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rMBP - Text is blurry on external display

Yep, same problem :(

I've got a late 2012 rMBP, using a BenQ M2400HD external monitor. It looks blurry and washed out. It's nothing to do with font smoothing or any of that. It looks exactly like a monitor looks when running at its non-native resolution, except the colors are more faded too. I've stopped using the external display it looks so offensive compared to the retina display, even though as a web developer I really need the extra 'real estate'. Looks fine on my Windows machine of course. It does not consider the display a television. I'm running off the HDMI port, and have just ordered a TB-DVI adapter from eBay to see if that helps. I'll report back.

Pretty disappointing really from a machine with the best native display on the market. Even the cheapest Windows crapola gets this right.
 
yg17 said:
Jeez, I forgot about this thread. D'oh.

I finally ended up using a mDP->DVI cable from Monoprice and now it looks good. It's still extremely annoying as I'd like to be able to use mDP->Anything and not have it look like crap. But for now, it will do.
Click to expand...

I'm using the same adapter on a Dell U2412 and text etc. looks fine.
 
Same problem here

MacBook Air 13" with PNY Mini Display Port to HDMI adapter. Monitor is ASUS VE248. Resolution set to 1080p. Font smoothing is on. Fonts look pretty bad. Not terrible, but fairly blurry/fuzzy.

My Linux box connected to this same monitor looks very sharp/precise.

I don't have a huge need for this to work better, but that my Debian/KDE system outperforms the Mac on *font smoothing* is pretty pathetic.
 
There is an option in the 'Displays' prefpane called "overscan compensation".

It's usually a slider bar and you slide it as far to the left as you can. Should fix this issue.
 
Results with new TB->DVI adapter...

OK, so now I've got my screen plugged in to a Thunderbolt port. It is better but the text specifically is pretty horrible, even after turning on the font smoothing. At least it's useable now. Anyway I've ordered me a Cinema Display now, so this will only be an issue on my *third* monitor. :)
 
alphaod said:
There is an option in the 'Displays' prefpane called "overscan compensation".

It's usually a slider bar and you slide it as far to the left as you can. Should fix this issue.
Click to expand...

I don't have that option.

It's a moot point, though, since I ran an update yesterday, and now my Asus monitor is no longer even recognized. Nice.

Not a problem with the adapter, because it works fine if I hook it up to my TV. I get the feeling HDMI support is not a high priority.

Well...not a big deal. Just kind of disappointing.
 
More info

My ASUS monitor is still unrecognized, even though it worked for a day.

I can plug in with the same cable and Thunderbolt->HDMI adapter to my Panasonic TV, and to my wife's LG monitor, and it works fine.

Something is really weird with the ASUS, I guess.
 
I am using a Samsung S29B970 27" @ 2560 x 1440 connected to my MBPr through displayport mini > displayport. And I can't look past how ugly the fonts look on it. I saw that some of you wanted screenshots so here are a couple of examples of what I mean:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48736274/1.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48736274/2.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48736274/3.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48736274/4.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/48736274/5.png

Maybe some of you will think that this is not so bad, but there is a huge difference between this and the laptop screen that I don't think is justifiable.
 
I have the same issue with a Dell 2408WFP. It's running at the correct native resolution connected via DVI and the fonts look like rubbish. The same monitor is fine on a PC. I've also tried connecting the MBP to other models of monitor and have the same issue.

We have a variety of different configurations here at work. Some of the older models don't have this problem and some of the newer models don't either. I've compared my system to a co-worker's and he has a newer model without the problem. Using his monitor, mine displays blurry fonts. We both have GeForce FT 650M chipsets but his has a much higher gMux Version. Don't know if that matters. My video info:

NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M:

Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x8
VRAM (Total): 1024 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0fd5
Revision ID: 0x00a2
ROM Revision: 3682
gMux Version: 1.9.23
Displays:
DELL 2408WFP:
Resolution: 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Display Serial Number: JU43686D2DES
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
 
Same issue here with native resolution 1920x1200 on a 24" Siemens E24W-1AD display connected to Macbook Pro 13" with mDP -> DVI. Works like a charm connected to a PC.

Has someone reported this as a bug at Apple yet?
 
