USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter

  • Overview

    The USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter lets you connect your MacBook with USB-C port to an HDMI display, while also connecting a standard USB device and a USB-C charging cable.

    This adapter allows you to mirror your MacBook display to your HDMI-enabled TV or display in up to 1080p at 60Hz or UHD (3840x2160) at 30Hz. It also outputs video content like movies and captured video. Simply connect the adapter to the USB-C port on your MacBook and then to your TV or projector via an HDMI cable (sold separately).

    Use the standard USB port to connect devices such as your flash drive or camera or a USB cable for syncing and charging your iPhone, iPad, or iPod. You can also connect a charging cable to the USB-C port to charge your MacBook.

    Note: The Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter is not compatible with the G-Tech G-DRIVE mobile USB 3.0 Hard Drive (Apple part number HF4F2VC/A).

    What’s in the Box

    USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter

    System Requirements

    Requires an HDMI cable (sold separately) for connection to your TV or projector. Supports both video and audio output.

  • 2.0 Average
    2 out of 5 stars
    Number of stars Percentage Number of reviews
    • 4.0 out of 5 stars

      Expensive, but highly practical

      This adapter may be expensive, but it highly extends the usability of the 12" MacBook. As we speak, I have my laptop docked to a 1200p monitor, a USB wireless m This adapter may be expensive, but it highly extends the usability of the 12" MacBook. As we speak, I have my laptop docked to a 1200p monitor, a USB wireless mouse, an external spinning hard drive, and power. The USB-C port on the MacBook has plenty of power to power all of the devices, and it is an added convenience that when I undock my laptop to take on the go, I only have to unplug one thing. Overall, this adapter fundamentally changes the way I use my MacBook at my desk, and it's worth the price of admission. Cheaper options will eventually show up, but you should not allow the $79 price to get between you and improving the usability of the new MacBook.

      • Written by Alex K from Seattle

      266 of 321 people found this useful

      Is this review useful?Expensive, but highly practical

    • 4.0 out of 5 stars

      Necessity for Apple MacBook 12"

      If you have purchased a new 12" MacBook, you should already know that the computer only has two ports. The headphone jack and the USB-C port. You can't plug in If you have purchased a new 12" MacBook, you should already know that the computer only has two ports. The headphone jack and the USB-C port. You can't plug in any existing USB cables into the USB-C port so an adapter is need. This adapter comes with a USB-C port, HDMI input, and a USB 3 port. I purchased this adapter at the Apple Store at the same time I picked up my MacBook. If you plan on connecting anything into the MacBook or hooking it up to an external monitor, you need this adapter. Must have.

      • Written by Isaac R from Orange

      196 of 231 people found this useful

      Is this review useful?Necessity for Apple MacBook 12"

    • 2.0 out of 5 stars

      Note: not a retina/HiDPI DisplayPort-type adapter!

