On Aug 18, 2010, at 11:45 AM, Cliff Rediger wrote:
I'm running 10.4.11 on a mini G4
Bought ViewSonic VA2323WM 23" monitor.
Plug & Play.
Looks great, except
the VA2323 calls for 1920x1080 60 hz display and will only accept
800x600 and 1024x78 as alternatives. Everything else is "out of
range".
So two things about the 1920x1080 setting.
1. The window does not fill the screen.
Even when Horizontal size is maxed,
there's a 5/8" border on on the left and 3/8" on the right.
2. While I can adjust font size in most app windows,
the OSX menu bar is much smaller than I like,
as are all the bookmark bars etc in other apps.
In my limited past experience, modifying the resolution generally gave
one
an acceptable balance.
So far no response from VS tech
Wondering if there's a driver that allows for more options
or did I purchase and incompatible unit?
I had similar problems when trying to use my G4 Mini at 1920x1080 at
60 Hz. The problem isn't with the display, the problem is with the G4
Mini's video card, it has a limitation that isn't common or well
known. The problem is caused by something called the TDMS Refresh
Rate. This is a complicated technical issue. There are two types of
LCD monitors, called coherent & non-coherent. I believe the G4 Mini
requires a coherent monitor with a TDMS rate below 135 MHz. In higher
resolutions the TDMS rate is generally above 135 MHz for modern
monitors and LCD TVs, so you've got the problem you're seeing now.
The borders you're seeing have to do with the compromise the video
card makes to display at 1920x1080 @ 60Hz AND keep the TDMS rate below
135MHz. These black areas have technical names like "front porch" and
"back porch" I believe, and I don't think they can easily be removed.
Here's one strange thing, Leopard has a different 1920x1080 on the G4
Mini than does Tiger, so you might try using Leopard, but be
forewarned, Leopard is slower on a G4 Mini, and at 1920x1080 you may
suffer from stuttering video in Leopard. I opted to stay with Tiger
and live with the black borders of the front porch and back porch.
You may also be able to use either SwitchResX or DisplayConfigX to
dail in a custom resolution that works better. BE CAREFUL, these are
dangerous programs and you need to know the EXACT technical
specifications of both your monitor and video card to get a good
match. Knowing the pixel clock rate, the TDMS rate, and both the front
& back porch setting is critical.
I'd think about a different Mac, the monitor is fine I'm sure, it's
just that Apple cut corners on the G4 video, and at 1920x1080 these
cuts become apparent.
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