Works perfect for HiDPI via DisplayLink

[jb-ks]

I just wanted to say thank you for this awesome piece of software!

It helped me to get my 4k monitors connected via DisplayLink to my MacBook Air M1 working with HiDPI "Looks like 2560 x 1440". A feature that I missed very much for a long time.

[waydabber]

Thanks for the feedback! :)

[alex-zige]

@jb-ks how do you get it working?

[jb-ks]

I described it in the DisplayLink forum:
https://www.displaylink.org/forum/showthread.php?t=67982

[mrfiskare]

Hi @jb-ks !
I would be extremely happy if you could update this guide for the current version of BetterDummy which has become BetterDisplay. I have been trying to get scaled resolution to work on my 1440p display through DisplayLink all day with no luck. I tried to create virtual displays, but mirroring them results in a blurry image.

[jb-ks]

Hi @mrfiskare,

this was quite long ago...

This was at the beginning of BetterDummy and at this time it was the only possibility to get HiDPI via DisplayLink on M1 Macs. This mirroring solution was much better then LowDPI, but it reaches not the rendering quality of a native connected display, it is still somehow blurry (in the meantime DisplayLink implemented a similar experimental solution in their dirver). Especially thin fonts look much bolder...

But a little bit later waydabber introduces the "FullScreen Streaming" feature in BetterDummy which had a much better rendering quality. Also not 100% but maybe 90% of a natively connected display). On two 4K Display I cannot see the difference between the natively connected display and the one connected via DisplayLink.

There is a longer diskussion of the different rendering qualities of native/low res DisplayLink/mirroring DisplayLink/streaming DisplayLink, I provided severeal screen-photos: #173 (comment)

If you use FullScreen Streaming you can get the best HiDPI quality which is possible today with DisplayLink. The downside ist, that it is slower compared to a nativeliy connected display. So it works als an additional monitor, but not as a primary working monitor.

Personally my setup is now a natively connected 4k Display (via USB-C / DisplayPort Adapter) for my working Monitor and the second 4k Montor uses the buildin HiDPI Solution of the DisplayLink Driver. Both are running at 2560x1440 HiDPI. For me that is a simple solution which is good enough for my (old) eyes.

Hope this helps

Best regards
Jan

[mrfiskare]

Thank you very much!

I tried the streaming option 2048x1152 HiDPI streaming and it does indeed look better. Still not as good as the direct connection, but better. For now, I'll try to live with a 2 cable solution as well, and connect my only external monitor via the USB-C adapter.

Maybe I'll try to reach out to the DisplayLink customer service to add the 2048x1152 HiDPI resolution to the experimental resolution list.

Mit freundlichen Grüssen,
Roland

[alex-zige]

Set your Display-Link Display in the display properties to:
mirror 16:9 dummy
optimized for: Dummy 16:9
Resolution: default for display

where do you find the Display-Link Display properties?
if i set to mirror, all screens are mirrored together. not be able to set the displaylink one to the 16:9 dummy?

[jb-ks]

On my M1 Mac with Monterey the Display Properties looking different:

When you use BetterDummy to change Resolution, these values will change.

[waydabber]

Hey guys,

see this article on how to set up custom mirroring in Big Sur:

https://macfinder.co.uk/blog/how-to-mirror-specific-displays-in-os-x-mirror-some-but-not-all-of-your-monitors-on-an-apple-system/

[Fanfwe]

So I just installed BetterDummy on my M1 macbook connected to a dual 4K DisplayLink setup.
I was using my displays at 1080p before, because native resolution was way too small, and intermediate stuff was very blurry.
Now thanks to your amazing piece of software, I can run something intermediate and have it sharp. I'll be doing a donation in the near future because it's very well deserved. Thanks a lot !

[christiansicari]

Hi @Fanfwe what configuration did you used? Thanks in advance