Displaylink ceases to work in 10.13.4

[Poly]

Originally Posted by justaskingaquestion

I have one of the newest MBP 15in with TB3 ports, and I've been sticking with MacOS 10.13.3 ever since this problem emerged for fear of losing my display. Looking into it again, I see some confusing reports about whether this problem only exists for older models or if it is an issue for me as well. Can somebody help clarify?

I have

2017 MBP 15in with 4 TB3
Dell P2715Q 4k display, though I've been running it at 2560x1440 because everything is too small otherwise (I've only ever connected to this display via DisplayLink so I don't know if directly connecting gives me any more flexibility here)
I also use DisplayLink for mouse/keyboard/ethernet
I used to use DisplayLink for audio, though I've found that to be a very poor quality connection, especially when the computer is doing any heavy lifting.

With this setup, if I upgrade to 10.13.4 or later, will I still have to use the workaround via AirDisplay? If so, will I be able to use 2560x1440?

If I am limited to 1080p, does anybody have any recommendations for alternate hardware/hubs that can meet my needs in newer MacOS? When I bought this late last year I thought DisplayLink was the ticket, but maybe not?

Of course you can connect your 4k display directly to the Mac either via TB3-to-DisplayPort or TB3-to-HDMI dongle. It gives you more flexibility and probably a higher refresh rate at 60Hz if you choose DisplayPort. Adapters can be purchased from Apple or 3rd party vendors via an online shop of your choice.

If you upgrade to 10.13.5 (.4 is deprecated) and you still want to connect your monitor via DisplayLink then you won't be able to run your screen at 4k or hi-dpi scaled resolutions (e.g. 2560x1440). The current beta driver is a poor workaround and provides only two inferior options, clone mode and extended (2nd) AirPlay display that is limited to 1080p – a terrible resolution choice for a 4k display. Other ports such as USB, Ethernet and audio won't be affected after upgrade.