13" macbook "losing" 1920x 1080p resolution?

[fragmoider]

Hi,

I have a macbook 13" that is doing some weird things in regards to HD resolutions.

It's connected to a samsung syncmaster 2350 and the native res on this panel is 1920x1080p via VGA.

To make things easier I recently upgraded it to snow leopard and downloaded all relevant fixes.

After the upgrade it detected the res of the panel and everything was wonderful and working perfectly. I come in the next day and the screen upon wakeup is looking weird and blurry.

I check the res options and sure enough in it's wisdom it has decided that 1920x1080 is no longer a selectable resolution and 1920x1440 is the only via option...which works but looks like rubbish.

Any idea on how to force the res to stick and for the OS to not be typically Mac and "helpful" and stop changing things without user input?

And no I am not interested in buying switchres or any other of those ridiculous shareware apps when the mac CAN detect and support the right res..I just want it to stop changing once set.

 

[gadzooks22]

losing*

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor?

How is the monitor connected to your computer? MiniDisplayPort to DVI adaptor and a DVI cable? If so, is the DVI cable dual-link?

As a small technicality, your computer doesn't output an interlaced signal. So you can't have a 1920x1080i signal; it would be 1920x1080p (or just 1080p). i = interlaced, p = progressive.

 

[fragmoider]

Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor?

How is the monitor connected to your computer? MiniDisplayPort to DVI adaptor and a DVI cable? If so, is the DVI cable dual-link?

As a small technicality, your computer doesn't output an interlaced signal. So you can't have a 1920x1080i signal; it would be 1920x1080p (or just 1080p). i = interlaced, p = progressive.

okay for all you pedantic people the spelling is fixed...

Okay this is what happens when I post on a Sunday morning.

I meant 1080p..I am connected via a mini display port -> VGA adapter.

The issue for me is why the OS is randomly detecting incorrect resolutions for the monitor...many of the 'detected' resolutions aren't even supported?

How can I just select resolution and get it to stick?

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

You never answered the question: Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor?

You should be able to select a resolution and have it stay. That's the way it's supposed to work, so we need to figure out why it isn't.

Is the adaptor you're using from Apple? Is the cable high-quality? Do you have another cable to try?

Out of curiosity, why aren't you using DVI? Unless, of course, your monitor doesn't support it.

 

[RJP31484]

I just discovered that the resolution is capped at 1280X800 for the mirrored display option and can only go to the higher res. using the extended desktop option. could this be your problem?

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

I just discovered that the resolution is capped at 1280X800 for the mirrored display option and can only go to the higher res. using the extended desktop option. could this be your problem?

The mirrored resolution is always capped at whatever your smallest screen resolution is. On the MacBooks, this is 1280x800. However, the OP wouldn't have been able to ever set the external at a higher resolution if this was the problem. Even now, the OP is locked in at 1920x1440 which is both significantly bigger than 1280x800 and higher than the actual native resolution of the external.

 

[fragmoider]

You never answered the question: Have you tried disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor?

You should be able to select a resolution and have it stay. That's the way it's supposed to work, so we need to figure out why it isn't.

Is the adaptor you're using from Apple? Is the cable high-quality? Do you have another cable to try?

Out of curiosity, why aren't you using DVI? Unless, of course, your monitor doesn't support it.

Sorry 'bout that.

Yep, I have tried the following.

Disconnecting/recconecting
Shutdown/restart
suspend/resume - lid up and down.

Resolutions seem to vary as it seems to be re-dectecting the monitor each time. Sometimes it works fine, sometimes it doesn't?

The adapter is aftermarket and I have no idea as to it's quality but the vga cable works perfectly and is the supplied one from Samsung. I can try another cable though.

I just didn't have the dvi connector as it was used previously with a vga only input monitor. However the output from the adapter is fine and image is sharp when I can select 1080p.

I have just decided to get out of the PC scene and these monitors (I had duals) are going to this mac and my 15" MBP. Perhaps i am used to to the generally good standard of PC aftermarket parts so I may have not thought of the adapter being crap as a factor for the ability to select screen resolutions?

To the OP - I am not using mirroring as I am aware that it reduces the res options but I did initially make this error when first fooling around with adding an external monitor.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

The adapter is aftermarket and I have no idea as to it's quality but the vga cable works perfectly and is the supplied one from Samsung. I can try another cable though.

I just didn't have the dvi connector as it was used previously with a vga only input monitor. However the output from the adapter is fine and image is sharp when I can select 1080p.

Try a different cable and see if that helps. If you can, I'd go up for a DVI connection. You'll get an improved picture and it's quite possible you could alleviate this problem. Parts are cheap and high quality from Monoprice.

Perhaps i am used to to the generally good standard of PC aftermarket parts so I may have not thought of the adapter being crap as a factor for the ability to select screen resolutions?

Generally, if the adaptor looks like it's decent quality it probably is.

To the OP - I am not using mirroring as I am aware that it reduces the res options but I did initially make this error when first fooling around with adding an external monitor.

FYI: OP = Original Poster. In this thread, that's you.

 

[fragmoider]

Try a different cable and see if that helps. If you can, I'd go up for a DVI connection. You'll get an improved picture and it's quite possible you could alleviate this problem. Parts are cheap and high quality from Monoprice.



Generally, if the adaptor looks like it's decent quality it probably is.



FYI: OP = Original Poster. In this thread, that's you.

Thanks..I meant other person but anyway so basically there is no way to get the mac via software to just fix the res?

If I need to go DVI then no problem, just don't want to waste time if it's not going to do anything. Might just see if I can source another adapter and save some bother.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

Indeed. Trying different versions of the thing you have is the best way to nail down the problem. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the cable you're using (monitors typically come with pretty cheap cables if they come with cables at all). Also try using it with a different computer with the same VGA cable and see if it also has the problem.

The problem seems to be with your computer not properly receiving the signal that tells it what resolutions the monitor supports. The monitor knows what resolutions it supports and tells the computer this. If the wire carrying that information is faulty, or the pin is out of place, or something along those lines, your MacBook won't get the correct information.

Still, going up to DVI in any case would be a good thing. See if you know anyone you could borrow the correct adaptor and cable from to try it out.