Hi Guys,
I've only recently installed a Mac Mini as a HTPC to my 50" Fujitsu plasma (1366x768). Initially I had the Mini connected via VGA using SwitchResX with a resolution of 1360x768. To be honest, I was disappointed, the picture was a bit soft for my liking with video and HDTV (via Miglia TVMini) when compared to my HD set top box connected via HDMI. In addition, I'm in Australia which broadcasts at 50Hz, so running at VGA 60Hz introduced micro judder into the HDTV pans.
So next I tried HDMI via a DVI to HDMI cable. OMG! What a difference! While the resolution was only 720 x 1280 I could set the refresh to 50Hz (no judder on HDTV anymore) and the image was razor sharp! HDTV and 1080p video clips looked stunning! The detail and clarity was very impressive. While there was a small amount of overscan (about 10 pixels) the Fujitsu controls allows you to easily adjust for this to get a perfectly centred image filling the whole screen. Interestingly, while 1280x720 isn't 1:1 for the Fujitsu, the text on the desktop looks sharper than 1360x768 via VGA.
So at this point all seems fine, well the only minor problem was that the Fujitsu only has one HDMI port. No problem, I went and purchased a HDMI 5 port switch. It's the Australian imported version that Monoprice sell (http://www.monoprice.com). However, when I plugged the Mini into the switch I couldn't get an image! Plug the Mini directly into the TV and it would work fine. To cut a long story short, I discovered that the HDMI switch (and it's not just monoprice's switches, but quite a few brands) don't pass the TV's EDID data to the Mini. This is the protocol the Mini uses to determine what resolution to sync with the TV. I confirmed this via VNC. When plugged into the switch the Mini had no idea what it was trying to talk to. When plugged directly into the TV it knew it was a Fujitsu.
The happy ending is that you can fix the problem by purchasing 'DVI Doctor' (http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...ormat=2&style=)
This learns the EDID protocol from your TV, then sits between the Mini and the HDMI switch and fools the Mini into thinking that it is talking directly to the TV. It also solved the problem when you change inputs on the HDMI switch the Mini can lose sync with the TV. The manual even makes specific mention of this problem with the Mac.
So in summary I'm a happy camper now with excellent image quality from the Mini connected to the Fujitsu via a HDMI switch.
Regards,
Stephen
I've only recently installed a Mac Mini as a HTPC to my 50" Fujitsu plasma (1366x768). Initially I had the Mini connected via VGA using SwitchResX with a resolution of 1360x768. To be honest, I was disappointed, the picture was a bit soft for my liking with video and HDTV (via Miglia TVMini) when compared to my HD set top box connected via HDMI. In addition, I'm in Australia which broadcasts at 50Hz, so running at VGA 60Hz introduced micro judder into the HDTV pans.
So next I tried HDMI via a DVI to HDMI cable. OMG! What a difference! While the resolution was only 720 x 1280 I could set the refresh to 50Hz (no judder on HDTV anymore) and the image was razor sharp! HDTV and 1080p video clips looked stunning! The detail and clarity was very impressive. While there was a small amount of overscan (about 10 pixels) the Fujitsu controls allows you to easily adjust for this to get a perfectly centred image filling the whole screen. Interestingly, while 1280x720 isn't 1:1 for the Fujitsu, the text on the desktop looks sharper than 1360x768 via VGA.
So at this point all seems fine, well the only minor problem was that the Fujitsu only has one HDMI port. No problem, I went and purchased a HDMI 5 port switch. It's the Australian imported version that Monoprice sell (http://www.monoprice.com). However, when I plugged the Mini into the switch I couldn't get an image! Plug the Mini directly into the TV and it would work fine. To cut a long story short, I discovered that the HDMI switch (and it's not just monoprice's switches, but quite a few brands) don't pass the TV's EDID data to the Mini. This is the protocol the Mini uses to determine what resolution to sync with the TV. I confirmed this via VNC. When plugged into the switch the Mini had no idea what it was trying to talk to. When plugged directly into the TV it knew it was a Fujitsu.
The happy ending is that you can fix the problem by purchasing 'DVI Doctor' (http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...ormat=2&style=)
This learns the EDID protocol from your TV, then sits between the Mini and the HDMI switch and fools the Mini into thinking that it is talking directly to the TV. It also solved the problem when you change inputs on the HDMI switch the Mini can lose sync with the TV. The manual even makes specific mention of this problem with the Mac.
So in summary I'm a happy camper now with excellent image quality from the Mini connected to the Fujitsu via a HDMI switch.
Regards,
Stephen
