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2010 Mini with a LED HDTV 1080P TV Quality?

E

Evostar*

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 29, 2009
43
0
morning all!

I once hooked my XP machine up many of years ago to a TV and it looked truly awful!

im looking into a mini in new year and want to use my new Slim Samsung LED HDTV 40" 1080p due to space restrictions. i like things to look great and was wondering how well a mac displays icon and text etc on a TV. i have a DVI input but surely i'd go straight with HDMI? there is also a PC channel in my Source List too which i assume only handles the VGA and DVI inputs...

So to summarize does an 40" HDTV look as good as a normal Monitor?

Thanks All.

Evo*

P.s Anyone running a similar 1080p HDTV setup. can post a screenshot or a pic so i can imagine the size etc would be much appreciated.
 
I have a Samsung UN46C6300SF and a new Mac Mini unibody hooked up to it. Text and everything looks as good as any monitor I've ever had. But I mainly use it for Plex, which looks amazing as well. I'm hooked up via the mini's hdmi output.
 
No, the text won't look as good as a good monitor. It might look good enough to you though.
 
Here is my setup with a Vizio 42" LCD (NOT LED) TV with the 2010 Mini. I currently have it hooked up by HDMI and will agree that the text deos not look as crisp as with a desktop monitor, but for what I use it for it suffices.

I have heard that if you use the Mini Display Port to DVI with the included adapter that the picture is better, but then you have to have a way to get audio to your TV as HDMI does both. As soon as I can get my hands on a DVI to HDMI adapter I am going to try hooking it up that way to see if the picture improves any, just haven't had the time to get to it yet.

Sorry for the rough pic was taken with iPhone.
 

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b-rad g said:
Here is my setup with a Vizio 42" LCD (NOT LED) TV with the 2010 Mini. I currently have it hooked up by HDMI and will agree that the text deos not look as crisp as with a desktop monitor, but for what I use it for it suffices.
Click to expand...

I've connected both my '09 Mac Mini and my MacBook Pro to my Samsung TV via HDMI. I found that changing the settings on the TV, specifically adjusting the 'Sharpness' to 0 made the picture look the same as it does on a regular monitor. Before that change, any text was pretty horrible to read, especially the menu bar and window titles where there is some shadow effect.
 
dcoulson said:
I've connected both my '09 Mac Mini and my MacBook Pro to my Samsung TV via HDMI. I found that changing the settings on the TV, specifically adjusting the 'Sharpness' to 0 made the picture look the same as it does on a regular monitor. Before that change, any text was pretty horrible to read, especially the menu bar and window titles where there is some shadow effect.
Click to expand...

Will try that when I get home, thanks. I remember messing with the TV settings but I don't think I took Sharpness down to zero.
 
thanks for the replies guys. made me feel better about my decision.

would anyone be able to upload a desktop screenshot with webpage text etc @1080p as i can then view this from my ps3 to see a real comparison on my tv :D

thanks all
 
dcoulson said:
I've connected both my '09 Mac Mini and my MacBook Pro to my Samsung TV via HDMI. I found that changing the settings on the TV, specifically adjusting the 'Sharpness' to 0 made the picture look the same as it does on a regular monitor. Before that change, any text was pretty horrible to read, especially the menu bar and window titles where there is some shadow effect.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this tip!!! I changed the Sharpness to zero and the text is MUCH better on the eyes. I can read the screen clearly from across the room now.
 
1:1pixel mapping

Make sure you use only HDMI input on your TV to connect the new Mini. Also, check your TV manual, and use the HDMI input that is intended for PC hook- up. It's usually labeled HDMI/DVI. Forget about the analog VGA input.

Now, this is very important. You need to go into your TV source configuration, and rename that input as PC. Essentially, you want to label your HDMI/DVI input as PC.

When you connect Mini to that input, you will be able to get 1:1 pixel mapping, and the picture will visibly snap into focus, giving you very sharp text and icons. Mini has a horizontal slider control in display settings that allows you to adjust the size of the picture. With 1:1 pixel mapping you will not want to use it. The slider should be all the way to the left as far as it will go. If you are using the slider to fill the screen, you are not getting 1:1 pixel mapping, and your image on the screen will suffer. It is easy to tell when you obtain 1:1 pixel mapping as the picture is perfect.

