Poor resolution when plugged into 1080p 32" TV

Have you played with the LCD font smoothing settings in Apple Menu > System Preferences > Appearance? Tweaking these might help.

(It's not clear from your description whether it is just text that is not crispy, or images as well.)

Are you using VGA to connect, as you did with Windows? Or how?

I too have the same problem. The mac detected the HDTV at first boot, and defaulted to 1080p. I've tried that and a few other resolutions, but the text looks bad (fuzzy) and photos that looked perfect on my 13" macbook look bad (like melted plastic) on the big screen. Not low resolution photos either, using a Nikon D5000 @ 12mpx.

For the size issue, I'm able to correct w/ a HDTV setting for picture size called "fit to screen" or by moving the underscan slider, but with or without, picture just doesn't look good. my 2008 macbook looks better on the same screen via the miniDVI adapter to a DVI-HDMI cable.

I have the same problem with my Sony Bravia...

I've just purchased a 2010 Mac Mini.
I have plug it to my Sharp AQUOS LCD Model LC-46D64U. My LCD is 46" 1080p resolution and is up to date with latest firmware.
I am using HDMI to HDMI cable.
I have tried a combination of 3 different cables with 3 different ports.
I have tried every resolution and have even tried font smoothing.
My fonts are blurry (out of focus)and images that are sharp and clear on my PC appear dark, pixelated and grainy using my Mini(very Low-Fi look to it).

I have consulted Apple Geniuses.
Using LCD: they say they are unable to reproduce problem with font, but image was dark and pixelated.
Using Apple Cinema: Picture and fonts were sharp and crisp.
Their recommendation was to avoid using HDMI to connect to LCD. They suggested using Mini-Display to VGA cable. I have tried and the image quality is better, but my Mac Mini does not support higher resolutions such as 1080p , using VGA cable.

Does anyone have a solution?
Is there a problem with my graphics card? Should I replace my Mini?
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Have you tried the Dot-By-Dot setting on the Sharp? Also, if the Sharp has video processing settings like Sharpness active, set them to off.

Hey

I have Tried all 4 settings Normal, Dot By Dot, Stretch a Super Stretch. All have same issues.
Sharp does not have a Sharpness on/off toggle, I have however played with contrast, brightness, backlight and sharpness. I have tries a combination of solution but same result. I have also attempted to use Apple colour calibration and still Same result.

Since my last post, my Mac Mini has frozen several times. Each time it froze i was viewing videos on YouTube and other streaming sites.

I haven't had any problems with viewing video, only text, system menutes, and pictures look crappy, and have yet to have it freeze for no reason (twice it was running a conversion a huge file, and I don't attribute that to video issues). But have noticed significant delay/lag on the screen (between moving the mouse and the reaction of the pointer). It has grown more pronounced over the week (no reboots, but the LCD is powered down when not in use most of the day), Did upgrade to 10.6.4 last week, no change in the blurry appearance. Have tweaked the settings on the HDTV with no real improvement. Tried turnign off all the "auto correction features" available. Plan on going to one of the local Apple stores this weekend to see if a "genius" can shed any light. I'd hate to think I bought the desktop for the HDMI to LCD (rather than another powerbook) if the newest hardware wasn't ready to support a good size LCD.

Looking at video prefference settings, I am currently using the 1080p HDTV choice (and my HDTV confirms the source is 1920x1080p). I don't see the alleged max resolution (1600x900) as an option, is that only available if you have the mini-display port dongle attached? The highest I have available (from memory, not at the screen this moment) is 1280x960, and while that looks a little better, it makes everything mega-huge on my 40" screen (uncomfortable to read), and defeats the whole point of big screen for more desktop real estate.

Looking at video prefference settings, I am currently using the 1080p HDTV choice (and my HDTV confirms the source is 1920x1080p). I don't see the alleged max resolution (1600x900) as an option, is that only available if you have the mini-display port dongle attached? The highest I have available (from memory, not at the screen this moment) is 1280x960, and while that looks a little better, it makes everything mega-huge on my 40" screen (uncomfortable to read), and defeats the whole point of big screen for more desktop real estate.

