Switching display mode with PC keyboard

[Bitgod]

So I'm sharing a PC keyboard between my mini and my PC, and I have my mini plugged into my TV and a computer display. When I use the display I need to have mirroring turned on and when I'm using the TV I turn it off so it goes back to the TV resolution.

Is there a shortcut or an app that I can use to toggle the modes from the keyboard rather than what I'm doing at the moment, which is jumping on my ipad and VNCing in so I can turn the mirroring on? I'd seen cmd-F1 mentioned, but it doesn't do anything for me.

 

[Giuly]

Have you tried SwitchResX and it's menu bar item?

 

[Bitgod]

Hmmm, that might do, thanks.

 

[Genocyde]

I have a similar question, but I'm still planning on how I want to do this.

I have a mac mini aluminum 2010 that I use as my main computer. About 20 feet away in the same room I have my 720p HDTV. I've seen a few 30ft HDMI cables on newegg, and I got the idea to use the mini as a full time computer, and part time HTPC.

Can you not use both displays at the same time, in their native resolutions? I would have my monitor connected to the mini displayport, and the HDMI cable running from obviously the hdmi port to the tv.

I would mainly be using it to watch videos through itunes, so I can easily use my iphone with the remote application. Any experience with this?

 

[Giuly]

Don't get any 30' HDMI 1.3 cable under $150, or move your Mini next to the HDTV and use a rather cheap VGA or DVI cable to connect it to your screen, and Wireless keyboard and mouse. And you want to get the aluminum remote.

Yes, you can connect both displays at it's native resolution at the same time, as long as you don't mirror them to get the same image on both screens. Then you're limited to a single resolution for both of them.

 

[Bitgod]

I think the problem is the underscan option. So I have my HDMI plugged into my TV(1920x1080) and mini-DP-to-DVI going into a 24" 1920x1200 display. If I have mirroring off, then I can adjust the underscan so that it looks fine on my TV, and then the issue is if I want to sit down in front of my computer display to use it, it's in extended desktop so I have to switch it back to mirrored.

Once I do that though, in mirrored it disables the unscan option, so I'm losing the top and bottom of my image on the TV. If it didn't disable that, then I could keep it in mirrored mode all of the time. But I can understand if it's mirrored on 2 displays, if you were to enable the underscan, it would affect both displays too, so either way, I'd have to go back and forth. And if I recall right, the display res is always at 1080 as long as the TV is connected. In Displays it'll give me a x1200 option, but won't let me choose it.