[SychoBC]

I have a Samsung TSN3098WHF tv which has a full bandwidth DVI connection. And no matter what I do I can't get my Mac Mini to show up on the TV. I have used a DVI-I cable and a DVI-D cable, have set the Mac for every resolution, and it never shows up. The DVI connection does work, my powerbook and my DVD player both show up through it. Any help?

 

[jsb_hburg]

You need to send a 1280 x 720p signal at 60 Hz with a horizontal scan rate of 45 KHz. You will have to use a program like DisplayConfigX or SwitchResX. Since you have a PowerBook, you can use VNC. Of course, you need a standard computer monitor to get VNC set up on the Mm.


Once you get 1280 X 720p working, then you can work on the overscan.

 

[petrdel]

I also have the Samsung TXN3098WHF. And I also have problems hooking it up to my mac mini via DVI. Did it work? And if it did, how did you do it?

 

[SychoBC]

Neither DisplayConfig or SwitchRes show my computer as even being hooked up to adisplay, when it's hooked up to my TV.

 

[SychoBC]

After a few months of having it through S-Video I can not stand it anymore.


Why is it my powerbook can connect to the TV yet my Mac Mini cannot connect through the same cable and connection?

 

[jeanmarc]

It could have to do with interlaced vs progressive (there was talk about that with another display on this forum). The powerbook's videocard is cable of sending interlaced scan, the mini's card is not. When you hook-up your powerbook to the Samsung, check the system profiler, under Display or AGP Card it should mention interlaced (YES / NO).


Maybe your Display has to be set for I/P specifically, or my guess is that your TV cannot support 720p, but can do 1080i -- which the macmini cannot, so it's still HDTV. I would bet that if you set the output to 480p it would work (but I agree, it sucks-- probably better than s-video though).


It's just a thought --- let us know.

 

[mdcomdial]

What version of the OS are you using?

I have found that Tiger worked better than Panther with my display. Tiger has a check box in the monitor preference panel that allowed me to turn off overscan.

Maybe there is something else in Tiger that may help you as well.


Good luck.

 

[jeanmarc]

I checked the specs on your TV. It does not support 720p as I had stipulated.

 

[pdub99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SychoBC After a few months of having it through S-Video I can not stand it anymore. Why is it my powerbook can connect to the TV yet my Mac Mini cannot connect through the same cable and connection?

The mac mini seems to have some problems choosing the correct resolution by default. As such, it doesn't sent a 720p signal, and the TV doesn't display it (at least this is what happened with me and my new Sony RPLCD).

The trick is to use VNC to connect to the mini and set it to the correct resolution (or try and memorize the keyboard commands to change it on your own.

 

[dzankou]

This really sucks! i also find problem connecting 12powerbook to SAMSUNG TV,

but there must be something in mac, cause i tried to connect with my 15inch PB, but 12inch didnt work...

There were differencies in System Preferences! can somebody help me???

 

[MacHound]

12 inch PowerBooks use NVIDIA (5200?) GPUs, whereas 15 and 17 inch PowerBooks use Radeon GPUs. While the 12 inch PowerBook has its advantage in a small footprint, it lacks several capabilities ofthe larger models. I doubt many people buy a 12 inch PB with the idea of using it as the center of a HTPC.


I'm not trying to bash the 12 inch PB... it's a great little Mac. Just don't expect high end video performance from it. Same for the current (and probably future) Mini. I still love my Mini as a network video file server. The 12 inch PB would do just as well for that.


You might want to check into a networked media player. There's lots written about them here and elsewhere.

 

[chefklc]

Quote:

This really sucks...problem connecting 12" powerbook to SAMSUNG TV

As far as different display options in System Preferences between the 12 and 15, that can be a function of different OS versions, too, as well as Machound explained, different graphics card manufacturers. With the 15" and ATI you'll probably see the option to rotate your display whereas with a 12" with an nVidia card you won't have portrait mode as an option. But your problem is probably more due to your display/TV than the Mac.


The 12" PB, even the Rev A, connects just fine over VGA to higher end Samsung displays, like their line of high def DLPs, as well as to many high res LCDs--it's owners of tube sets, CRT TVs and projectors that seem to have have the most trouble with Macs--be it a 12" or a mini or whatever. Which Samsung display do you have dzankou? To potentially help you we'd need to know that.

Quote:

I'm not trying to bash the 12 inch PB... it's a great little Mac

Agreed, I still love and use my 12PB daily, if there is any bashing warranted it is toward Apple itself for their decision to orphan the 12" model--inherently limiting its "pro" capabilities and failing to keep pace with respect to the 15"--forcing those of us who valued its form factor, dual-display capability without a hack and better keyboard--to overpay for the privilege of accepting less.

Quote:

I doubt many people buy a 12 inch PB with the idea of using it as the center of a HTPC.

Agreed, but then, for me, any laptop even the 15" would be awkward in the HTPC context. In my case, with the two displays I have--the big Samsung DLP and a widescreen Dell LCD--it doesn't make a difference which of our Macs I connect--our mini, 12" and 15" PB--each Mac connects right out of the box either over VGA or DVI no problem.