User profile for user: lawrencebosox45
lawrencebosox45 Author
User level: Level 1
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Samsung 2343BWX 23' LCD display only works in Extended Display Mode

I can not use this computer with this display in clamshell mode. I can only use it using extended desktop mode.

I took a chance and bought a Samusung 2343BWX 23' LCD Display reading that it was compatible with older C2D macbooks.

At first trying the display in clamshell mode worked fine (even using the dvi-vga adaptor). I got the native 2048x1152 resolution. Eventually I switched to a mini dvi-dvi adaptor and previously purchased apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Then I tried the extended display method which worked great. I would get the native 2048x1152 resolution on the external display and then have the LCD on the macbook for extra screen real estate.

Afterwards when ever I tried to use the external monitor as the only monitor and macbook in a clamshell mode the external monitor would only show a black screen and the pointer would show but in an obviously lower resolution. I could see a sliver of my desktop image behind the black screen as well as the pointer which was larger and in a lower resolution. I called apple support and they tutored me through a ram reset ect., but there has been no fix to this problem.

Now I can only use this display in extended desktop mode. I'm glad that I can use this monitor, but it would be nice to be able to retain clamshell mode and just use only the external monitor.

MACBOOK C2D 2.0 Blackbook 3gigs RAM 320gig HD, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on May 9, 2009 5:02 PM

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15 replies
User profile for user: BSteely
BSteely
User level: Level 5
7,643 points

May 10, 2009 9:25 AM in response to lawrencebosox45

OS X's display preferences files may have corrupted somehow. Especially since it worked before and now it doesn't. That really sounds like a problem with the configuration of the Mac.

In /Library/Preferences is a file called com.apple.windowserver.plist. Navigate your way to it and throw it in the trash. Also, in your main user account (folder with your name on it) under ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost will also be found a file com.apple.windowserver.xxxxxxxxxx.plist where the xxxxx is a hexidecimal string of letters and numbers. Throw that file in the trash, too. Now restart.

When OS X restarts and finds those files missing from their expected location, it creates fresh copies with default values. This will give a clean start with any attached display. Be aware that by throwing out the above files, you will also lose any custom color calibrations you may have performed (assuming you had performed any), so they will have to be redone.
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User profile for user: sdschramm
sdschramm
User level: Level 3
525 points

May 12, 2009 2:25 PM in response to lawrencebosox45

wow, this is great! I just bought a used Black Core Duo MacBook last weekend, and have been looking for a monitor to go with it. I found that Samsung like you got - the high resolution caught my eye. However, in the specs of all of the MacBooks it says the max res of the Mini DVI out is 1920x1200, so I figured that 2148x1152 would be too much and would not work. Then I stumbled upon this thread, and apparently it DOES work? Where did you read that before you tried?

As for your problem, hook up the monitor and go into the Displays section of System Preferences. There should be a button that says detect displays. try clicking that first and see if it fixes the problem. If not, click the "gather windows" on the screen that works. That will take the preferences screen of the other monitor and move it to your working screen. Mess with the resolutions there and it SHOULD fix your problem. Or, it just may be as simple as clicking that Detect Displays.

Hope that helps, and please report back as like I said, am interesting in knowing as well because I wanted to get that monitor to!
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User profile for user: lawrencebosox45
lawrencebosox45 Author
User level: Level 1
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May 12, 2009 11:06 PM in response to BSteely

BSteely, thank you this solved my problem. It worked like a charm.

Now I can resume using this monitor in its native resolution with my macbook in clamshell mode.

Furthermore the calibrated profile was not deleted so deleting said files solved the problem completely with no collateral damage.

Honestly, I called the applecare hotline 4 times and they couldn't figure it out. They even gave me the standard "your computer is not compatible to go past the 1920x1080 resolution" banter while I was using the monitor in extended monitor mode in 2048x1152 resolution.

I understand that they might not know the compatibility with all monitors, but they have to at least believe a customer with actual experience using this specific monitor with this macbook. Its even an advantage considering that yes this old model macbook is capable and even exceeds its previous standards/limitations.
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User profile for user: lawrencebosox45
lawrencebosox45 Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

May 12, 2009 11:20 PM in response to sdschramm

yes this macbook model (blackbook c2d 2.0 with 3gigs ram and 320gig HD) works with the samsung in full native resolution 2148x1152. Although specs say otherwise I get the full native resolution 2148x1152 and even that resolution with the extended monitor mode. The screen real estate is epic to begin with in extended monitor mode using the macbooks screen even more so.

Watching movies/dvds in the 16:9 ratio is awesome. I'm not into gaming so I can't comment on how the screen works with games. I subscribe to MLB.TV and with a fast internet connection the full screen mode in HD is awesome.

There are some issues though:
- On safari watching video streaming sites like hulu and ABC's episode player in full screen can be choppy. I tried these using firefox and that solved the problem.

