Custom Resolutions?

[andrewfee]

Hi, I've just bought a fantastic new 32" LCD TV, but I'm having some trouble getting the native resolution output from my Powerbook.

When I was in the store and hooked it up with VGA, the Powerbook automatically detected the native resolution (1360x768) and worked perfectly. I don't know if it's my VGA cable, or what it is, but it's not doing that with my set at home.

Right now I'm stuck on 1024x768 which is 1:1 pixel mapped, but in a 4:3 ratio.

I'm running Tiger, and was wondering if there are any apps as good as Powerstrip for OSX? I've tried a couple and neither have worked for me.

Can anyone help me out?

 

[trainguy77]

I just checked Versiontracker and this may be what you want: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21600 or http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/15467

I have never used them but they may help you.

 

[andrewfee]

Thanks, those are the two I've tried, but I've not been able to get them working - they're a lot more complex than Powerstrip, lol.

It might just be that they don't work on Tiger yet.

 

[cbiffle]

Just a thought:

The Apple portables have some sensitivity to how you plug in the monitor.

If you're using an adapter (such as a mini-VGA-to-VGA, or a DVI-to-VGA, etc.), make sure to attach it to the monitor, then the computer.

For some reason, when the portables see the adapter they go to a default resolution, because they can't ask the monitor for its configuration. (Why they don't wait for the monitor to be attached is beyond me.)

I'm not sure which PB you have, so this advice may be irrelevant. But good luck all the same!

 

[andrewfee]

The Apple portables have some sensitivity to how you plug in the monitor.

If you're using an adapter (such as a mini-VGA-to-VGA, or a DVI-to-VGA, etc.), make sure to attach it to the monitor, then the computer.

For some reason, when the portables see the adapter they go to a default resolution, because they can't ask the monitor for its configuration. (Why they don't wait for the monitor to be attached is beyond me.)

I'm not sure which PB you have, so this advice may be irrelevant. But good luck all the same!

Thanks, I had tried that, but it didn't work.

Real pain though because it took all of five seconds to get it working on my old PC, but I'm having such a hard time getting custom resolutions on the Powerbook.

It's a maxed out 17" btw. (see sig)

 

[cbiffle]

Never having owned a Powerbook, a "maxed out 17" means little to me as far as which display connector it has.

My attempts at rooting out the stored monitor settings in the filesystem have, so far, come to naught. At this point, my only advice would be the Detect Displays button.

The monitor should, ideally, communicate its capabilities to the machine, if you're using VGA or DVI. If it's not, there's a chance your machine has somehow 'decided' to run it at 1024x768 and cached that decision somewhere. But I'm talking out of my arse at this point.

Good luck all the same!

 

[andrewfee]

Never having owned a Powerbook, a "maxed out 17" means little to me as far as which display connector it has.

My attempts at rooting out the stored monitor settings in the filesystem have, so far, come to naught. At this point, my only advice would be the Detect Displays button.

The monitor should, ideally, communicate its capabilities to the machine, if you're using VGA or DVI. If it's not, there's a chance your machine has somehow 'decided' to run it at 1024x768 and cached that decision somewhere. But I'm talking out of my arse at this point.

Good luck all the same!

Yeah, I was thinking it could be something like that myself. I think it's this cable.

I have, however managed to get DisplayRes X working - I checked I could customize the lower resolutions, which worked, so I bought it (only £8) to get it working on the native resolution!

 

[trainguy77]

Good to hear!