Thanks for the help, but nothing works. Did the update to 10.11.3 and didn't change a thing.
The screen basically looks like the images are being made too large and thus creates a pixelated image. Like old video games. As I type here on my 7-year old IMac, everything looks great. I'm just baffled as to how a brand new, 1920 x 1080 Samsung screen can look so dramatically inferior to my ancient IMac -- especially when I hook it up to my Direct TV and it looks fantastic. It's somehow a compatibility issue.
My wife and my mother think I'm nuts and can't see the difference -- but then they both still watch standard def TV and are just fine with it. I guess having 20/20 vision can have its curses.
If anyone thinks of something brilliant, I'm all ears. If anyone has a monitor to recommend with the latest Mini's, I'm also all ears. However, again, I don't see the point in spending 4/5 hundred on a monitor when I can just go back and buy a new 27" Imac with better guts than the Mini.
Thanks again, all!