£9.99 vs £109.95: Can a Cheap USB-C HDMI Adapter Really Run 2 Monitors on a MacBook Pro? 😱

My name is Gary (not to be confused with Gary Vee) and for the past few months I have been using a cheap £9.99 4-In-1 USB C to Dual HDMI Adapter 4K to plug in two external monitors into my MacBook Pro. This has allowed me to watch NetFlix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime along with playing DVD movies (no software required). The downside is that this cheap £9.99 4-In-1 USB C to Dual HDMI Adapter 4K will only allow the two monitors to mirror each other. That is why I upgraded to the Plugable USB C to HDMI Adapter, Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz for Apple Mac M1/M2/M3, DisplayLink Multiple Displays for Thunderbolt MacBook or iMac, Driver Required (USBC-6950M). The Plugable USB C to HDMI Adapter, Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz for Apple Mac M1/M2/M3, DisplayLink Multiple Displays for Thunderbolt MacBook or iMac, Driver Required (USBC-6950M) did allow for the monitors to work independently instead of mirroring. The downside is that when plugged in I could no longer watch streaming video services like NetFlix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus. I also found that my plugged in DVD player also ceased to work playing movies correctly. With the Plugable solution I really miss having the ability to view my DVDs and my streaming services. Fortunately, I have a switching device on the monitors with the Sandstrøm monitor being a TV/DVD combination fitted with an Amazon Fire Stick and I have an Apple TV wired into my curved Samsung LS32D39xG monitor. I am using a Caldigit TS5 as part of my main hub solution and an old 27 inch Mac Thunderbolt monitor. Those until was sold July 2011 to June 2016, so you can see, I am using a combination of old with new (in fact I am currently using a basic entry level M3 MacBook Pro). What I do feel is that when it is time to eventually trade in my MacBook Pro for an upgrade, I will spend a little extra on the MacBook Pro chip upgrade, since I find the £109.95 Plugable USB C to HDMI Adapter, Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz for Apple Mac M1/M2/M3, DisplayLink Multiple Displays for Thunderbolt MacBook or iMac, Driver Required (USBC-6950M) too restrictive longterm for my personal liking. I do not post that often on this YouTube Channel, I am more of a slow and steady person, posting in a way that is sustainable for my IT budget and my personal time. I am posting more for fun and I welcome feedback on the way that I have my MacBook Pro Home Office Setup configured. I used an Osmo Pocket 3 camera to generate the 4K content that you can see in this recording. I edited this whole movie using Final Cut Pro X on my MacBook Pro (I have been using Final Cut Pro X for a very long time now). The added flexibility of being able to use multiple monitors is amazing. In fact, I even have used a Mac in some shape or form at university: it got me through the University of Kent at Canterbury, Wilmington University in Delaware, Salisbury University in Maryland and Wor-Wic Community College in Maryland. I love the whole Mac based eco system (that is what this channel is mostly about). #Plugable #DisplayLink #MacBookPro #DualMonitor #USBCHDMI #HDMIAdapter #MultipleMonitors #MacSetup #4KHDMI #TechReview #TechComparison #MacAccessories #DisplayLinkAdapter #WorkFromHome #budgettech #CalDigitTS5 #CalDigit #Plugable #DisplayLink #Thunderbolt5 #MacBookPro #DualMonitor #MultipleMonitors #MacSetup #DockingStation #DisplayLinkAdapter #4KMonitors #MacAccessories #TechReview #DeskSetup #MacBookPro #HomeOfficeSetup #MacSetup #DeskSetup #DualMonitor #MultipleMonitors #CalDigit #Plugable #DisplayLink #ThunderboltDock #MacAccessories #ProductivitySetup #WorkFromHome #TechSetup #applesetup #MacBookPro #UniversityLife #StudentLife #StudentTech #StudentSetup #MacSetup #StudySetup #Productivity #UniversityStudent #StudentEssentials #AppleMac #MacTips #StudyDesk #TechForStudents #StudentLifeUK