MacBook Air external display issues

Question

Level 1

8 points

MacBook Air external display issues

Since I've switched offices to a new job every external monitor I try to connect to has back bars around the screen resolution, and the resolution itself is of a poor quality. I've been living with this for 9 months and try to tackle it every month or so, but run into dead ends. I've tried many things.

This is the closest to a solution I can find, but there doesn't seem to be a solution, or if there is I can't understand what they're talking about

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7945034

MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on May 16, 2019 3:14 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Buster_From_Oak_Park

Level 3

720 points

May 20, 2019 10:53 AM in response to batchess

Hi again, batchess !

Please mark me in the "challenge accepted" category.

Samsung does claim Mac compatibility with this display. It would appear you are limited by the MacBook Air itself. To wit, the Samsung U28E590 (I believe you are using the LU28E590DS/ZA) carries a native resolution of 3840 x 2160. Unfortunately, your MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014) at a maximum can only display 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display. You are necessarily limited to a lower resolution on the Samsung by the hardware of the MacBook Air, and that lower resolution may not (read: probably won't) display correctly on the Samsung. I apologize for preaching to the choir on this point.

Resetting the SMC or NVRAM will do no good, and will not fix this issue - no amount of resetting the SMC or NVRAM will increase the resolution your MacBook Air is capable of displaying to a monitor and match the native resolution of the Samsung.

I apologize for the misinformation being sent your way, especially by those proposing a fix to a hardware issue without looking up the relevant specifications.

I wish I had better news for you, but bid you good luck !

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Answer 2

batchess Author

Level 1

8 points

May 20, 2019 9:05 AM in response to batchess

Some more screen shots:

Here is a photo take with my phone showing how the screen refuses to use the full real estate of the Samsung U28E590. The monitor preferences are have the external and built in set to "Default to display." Because that setting gives me the best results (even though the resolution / sharpness on the external is never good)

The next photo is of the resolution options available if I choose to try the "Scaled" options. Nothing solves the image issue shot in photo #1 (see above). No matter the configuration the Samsung maintains the F'ING black F'ING bars around the image.

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Answer 3

batchess Author

Level 1

8 points

May 17, 2019 10:13 AM in response to DonH49

Yes. I've tried every solution I could find on google. Pram zaps, SMC resets, updates, tried every conceivable resolution setting (even with exposing non-traditional ones by holding down option and clicking "scaled")

the monitor type is a Samsung U28E590

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Answer 4

batchess Author

Level 1

8 points

May 19, 2019 1:12 PM in response to DonH49

Everyone else in the office has no issue. I never had an issue like this before either. I challenge all here to solve it.

Not easy.

If you're interested in taking up the challenge, review the prior thread I linked to here in my first post, it has many details of a similar problem but no solution.

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