about Spotify BEFORE Apple Music, Google Maps before Apple Maps, NFC before Apple Pay, Phablets while Apple still clung to perfect 3.5" and then 4" screens, etc. As soon as Apple offers up a challenger, the "whatever" we used to love becomes a pile of... and/or "our" opinions- sometimes very passionate opinions- seem to easily flip-flop.

 

[PsykX]

I switch my light on when the lighting levels are low. Cheap hack.

My light is on, but it's in the center of the room, which means it's behind me, so I'm overexposed. The Studio Display Camera is not able to work around this.

 

[Eric_WVGG]

IMPORTANT NOTE IF YOUR FIRMWARE UPDATE IS STUCK

I've been watching my Studio Display cycle between a message that reads "support.apple.com/display/restore" and a broken progress meter for five days.

Last night, I had the random idea to log out of my account and log in as a test user profile. It updated and worked immediately.

… I mentioned this in another thread, I seriously think it's the worst thing Apple has released since the Butterfly Keyboard. A display that runs an entire operating system, what could go wrong…

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

how much do they cost?

See for yourself. i486dx2-66 made a good megalist of every 5K display on the market.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-complete-list-of-27-5k-displays.2390249/

There is also Samsung's recent 5K display alongside the Dell one that was mentioned earlier

 

[BeatCrazy]

Curious if anyone else has figured this out yet either! I can't seem to find it. Thought it would be in the little green menu bar icon that appears when you launch FaceTime, but no such luck. I also had a little trouble with my update: System Settings kept downloading the update but then telling me the Studio Display wasn't connected. I unplugged it from the power and reset it, and now it won't show me the update - so I'm assuming it installed after the restart?

Just figured it out. When you see your live preview via the green FaceTime menu bar, you can click-to-hold your image and pan it around. Grab the zoom indicator (i.e. 0.8X) to slide left/right for zoom.

Not very intuitive. Image quality still isn't good in low/regular light. So I'll keep using my Logi 4K Pro camera.

FYI MacRumors... the version number is now 17.0.

 

[acousticbiker]

How do we access the zoom/framing controls, once updated?

When on a Teams/Zoom/Meet call, a microphone icon appears in the menubar that allows access to more controls:

• In the image preview, there's a toggle for zoom that defaults to 0.8x but the image doesn't change even when the zoom level is changed (ranges from 0.5-1.5x)
• I don't know how framing works. I only see a button for 'Recenter' when it goes off center (which happened when I tried to change zoom level)
• There's a new option for 'Studio Light' which I hadn't noticed before

 

[BeatCrazy]

When on a Teams/Zoom/Meet call, a microphone icon appears in the menubar that allows access to more controls:

• In the image preview, there's a toggle for zoom that defaults to 0.8x but the image doesn't change even when the zoom level is changed (ranges from 0.5-1.5x)
• I don't know how framing works. I only see a button for 'Recenter' when it goes off center (which happened when I tried to change zoom level)
• There's a new option for 'Studio Light' which I hadn't noticed before

Grab your image in the preview window, and you can move it around.

 

[t0rqx]

After two years will this update finally fix the camera quality? What the f have they been doing all the time? Working on an innovative iPhone 15 or the Fine Woven materials?

 

[hagjohn]

How many of you complaining actually own one of these monitors?

 

[StudioMacs]

See for yourself. i486dx2-66 made a good megalist of every 5K display on the market.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-complete-list-of-27-5k-displays.2390249/

There is also Samsung's recent 5K display alongside the Dell one that was mentioned earlier

The the 5K2K Dell 40" Ultrawide mentioned earlier is $1,950 and the Samsung is the same price as the Studio Display.

 

[citysnaps]

How many of you complaining actually own one of these monitors?

I wouldn't be shocked at all if it was none. Complaining online to an audience of others, about anything, helps people feel better and empowered. Owning a product that the story is about isn't necessary.

 

[acousticbiker]

Grab your image in the preview window, and you can move it around.

Thanks, were you able to get the zoom to work? Also do you know what Studio Light is?

 

[hagjohn]

I wouldn't be shocked at all if it was none. Complaining online to an audience of others, about anything, helps people feel better and empowered. Owning a product that the story is about isn't necessary.

Agreed. I would like to hear from people who installed this update.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Thanks, were you able to get the zoom to work? Also do you know what Studio Light is?

Yes zoom works, just grab that slider graphic. Studio light works like on iOS camera app, it kinda darkens the background behind your face.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

The the 5K2K Dell 40" Ultrawide mentioned earlier is $1,950 and the Samsung is the same price as the Studio Display.

And that Dell comes with a pretty loaded hub, height adjustable screen, tilt-adjustable, VESA built in, rotatable screen (for super tall portrait mode)... all included... making it the same price as Studio Display when you choose a monitor tilt & height adjustable stand option. Want portrait? Rotate your head sideways.

