JANUARY 2022 MACWORLD 31mmmmh
StarTech USB 3.0 to
HDMI Adapter
PROS- Compact form factor.
- Plug-and-play simplicity.
- Type-A connector works
fine with USB-C adapter.
CONS - Pricey.
PRICE
$106
COMPANY
SanDisk
a USB-C-to-HDMI adapter. I plugged the
StarTech adapter directly into a Type-A
port on a USB-C dock and tested it
through a Type-A-to-USB-C adapter as
well. In every configuration, the software
and hardware functioned exactly as
hoped. Both of the Macs I
tested with recognized the
monitor that was connected
via the StarTech adapter
immediately.
A DisplayLink-attached
monitor appears in the
Displays preference pane
exactly like any screen
attached through an Apple-
provided pathway. You can
rearrange it, perform color
calibration, and make it the
A DisplayLink-
connected display
appears at right
just like the internal
display of an M1
MacBook (left) and an
external 4K monitor
(center), shown in the
Monterey public beta.main display that holds the menu bar.
Everything simply works.
I tested dragging a Safari window
playing a video in YouTube across three
displays with no stutters or hiccups. The
video continued to play as smoothly
moving it back and forth from
the DisplayLink-connected
monitor as it did between the
two Apple-supported
displays.
If you’re an M1 Mac owner
feeling stymied by a lack of
monitors or if you own an Intel
Mac with not enough built-in
support, the StarTech.com
DisplayLink 4K/60Hz adapter
may be worth the price to
expand your desktop. ■