I have the following devices: iPhone 11 Pro - 4K TV - Apple TV 4K - 2018 Mackbook Pro
What’s the best way to get Zwift onto my 4K TV with the most resolution and the least amount of lag with these devices? Thanks.
By least lag do you mean highest frame rate? Would need to know the exact specs of the MacBook Pro, others are almost identical.
| Model Name: | MacBook Pro |
|---|---|
| Model Identifier: | MacBookPro15,1 |
| Processor Name: | 6-Core Intel Core i7 |
| Processor Speed: | 2.2 GHz |
| Number of Processors: | 1 |
| Total Number of Cores: | 6 |
| L2 Cache (per Core): | 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 9 MB |
| Hyper-Threading Technology: | Enabled |
| Memory: | 32 GB |
Specifically the graphics adapter. It it’s just Intel UHD graphics then again it’ll look no different to the others. Probably get a better frame rate though. I believe some (all?) 2018 MBPs have dedicated graphics though.
If your MBP has dedicated graphics, looks like you’ll get High profile, which is far higher than the others. At a much better average frame rate too.
Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB graphics
Would I stream from the laptop to the TV HDMI? BTW.
My question comes down to apple tv 4k versus macbook.
I have all manner of Apple devices. For simplicity, I use the Apple TV 4K for Zwift w/the Zwift Companion running on my iPhone.
Zwift on Apple TV has been bulletproof, not that I’ve had issues w/the MacBook or iPhone. The biggest issue w/the iPhone is screen size. The MacBook while not as small also has the same drawback. If you connect either via HDMI or Airplay, there is a bit of noticeable lag. While noticeable, it’s not major. Also, you get use to it and your brain recalibrates to account for the lag.
While it’s an Apple TV 4K, Zwift does not render in 4K. The menus do, but everything else is 1080p. While some want the ultimate/best graphics experience, I find the graphics of Zwift on the Apple TV more than sufficient.
The one big drawback for some w/the AppleTV is the limit of two Bluetooth connections. The third is used by the remote. Speaking of which, it’s not as bad as one might think if you read the forums. Takes me about a minute to be riding from the time I wake the Apple TV and finish selecting the world/route and hitting ride. Anyway, if you need more than two Bluetooth connections, you can pair via the Zwift Companion app. I myself have never needed to pair via the Companion app.
Think that covers all the pros/cons.
If your MBP genuinely only has the Intel graphics then they’ll look the same. In which case just use the Apple TV.
Actually looks like this macbook has a dedicated Radeon Pro 555X 4 GB device. I’m going to grab a usbc to hdmi converter at best buy in a few and give it a try on the TV.
In that case it’ll be far superior to the others. You’ll get High profile, access to higher resolutions and better frame rate.