Would the Dell S2415H work fine on latest Mac Mini?

[A Loutfi]

Hi,

I have the latest Mac Mini and have been looking for a GLOSSY monitor to pair with that for ages! I use my Mac Mini for amateur photo editing and daily web surfing. Currently my only option is the Dell S2414H, but I've heard mixed reviews about connecting Macs to external monitors via HDMI (the only input available on the Dell, besides VGA of course), and therefore am wary of pulling the trigger on one. My other option is the HP Pavilion 25xw, but I find the 'low haze' screen rather off-putting.

Any thoughts? Or other (glossy) monitor recommendations for that matter?

Cheers!

 

[Synchro3]

The Dell S2414H is a full HD monitor (1920 x 1080 resolution at 60Hz), so no problem with HDMI of the Mac Mini.

 

[A Loutfi]

The Dell S2414H is a full HD monitor (1920 x 1080 resolution at 60Hz), so no problem with HDMI of the Mac Mini.

Good to hear that! But I'd read somewhere that connecting using HDMI makes text blurry/fuzzy; hence my query.

 

[Bart Kela]

There are millions of Macs and millions of HDMI monitors; both have been around for years.

If this were really a widespread and common problem, I would think there would be more conversation and news items about this issue. But I'm not seeing it here, at Cnet, at AppleInsider, or other places.

A lot of "advice" on the Internet is of dubious quality.

You sign up here today, ask a question and believe that some unnamed source is more convincing than the site you just signed up for?

I suggest you reveal the source of this "fuzzy HDMI" claim so readers here can analyze its validity.

 

[jasnw]

You sign up here today, ask a question and believe that some unnamed source is more convincing than the site you just signed up for?

OK, first to the OP - ignore this guy. Most people here want to help, not insult.

Second, the OP came here with a valid question. If you know that linking to a good monitor from a Mini via HDMI works without fuzziness you just say "Hey, it works for me no problem" or if more info is needed, point out what the newbie needs to provide in order to get a better answer.

In fact, this is a question I've had. So what IS the answer?

 

[Bart Kela]

It should be fine although I have no actual experience with the specific Dell monitor model in question.

I'm not at home, but my Mac mini 2010 is plugged into a ten year old Dell monitor, probably via HDMI, so yeah, going on seven years in this configuration.

Again, if this really were a problem, it would seem likely that there would be plenty of threads in the Mac mini forum discussion area about this.

I still want to see the source of this "fuzzy HDMI" claim. There are a lot of hare-brained, dubious writing on the Internet, way more now than in the Nineties. They now even have a name for it: fake news.

 

[Celerondon]

Yes the monitor will work fine for you but yes there is an issue. I don't think that the problem is a big deal but it is real. Just now when I started to use the Google search function l only managed to type "Mac mini HDMI f_" and it guessed "Mac mini HDMI fuzzy text. Next my monitor was covered with a screenful of questions and solutions. This issue has been known for years. It has been discussed here on the MacRumors forums countless times.

It probably seems like a big thing because:

1. Not every HDMI user encounters the problem. (This factor builds resistance to acceptance of the issue a "real problem" which, in turn hampers the affected users.)
2. Many of the users who experience this problem are new to Mac, HDMI, or adjusting OS X to suit a monitor.

That monitor appears to have great features for a really low price. If you are set on a glossy screen, I suggest that you do your homework and research solutions to this issue until feel comfortable with the purchase. Use your "Google Fu". After you have read ten or so solutions from different sources, consider the fact that (with any luck) you might not even get a chance to try one!

 

[now i see it]

Good to hear that! But I'd read somewhere that connecting using HDMI makes text blurry/fuzzy; hence my query.

Either you read that wrong or someone else posted wrong information. HDMI & DVI are both digital signals. Their visual output is identical. Razer sharp. VGA on the other hand is analog and you will definitely see blurriness using that crap input.

 

[Celerondon]

Good to hear that! But I'd read somewhere that connecting using HDMI makes text blurry/fuzzy; hence my query.

Either you read that wrong or someone else posted wrong information. HDMI & DVI are both digital signals. Their visual output is identical. Razer sharp. VGA on the other hand is analog and you will definitely see blurriness using that crap input.

Oops! This is why I told you to search A Loutfi. These chaps may tell you that the problem is unlikely or even impossible but that is simply an indication that they did not check before posting.

Rather than the HDMI making the text blurry, it is more like the computer misidentifies the monitor through HDMI. If the monitor is treated as a television set rather than a modern HD display device, chaos ensues...

Here, read this! -> https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-screen-blurry.1902129/#post-21703566

 

[Fishrrman]

Celendron has the correct answer above.

Also, using a VGA connection DOES NOT necessarily result in "fuzzy" text. I used VGA for a few years to connect to a Dell 1905, and the text was just fine...

 

[Brandon123]

Rather than the HDMI making the text blurry, it is more like the computer misidentifies the monitor through HDMI.

I run a Macbook Air via HDMI (Belkin adapter) to an external monitor, (Samsung) with no problems. The blurry text thing is another story (has nothing to do with HDMI), as Celerondon explains. I was scared about that as well when I was about to hook up my MBA to an external monitor, but seems this is mainly a problem with Dell monitors (with no official support for Mac).

See for example https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/external-monitor-quality-issues.1971027/ for more info on that.

 

[jpietrzak8]

VGA on the other hand is analog and you will definitely see blurriness using that crap input.

I use VGA input on one of my LCD monitors to this day, and I can attest to clear, razor-sharp images on it. Analog communication between a digital source (the PC) and a digital display (the LCD panel) is inefficient and wasteful, but there is absolutely no reason why you should have any "blurriness" to the picture.

 

[A Loutfi]

Oops! This is why I told you to search A Loutfi. These chaps may tell you that the problem is unlikely or even impossible but that is simply an indication that they did not check before posting.

Rather than the HDMI making the text blurry, it is more like the computer misidentifies the monitor through HDMI. If the monitor is treated as a television set rather than a modern HD display device, chaos ensues...

Here, read this! -> https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-screen-blurry.1902129/#post-21703566

Hi, Celerondon! Sorry for the late reply; that's exactly what I was referring to.
[doublepost=1488012113][/doublepost]

I use VGA input on one of my LCD monitors to this day, and I can attest to clear, razor-sharp images on it. Analog communication between a digital source (the PC) and a digital display (the LCD panel) is inefficient and wasteful, but there is absolutely no reason why you should have any "blurriness" to the picture.

I want to be able to watch content that has digital rights management, VGA won't allow that.
[doublepost=1488013743][/doublepost]

Oops! This is why I told you to search A Loutfi. These chaps may tell you that the problem is unlikely or even impossible but that is simply an indication that they did not check before posting.

Rather than the HDMI making the text blurry, it is more like the computer misidentifies the monitor through HDMI. If the monitor is treated as a television set rather than a modern HD display device, chaos ensues...

Here, read this! -> https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-screen-blurry.1902129/#post-21703566

So, I'm currently researching how users work around the TV mode thing; but now I have one more question, S2415 or U2515? I'm totally for glossy, but the U2515's native resolution is enticing and the price difference isn't an issue.

 

[frank4]

I'm running 2 Dell S2340L glossy 1080P HDMI IPS monitors, they work great and I was surprised that glossy was so much better than my previous monitors which used regular anti-glare coatings. However the S2340L is no longer sold by Dell.

They are listed as TV and colours are mixed up if I set to RGB. Although they are listed as TV, I have had no problems with colour under that setting. Also, no fuzziness problems.