CRT Monitor Driver for MacBook Pro

Question

CRT Monitor Driver for MacBook Pro

I have a generic Multiscan Color Monitor CRT 19", model #AT1099DA which works only w/ mirroring turned on my MacBook Pro. I want to use it as an extended desktop, but it defaults to a setting that's outside the monitor range whenever I turn mirroring off. It worked fine on my PBG4 15". So Apple Tech support suggested downloading a new driver for it. BUT, since it's generic, all searches for a monitor driver have turned up negatively. Any suggestions?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jul 27, 2006 8:59 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 27, 2006 9:15 AM in response to Jonathan Pite

Use the detect display option in the display setting. I am using a Samsung 710T TFT that originally without setting up only handled 1024-768. This was not native so it looked horrific, the remedy was to use the extend desktop setting and have the main desktop on the TFT not the iBook display.

You must detect the screen and it should go straight to its best performance resolution, or give you the correct res's and refresh rates at least!

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Answer 2

Jul 27, 2006 9:24 AM in response to Andrew Campbell-Burt

Doesn't work - when you hit 'detect' it resolves to 1024x768 @ 75Mghz - monitor won't read that. Shouldbe at 85 Mghz, hence the reason for a new driver....

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Answer 3

Jul 27, 2006 9:30 AM in response to Jonathan Pite

Never seen that kind of issue with a screen before, I think monitor drivers for OSX are very rare! Try mirroring, setting a res that both screens can use, then enable extended and reset the external screen res?

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Answer 4

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Jul 27, 2006 9:21 PM in response to Andrew Campbell-Burt

Do you recall what timing was being passed to the monitor by your old PBG4 when it was working correctly? Is that timing not also available as a selection under Display Preferences with your new MBP?

By the way, there is no such thing as a display driver for downloading for a Mac. I am surprised an Apple tech support person would have suggested that. Drivers are a PC idiom. Mac's get their "driver" from the display itself over the DDC, which is a data channel embedded in the video cable. So you don't need to download a driver, except possibly for Windows under Boot Camp.

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Answer 5

Jul 28, 2006 5:47 AM in response to BSteely

No, I don't. But I've found a way to trick it - if I sent my LCD 19" display as an extended, then plug in the CRT and DON'T click 'detect displays' I can get it to work... though at an awful resolution... As soon as I click detect, I lose it unless I switch to mirroring...

Apple Tech Support worked with me for over an hour on the phone, then said the only option was to 'download current drivers for it'.

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Answer 6

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Jul 28, 2006 8:00 AM in response to Jonathan Pite

Usually, within Display Preferences, there will be several choices of resolutions to try for a given monitor. Typically there will be 640 x 480, 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768 at a minimum. Do you see those choices under Display Prefernces on your set up? Don't any of them work with the monitor you have attached?

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Answer 7

Jul 28, 2006 8:03 AM in response to BSteely

Yes - see them all. Works fine at 1025x768 @ 85 Mghz. Can change it IF it's said to mirroring. If I change to extended, it defaults to 75 Mghz which causes monitor to go black.

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