More of the same

Late 2012 13" MBP with Dell U2412M and Monoprice MDP>DVI adapter. EVERYTHING looks awful - colors are off, text is blurry, video is blurry and jerky. And I bought it to do Photoshop. I will call in to AppleCare but the monitor is going back and I see no reason to order another one until this bug is fixed. Glad I started Googling before I wasted hours trying to set the display up.

This really stinks.
 
6-months on and apple still haven't fixed this? shame, shame.

also, is this issue across-the-board with third party screens? do i have no chance of this working pleasantly if i link up to my old external display?
 
I have a rMBP hooked up to a Dell S2440L, which only has HDMI and VGA. I tried to HDMI and it wasn't too bad but the font isn't very sharp at all and the colors a bit dull. When I tried the Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter, it was neither sharp or good colors.

Then I installed Windows 7 via Bootcamp and when I use the monitor with Windows, the text is sharp and the colors are great....Why would this be and is there any fix for it?
 
Before I order this completely ridiculous workaround I am going to attempt...has anyone tried. MiniDP to DVI to DVI to HDMI cable? My monitor doesn't have DVI or I would just try that instead. If that doesn't work than it's either wait for an Apple fix :confused::confused: or buy a new monitor with DVI which seems to fix this issue.
 
Per Apple, no known problem

Just got off the phone with Apple support and they say there is no known problem with external monitors. The tech was very confused that I returned the Dell with the horrible image because now there was nothing for him to troubleshoot. He dismissed this thread completely.

I just sent this link to product feedback via the Apple support page. They rarely respond, but they do read everything they get. Best next step I could think of.
 
Last edited:
This is crazy. First, theres no way to use an iMac screen with a PC or PS3. Now I can't even get a rMBP with external monitor (without it looking crap). All I want is to have a Mac and be able to game on PC or PS3.

Does anyone know if the Mac Mini has this same blurry text problem?

Shame on :apple:
 
My retina 13 i5 2.5 looks perfect on my dell u2711 and my hp lp2475w... With startech minidisplayport to displayport adapter...
 
Although this started as a rMBP problem, I've noticed a few people also having issues with their Airs and inquiring about the Mini. I'm not sure if this is implying a hardware or software issue, but I'll add in my setup.

I can say on my end, with a cMBP 13" 2012, I have no issues with text on my Asus VH236H. I am using a Monoprice TB/MDP -> DVI adaptor. The colors look terrible, but I can (try) to fix that and it doesn't have anything to do with the problems here.
 
I had exactly the same problem as many people here, and in my case it was an easy fix. OS X thinks my monitor is a TV, and is using the YCbCr colour space rather than RGB. I had to override an EDID setting to force the RGB colour space, and it is now working correctly.

Here's how to do it:
http://ireckon.net/2013/03/force-rg...ix-the-picture-quality-of-an-external-monitor

(I go on a bit of a rant about Apple forums in the post, I was pretty frustrated with some responses. Scroll to the bottom to see the fix, though.)
 
hi fellas,
i just want to chip in my two cents about this external monitor ordeal. i was at one time frustrated to get it to work properly and "i think" i finally got it figured out.

anyway, i got an auria monitor from micro center that has 2560x1440 resolution for $399 and i wanted to use it as an external monitor for my mac and pc. my pc was able to stream 2560x1440 resolution through an hdmi cable, the thin hdmi cable i got at the apple store. however, my fifteen inch retina cannot achieve the same resolution as my pc through the same hdmi cable. though, i was able to get 1920x1080 on the monitor, but the pictures is blurry and unusable because it is scaled up to 2560x1440.

then i get this display cable from amazon for fourteen bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A7R9I2M/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
i got one the first time and it didn't work and i return it. a few months later i revisited the ad again and there were better reviews with people using it for their macs and i decided to give it a try again out of giggle. the second time result in the same conflict as the first time. but i think i did something with the screen mirroring that got the monitor to "communicate properly" through the cable. i just switch to screen mirroring and set the resolution to 2560x1440 and switch out of mirror mode, and i kept playing with it this way a few times persistently and somehow it finally work. that amazon link also has one of my reviews as well.
the cable is good quality, it is solid, connection is tight, and has stress relieve shoulder where the cable exits the plug. however, the cable is chinese made, and the price speaks for the consistency of the quality. so you might end up with a "bad cable", if you want to give it a try then buy about two to three cable at a time to reduce your chance of a bad cable and return them once you find a working cable.

this same cable i was able to get both mid2012 2.0GHz macbook air 11 and mid2012 15 retina to stream 2560x1440 native resolution to the screen. the hdmi cable, however, i was not able to achieve this resolution on the 15 retina. i dont think the hdmi cable has issue because on this same cable i was able to achieve that resolution with my pc. i think the 15 retina cannot stream more than 1920x1080 through the hdmi port.
 
