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Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

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Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#261

Post by blurbleblurble »

zamadatix wrote: post #89
blurbleblurble wrote: post #84

This is so necessary! However, it still doesn't answer a burning question that I have: are there any USB-C hubs that can draw power from an upstream power delivery source and supply it to downstream USB-A devices? Just to be clear, I don't expect you to have this answer. From what I can tell, the answer is "no that doesn't exist".

USB hubs did this even prior to PD. Is there a particular non-standard wattage you're looking for?

The USB spec limits the amount of power a single device can draw from its host. For a USB hub, this means that the downstream devices will have to split a single device's worth of power allowance between them. So to support multiple power hungry devices, many existing USB hubs offer additional external power supplies.

In my case, I have two midi controllers and an external audio interface that all want their full share of power. The audio interface refuses to run without it.

So I'm wondering if there's a hub that is "externally powered" via the host's PD power supply.

There are plenty of USB C hubs that can draw additional power from a downstream PD source. But I want something that can draw additional power from the host even if it's a laptop running on battery.

(Power Delivery is an additional spec that can run over USB C, but its existence is independent of and doesn't change the USB spec's power limitations for a single device)

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#262

Post by jdbernard »

joshmgross wrote: post #103
tn890 wrote: post #102

I'm in the market for a dock/hub for my 16" MBP and I'm completely baffled by the lack of decent options. I just want the following 3 capabilities: - 100W PD - 4k60Hz (preferably through USB-C) - Gigabit ethernet I have not been able to find a _single_ docking station or hub that can check these 3 boxes :(

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CZPV8DF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.P... Is pretty close at 87W

The power brick for the newest MacBook Pro delivers 96Ws and it will use all of it at high workloads. I've seen mine drain the battery (slowly) when plugged into the 87W power brick from the last-generation MBPs.

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#263

Post by tikiman163 »

tsukurimashou wrote: post #232
Terretta wrote: post #86

Needs to filter whether it can show HDMI 4K at 30Hz or 60Hz. And related to that, for video, it’s possible to have 2 4K 60hz through or one or none. Also filter whether it’s one USB-C connects to computer or two USB-C connects to computer. With two USB-C connected to computer, can pass through more types of USB to accessories. Finally, it doesn’t show matches that I know are matches. // I buy these to test, but don’t…

Why are they making these so complicated when average people don't even make the difference between a VGA and DVI cable? For a few years I didn't buy new hardware and recently I started seen "HDMI cables with / without ETHERNET" I thought it was some crappy marketing, wrong Chinese translation of just a "scam" like the HDMI to water tap adapter, but after looking on the internet I discovered it was real.

The honest truth? Laptops.

Businesses are buying laptops more often than desktops for the past 10 years and different manufacturers have been utilizing different approaches to minimize the number of cables needed per accessory.

The case of HDMI with ethernet net is the same. This way you can share your screen and internet connection from a mobile device with a single cable. It's only needed in specific circumstances, but as USB has become more advanced, more cables/ports are quietly just turning into differently shaped USB cables that limit which data channels are available.

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#264

Post by alias_neo »

loopbit wrote: post #145
alias_neo wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any chance of a link? I'm looking good something to power a Pi4 cluster. Thanks

I ended up going with this one: https://thepihut.com/products/anidees-6-port-smart-ic-usb-ch... Have had it for a couple of months now with no issues.

Thanks

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#265

Post by alias_neo »

magicalhippo wrote: post #183
alias_neo wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any chance of a link? I'm looking good something to power a Pi4 cluster. Thanks

AFAIK that 3A figure for the Pi includes power for the USB ports on the Pi. So if you don't load up the USB ports, you can get away with more like 1.5-2A, depending on what you do.

Thanks. I intend to use it as a cluster ski no need for USB peripherals, I'll keep that in mind!

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#266

Post by ReviewMeta »

junkern wrote: post #38
blazespin wrote: post #13

Need to find a way to detect fraudulent reviews and you're set.

Definitely! It is on my todo list to include https://reviewmeta.com/ information for every product :)

Please do! https://reviewmeta.com/blog/implement-data-reviewmeta-com-ap...

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#268

Post by chx »

bloopernova wrote: post #260
xmodem wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

DisplayLink transports video over the USB bus, rather than using one of the alt modes of USB-C. As you can imagine, this introduces compression artefacts and substantial CPU overhead. It's passable for web browsing. Watching any sort of video is painful and forget about any sort of gaming or latency sensitive application

Ah, this is why the displayport to 1080 screen connection looked so bad. I have a mediagear usb-c hub and also a cable matters thunderbolt to dual displayport adapter. Video is much better over the latter, for sure.

DisplayPort is fine.

DisplayLink is not.

The confusion is deliberate, the company renamed itself to DisplayLink a few months after the standard came out.

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#269

Post by atombender »

fpgaminer wrote: post #110
withinrafael wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To work around macOS' awful monitor restrictions (i.e. lack of general MST support), we bit the bullet and got a Dell WB19TB [1] (Thunderbolt dock). It sucks from a wiring perspective but it works. [1] https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-thunderbolt-dock-w... (To those that go down this route, be aware: you cannot use both DP ports on this dock as-is -- again, macOS lacks MST support. One monitor must be connec…

I wouldn't trust Dell with this. I have a Dell monitor that I bought because it has a USB-C port that supported both PD and video. But it turns out it doesn't work well with MacBooks (constantly loses connection, and messes with the MacBook's sleep). Dell acknowledged the issue and released a patch that fixed it ... for Windows machines. They refuse to fix it for MacBooks because they don't want to support a competit…

I have the same monitor. It's great, but I ran into the issues you mentioned with multiple USB-C docks, including Apple's own multiport adapter. Have you been able to get anything to work?

Re: Show HN: I built a website to better compare USB-C hubs found on Amazon

#270

Post by chx »

chx wrote: post #268
bloopernova wrote: post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, this is why the displayport to 1080 screen connection looked so bad. I have a mediagear usb-c hub and also a cable matters thunderbolt to dual displayport adapter. Video is much better over the latter, for sure.

DisplayPort is fine. DisplayLink is not. The confusion is deliberate, the company renamed itself to DisplayLink a few months after the standard came out.

Sources: it was USB NIVO before the DisplayPort standard came out https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/491654

and then

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20061106005769/en/New...

https://glenwing.github.io/docs/DP-1.0.pdf DisplayPort Standard Version 1 May 1, 2006

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