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Problem using an LCD tv as an external monitor

R

reno71883

macrumors newbie
Original poster
i am running leopard on a 12 in pb 1.3 gh computer.

i just bought a 40 in samsung lcd tv (4061f) and would like to be able to use the tv as a monitor... so i am using a mini-dvi to dvi converter and a dvi to hdmi cable to hook up the computer to the tv. when it switch the source to the computer, though, i get an empty desktop with a mouse arrow, but no desktop icons, menu bar, dock, etc. i don't think it's mirroring - there is no mouse on the pb screen to try to see what the settings are....

help please!!!
 
Can you still see your Menu Bar and whatnot on the internal display though? If not, I'm not sure what's going on. If so, you should be able to move your mouse cursor back onto the PB's screen (you might have to go right or left, depending on how the displays are being arranged). You could also try hitting Fn+F7 (I believe, that's from my admittedly fuzzy memory) to switch between mirroring/extending mode. It's the F-key that looks like it has two overlapping boxes on it.
 
that sounds like it might be super helpful....i will check to see if it helps as soon as i get home. thanks!

the pb def still had the menu bar and dock, just no cursor... weird though, because i am pretty sure that all four corners of the empty tv monitor still triggered the expose on my pb screen...(though maybe it was only two corners, which would all but confirm your thinking.) i will try what you're suggesting later this evening.

thanks again.
 
If it is extending the desktop to the tv and you haven't put anything onto the extended screen yet, isn't that exactly what would be expected? Unless you rearrange the displays the menu, dock, and icons will stay on the main display (the pb) and the extended display will be empty (possibly with the mouse cursor). Can you move the mouse to the other screen? It should glide from the edge of one screen to the other screen, and you can drag windows or icons between screens.
 
right, so you were both right on that one, it was simply in extension mode and i was having a hard time getting the mouse all the way from one end to the other.

also, in mirror mode, when i select the highest definition, the "monitor" is probably using only 19" of the lcd's 40 available inches. i tried lower resolutions ( e.g. something close to 1024 x 768) and it got bigger, almost the full screen and definitely very good, but i had envisioned a full screen, hd situation, 1080 x 1920, - is that not possible?

also, the very top and bottom of the screen are cut off in mirror mode - is there any thing i can do to remedy that? (will it be a setting on my tv?)

thanks again!
 
reno71883 said:
right, so you were both right on that one, it was simply in extension mode and i was having a hard time getting the mouse all the way from one end to the other.

also, in mirror mode, when i select the highest definition, the "monitor" is probably using only 19" of the lcd's 40 available inches. i tried lower resolutions ( e.g. something close to 1024 x 768) and it got bigger, almost the full screen and definitely very good, but i had envisioned a full screen, hd situation, 1080 x 1920, - is that not possible?

also, the very top and bottom of the screen are cut off in mirror mode - is there any thing i can do to remedy that? (will it be a setting on my tv?)

thanks again!
Click to expand...
You can only use the full resolution of the TV if you set it to extended mode, because mirrored will only max at the full resolution of the PowerBook's internal screen. Since the PowerBook can't display 1920 x 1080, it won't let you choose that mode in mirrored mode.

You can set the TV as your primary display in extended mode though. In the Arrangement pane in Displays, the two screens are shown in their current configuration. You can move the screens around to adjust which is on which side and so forth, but you can also drag the small white "menu bar" representation between the two screens. That selects which is the primary and which is the secondary. Do that to set your TV to be the primary display in extended mode, then you should be able to use it in 1920 x 1080. 🙂
 
killmoms: thanks! you were spot on. and about F7, too.

also, i just adjusted the aspect ration on my tv and now the menu bar is fully visible - so that was not computer related.
 
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