Before someone offers up refurb, refurb for the Dell is just about the same... for much more screen space. If one is willing to go Amazon "Used- Like New" (refurb), it's $1500 (with all stand options) as I type this vs. $1359 for a no-stand-option ASD refurb.

What's NOT to like about the Dell?

• Speakers are relatively poor but I've long since had superior separate speakers for past desktops. Why settle for tiny stereo where there are so many bigger & better sounding speakers with up to surround sound benefits and subwoofers?
• No built in webcam but continuity camera offers FAR superior options vs. ASD camera... and/or third party webcams can be 4K quality, much better in low light, etc.
• No built in microphone but there are endless options for that including what many people do on webcams: use AirPods for both speaker and mic needs.

On the other hand, unlike the iMac screen this Dell replaced, I don't have the tiniest worry that Apple opting NOT to update software in my "computer" will basically lead to having to toss the screen before it conks. In other words, I expect this to be my NEXT Mac monitor too while ASD will have that dependency on an iOS that will be vintaged in about 4-5 years. I want to believe it won't drive screen replacements before their time but then I look at HomePod 2 that can't even sync to HomePod 1 for stereo and imagine a conspiracy of "time for them to buy new screens even if the first-gen ASD screens are still just fine."

The dependency of iOS that will be deprecated when other hardware on the same platform is vintaged makes me worried about getting the 10+ year typical lifespan out of ASD. Whether that concern has any merit or not will only be known for sure in about 5-7 years. Will modern day Apple choose MORE MONEY or to keep an ancient hardware platform for an up-to-10-year-old version of iOS supported for NO more money? What will Apple Inc do? What will they choose*?

*Hint: how much of your 10-year-old hardware that depended on iOS is still supported? How much of your 7-year-old iOS-dependent hardware is still usable?

 

[mwa4]

Just figured it out. When you see your live preview via the green FaceTime menu bar, you can click-to-hold your image and pan it around. Grab the zoom indicator (i.e. 0.8X) to slide left/right for zoom.

Not very intuitive. Image quality still isn't good in low/regular light. So I'll keep using my Logi 4K Pro camera.

FYI MacRumors... the version number is now 17.0.

Interesting - thanks! Guess that confirms that my update didn't actually take place, since I'm not getting any of those options. Will give everything another restart and give it a go!

 

[dbwie]

I have this monitor and like it a lot. Not thrilled with the camera quality, but using the iPhone camera via continuity camera is actually an upgrade in my eyes, as I now have a wireless, high quality camera that I can easily reposition wherever I want. Does this firmware update actually improve the picture quality? I'm taking time out of work to download the MacOS and this firmware, have not tested them yet.

 

[PlanetStar]

With the newer beta firmwares I have noticed the display starts up faster from power off, too, which is a good thing.

I have my ASD and a few other things on my desk on a power strip that I flip off when I'm not there to save energy and the ASD comes up nice and quick now when I plug it into my MBP and flip the switch.

Frankly I wish the ASD did better at powering down completely when no computer is connected. It leaves the USB bus and everything hanging off it fully powered even when you unplug it from the computer.

Well, that's the best thing about the Studio and the Thunderbolt displays. They can be used to charge the mouse, the keyboard, the iPhone, the iPad and the Apple Watch during the night, when the computer is turned off. It is so clever.

 

[JWSpaceMan]

Say what you will about the price and camera, I love mine and would buy it again without hesitation if I had to.

Indeed, and I will: The price is obscene and the camera is abysmal.

And, yes, I do own one. I did not understand how bad the camera is until comparing it to the image from my iPhone via continuity.

It is a beautiful industrial design, with high end materials and immaculate build quality. The resolution is perfect and the image is excellent (bad blacks and limited refresh).

In the end, it is a very expensive and significantly flawed product, and the frustration people have about it is real.

Still, it was a better option for me than anything else on the market. Both things are true. And, that is central to the frustration.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Interesting - thanks! Guess that confirms that my update didn't actually take place, since I'm not getting any of those options. Will give everything another restart and give it a go!

You need to be on Sonoma, for sure. I tried with both a Sonoma machine and a Venture machine, and you don't get those options on Ventura.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Indeed, and I will: The price is obscene and the camera is abysmal.

And, yes, I do own one. I did not understand how bad the camera is until comparing it to the image from my iPhone via continuity.

It is a beautiful industrial design, with high end materials and immaculate build quality. The resolution is perfect and the image is excellent (bad blacks and limited refresh).

In the end, it is a very expensive and significantly flawed product, and the frustration people have about it is real.

Still, it was a better option for me than anything else on the market. Both things are true. And, that is central to the frustration.

The standard Wide/main camera in an iPhone probably has a BOM cost of probably 10X of what they use in the Studio Display.

 

[acousticbiker]

Yes zoom works, just grab that slider graphic. Studio light works like on iOS camera app, it kinda darkens the background behind your face.

Hmm, I can grab the slider graphic and see the zoom number change but the image doesn't change at all