LG 29" Ultrawide sharpness question

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Level 1

69 points

LG 29" Ultrawide sharpness question

I am not really sure if this is a Mac Pro issue, a Mac OS X mavericks issue, a Window 8.1 issue or the LG itself! Hence why I have no idea where to post this. I'm hoping someone will happen upon it that knows more than I do, and give me a clue to what's going on.

I have a 29" LG Ultrawide monitor ( http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-29EA73-P-led-monitor ) which I really like a lot. I have used the Apple branded thunderbolt displays, but they are twice as much (Apple=$999 vs LG=$450 @ best buy) and truth be told, the extra vertical height feels too big for me at this point in life. Perhaps I'll change my thoughts on that someday.

On to the issue. I have a dual boot Mac Pro (late 2013). I'm using a thunderbolt port to achieve 2560x1080 on the screen (native). The screen was set to a sharpness setting of 5 out of 10. Now from what I know of how sharpness works on TVs and Monitors... you should basically always set that back to 0. Sharpness settings (IIRC), add extra artifacts to make the image seem sharper. I.e., whiter regions around dark lines, etc.

And at sharpness 5, Mac OS looked odd. Like there was jpg artifacts around all the menus text in OS X. So I set it to 0, and everything looked smooth and as beautiful as it previously had on my Sony 1080p display.

However, on the same computer, with the same display, by bootcamping into Windows 8.1, the display looks horribly soft at sharpness 0, and only looks crisp at sharpness 5 (the screen default). When I boot back into OS X, the screen looks horribly oversharpened at 5.

Anyone know why this is going on? Why the disparity? So confused!

Posted on Mar 1, 2014 10:40 AM

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Answer 1

Drum Bum

Level 1

5 points

Mar 24, 2014 4:23 AM in response to Cheule

Hi

Is this with the new Mac Pro ?

I have the LG29ea93 and I have the same issue on a Mac Book Pro Late 2013 ( 10.9.2 )

When set to 0 on the mac and the shapness at 0 it still not looking great its far too soft.

When set to 0 on My PC Widows 7 it is just a blur

Ive tried mini display - display port cable , Hdmi Cable, mini Display - DVI adapter ,Mini Display - HDMI Adapter you name it but nothing helps.

I tried the same monitor on a Late 2010 Mac Pro ( 10.9.2 ) connected with DVI and also tried HDMI and did not have any issues on default settings it looked and worked great !

I was thinking it was a mavericks issue but looks like its not.

Did you ever get a fix for this as I have not got mine working with my MBP yet and have the new Mac Pro on order

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Answer 2

Cheule Author

Level 1

69 points

Mar 24, 2014 7:47 AM in response to Drum Bum

I'm using the "New Mac Pro," the late 2013 model.

To my eyes: the monitor looks perfect on the Mac Pro when set to 0 sharpness. Any additional sharpness and I can see "over sharpening" around text.

However, the same monitor, on the same Mac Pro, when I boot camp into Windows 8.1, everything looks like a blur. I am forced to raise the sharpness to 5 out of 10 to get it to "focus up."

But then if I boot camp back to 10.9.2, at sharpness 5 everything is horribly over sharpened. I'm puzzled about the disparity.

Since I don't change any hardware, it must be a software thing?

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Answer 3

Drum Bum

Level 1

5 points

Mar 24, 2014 8:52 AM in response to Cheule

That will be the same system I have on order then.

I agree with you 100% it all looks over sharp but this is with my MBP 2013

I tried to lower the sharpness from 5 down to 0 and everything inbetween but it looks so soft its gone blurry ( not as bad as windows looks though when set to 0 )

Windows at 5 on the sharpness looks fantastic.

I also have a LG 23EA63 that i have tested this MBP on the sharpness is set to 5 and looks ok.

I have a option for Super resolution and the second I enable that on the monitor I have the same isses as with the EA2963

Its a weird one.

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Answer 4

Drum Bum

Level 1

5 points

Apr 3, 2014 4:38 AM in response to Cheule

Just wanted to stop by here again and let you know that I got after I tried various cables as said above and none of them worked.

Apple sent a Mini DP to Dual link DVI Adapter and it has worked.

No more need to adjust the sharpness with the monitor at default settings it looks great !

Hope you can try one out 🙂

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Answer 5

Cheule Author

Level 1

69 points

Apr 3, 2014 6:23 AM in response to Drum Bum

I'm confused about how a Mini DisplayPort to dual link DVI cable works in this scenario. Are you saying that you hook the Mini DisplayPort side of the cable up to the late 2013 Mac Pro's thunderbolt port, and then the Dual link DVI up to the LG29EA93?

I'm trying to figure out why that would help or be any different than a Mini DisplayPort to displayport cable. Also, am I to understand that previously the display looked too soft on the Mac as well?

Because everything looks perfect on my mac with the MiniDP to DP cable with the sharpness at 0. It's only when I boot into windows that it become to blurry. And that's what's confusing me; no hardware changes are made. Same cable, same Mac Pro late 2013, I simply boot into windows and now it's horribly soft.

I'm getting 2560x1080 resolution out of both Mavericks and Windows 8.1. I had wondered if that's what is going on with your situation. Are you sure you're set to native 2560x1080 in each case?

Maybe I'll make a video and attach it to show what I mean.

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Answer 6

Drum Bum

Level 1

5 points

Apr 3, 2014 6:37 AM in response to Cheule

I am also confused as to how it helped

Al this is doing is exactly as you say Mini DisplayPort side of the cable up to the late 2013 Mac Pro's thunderbolt port, and then the Dual link DVI up to the LG29EA93 but als ohave the USB cable connected to the MBP so it is powered.

I can get the same as you with a Mini DP - DP Cable full 2560 x 1080 but it looks like crap colours are unclear and text is over sharp.

If I adjust the shapness of the monitor it looks too soft on the Mac and then in windows it looks blurr.

I connect my PC windows 7 to the monitor on default settings and it looks great.

Dont know why but using the Dual link DVI Adapter and picking 2560 has sorted all of the problems out even with the sharpness set at default of no 5 ( same as Windows )

You could grab one from a apple store and return it within 14 days to see if it works for you.

I hope it will sort the issue on the Mac Pro as I have one on order and want to use this display when it arrives .

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Answer 7

Aug 3, 2014 6:37 PM in response to Drum Bum

I have exactly the same problem, same monitor and using a mini-dp to dp cable. What I think is happening is that on windows somehow it thinks the monitor is a television so it sends the signals in somewhat wrong sharpness... thats why the to dual dvi cable might have helped, the protocol for dvi is supposedly to be used only on monitors so it doesn't confuse windows.... but just a guess.

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Answer 8

Jan 3, 2015 11:52 AM in response to Cheule

I've got LG 29MA73 hooked to rMBP late 2013 via mini Displayport to Displayport and exactly the same issue. All great and crispy on OS X (10.10) but Boot Camped Windows 8.1 is a nightmare. I suspect the root cause is in Windows or NVidia drivers. I managed to get better picture when switched to 1080p, 1920x1080 mode (Ultra HD, HD, SD) using NVidia Control Panel. By default it's set to PC mode. I've tried other manual resolution but as soon as I hit the native it gets blurry like ****.

This trick only works on the HDMI. When I try this on Displayport all modes and resolutions get blurry.

And no, I don't think any "special" adapters are any solution especially to older DVI connector. I had to pay over 2K for this piece of junk plus the monitor and would expect it to work as it should.

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