MBPr: Monitoring 4K

Is a $1,000 Ultrastudio the only way to monitor 4K from a Macbook?

I don't need inputs, I don't need switching, I don't need anything other than a way to monitor 4K from Resolve from a MBPr.

No. DeckLink Mini Monitor 4K in a Thunderbolt enclosure would be cheaper.

Oh, interesting. I had not considered that. Has this been verified to work?

They have a compatibility matrix that says it does.
https://www.sonnettech.com/support/char ... index.html

Although I'm not convinced a MacBook Pro has what it takes to push 4K images into and out of Resolve, feeding a 4K display. Maybe with some hefty external GPUs, but even then it's dicey. This is tough for big beefy desktop machines with tons of RAM, massive CPUs, and lots of power.

You can monitor HD from MacBook Pros running 4K source material under optimum conditions (not a lot of nodes, no NR, no OFX, very few blur nodes, etc.).

Wouldn’t the Blackmagic eGPU do the same from the HDMI output of the eGPU? Those are 699 USD.

No, that's not usable as a monitor feed in Resolve the way the DeckLink/UltraStudio devices are.

Actually the weak point of those eGPUs by BM. At least the „Pro“ version should have video I/O.
The MBP might still be challenged to deliver 4K, though, depending on the source codec.