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I am having a similar problem, the resolution is fine but the text looks unusually blurry. Im using the AOC i2353
 
xxcysxx said:
hi fellas,
i just want to chip in my two cents about this external monitor ordeal. i was at one time frustrated to get it to work properly and "i think" i finally got it figured out.

anyway, i got an auria monitor from micro center that has 2560x1440 resolution for $399 and i wanted to use it as an external monitor for my mac and pc. my pc was able to stream 2560x1440 resolution through an hdmi cable, the thin hdmi cable i got at the apple store. however, my fifteen inch retina cannot achieve the same resolution as my pc through the same hdmi cable. though, i was able to get 1920x1080 on the monitor, but the pictures is blurry and unusable because it is scaled up to 2560x1440.

then i get this display cable from amazon for fourteen bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A7R9I2M/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
i got one the first time and it didn't work and i return it. a few months later i revisited the ad again and there were better reviews with people using it for their macs and i decided to give it a try again out of giggle. the second time result in the same conflict as the first time. but i think i did something with the screen mirroring that got the monitor to "communicate properly" through the cable. i just switch to screen mirroring and set the resolution to 2560x1440 and switch out of mirror mode, and i kept playing with it this way a few times persistently and somehow it finally work. that amazon link also has one of my reviews as well.
the cable is good quality, it is solid, connection is tight, and has stress relieve shoulder where the cable exits the plug. however, the cable is chinese made, and the price speaks for the consistency of the quality. so you might end up with a "bad cable", if you want to give it a try then buy about two to three cable at a time to reduce your chance of a bad cable and return them once you find a working cable.

this same cable i was able to get both mid2012 2.0GHz macbook air 11 and mid2012 15 retina to stream 2560x1440 native resolution to the screen. the hdmi cable, however, i was not able to achieve this resolution on the 15 retina. i dont think the hdmi cable has issue because on this same cable i was able to achieve that resolution with my pc. i think the 15 retina cannot stream more than 1920x1080 through the hdmi port.
Click to expand...

So the gist of it is that the rMBP's HDMI output does not support anything higher than 1080p? That's actually good to know, thanks. Cables matter, too. Monoprice is usually the go to place for everyone, I'm assuming?
 
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swerve147 said:
So the gist of it is that the rMBP's HDMI output does not support anything higher than 1080p? That's actually good to know, thanks. Cables matter, too. Monoprice is usually the go to place for everyone, I'm assuming?
Click to expand...

well, yeah, in a sense. but that's not all i was trying to point out, and that there are options. like if you have a high resolution monitor that's above 1920x1080, and you try use it your retina laptop through an hdmi cable, you probably wouldn't get the desire result. but there are display port, and the cable is so cheap, and it support much higher resolution, with almost no latency, and it stream sound too.
i was ready to pull the plug on a mini display port to dual channel dvi cable, but i learn that the cables uses a converter circuitry that is driven by an external power source to do the conversion. this is undesirable since more parts means more points or failure, and that conversion circuitry could be flaky, and since there is an interface in between the cable, there is going to be some latency. plus they're all made in china anyway, so why not go with something cheaper.

oh, and by the way. if you choose to go with the cheap display port cable, it would be better to get a shortest cable if you can. they are made in china and i can't speak anything about its shielding process, or if there is any. so the longer the cable there is higher chance of a bad cable. because longer cable are more susceptible to interference and you could get drop outs on your screen and stuff like that. oh, and don't think that because display port or thunderbolt is "digital" would mean they don't get interference, these interface port uses very high frequency to transmit the high data bandwidth. so a good shielding cable is important to keep the connection reliable.

i hope that help
 
^^Great info, thanks again. I did read somewhere that the dual-link DVI to Display port cable wasn't behaving perfectly for everyone, and this confirms it. My sister has an older Dell 3007WFP so she only has a Dual DVI output, hopefully the Apple cable works out for her.
 
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