MBP to External Monitor

[n8236]

Hi,

I have a 27" Planar monitor hooked up to my Macbook Pro (via HDMI), but it doesn't look as crisp as my laptop's screen. I'm not sure if it's a resolution issue or what.

The MBP's max resolution is 1440x900. Monitor's max resolution is 1920x1080.

What can I do to make the external monitor look sharper? Change Underscan?When I go into System Preferences of Display, there isn't a selection for MBP's 1440x900 for the external monitor. The ext. monitor is currently running on 1080p.

 

[Rmafive]

Hi,

I have a 27" Planar monitor hooked up to my Macbook Pro (via HDMI), but it doesn't look as crisp as my laptop's screen. I'm not sure if it's a resolution issue or what.

The MBP's max resolution is 1440x900. Monitor's max resolution is 1920x1080.

What can I do to make the external monitor look sharper? Change Underscan?When I go into System Preferences of Display, there isn't a selection for MBP's 1440x900 for the external monitor. The ext. monitor is currently running on 1080p.

Do you connect in Clamshell mode or do you use your external display with the computer open? If so, make sure you are not mirroring the display. I would imagine that the reason things don't look crisp is because of the low resolution on your display. 1920x1080 seems fairly low for a 27" monitor, since you are sitting so close.

 

[Macman45]

Using HDMI connection you aren't going to get the maximum res. Underscan only changes the display area if things go off the external screen. Can you connect it using a different method? What ports do you have on the external?

 

[Rmafive]

Using HDMI connection you aren't going to get the maximum res. Underscan only changes the display area if things go off the external screen. Can you connect it using a different method? What ports do you have on the external?

His monitor's max resolution is 1920x1080, which is the max for hdmi.

 

[n8236]

I am mirroring the MBP's screen.

I am about 24" inches away from the monitor.

From a farther distance, it does look better.

Am I SOL?

 

[Stetrain]

1920x1080 is pretty low resolution for a 27" display if you're trying to use it as a monitor on your desk. Many 27" monitors are 2560x1440.

Also you may get better results using extended desktop rather than mirroring, since mirroring forces both displays to be the same resolution.

 

[Rmafive]

I am mirroring the MBP's screen.

I am about 24" inches away from the monitor.

From a farther distance, it does look better.

Am I SOL?

Problem 1 is that you should not be mirroring, as you only get an effective 1440x900 pixels on a 27 inch display. Problem 2 is that your display is only 1920x1080!

 

[n8236]

Problem 1 is that you should not be mirroring, as you only get an effective 1440x900 pixels on a 27 inch display. Problem 2 is that your display is only 1920x1080!

ARGH!

I have to mirror because of the physical setup on my desk. It's also because I have a neck problem.

Well, I guess this gives me an excuse to buy another monitor...

 

[Rizzm]

As others have said, 1080p is low for a 27", which is why things don't look as sharp. Pixels are stretched more since the screen is so large.

Also, the latest spec HDMI supports up to 4096 x 2160.

 

[Stetrain]

ARGH!

I have to mirror because of the physical setup on my desk. It's also because I have a neck problem.

Well, I guess this gives me an excuse to buy another monitor...

What about using it with the MBP closed and an external keyboard and mouse plugged in?

Another option would be to choose extended desktop mode and drag the menu bar graphic over to the external display in the preferences screen. That would set your external 1080p monitor as the primary display.

 

[eron]

Put the 27" 1080p monitor 3 metres away, and it will look crisper. Better still, put it much much further away, and it can claim Retina status.

Basically smaller physical size screens with higher resolution will provide better images.

 

[n8236]

Thanks for all the tips, but the picture is still pretty crappy on this 27". Guess I'll be investing into another monitor with nutty resolutions. Prolly need a pretty high-end one too since I'll be purchasing the MBP Retina.

 

[titanflyer]

I hooked my macbook up to an HD TV because I could buy a 42 inch LCD for 500 bucks. 1080p is plenty for me, but I found that HDMI connection would try and overscan and I couldn't get it to stop. Looked fuzzy and grainy, so I tried VGA which basically sucks as its analog, but it looks perfect. Give it a shot and see if you are having the same issue.

 

[n8236]

It just doesn't make sense to me, my MBP is 1440x900 and my external is 1920x1080. Shouldn't the ext monitor look just as sharp on the laptop?

Would purchasing a monitor w/ a resolution of 2560 x 1440 help?

 

[ahpiang007]

It just doesn't make sense to me, my MBP is 1440x900 and my external is 1920x1080. Shouldn't the ext monitor look just as sharp on the laptop?

Would purchasing a monitor w/ a resolution of 2560 x 1440 help?

Provided you are not gonna use the mirroring mode. It will only output the lower resolution to both which is 1440x900 in your case. It will not help even if you get a 4K display.

 

[theSeb]

Hi,

I have a 27" Planar monitor hooked up to my Macbook Pro (via HDMI), but it doesn't look as crisp as my laptop's screen. I'm not sure if it's a resolution issue or what.

The MBP's max resolution is 1440x900. Monitor's max resolution is 1920x1080.

What can I do to make the external monitor look sharper?

Change the monitor. Seriously. 1920x1080 is fine on TVs that you sit some distance away from or 24" screens and smaller, but I would not use a 27" monitor with a 1920x1080 resolution on a desk. The resolution is just too low and no amount of tweaking the settings will help to fix that.

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It just doesn't make sense to me, my MBP is 1440x900 and my external is 1920x1080. Shouldn't the ext monitor look just as sharp on the laptop?

Would purchasing a monitor w/ a resolution of 2560 x 1440 help?

Except that the screens are different sizes. So work out the pixel per pinch on both and compare.

27" 1920 x 1080 = ~82 pixels per inch
15" 1440 x 900 = 113.21 PPI

There might be other things at play here as well besides the PPI, like the quality of the monitor itself. In general, a 27" with 1920x1080 resolution is not a quality monitor, just by looking at the resolution of the panel.

Yes, 2560x1440 is a good resolution on a 27" monitor and it would help.
27" 2560x1440 = ~109 PPI

(these calculations are pure pixel per inch and do not account for viewing distance)