TV Plus MBP problems

[poppe]

Hello

I'm curious on how to do this... I want to keep my computer closed and have my TV as the only monitor. I keep having problems however doing this. I have my MBP closed and I hit my Bluetooth keyboard but it doesn't wake up. Then I mess with the mouse and it eventually wakes it up. However, it only wakes up for a second. It goes to full screen (this TV is 1080p) but the computer goes back to sleep before I can do anything.

The other problem: If I have the monitor on my MBP open my TV will not go to a full screen mode. I have about 3 inches of black on the left and ride side of the TV.... Why is this? And is there a way to fix this? I have set the resolution to 1920 by 1080

Thanks

 

[poppe]

Does anyone have any answers or thoughts to what is going on with my TV/MBP?

 

[brad.c]

Stab-in-the-dark, dumbishly basic question here. Have you tried a wired keyboard?

 

[poppe]

Stab-in-the-dark, dumbishly basic question here. Have you tried a wired keyboard?

I tried a wired mouse if that makes a difference... no wired keyboard on this end though...

 

[poppe]

Should I just take it to the store then you all think?

 

[MacGuy88]

I'm fairly certain you need to have the MBP open, and at the same time have (at least) one item pluggen in via USB (mouse or keyboard).

 

[poppe]

I'm fairly certain you need to have the MBP open, and at the same time have (at least) one item pluggen in via USB (mouse or keyboard).

Thats really weird... I swear I thought I read you could have your Mac closed as long as you had your mouse and keyboard in and just woke them up from it...

So why is it not going full screen you think? Its a 1080p monitor...

 

[hqsbud]

Apple states quite explicitly that you can do exactly what you're doing here.

I tried it with my external DVI-connected monitor with my wired keyboard and mouse, and it works fine. I don't have a Bluetooth mouse nor keyboard, so I can't help you on that part.

There are a couple of details about Bluetooth in Apple's document that appear worth checking.

On the 1080p, my TV is 720p and I frequently connect my MacBook Pro to it, and it fills the screen. But I once connected my daughter's MacBook to a 1080p TV, and it just appeared in the center of the TV. We couldn't figure out any way to fill it. I just passed it off as a lousy TV, but maybe this is generally the case? I don't know. It was a white ago so I don't remember what resolutions were offered in the MacBook's Display control panel.

 

[poppe]

Apple states quite explicitly that you can do exactly what you're doing here.

I tried it with my external DVI-connected monitor with my wired keyboard and mouse, and it works fine. I don't have a Bluetooth mouse nor keyboard, so I can't help you on that part.

There are a couple of details about Bluetooth in Apple's document that appear worth checking.

On the 1080p, my TV is 720p and I frequently connect my MacBook Pro to it, and it fills the screen. But I once connected my daughter's MacBook to a 1080p TV, and it just appeared in the center of the TV. We couldn't figure out any way to fill it. I just passed it off as a lousy TV, but maybe this is generally the case? I don't know. It was a white ago so I don't remember what resolutions were offered in the MacBook's Display control panel.

Oh thanks alot I'll check it out. Well that makes me really mad I would have never gone with a 1080p TV had I known it was gonna be like this... I'm gonna keep looking into it.

The weird thing is this when the MBP acctually works like it's supposed to stays on while closed the screen is filled but not stretched and looks awesome. If I leave the screen open then the TV has black bars on the sides...

 

[Chundles]

You need to:

1. Have the MBP plugged into the power supply.
2. Have the TV connected and displaying outputted video from your MBP - if the outputted video isn't filling the screen of a 1920x1080 TV then you need to change the video settings in the Displays pane of the System Preferences window.
3. Have either a wired keyboard/mouse plugged in or "allow bluetooth items to wake this Mac" option selected in the Bluetooth pane of the System Preferences window.
4. Once all this is done, close the MBP and let it sleep.
5. Wake it up by using the mouse and it should display only on the TV screen at the TV's native resolution.

 

[thedavemc]

Sleepless

Hi there, I had a similar problem but don't have a keyboard to wake my powerbook G4. Found an app called sleepless
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17893
which lets you prevent sleep with the lid closed, including an option to close the lid, have your main display sleep, but the system stay active (including external displays)
so you can activate sleepless, start films or whatever running then close the lid.
There are various other apps that do similar stuff but generally they only prevent sleep with the lid open - by simulating mouse activity etc.
This app is donationware, so be prepared to be nagged occasinally.
Hope this helps,
Dave

 

[ftaok]

In lieu of using the keyboard or mouse, the Apple Remote will wake up a Mac that's connected to a TV while the lid is closed. I've verified this on my wife's MacBook.

As for the TV issue, what model TV do you have? Is the TV capable of 1080p with no overscan (aka 1:1 pixel mapping; dot-by-dot)?

Have you tried messing with the settings in the Display System Preferences? There's a check box for overscan.

ft

 

[poppe]

You need to:

1. Have the MBP plugged into the power supply.
2. Have the TV connected and displaying outputted video from your MBP - if the outputted video isn't filling the screen of a 1920x1080 TV then you need to change the video settings in the Displays pane of the System Preferences window.
3. Have either a wired keyboard/mouse plugged in or "allow bluetooth items to wake this Mac" option selected in the Bluetooth pane of the System Preferences window.
4. Once all this is done, close the MBP and let it sleep.
5. Wake it up by using the mouse and it should display only on the TV screen at the TV's native resolution.

