[taugust04]

Hello everyone,


I just recently purchased a Samsung LN-S2652D 26" LCD-TV. It has a max resolution of 1366x768. I have a PowerMac G4 Dual Mirror workstation, with a Radeon 9000 video card w/DVI ready to be put into service as a HTPC. I have connected my G4 to the Samsung with a DVI-HDMI cable.


When connected to the Mac, the displays control panel detects the Samsung as a TV, and allows me to run at a max resolution of 1280x720. This gives a good picture, but leaves a black border around all sides of the display. There are some larger resolutions available, however, they are all interlaced and the quality is horrible.


I have turned on the overscan for now, which fills the screen, but its clipping some of the screen.


I have been dabbling with SwitchResX and DisplayConfigX without success. I tried to follow the tutorials, but unfortunately all the custom resolutions I attempted to create came up as not supported and produced a black screen on my Samsung. Thankfully the computer is networked, so I remoted in and readjusted the display settings back to an acceptable setting for the TV.


I'd like to get a nice full resolution 1366x768 display from my Mac to the Samsung. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Do I need to upgrade the video card to something newer? Any help with SwitchResX?


Thanks!

 

[aboyko]



Quote:
Originally Posted by taugust04 /forum/post/0



I'd like to get a nice full resolution 1366x768 display from my Mac to the Samsung. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Do I need to upgrade the video card to something newer? Any help with SwitchResX?


Thanks!

This won't be completely helpful, but I've had no problem using an identical machine (MDD dual G4 w/Radeon 9000) on a Westinghouse 1080p display at native resolution, without using SwitchResX or anything. I point this out only to say that at least the card isn't completely unable to function in an HTPC kind of environment, though of course it doesn't do you any good with your particular resolution problem.


Have you tried running it through the VGA port just to see if it figures out the resolution any better? For me, counter-intuitively, it detected the display resolution better through VGA initially, and then I could switch over to DVI.

 

[taugust04]



Quote:
Originally Posted by aboyko /forum/post/0


This won't be completely helpful, but I've had no problem using an identical machine (MDD dual G4 w/Radeon 9000) on a Westinghouse 1080p display at native resolution, without using SwitchResX or anything. I point this out only to say that at least the card isn't completely unable to function in an HTPC kind of environment, though of course it doesn't do you any good with your particular resolution problem.


Have you tried running it through the VGA port just to see if it figures out the resolution any better? For me, counter-intuitively, it detected the display resolution better through VGA initially, and then I could switch over to DVI.

I didn't have a VGA cable to test it with at first, but sure enough, connected through the VGA port, it worked fine. I tried to connect back over DVI, but still no luck, so for now I'm leaving the VGA cable attached. The signal going in over VGA isn't that bad, since the TV actually has a VGA input.


Thanks again for your suggestion!

 

[gaderson]



Quote:
Originally Posted by taugust04 /forum/post/0


Hello everyone,


When connected to the Mac, the displays control panel detects the Samsung as a TV, and allows me to run at a max resolution of 1280x720. This gives a good picture, but leaves a black border around all sides of the display. There are some larger resolutions available, however, they are all interlaced and the quality is horrible.


I have turned on the overscan for now, which fills the screen, but its clipping some of the screen.


I have been dabbling with SwitchResX and DisplayConfigX without success. I tried to follow the tutorials, but unfortunately all the custom resolutions I attempted to create came up as not supported and produced a black screen on my Samsung. Thankfully the computer is networked, so I remoted in and readjusted the display settings back to an acceptable setting for the TV.


I'd like to get a nice full resolution 1366x768 display from my Mac to the Samsung. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Do I need to upgrade the video card to something newer? Any help with SwitchResX?


Thanks!

First check to see if your HDTV is capable of 1-to-1 to the HDMI port. Some displays won't allow you to bypass their scalar to go pixel to pixel.

Otherwise do a search and there's a great tutorial on using SwitchResX with an HDTV, and you should get some tips to follow.

 

[john.t.keller]



Quote:
Originally Posted by taugust04 /forum/post/0


I didn't have a VGA cable to test it with at first, but sure enough, connected through the VGA port, it worked fine. I tried to connect back over DVI, but still no luck, so for now I'm leaving the VGA cable attached. The signal going in over VGA isn't that bad, since the TV actually has a VGA input.


Thanks again for your suggestion!

All,



I have done some research on the Apple site and there seems to be an issue with analog and digital outputs.


From Apple support site:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58756


If I read this right, the digital side will not support 1920x1080 by the analog side will. This explains why component works and DVI/HDMI fails. I hoped DisplayX would resolve this but I seem to be wrong.


Anyone have any ideas on ow we can get this to work? Will I have to wire the Mac to the VGA input and go analog?


John

 

[taugust04]



Quote:
Originally Posted by gaderson /forum/post/0


First check to see if your HDTV is capable of 1-to-1 to the HDMI port. Some displays won't allow you to bypass their scalar to go pixel to pixel.

Otherwise do a search and there's a great tutorial on using SwitchResX with an HDTV, and you should get some tips to follow.

I'm guessing my HDTV doesn't support it. I have a Samsung LN-S2652D, and I don't see that feature in any of my on screen menus, or in the manual. I played around with the Macintosh resolution adjustment applications with no success. For now, I'm happy with the quality from the VGA cable. It's being used primarily for now for playing ripped DVD's, so its handling that capability fine so far.


-Ted

 

[BaldyLokz]

Hey there, I am a total tech novice, but I am indeed hoping to re-purpose my old g4 to be an HTPC. I don't need it to play HD as my entire video collection is SD anyway. I read an article that inspired the idea. (I intended to link to the article here but forum rules do not allow me to do that yet.) I was wondering though, how would I get a remote (logitech harmony) to communicate with the g4? My hopes are to be able to play a collection of AVI and MP4 using XBMC or something similar.

 

[chefklc]

Instead of IR, perhaps use a remote app on an iOS device, there a couple of good ones that allow control of XBMC.

Quote:
I intended to link to the article here but forum rules do not allow me to do that yet.

PM me the link, I'll post it for you.


But, 5 years ago using a G4 in the home theater was a different proposition than it is now in 2012. I suspect the article you're gonna link to is either very old or written by someone fairly clueless.

Quote:
I am indeed hoping to re-purpose my old g4 to be an HTPC. I don't need it to play HD as my entire video collection is SD anyway.

Which old G4 Mac model do you have and which OS version are you currently running? Are you thinking of spending any money on it or is it ready to go as-is?


I'd probably recommend that you don't try to do this. You didn't mention which old G4 you have, let's say it's an old PowerMac. Can you imagine the noise in your living room and how much power it'll use because such an old Mac isn't as energy efficient as something newer, its footprint is huge, plus if you have lots of small PATA drives inside none of that media will be safe on such old drives so you best have ALL of it backed up somewhere else.


If you want to repurpose an old PowerMac like an MDD, set it up instead as a whole house iTunes home sharing file server and Time Machine backup destination--there's still real value in that--stick it somewhere you can't hear it, plug it into your router over gigabit, and use it that way until you can afford to upgrade it to something else. Don't put it in your home theater. Close your eyes and imagine the hum and whine of gears and old ball bearings grinding and fans blowing, imagine how inefficient and noisy that MDD would be in your living room even if you just wanted to listen to iTunes music?


Now, imagine total and complete silence.


Your better plan would be to buy an aTV2, repurpose your G4 as a media server (especially if it is an MDD with gigabit) that's the way I'd go.


Are all your files already ripped and transcoded or do you still need to do that? Do you have another Mac in the house, something newer that can do the transcodes for you?