Custom external screen resolutions

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Bit of a specific one this but:

Using windows on a macbook I have connected an external monitor to it. It's an LG 22 with a max resolution os 1600x1080. Problem is that it's detected as a default monitor so the closest resolution I can get is 1600x900 or 1400x1050.

This is perfectly acceptable for watching films and stuff but when using it for work everything is slighty blurred. In windows I downloaded powerstrip but it didn't seem to respond to it well so I couldn't change the resolution.

Any ideas or does the macbook's graphics card simply not support the resolution I want?

Felix
 
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Which model do you have? Have you checked LG's website to see what they have to say on it?
 
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It's the LG 22ls4r.

The monitor is fine. I've had it running at 1600x1080 on my desktop pc so I know it can run that resolution.

Felix
 
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Oddly, I can't find a mention of that model anywhere on LG's website, even the UK-specific one (this appears to be a UK-specific model?). But according to this other webpage (link below), the resolution of that model is 1680x1050. And this isn't a computer monitor, but an LCD TV, right?
http://creativebits.org/mid-range_monitor_review_-_lg_22ls4r

Are you able to get it to run at 1680x1050? On the Displays pref panel, click the button labeled "Detect Displays"... that should give you what OS X thinks are the supported resolutions.
 

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According to the owners manual (dowloadable from here - it won't allow a direct link, so you'll have to put in Europe - UK - LCD - etc etc), you should be using 1680 x 1050 for either input you may be using - VGA or HDMI - however, if you are using HDMI - best I can tell there are two options for your selection, either HDMI/DVI-PC mode or HDMI/DVI-DTV mode - make sure you have selected PC mode.

See attached pics below from the owners manual.

Picture 7.png

Picture 8.png

Picture 9.png
 
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Maybe I was wrong. It probably is 1650X1080 and it is the LCD TV.

I think you're reading too much into the problem. The monitor works at its max resolution (whatever it is) because I've done it with a desktop PC.

But the resolution on windows (using bootmac) only gives me options of 1600x1200 which is out of the scan range, 1600X900 which looks horribly squashed and 1400x1050 which is a little streched. Basically the resolution I want isn't available and I don't think i can detect settings (like in OSX) because I'm in windows.

It's connected to the monitor via vga cable (using the mini-dvi to vga mac adapter).

Felix
 
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Ah... I'm sorry. I missed that the problem was in Windows rather than in OS X. Had it backwards actually. Well one thing to try is updating the drivers for Windows. Since you have a Macbook, that's a bit tricky since nVidia (assuming that's the card you have) doesn't support the installation of drivers for their mobile series, even though ALL of their cards use the same unified drivers. Linked below is a website that modifies the installer to allow updates for mobile chips... use at your own risk (again... I'm assuming you have an nVidia chip):
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9243

Getting ahold of the updated nVidia driver there should gain you their control panel for adjusting everything, and you should see the resolution settings you need.
 

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