Ted, that statement has me confused. Why are you calling 1600 x 900 a "max resolution"? It would seem to me that 1920 x 1080 is higher, no? Also, you say 1280 x 960 is the highest offering within Displays Preferences? So does that mean the mini is not sending 1080p, because certainly that would be a higher setting. That whole paragraph is very confusing.

Sorry,was worried that might not be clear. Working off my memory (at work, using work PC, the mini is my primary, and still at home).

the Pref menu calls the output (currently selected) 1080p. (in theory that means 1920x1080, right?) All the other resolutions (except 1080i, 720p, 720i) are listed by the resolution numbers (ie 1280x960, 1024x768), and not the common "TV" abbreviation. My HDTV says the source it's receiving on the HDMI input is 1920x1080, but the quality is crap (see thread). On the tech specs page for this machine (only a few weeks old) it says HDMI supports a max of 1920x1200 resolution, but that's not an output option on my list. If the video looks bad at 1920x1080 (why is the reason for this thread), then why are there no other options between 1280x960 and "1080p" if it should support resolutions up to and beyond my 1920x1080 HDTV's abilities?

The same tech specs page says the mini display port max resolution is 2560x1600 (presumably via dongle to DVI?). I don't know what the max of the D-sub input on my HDTV is, but I'd hate to waste more money on another adapter, since the HDMI was supposed to make this CPU more usable, not less.

I suggest that, unless you have already done so, check the maximum resolution that the TV will accept from a PC source - this will be in the TV manual somewhere listing the resolutions that various sources will produce.

I have the same issue - in my case it is because the Sony Bravia KDL 32W4000 won't accept a 1920x1080 resolution from a PC input. So, despite the fact that your TV will display a full HD signal and that your mini is capable of outputting a full HD signal you may find that your TV won't accept a full HD signal from a PC input. In my experience - the PC through a VGA line looks good but isn't HD; outputting a full 1080p signal from the mini via HDMI gives a grainy picture exactly as described by others in this thread (but it looks fine at 1600x900). I can't tell any difference between watching HD video through the mini or a bluray disc through my ps3.

I have the latest version of Mac Mini, connected to a Samsung 52"-866 using the minidisplay port to hdmi cable.
Mac Mini detects the input as 1080p, and my tv says the resolution is 1920x1080. I´ve chosen the "scan" option on the tv to see the full picture, but exactly as you mention in this post I also think the text is very rubbish. However, starting up plex and a 1080p movie gives me a perfect picture.
I was expecting the sharpness of a "computer" lcd screen on my tv, but its nowhere near that 😟
Any ideas?

Message was edited by: rikard1979

Same story all around it seems. The HDMI port was a push to allow use of the mini as a HTPC, not to replace traditional monitors.

Re: plex (don't use it myself, but ) Video playback via HDMI looks fine, no worse than any HD channels on my cable channels, but the text and still images are fuzzy.

I made an appointment at the Apple store Genius Bar last weekend, and brought the mini with. They hooked my mini up to the only HDTV they had on hand (a 30-ish inch Panasonic, I think), and the guy said it didn't look so bad to him, despite my pointing out the crap text. He asked/confirmed that I have tried setting the output to 24Hz. They gave the expected line of "it may be 1080 lines of resolution, but it's blown up to 30, 40, 50 etc inches, it's going to lose quality." They're not expecting people to hook the mini up to an HDTV at close range as a monitor, just as an optional output for youtube, hulu, itunes movies, etc, and NOT as a primary desktop monitor. They had no solution for me. I asked if the quality would be any better via the Displayport-VGA dongle, and they did not know, nor had any on hand to test or sell to me. They said I could buy the VGA dongle, and if it doesn't make it any better, return it. Will go back next week and get one, and see if my HDTV has any better quality via the PC input, though I'm not expecting much.

I'm very disappointed, I like the machine itself, but the "bring your own screen, mouse, keyboard, and webcam" was not the way to go. I saw this as a means to gain a large chunk of desktop space so I could run several apps onscreen at a time, and sort through large numbers of photos at a time, but the poor quality of the photos makes it semi- pointless, as I have to move things back to my old macbook to see if the pictures look good or bad). And as for what I spent on the customized upgraded config + the HDTV (has other uses, but this was the primary intention), I could have just bought a monster sized imac or a new powerbook.