Blackmagic Forum

Hello, all! Thanks for any help you can provide with this simple issue.

I am using an Ultrastudio Monitor 3G to send lyrics via Propresenter from an Imac to an Atem. The Ultrastudio Monitor has a USB-C input for data/power from the imac, but for some reason, the USB-C cables I have are not working. I suspect that there is a difference between a charge cable and a data cable, but do not know.

Can someone direct me to the correct cable that will allow the Monitor to function correctly?

Hi Michael,

the UltraStudio 3G is a Thunderbolt 3 device, not a USB device. Yes, the TB3 connector is the same as the USB-C connector, but these technologies are NOT the same.

So you will need to plug this into a TB3 (or TB4) port (you mention iMac and there all the USB-C connectors are actually TB3 ports) and use (preferably certified) TB3 cables. They have a Thunderbolt logo and the digit 3 on each end of the cable. You can also use USB4/TB4 cables, but not regular USB-C cables.

Please note that a certified TB3 cable is not exactly cheap.

I hope this helps.

Petr

Yes, although the UltraStudio Monitor 3G uses a USB type C connector, it is a Thunderbolt 3 device which means that you need to use a Thunderbolt 3 (or Thunderbolt 4) cable and you need to connect it to a Thunderbolt port on your computer (a regular USB-C port won't work).

Note that on the 24-inch M1 iMac with 4 Type C ports, 2 of the ports are USB only and the other 2 are Thunderbolt ports (the Thunderbolt ports are marked with a lightning bolt symbol above them). On earlier Intel-based iMacs from 2017 onward, I believe all of the Type C ports should be Thunderbolt 3 compatible. And then even older iMacs had Thunderbolt 2 ports (which use a different connector also used for Mini DisplayPort): https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201736

Apple sells a Thunderbolt 3 cable here: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MQ4H ... cable-08-m
But cables from other manufacturers that support Thunderbolt 3 data transfer (40 Gbps) should work as well.

If you are using an M1 based Mac, also make sure you have installed the latest version of the Desktop Video drivers, as there were various updates to add compatibility with the M1 processors as well as recent versions of Mac OS.

Thank you both for the responses. It makes perfect sense, and I will use the links you gave to order the correct cable. Unfortunately, the last time I went to the Apple store, I told them that I needed a cable that could be used for data, and not just charging, and they sold me a USB-C charge cable with the assurance that it would work with the Ultrastudio Monitor 3G. It did not, but I believe a TB cable will.

AAichaelC wrote:Hello, all! Thanks for any help you can provide with this simple issue.

I am using an Ultrastudio Monitor 3G to send lyrics via Propresenter from an Imac to an Atem. The Ultrastudio Monitor has a USB-C input for data/power from the imac, but for some reason, the USB-C cables I have are not working. I suspect that there is a difference between a charge cable and a data cable, but do not know.

Can someone direct me to the correct cable that will allow the Monitor to function correctly?

Hi Michael

We use these a lot; this works for us...https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08 ... UTF8&psc=1

Cheers

Matt