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#1 2009-06-05 9:27 am
Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
Hi all!
I've got a HP LC4776N HDTV 1080i/p I love it, it's beautiful. I've had this TV for about a year and a half now and I decided to pickup a Mac Mini to use as a media center using the HP as it's monitor. Great idea!
So I get it all hooked up today, Mini Display to DVI-HDMI, looks SO great! I found out how to get 1080p out of it, perfect. One problem, the top menu bar is not visible!
I've tried switching resolutions, and the menu bar will show up in certain configs, the TV's zoom in not on, looks the same between Auto and 16:9. I've tried different HDMI ports.
I've done a screen shot and can see that the menu bar is there (as well as placing the mouse up into the neither regions and randomly clicking) Any ideas?? 
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#2 2009-06-05 10:15 am
- pottymouth
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- From: JP, MA
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Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
You need to set the mini to the exact resolution of the TV. This info is probably at the back of your TV manual. If the mini does not offer that resolution as an option you'll need to use an app like SwitchRes to enable it.
[edit]
Ahh...looks like it's plain ol' 1920 x 1080. Sometimes they can be funny. Is this the resolution you're using?
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#3 2009-06-05 10:48 am
Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
Yes it's 1920x1080, and I double checked the HP documentation it is 1920 x 1080...
SwitchRes didn't seem to work I changed it down to 1900 x 1000, restarted it and it was still set to 1920x1080 
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#4 2009-06-05 10:48 am
Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
If I switched it over to VGA, would the quality drop? I'm not putting audio through it so that shouldn't be a problem...
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#5 2009-06-05 10:56 am
- mrreet2001
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Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
more than likely
2.66Ghz QuadCore-Nehalem w/24"LED CD ---2.2Ghz BlackMB---15" 2.4Ghz MBP(work)
Dual 2.3Ghz G5 (4G Ram, 2x 250G HD)(10.5 server)--- 400Mhz G4 PM (10.4 Server)
1.5GHz Powerbook---1.6Ghz G5 iMac
"So he fels down in a poisoning gas."
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#6 2009-06-05 11:29 am
- pottymouth
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Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
DVI would be best, but there's no reason VGA wouldn't work.
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#7 2009-06-05 11:34 am
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
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Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
Check for a menu item that gets rid of overscan. Use something like Native Mode.
Technical Talk:
Overscan moves a portion of the broadcast picture off screen. It's purpose is to hide the edges of the broadcast picture. Sometimes the broadcast picture has junk or static or flickering areas that most people would complain about. So TV makers overscan the picture to hide the junk. It is similar to a small amount of zoom. TV's used to have about 5% to 10% overscan. My Toshiba has about 3% overscan unless I use Native Mode. Then I get 0% overscan and I see some trash on the edges of the picture.
Edit:
Hey, are you using zoom on the Mac mini? (Control plus mouse wheel) well, don't.
Last edited by Dunkin' (2009-06-05 11:38 am)
1/φ = φ-1
Dron't dink and dive.
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#8 2009-06-05 1:26 pm
Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
Dunkin' wrote:
Edit:
Hey, are you using zoom on the Mac mini? (Control plus mouse wheel) well, don't.
Yeah, that can be activated by accident. (and in my Mac, it's alt-mouse wheel)
Get it
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#9 2009-06-05 1:54 pm
Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
Not a zoom issue
HP Support was no help.
I think it is an overscan issue. I'm trying to use DisplayConfigX but it's not very user friendly... anyone had any luck with that program? http://www.3dexpress.de/
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#10 2009-06-05 2:04 pm
Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
what do you think of this...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jsp … p;tstart=0
10.5.7 causes issues?
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#11 2009-06-05 9:23 pm
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
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Re: Mac Mini and my HDTV (can't see menu bar!?)
satan 667 wrote:
what do you think of this...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jsp … p;tstart=0
10.5.7 causes issues?
Certainly possible. Only way to find out is to go back in Time (Machine). As the linked thread suggests.
It would be a video driver update, I suppose, that is causing the problem.
1/φ = φ-1
Dron't dink and dive.
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