Help connecting Macbookpro to Samsung lcd

[gustopalis]

Hopefully someone can help me.

I thought it would be pretty straight forward connecting my mbp to my lcd samsung. I'm using a belkin hdmi to dvi, and after I connect and select the input on the tv, all I see is the original os x background on the tv.

so at least im seeing something and the cable seems to be working, but that's all I see. I can't get anything else to display.

When I watch instruction videos people just seem to get the whole desktop with dash and everything to display right after connecting.

any advice would be extremely appreciated, thanks.

 

[Makosuke]

If you're seeing a background image, it sounds like it's working fine--it's appearing as a second monitor, it's just that there's nothing ON it.

In that state, try running the mouse pointer around the edges of the internal screen--betcha it pops onto the external monitor on one side. Drag a window over there to have it display on the 2nd monitor.

Go to System Preferences --> Displays with the monitor connected and showing a background; in the arrangement tab you should see two screens showing, one of which is your internal and one your external. You can drag them around to change the relative orientation of one to the other (for example, switch the second screen from the right to the left side to match their physical position), or you can drag the menu bar from one screen to the other to change which is the "main" screen--the one with the menu bar and that is assumed to be primary by opening applications.

If you want both screens to show the same thing, check the "Mirror" box (forget which tab it is in, and I'm at a machine with only one screen right now--probably the arrangement one). You can also check the "Show Displays in Menu Bar" box to add a little menu on the right side from which you can adjust most settings without opening the preferences.

You can, incidentally, change the desktop patterns individually from the appropriate preference pane.

Note that if you wake the MBP with an external mouse or keyboard while it is closed and a monitor is attached, it'll disable the internal screen and assume it's being run with only the external.

 

[aaronw1986]

Hopefully someone can help me.

I thought it would be pretty straight forward connecting my mbp to my lcd samsung. I'm using a belkin hdmi to dvi, and after I connect and select the input on the tv, all I see is the original os x background on the tv.

so at least im seeing something and the cable seems to be working, but that's all I see. I can't get anything else to display.

When I watch instruction videos people just seem to get the whole desktop with dash and everything to display right after connecting.

any advice would be extremely appreciated, thanks.

Seems like it is just extending it, so it is working. If you just want to use that, you need to close the lid and use an external keyboard and mouse. If you just want to make it the main screen there are preferences under displays where you need to drag the top bar to the tv.