Everybody loves a big, beautiful external display in a computer setup — and this LG OLED TV monitor is a great way to go. Today’s setup is built around a 42-inch LG OLED TV plugged into a MacBook Pro.
Also: See if you can guess what the cool-looking desktop wallpaper showing on the display pictures. Answer below.
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This giant LG OLED TV monitor works great with a MacBook Pro
OLED displays like LG's 42-inch AI-Powered 4K TV are capable of accurate color and very high contrast (OLED42C2PUA, 2022).
- High contrast and deep blacks
- Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
- Gaming optimization
- 2022 model (not the latest)
This trim setup with a gorgeous display is showcased by Redditor matt778022 in a post entitled, “My minimal setup (w/ LG C2 OLED).” They use a MacBook Pro (not pictured) to drive the big LG C2 smart TV through a CalDigit Thunderbolt dock.
Plenty of Mac setups turn to smart TVs as monitors. And OLED is a good (though typically pricey) choice because of the super-high contrast and deep blacks.
Most users I’ve come across who run OLED TVs in their setups seem quite happy with the choice.
And by the way, here’s another user who loves the C2 as an external monitor (and you see others below).
What about text on a smart TV?
Keep in mind, text clarity is an important thing to look into before you pull the trigger. But in lots of cases, text can be sharpened with an app.
When asked how his LG OLED TV monitor handles text clarity, Matt offered a helpful answer.
“About the same as a 1440p 27-inch in terms of text clarity,” they said. “Not the best, but I live with it. SwitchResX helps in this regard.”
SwitchResX is an app that adjusts screen resolution according the software you’re using. You can use it to match your Mac to your TV’s resolution for DVD-quality viewing and also work with mirrored images. You can download it and try it during a 10-day free trial.
Another person pointed out that the 42-inch screen probably gets about 100ppi, or sub-Retina display levels.
“Yeah, it’s about 105 ppi (104.9), which is definitely not Retina lmao,” Matt replied. “I sit pretty far back, and for what I lose in text clarity, I make up for in refresh rate (120Hz) and the fact that it’s an OLED (that I actually fully calibrated). So when choosing between this and the Studio Display, this just had the overall better full package for me personally, as I also use it as a smart TV for watching HDR movies.”
LG OLED TV monitor features:
- Excellent picture quality comes from LG’s 8 million self-lit OLED pixels offering high contrast, deep blacks and more than a billion colors.
- Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos enhance an immersive viewing experience.
- α9 Gen 5 AI Processor 4K automatically optimizes picture and sound quality (7.1.2 channel surround) based on the content onscreen.
- LG’s Game Optimizer mode with NVIDIA G-SYNC, FreeSync Premium and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) helps ensures fluid on-screen motion for gaming.
- Virtually seamless wall-mount option available (sold separately).
What’s the wallpaper?
And if you like that wallpaper as much as commenters and I do, you can get it on Unsplash. Did you guess the image? It kind of looks like celestial objects in space, but it’s a closeup shot of a vinyl record with droplets on it. Pretty cool.
In addition to the LG OLED TV monitor, rather than using his laptop directly, Matt’s external input devices are a Logitech Pebble Keys wireless keyboard and a Logi MX Master 3S wireless mouse.
More setups with OLED smart TV displays:
- 42-inch smart TV may be user’s best display ever
- Powerful speakers flank smart TV display
- Can using a huge smart TV as a display harm you?
- Epic OLED smart TV and pro audio gear distract from wrong-color keyboard
Shop these items now:
OLED displays like LG's 42-inch AI-Powered 4K TV are capable of accurate color and very high contrast (OLED42C2PUA, 2022).
- High contrast and deep blacks
- Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
- Gaming optimization
- 2022 model (not the latest)
Display:
Computer and dock:
Input devices:
Audio:
- AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
- Edifier R1280DBS Active Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers
- Fiio E10k USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
- Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Studio Headphones
- Moondrop Aria 2S In-Ear Headphones (wired)
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually work fine). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