- Also I use an elgato tv tuner to watch cable and use the DVR functions and it plays well (even with the HD signals) in a separate window but in full screen it gets choppy. You can fix this perfectly by adjusting the resolution to 1920x1080 before going into full screen. Once adjusted the HD TV streams are crystal clear and in native 16:9 ratio. I have a feeling this is due to the underpowered graphics card in my old model macbook.
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User profile for user: sdschramm
sdschramm
User level: Level 3
525 points

May 21, 2009 3:05 PM in response to lawrencebosox45

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I have a question for anyone that owns this monitor.

Is this monitor capable of being set to "720p" (1280 x 720) on the MacBook? For example, open the display preferences, and there is a list of resolutions.(with that monitor active,) what are the given resolutions in that list?

I would obviously be running it at the native (highest) resolution for regular work, however I hooked up my MacBook to my HDTV that runs at 1920 x 1080. When playing a 720p HD video full screen on a 1080p display, it was very choppy. However, I set my HDTV to (the closest I could get to 720p) which was something like 1366 x 768. Playing the video at this resolution was MUCH better, and, I didn't loose any quality. So I was wondering, what resolutions does this monitor support other then the native and the obvious ones like 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, etc. I'm hoping it would support exactly *1280 x 720*, *1920 x 1080* and then native *2148 x 1152*. If it will run at those three resolutions without problems, then I'm sold!!!!
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User profile for user: BSteely
BSteely
User level: Level 5
7,643 points

May 22, 2009 8:32 AM in response to sdschramm

First off, that issue of 720p not playing smoothly on your HDTV running 1920 x 1080...something about that doesn't sound right to me. There are a lot of people that use Mac minis as home theater media centers and do so successfully running their TVs at 1080p. I'm one of them. And I have an older, Core Duo mini, not even a Core 2 Duo. And the MacBook is considered a more powerful computer overall compared with previous gen minis, so I would advise you to look into what else might be causing 720p to play in an unsmooth manner beyond just thinking the MacBook can't do it when running a 1080p display. Seems to me it should.

All that said, I should tell you that I don't have a MacBook of your generation. However, I do have a Samsung 2343bwx and 1280 x 720 is a resolution choice within Displays preferences when I have it connected to either my Mac mini or else an aluminum MacBook. So while that's not the exact confirmation you are looking for, I have pretty high confidence you will see that same on your MB. And 1920 x 1080 is there, too.
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User profile for user: sdschramm
sdschramm
User level: Level 3
525 points

May 22, 2009 9:30 PM in response to BSteely

As for the the 720p and the Macbook at 1080p, it just can't handle it. It's only a 2.0Ghz Core Duo and only has the 64MB graphics, so when i'm pushing its limits like that, thats why it stutters around. I remember an old friends macbook was similar to this one and did the same thing. We did a video production in HD and when capturing the HD to his macbook, iMovie would say something like "playing at 3/4 real time" just because it couldn't keep up.

"lawrencebosox45" or any others with this monitor and a macbook, care to respond?
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User profile for user: Feiafox
Feiafox
User level: Level 1
5 points

May 29, 2009 3:33 AM in response to lawrencebosox45

Hi,

i m kind of taking vthe topic back to its original supject.
i have a MBP C2d 2.16 currently running 10.5.7, And i have a Samsung Sync Master 245B.

Before 10.5.6 i had no trouble at all running my MBP in Clamshell mode. After upodating to 10.5.6 my Book would start in CS Mode correctly but after a couple of minutes it went to sleep mode, even thou i was working on it. After that i woke it up but it instantly went back to Sleep mode. After calling the support i changed back to 10.5.5 where it worked fine again. Now i updated to 10.5.7 and now i have nearly the same problem. It wont go to sleep mode while im working, but if i take a break and put it to sleep mode (or after some time it automaticly does it if noone works on it, as it should) and then try to wake it up, it starts and then instantly goes back to sleep mode. After that i can only run it in Extended display mode or sync mode in the resolution of my book.

Deleting the files decriped above helps, but only for a short periode of time (like the first time after deleting them it will work normally, but after a restart the problem comes back.)

i hope i made it somewhat clear what my problem is.

Any help?
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User profile for user: don.bbcom
don.bbcom
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jul 17, 2009 3:37 PM in response to lawrencebosox45

I have a macbook 2.4 intel - OS X 10.5.7

I just got the samsung 2343BWX and I tried the removing of the plist files, I didn't have the ByHost dir under ~/Library/Preferences/.
I did delete the one in /Lib... but it didn't come back when I rebooted.

I'm still only offered 1920x1080 as my max res for the SyncMaster and the dislplay is kind of fuzzy, like everything is antialisas.

My local Mac store tells me this video card won't support the native res, but another person on my team has the same set up and he's got the higher resolution offered in the display pref and his looks great.

I'm stumped.

- Don
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Samsung 2343BWX 23' LCD display only works in Extended Display Mode

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