ibook freezes with dell 2405fpw/force 1920x1200

[Wultsch]

My ibook freezes when it attempts to detect the
display, though I can confuse it by plugging things in in a weird
order. Anyways the options that Tiger allows me include 1600x1200,
1920x1080 (aka 1080p) and some other that will not display. However
1920x1200 is not among them. Do you know anyway to force that
resolution?

Thanks in advance.

Edit:
IT works quite well at 1600x1200 and 1080p

 

[keithpetey]

i dont think the ibook can handle that resolution. it only has 32 mb or vram and its split between the displays when you use an external monitor.

My ibook freezes when it attempts to detect the
display, though I can confuse it by plugging things in in a weird
order. Anyways the options that Tiger allows me include 1600x1200,
1920x1080 (aka 1080p) and some other that will not display. However
1920x1200 is not among them. Do you know anyway to force that
resolution?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wultsch]

i dont think the ibook can handle that resolution. it only has 32 mb or vram and its split between the displays when you use an external monitor.

Not to be an ass but the math is fairly straight forward:
memory availible>= memory needed
32MB >= ibook display + external display
~32000000>= 1024*768*3 +1920*1200*3
~32000000>= 2359296 + 6912000
~32000000>= 9271296
~24MB>=0
The reason the the resolution is multiplied by 3 is that I am running it at 24 bit color, with 8 bits to a byte that makes it 3 byte color.

3d games are another matter

editted to make math cleaner

 

[wongulous]

omgwtflolbbqwhoa. math nerd alert!

I have no idea. You may be right, but we don't know if display resolution directly (and simply) converts to VRAM needs/usage. I somehow doubt it's that straightforward. On the other hand, maybe Apple put some kind of a limitation in, or you need a hack. I wish I had an answer.

Derailing your thread, what do you think of the monitor, personally? I'm interested.

 

[Wultsch]

omgwtflolbbqwhoa. math nerd alert!

I have no idea. You may be right, but we don't know if display resolution directly (and simply) converts to VRAM needs/usage. I somehow doubt it's that straightforward. On the other hand, maybe Apple put some kind of a limitation in, or you need a hack. I wish I had an answer.

Derailing your thread, what do you think of the monitor, personally? I'm interested.

Back in the day that used to be the way video memory worked. About a year and a half ago my desktop was Pentium Pro-200 Mhz (dual cpu) with 2 pci video cards with 2 MB ram a piece. I could only run my 21 inch crt's at 1600x1200x 16bit because of lack of ram. Under linux and Windows 9X that was how it worked. Also I know the monitor does work with the ibook because the first time I plugged it in it worked correctly, but never after that.

The monitor is quite nice. It is frankely just about too bright (better than not bright enough I guess) with very decent contrast. The color/brightness is consistent across the screen and the color calibration was decent enough that I did not mess with it when I got it. I hate the base and will probally build or buy a VESA arm. The display seems to be equaly sharp with vga (only if using a decent cable) or dvi. I have had some issues with the monitor freaking out under dvi, it was not common but annoying enough that I quit using dvi. I now generally use a dvi to vga adapter on the video card.

Further off topic:
I am kicking myself for not using a case with enough room for 2 hard drives so that I could run RAID 1, as the hard drive just died and necessitated getting the laptop to work with the monitor.
Also, DVD Player.app sucks. any good alternatives? VLC is a bit better, but anything out there that is amazing I wold love to know about.

 

[pknz]

What don't you like about DVD player?

 

[Wultsch]

What don't you like about DVD player?

My favorite DVD player is Power DVD, it upscales well, I love the fastforward/rewind controlled by the scrool whell on the mouse.

DVD Player.app does not seem to upscale all that well, I do not like having to use key combinations for actions, and I think it is semi retarded when it comes to capitions.

VLC seems to me to upscale better, but it does not seem like the port was all that well done for video to me.

 

[Wultsch]

I found a program that works quite well for forcing a new resolution: SwitchResX. $15 bucks though.