Download and install kylo browser if you are viewing the TV from the couch across the room, e.g. using your TV as HTPC.

Mac Mini 2010 is fantastic when connected to HDTV. Enjoy it.
 
sdv5 said:
Make sure you use only HDMI input on your TV to connect the new Mini. Also, check your TV manual, and use the HDMI input that is intended for PC hook- up. It's usually labeled HDMI/DVI. Forget about the analog VGA input.
Click to expand...

This is not true. Typically the HDMI/DVI port on the TV has a 3.5mm audio input that goes along with it, but that is all that distinguishes it from the other HDMI ports. You can use any of the HDMI ports on the TV with a Mac, and if you are feeding audio to an external receiver you're not going to care which one is used.
 
It does not look like you own a Samsung TV or have ever connected a computer to Samsung TV.

OP, please use HDMI/DVI input on your Samsung LED TV, rename it as PC, disable scaling on your Mini, and you will get perfect picture with 1:1 pixel mapping. The manual for your Samsung TV will even tell you that you MUST use HDMI/DVI input to connect a computer via HDMI or DVI cable.

I am on my second Samsung TV, and have always had HTPC connected to them.
 
sdv5 said:
It does not look like you own a Samsung TV or have ever connected a computer to Samsung TV.
Click to expand...

I have my Macbook Pro connected via MDP->HDMI to a regular HDMI port on my LN52B750 TV. Works fine. I don't think I have anything connected to HDMI2/DVI on this TV.
 
I have my 2009 MacMini connected to my LG (from a few years back) 1080p and looks and sounds fine.

Using an Amazon purchased mini display port to HDMI.
 
Perhaps your mini display port to HDMI adapter can account for stable performance. Samsung has the most finicky, non-standard HDMI implementation of all HDTV manufacturers. It can be downright quirky.

There are too many complaints in multiple forums about Mac Mini kernel panicks or handshake issues when it is connected

a) to AVR together with multiple other devices and then to one HDMI input on the TV

b) directly to non-PC designated input on the TV

Some people have resorted to Geffen HDMI detective to make these problems go away. I have found (based on first hand experience) that problems disappear when Mini is connected to HDMI/DVI input. Moreover, when that input is renamed PC in Samsung's source menu, it is possible to achieve perfect 1:1 pixel mapping.
 
Thanks for the added info guys.

Just to confirm that on my Samsung LED UE40C6510 using the HDMI1/DVI port and going into the Source Renaming menu if i select "DVI PC" or "PC" for the name. the TV auto configures itself for best crystal clear results. im testing this from my PS3 showing a 1.5mb PNG Screenshot of SnowLeo Desktop with web pages etc opened @ 1080p (1:1). but it would serve the same if a mini was connected.

Evo*

image used for test http://www.gonemac.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/MacMini-Media-Center-Screen-shot-2009-12-02-at-3.53.38-PM.png
 
Last edited:
Your new Mac Mini should work really well with your TV. It is quite a bit more versatile than PS3 when used as media center. Here's what to do:

1) Connect Mini to Samsnung LED TV HDMI1/DVI input using HDMI cable. Get cable from Monoprice if you don't have one already.

2) Start Mini. When the Mini boots, you will see the desktop screen displayed on your TV. You will notice that parts of the screen are missing because of overscan. For example, the menu bar across the top of the screen will likely be cut off, and bottom of the dock will also be cut off.

3) At this point, the majority of people go into display properties settings, and move the slider to the right to shrink the picture, and get all of the desktop to appear. Don't do that because you will be scaling the picture, and will not get the best possible picture.

4) Instead, get your Samsung remote, choose source menu, navigate to HDMI1/DVI input, and then re-label, re-name that input as PC. Enter exactly PC and nothing else. When the change takes place, your Mac Mini desktop will automagically snap onto the screen in full 1080p resolution with 1:1 pixel mapping and no overscan. The slider control should remain the leftmost position, e.g., inactive.

5) You will notice that text, icons, and other stationary objects are noticeably sharper. You can run audio to your AVR using optical mini-to-Toslink cable also purchased from Monoprice.

Enjoy your Mini. It's a fantastic media center computer.
 
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