Macbook Pro to 46" Plasma

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Hey guys,

I know there are numerous threads on this issue, I've read so many my eyes hurt, but I still haven't found a thread that gives me a lightbulb moment. I have a Panasonic 46" Plasma, 1920x1080 native resolution. Why when I plug in my MBP into the VGA input on the TV and I select 1920x1080 in the Display Prefs will the TV just go black? 1024x768 works and a couple others... Doesn't make sense to me. I used a DVI to HDMI adapter and the TV accepts 1920x1080 then, but the picture on the TV is surrounded by a black box. Shouldn't that resolution fill the whole screen since it is the TV's native res? I'm just trying to get the screen to display on my TV properly with no stretching or black borders... Can this be done? Am I missing something? Thanks!

Josh
 
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VGA cables are an aging standard that have been used on computer monitors for around a decade. The maximum resolution for standard VGA is 640x480. SVGA is a step up with 800x600. Then there is also the less familiar XGA, which is 1024x764, which i believe your tv supports since your problem starts at resolutions beyond 1024X768. Nevertheless, far from the 1080p(or i) you desire.

As for your DVI to HDMI issue with the black box border, my two suggestions are as follows.

1. You don't have overscan output selected in the display preferences box.
Have your tv connected to your MBP before you start.

hit:
-apple+spacebar (to bring up spotlight)
-type displays in the search bar
-click displays
-in the preference box displayed on your tv screen, with tabs for display, color, and options, click the options button
-If the overscan box is unchecked, check it.
-hit apple + Q to close display preferences boxes

Help?

If not, it may be as simple as grabbing your tv remote and find the button that adjusts the aspect ratio or size of the picture displayed, normally labeled P.Mode or P.Size or something close to that and hit that a few times and cycle through your view options until it looks right.

I have a 50" 1080p Samsung DLP connected to my macbook exactly how you have yours with the DVI to HDMI adapter and i had that same issue initially. It took me a bit of juggling between turning overscan on and off and then cycling through the different picture sizes on my tv but i found a perfect match within seconds

Hope this helps!

-XeroNineR
 
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Ok, let me start off by saying ignore everything XeroNineR just said. We're not talking about VGA resolutions, we're talking about a VGA cable, so there was nothing pertinent in XeroNineR's post as it pertains to your situation.

Let me first ask, have you set it up to mirror your Macbook's screen or do you have it set as an extended monitor? If you have it set to the former, that could be why you can't get the full resolution of the TV as you are limited by the maximum supported resolution of the Macbook.

What you need to do is either use the TV as a secondary screen or set it so that your Macbook's screen is closed while you are using the TV as the primary monitor, in which case you will be allowed to use the maximum supported resolution of the Macbook. To do the closed lid thing, close the lid and then plug something into the Macbook, either the display adapter or something that fits into the USB port.
 
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You don't mention what model TV or Mac, so I have to speculate a little.

1) Did you read the manual for the TV?

I see on cnet's website for a Panazonic Plasma...
The jack pack of the TH-46PZ85U is just about standard, including a pair of HDMI inputs on the back panel and a third to the side, for easier access. A VGA-style PC input is also on board (1,360x768 maximum resolution), ...

I'm guessing the TV is behaving as it should.


2) As for the black box issue using DVI, I suspect it is the "overscan" checkbox as mentioned by XeroNineR.

Scott
 
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XeroNineR post is definately relavant, many flat panels can only take limited resolutions via VGA. 1024x768 is quite often the highest.

Kash, i think your referring to MacBook display settings there? the MBP can run the second display at full res upto 2560x1600, simultaneously with the MBP's display.

Joshpreston, you really just need to play around with your particular configuration, play around with the apect settings of your panel aswell as the overscan settings on your MBP.
 
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Thanks for the input, guys. I have been messing with it, and with the overscan checkbox in the Display Prefs. I can get it so there are only black bars on the left and right sides, but that still sucks. I guess what really confuses me is if I set my Macbook Pro to output at 1920x1080, and that is my TV's native resolution, shouldn't that fit just right? Why doesn't it line up? My TV is a Panasonic TH46PZ80U if that helps.
 
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You're right, if you set the resolution to 1920 x 1080 it should fit the entire screen and not have any black bars. Perhaps you need to go into the TV's settings and make sure the screen is "stretched" properly (could be that the sides of the screen were moved inward via the setting that lets you center the image).
 
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The TV is set to Full mode, which fills the whole screen in any other application....so it's not that.
 

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