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Resolved Poor resolution when connecting MBP to 1080p monitor. Not sure why?

miamialley

miamialley

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 28, 2008
3,601
1,074
California, USA
My 2010 MBP is connected to an external 27"1080p external monitor via mini display port to HDMI (with adapter). The screen size fits in the monitor, but the resolution is very low (definitely not HD and definitely much lower than the standard resolution on the MBP). I've messed with various settings and am not sure what the problem may be. Any help?

Okay, correction. Here's my connector set up: mini display to DVI (adapter) > DVI to HDMI cable.
 
Last edited:
Go into system prefs/displays and make sure that the resolution is set on 1080p for the external monitor and that "mirror displays" is unchecked.
 
You shouldn't be losing any resolution. If it's set to 1080p or 1920x1080 (whichever it gives you, they're the same thing), then that's the resolution that it is displaying. HD is relative. Most 21" monitors use the same 1080p resolution as your 27, but in a smaller space, so it will look sharper. I have a 32" TV that I connect my computer to, and even at 1080p text, objects, etc, don't look as sharp as they do on my 20" monitor at 1680x1050. It has less to do with the actual resolution and more to do with pixel density and viewing distance.
 
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What monitor are you connecting it to, and what is its native resolution?
 
Freyqq said:
set it to 1920x1080
Click to expand...

This. When I first connected my 27" I had it set to 1080p and it looked awful. Once I changed it to 1920x1080 (or whatever native resolution your monitor handles) it looked perfect. Also I hadn't realized I was adjusting settings for the MBP screen so make sure you're in the correct tab.
 
As mentioned above a low PPI (in your case 81.59) is probably the reason for your disappointment.
 
Okay, I got it resolved. 1920x1080 was not an option using the adapter I had connected (listed in OP). I plugged in a mini display to HDMI adapter, then plugged an HDMI cable from the adapter into the monitor (I picked up this adapter tonight). Now the resolution is great.

Also, the full 27" screen is not utilized on the monitor until I close the MBP lid. That threw me off at first. Thanks guys for your help. :)
 
miamialley said:
Okay, I got it resolved. 1920x1080 was not an option using the adapter I had connected (listed in OP). I plugged in a mini display to HDMI adapter, then plugged an HDMI cable from the adapter into the monitor (I picked up this adapter tonight). Now the resolution is great.

Also, the full 27" screen is not utilized on the monitor until I close the MBP lid. That threw me off at first. Thanks guys for your help. :)
Click to expand...

Sounds like you probably also had it on mirrored. That just copies the two displays, so the resolution would be set at the lower of the two screen's maximum resolution.
 
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