Mac Mini does not display HDMI 1080i in full screen on TVs

I've faced this problem for months and have just lived with it. I don't use my mini as a work computer and know my way around the edges of the desktop well enough to do what I need to do, and so I don't often miss what's cut off along the margins. Still, it would be nice if the Mini played more nicely with HDTVs, which must be a common application. This thread is over 6 months old with almost 5000 views and no solution. Here's hoping the next version of the Mini fixes this problem with, say, an HDMI out (which would also bring in surround sound) and a better DVD player. I would think the Mini should do at least what the Apple TV does.

Look at the tech spec for the Mac Mini GMA 950 graphics.

Resolutions supported: 1920 x 1200 digital 1920 x 1080 analogue (VGA)

Since most (if not all) 1080p TV's are 1920 x 1080 and not 1920 x 1200, when you connect through DVI to HDMI the mini is looking for a display capable of displaying at 1920 x 1200, hence some of the desktop is of screen as your televisions are not capable of displaying at a full digital resolution of 1920x 1200.

Using a DVI to VGA adapter, connect your Mini to your HDTV, your mini will allow a resolution of 1920 x 1080. If you then play back a full HD movie your screen will be full of a nice crisp HD image.

It's not rocket science, read the technical specifications for your machine and use the appropriate monitor connection!

necronym, you are a little off base with your comment. The supported resolutions in Apple specs is meant to indicate a maximum, not a hard requirement. Plenty of people are plugging in 1920 x 1080 on DVI/HDMI and getting a perfect image on their TV. I'm one of them. The variability in results has more to do with the TV than the mini. But the mini can definitely drive 1080p out the DVI port without overscan given the right TV.

It doesn't seem to be that simple on my machine. I'm now trying it on VGA and the best picture seems to come with 1280 x 768 60 Hz, but it seems a little stretched out. The picture is better proportioned using DVI to HDMI, but bleeds past the edges. Pick your poison.

judasmac, is it a DLP rear projection TV by any chance? Those are known to have overscan problems.

LCD. Made by Astar (chiefly a computer display manufacturer, ironically).

I also have this problem with my Mac Mini with DVI connection to Sony 60XBR950... annoying. However, my Apple TV works great, and it also runs Mac OS X. Apple needs to make this Apple TV feature available on all Macs. Or somebody should port the XBMC or Boxee screen calibration feature to Mac OS X... allows you to resize the display area to fit the physical screen. Shouldn't be hard, it already works in XBMC and Boxee running on the Apple TV.

This might help for folks with Sony TVs. I have a 42V4100 I can get full screen with no overscan and it doesn't show in a smaller area in the middle of the screen. Mine is hooked up to a PMG5 via DVI>HDMI. Menu bar is right across the top like it should be.

While the input for the computer is selected on the TV. hit the menu button then go left to the settings bar > go up or down to the Screen menu > Choose these setting

Wide Menu = Full ( you dont want it zooming or stretching)
AutoWide = ( this one doesn't matter) i leave it off
Display Area = Full Pixel ( this is what really matters)

Also in the Macs Display preferences for that screen there should be an OPTIONS tab make sure Overscan IS checked or it will shrink. This setting will only affect this input on TV not your cable box or other things you have hooked up.

People with other brand TV's should look for something like this. different manufacturers may have different terminology.

You claim I'm off base with my comment.

Your opinion, I was just trying to keep the reply short and sweet.

The multitude of HDTV's out there is somewhat unfathomable, which screens for example auto crop? Which sets have 'Just' settings, which sets have Full Pixel settings? No one can really answer a dedicated question for a specific HDTV, unless you own that set and know the internal workings intimately, or you are the manufacturer of the set.

My point, which according to you is off base, is simple. 1920 x 1080 is not a recognized default DVI (digital) resolution for a monitor (1680 x 1050, next jump 1920 x 1200 etc.) Most HDTV's still only offer VGA connection for computers (thus analogue). If you have a Full HDTV 1920 x 1080, which offers VGA connection, your computer when connected will show a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 and you can use the full screen for your computing exploits.

If you use a DVI to HDMI converter, then you should be able to utilise the full HD resolution without issue (if your set automatically compresses the input to display on your screens maximum resolution). The point is HDMI connection is not designed for computer connection (quite yet). If your set does not support auto compression of input (DVI output from computer will be 1920 x 1200, which is why so many are complaining about overscan and the inability to see the dock or toolbar).

The tech specs are quite specific. VGA 1920 x 1080 and DVI 1920 x 1200. (max on both VGA and DVI. I am not saying the Mini will not display at 1920 x 1080 through DVI, but 1920 x 1080 through DVI is more HDTV dependent rather than the Mini)

If I am off base my sincere apologies, but having tried connecting my Mini (and other Macs) to various HDTV's, I have had no issue when connecting through the VGA connector. When connecting with a DVI to HDMI adapter, the HDTVs required significant tweaking (HDTV set dependent) to display properly.

I ran across this in the AVS Forum when I was hooking my mini to my 46" Panasonic Plasma. Nothing worked on the tv or Mac so I had to resort to SwitchResX. After about 20 minutes of testing configs, I had full screen with no overscan/underscan. It might help.

The pertinent post is #2 in this forum:
[http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=751713]

Hope it is of use to someone else. It was a real help to me.
D.

My department has just received a new Mac Mini (with the NVIDIA card), and we are trying to use a DVI-to-HDMI connection on a Mitsubishi WD-65735 DLP HDTV. We experience the exact same problem that you describe in your original post: black bars surround the desktop area (about 80% horizontal coverage and 90% vertical coverage), and turning on Overscan results in the cutoff of the menu bar and the lower portion of the Dock, as well as the left/right sides of the desktop area.

The funny thing, as you mention, is that a MacBook Pro with the exact same connection will produce a properly-sized desktop. Also strange is the fact that the Mac Mini's boot-screen is perfectly proportioned, but once the OS loads, the scanning issue becomes apparent. I located your post initially due to this issue, and I'm really hoping Apple addresses it in some way, very soon.

I just got one of the new April 09 mac mini and am having the same problem i was having with the older model. I have a 55" toshiba 1080p DLP and am still getting the black border around the desktop. Ive tried the SwitchResX/DisplayConfigX with no results. Ive pretty much given up but still think its rather shady of apple to of not fixed this problem in the last 4 years.