This is driving me crazy.
I have been using a Dell Ultrasharp 20" (1600x1200) with my MBP (both OS X and Windows in Boot Camp) and it worked flawlessly.
I just got a new LCD (Hann.G 22", 1680x1050). Hooked it up to my MBP, and the text looked horrible in OS X, but good in Windows. By horrible, I mean the text looks as if it is displayed in wrong resolution - it looks like MBP thinks the external LCD is lower res (for example, 1280x800) and scaled up.
Of course, the display settings are all correct.
Safari looks bad on the external, looks good on the built-in LCD. If I move Safari from external to the built-in, then move back to external, it looks good - until I go to a link which refreshes the page.
Since it works perfectly in Windows, this is not a hardware problem. It has to be something in OS X.
However, Ultrasharp (1600x1200) works fine with OS X.
There are two differences between the Ultrasharp and HannG.
1. Resolution: 1600x1200 vs 1680x1050
2. Ultrasharp is IPS panel (real 8-bit). HannG is TN (6-bit). So maybe the problem is with dithering. However, I believe MBP's built-in display is also TN, and text looks fine on the built-in.
I have tried all the Font smoothing style in the Appearance control panel. No improvement.
Any ideas?
I have been using a Dell Ultrasharp 20" (1600x1200) with my MBP (both OS X and Windows in Boot Camp) and it worked flawlessly.
I just got a new LCD (Hann.G 22", 1680x1050). Hooked it up to my MBP, and the text looked horrible in OS X, but good in Windows. By horrible, I mean the text looks as if it is displayed in wrong resolution - it looks like MBP thinks the external LCD is lower res (for example, 1280x800) and scaled up.
Of course, the display settings are all correct.
Safari looks bad on the external, looks good on the built-in LCD. If I move Safari from external to the built-in, then move back to external, it looks good - until I go to a link which refreshes the page.
Since it works perfectly in Windows, this is not a hardware problem. It has to be something in OS X.
However, Ultrasharp (1600x1200) works fine with OS X.
There are two differences between the Ultrasharp and HannG.
1. Resolution: 1600x1200 vs 1680x1050
2. Ultrasharp is IPS panel (real 8-bit). HannG is TN (6-bit). So maybe the problem is with dithering. However, I believe MBP's built-in display is also TN, and text looks fine on the built-in.
I have tried all the Font smoothing style in the Appearance control panel. No improvement.
Any ideas?