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nightdweller25

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 2, 2005
421
0
I'm looking for a way to stretch the image on my tv that is connected to my PowerBook because right now the geometry isn't correct and I can't change it on the Display Preferences. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 

alexstein

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2004
739
3
what type of connection are you using? are you spanning or mirroring? what kind of tv? a couple more details would help to solve the problem.
 

nightdweller25

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 2, 2005
421
0
Sorry for the lack of details...

I am connecting my PowerBook (in sig) to a 27-inch TV through I think what is called S-Video (it's the one with the ride white and yellow connections) and I can switch from mirroring or spamming but neither of them give me the option of changing the geometry of the image.
 

alexstein

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2004
739
3
obliviously you detect your external screen with your powerbook! i just read your post again and i'm not sure if you can change the geometry of the screen! but you should be able to change it to a different resolution(if that is what you mean by geometry?) i'm not that familiar how it works with a powerbook since i compute on an ibook g4 but i have never had any trouble connecting it to an external screen(vga) or tv(whatever they sell at the apple store to make it happen i think its mini vga to supervideo).
 

nightdweller25

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 2, 2005
421
0
alexstein said:
obliviously you detect your external screen with your powerbook! i just read your post again and i'm not sure if you can change the geometry of the screen! but you should be able to change it to a different resolution(if that is what you mean by geometry?) i'm not that familiar how it works with a powerbook since i compute on an ibook g4 but i have never had any trouble connecting it to an external screen(vga) or tv(whatever they sell at the apple store to make it happen i think its mini vga to supervideo).
Obviously YOu did not read my post correctly. It is already connected to my TV at the resolution I want. By geometry I mean just that, the image is kind of squished and I want to stretch it out.
 

grapes911

Moderator emeritus
Jul 28, 2003
6,995
10
Citizens Bank Park
nightdweller25 said:
Obviously YOu did not read my post correctly. It is already connected to my TV at the resolution I want. By geometry I mean just that, the image is kind of squished and I want to stretch it out.

You'll almost never see a real clear picture when you hook a computer to a TV. Its very ugly to put text, icons, etc. on TV. Put in a DVD or play a movie. It will look much better.

Also, I don't think you can stretch out the image without changing the resolution.
 

croshtique

macrumors 6502
Apr 28, 2005
309
0
Cambridge, UK
I'm not sure it's possible to do this via the PowerBook unfortuneately. I've just been using my iBook with a widescreen TV - all is OK until it comes to watching movie files, and then the only solution was the alter the picture size on the TV (obviously that depends on the make/type of TV you're using).
 

alexstein

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2004
739
3
nightdweller25 said:
Obviously YOu did not read my post correctly. It is already connected to my TV at the resolution I want. By geometry I mean just that, the image is kind of squished and I want to stretch it out.

i was just trying to help out here! i'm not in front of your powerbook connected to the tv and further more you never said anything about the resolution or that you have it already set at the resolution you want it to be.

..and then what grapes911 said.
 

CanadaRAM

macrumors G5
NightD: Resolution IS how the Mac controls the geometry. There is no other way. If the Mac is putting out 1024 x 768 resolution, then the geometry is 1024 x 768.

Whether this displays correctly on your TV depends on the capabilities of the TV. Most TVs are not made to handle computer signals, and are doing well to achieve more than 500 lines of vertical resolution. If it is a widescreen LCD HD ready TV, then it could handle up to 1280 x 768 (the first HD resolution is 1280 x 720). Some widescreen TVs have controls for resizing standard aspect material by either stretching it, or by putting black borders left and right.

Bottom line: You're going to have to deal with the TV, not with the Mac. Your results may vary depending on the TV.

Some corrections:
Two monitors displaying different content is called spanning.
The S-Video connector is a single round connector that has (4 I think) pins within the shell plus a plastic key. It is coincidentally the same connection that Apple used for Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) keyboards and mice.
 
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