      I gave this 2 stars because I had misplaced hopes, perhaps that's my bad. When I saw that it could do UHD/4K over HDMI, I was hoping it could drive a 4K display I gave this 2 stars because I had misplaced hopes, perhaps that's my bad. When I saw that it could do UHD/4K over HDMI, I was hoping it could drive a 4K display at retina/HiDPI resolutions. I have a Samsung U28D590D 28" 4K monitor that I use as a HiDPI display with my Mac Pro, using an Accell B143B-007J DisplayPort 1.2 mini to full-size cable - it works great, and the Displays control panel gives the typical scaling choices from "larger text" to "more space," which is what you'd expect from a Mac retina display, same as the built-in screen on the new MacBook 12". However, when I connected the same display to the MacBook 12" via this adapter & an HDMI cable, those beautifully scaled resolutions aren't available. The only resolutions that do the HiDPI/retina scaling is 1920x1080 and 1280x720, which makes everything so large that it's unsuitable for sitting in front of the monitor to get work done. The full 4K resolution of 3840x2160 is also available, but because the pixels are drawn 1:1, everything is so small to be unusable. There's no Goldilocks "just right" intermediate retina resolutions: 3008x1692 and 2560x1440 are listed, but "(low resolution)" is written after them to show that they're not real HiDPI resolutions - they look quite fuzzy. If you would like to see a screengrab of these choices in the Displays panel, look for tLe8lxl.png on imgur. And before you say I was expecting too much, I did read up on the new USB-C spec and what, in theory, the "DisplayPort Alternate Mode" stuff should be capable of, look for article 8558 on Anandtech. As a spec, USB-C is supposed to be able to do 2 full "lanes" of DisplayPort for 4K, along with "SuperSpeed" USB 3 - I was hoping that would translate into being able to run a HiDPI display correctly. So, I don't know if I'm running into something that can later be updated in software or firmware, or if it's a built-in limitation of the way USB-C has been implemented in the 12" MacBook itself, or maybe it's just because this AV adapter provides HDMI, and HiDPI requires an adapter with DisplayPort?? I have also heard of the HydraDock project on Kickstarter that provides, among other things, a Mini DisplayPort, but that "only" goes up to 2560x1440, so I assume it's also not appropriate for HiDPI displays. I guess I need to wait for a real USB-C / DisplayPort adapter? I also did connect this adapter to a 24" 1920x1200 display via HDMI, and it worked fine (normal-sized pixels, not retina pixels). I imagine this adapter should also work fine for connecting to a really big monitor or projector for presentations and showing movies, where either 1080 or 4K are fine & retina isn't needed.

      • Written by Jesse E from Campbell

      254 of 369 people found this useful

      Is this review useful?Note: not a retina/HiDPI DisplayPort-type adapter!

    • 1.0 out of 5 stars

      Needs to frequently reconnect

      Like others said, the HDMI port connection works intermittently, and sometime the external display just goes crazy and I would need to reconnect to make it work Like others said, the HDMI port connection works intermittently, and sometime the external display just goes crazy and I would need to reconnect to make it work. Let alone it only has one HDMI port so that I cannot use two external monitors like before. Very disappointed.

      • Written by Dingtian Z from Atlanta

      1 of 1 people found this useful

      Is this review useful?Needs to frequently reconnect

    • 1.0 out of 5 stars

      It has an issue with a work around.

      I'm on my 5th Mac, a new 12" MacBook. I've never had a product issue. Until now. I've been having intermittent HDMI issues like a lot of others. But another I'm on my 5th Mac, a new 12" MacBook. I've never had a product issue. Until now. I've been having intermittent HDMI issues like a lot of others. But another review here pointed out that starting the Mac while everything is plugged in, works. I suppose there's some kind of negotiation going on (HDCP?) that needs the entire HDMI path plugged in at boot to work properly. This is a problem. While the HDCP aspects of HDMI were horribly engineered and very poorly implemented by the industry, the HDMI port on my work MacBook Pro never has a problem connecting to a monitor or TV. So Apple has the know how. There are third party versions for less than half the price. I would recommend doing research before buying Apple's.

      • Written by Abigail L from Bellevue

      2 of 2 people found this useful

      Is this review useful?It has an issue with a work around.

    • 1.0 out of 5 stars

      No 4K HDMI or USB-C data transfers!

      No support for 4K over HDMI or USB-C data transfers. It can only be used to charge over USB-C. Looking to connect a new screen? Forget it. Looking to connect No support for 4K over HDMI or USB-C data transfers. It can only be used to charge over USB-C. Looking to connect a new screen? Forget it. Looking to connect a USB-C external hard drive? Forget it. Looking to connect two external hard drives for backups? Forget it. You are probably better of buying an third-party adapter.

      • Written by Gawin D from Alkmaar

      1 of 1 people found this useful

      Is this review useful?No 4K HDMI or USB-C data transfers!

  • Answers from the community

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