MacBook Pro Retina running external display

[treimche]

I'm looking for info on what type, resolution, etc, monitor I should look for that will be connected to my mid 2012 retina MacBook Pro. I sometimes connect it to an old benq 24" monitor but it looks very grainy. Ive done some research and am a bit confused as to what it will output via HDMI or mini display port. I doubt anything will come close to the quality of the retina screen, but would like to get something nice.

 

[treimche]

Now it appears I have discovered a problem with my MacBook Pro. Just for the hell of it, I dug out my old white plastic MacBook that I purchased way back in 2006, and connected it to the BenQ monitor to see how it looks these days. I opened up the same website on the 2012 MacBook Pro, using HDMI to the monitor, and the old MacBook is using DVI through a mini DVI to DVI adapter. What I found is very disappointing. The picture quality displayed on the external monitor looks much better when viewing the old MacBook. What the hell is that all about? There is something definitely wrong with this situation. The retina MacBook pro should EASILY look as good as an 8 year old MacBook when outputting to an external display. Realistically, it should look better, but the limitation of the external monitor's resolution is probably the limiting factor there. I wish there was an Apple store here in my city, because I would be going there right now to show them this problem and get an answer.

 

[Freyqq]

Don't use hdmi on monitors, only on TVs. Especially for older monitors. Hdmi standard has some issues differentiating between TVs and monitors, which can cause issues. Try it instead with minidisplayport.

 

[Lachhh]

DVI's a good bet, too. I have a 27" HD LED monitor hooked up to my rig via DVI & Apple's DVI to Thunderbolt adapter and it runs like a dream.

 

[treimche]

Cool, thanks for the tip. I'll probably try that on the current monitor to see how it goes before finally upgrading.

 

[philipp092]

Dell U2412M

I am having a similar Problem with my rMBP 13 late 2013.
When connecting to my DELL P2210 and U2412M (DIV, DP, VGA) the fonts are fuzzy/blurry which makes it unusable for serious work.
My old Thinkpad R500 handels it perfectly.

 

[treimche]

I snagged a mini display port to DVI adapter, and the image quality is way better on the external monitor now. Thanks to you people who suggested using something other than HDMI. That fixed my problem. I also found a 3rd party app for my MacBook that allows me to select any resolution for the monitor, not just the few that Apple gives us.

 

[thegreatdivorce]

I like my 27" Apple LED display. Connected via the thunderbolt port. Works great.