1. Tried that
2. Clicked Displays, then came up the Westinghouse 42" Display settings. I clicked 1920 x 1080 which was already selected. It is on Mirrored as well. If I click 1600 x 900 it fills the screen but is extremely large..
3. Tried That
5. Tried that
- And thats where the problem lies. I have tried all this and still the screen does not fit to the whole TV, and the computer wakes up for a few seconds but then sleeps again (even when I am constantly moving my mouse)...

In lieu of using the keyboard or mouse, the Apple Remote will wake up a Mac that's connected to a TV while the lid is closed. I've verified this on my wife's MacBook.

As for the TV issue, what model TV do you have? Is the TV capable of 1080p with no overscan (aka 1:1 pixel mapping; dot-by-dot)?

Have you tried messing with the settings in the Display System Preferences? There's a check box for overscan.

ft

I'll try that... What does over scan me?

 

[ftaok]

I'll try that... What does over scan me?

I'm guessing you meant to write "mean" and not "me" ...

Anyways, overscan is a by product of analog TV broadcast and CRT TVs. Basically, overscan is when you have portions of the TV broadcast that is not shown on the screen. Typically, with analog TV, the overscan is about 5%. What that means is that 5% of the TV picture is not shown on the screen and everything else is zoomed in to fill your TV screen. It's annoying, but it's been that way from the beginning. And the producers know this and make sure that nothing important is on the outside 5% of the screen.

With digital TVs, there's no need for overscan since digital TV's can display the exact broadcast pixel in the exact display pixel location. Meaning that the pixel that is located at coordinates 17x22 is displayed at the right location on the screen. So it's easy, right? Well no, since for whatever reason, many digital TV makers still build in overscan. I don't know why.

In any case, if your TV can do 1:1 pixel mapping, then you should select that and make sure the Overscan box IS NOT checked. On my Sharp 62U TV, 1:1 pixel mapping is selected by using the "dot by dot" zoom setting.

If your TV can't do 1:1 mapping, you may want to check the Overscan box.

Reading your description, I suspect that your TV is capable of 1:1 and that the Overscan box IS checked off. Try unchecking first.

If that don't work, mess around with other combinations of TV zoom settings, Overscan check/no-check, and different resolutions.

Good Luck.

ft

 

[poppe]

I'm guessing you meant to write "mean" and not "me" ...

Anyways, overscan is a by product of analog TV broadcast and CRT TVs. Basically, overscan is when you have portions of the TV broadcast that is not shown on the screen. Typically, with analog TV, the overscan is about 5%. What that means is that 5% of the TV picture is not shown on the screen and everything else is zoomed in to fill your TV screen. It's annoying, but it's been that way from the beginning. And the producers know this and make sure that nothing important is on the outside 5% of the screen.

With digital TVs, there's no need for overscan since digital TV's can display the exact broadcast pixel in the exact display pixel location. Meaning that the pixel that is located at coordinates 17x22 is displayed at the right location on the screen. So it's easy, right? Well no, since for whatever reason, many digital TV makers still build in overscan. I don't know why.

In any case, if your TV can do 1:1 pixel mapping, then you should select that and make sure the Overscan box IS NOT checked. On my Sharp 62U TV, 1:1 pixel mapping is selected by using the "dot by dot" zoom setting.

If your TV can't do 1:1 mapping, you may want to check the Overscan box.

Reading your description, I suspect that your TV is capable of 1:1 and that the Overscan box IS checked off. Try unchecking first.

If that don't work, mess around with other combinations of TV zoom settings, Overscan check/no-check, and different resolutions.

Good Luck.

ft

Oh interesting... where is the overscan button?

And yeah I meant mean... damn finals making me rush my typing...

 

[ftaok]

Oh interesting... where is the overscan button?

And yeah I meant mean... damn finals making me rush my typing...

You have to have the TV connected. Go to the Displays System Pref and click on the "Options" tab.

ft

 

[Chundles]

1. Tried that
2. Clicked Displays, then came up the Westinghouse 42" Display settings. I clicked 1920 x 1080 which was already selected. It is on Mirrored as well. If I click 1600 x 900 it fills the screen but is extremely large..
3. Tried That
5. Tried that
- And thats where the problem lies. I have tried all this and still the screen does not fit to the whole TV, and the computer wakes up for a few seconds but then sleeps again (even when I am constantly moving my mouse)...

I'll try that... What does over scan me?

Why have you got mirroring turned on? Mirroring means your TV is displaying the MacBook Pro's screen exactly as it is at 1440x900 so it will only be in the middle of the screen. Set your TV to be a separate display.

 

[poppe]

Why have you got mirroring turned on? Mirroring means your TV is displaying the MacBook Pro's screen exactly as it is at 1440x900 so it will only be in the middle of the screen. Set your TV to be a separate display.

Ok but I dont want my MBP to be the main screen when I use it so how do I do that? I want the TV to be the monitor and to just use my Wireless keyboard and eventually my wireless mouse in bed...

You have to have the TV connected. Go to the Displays System Pref and click on the "Options" tab.

ft

I'll check again, but when I last looked I didn't have that option... or acctually I never had "option" as an option

UPDATE: No option button... is that my tv's fault?

 

[ftaok]

Ok but I dont want my MBP to be the main screen when I use it so how do I do that? I want the TV to be the monitor and to just use my Wireless keyboard and eventually my wireless mouse in bed...



I'll check again, but when I last looked I didn't have that option... or acctually I never had "option" as an option

UPDATE: No option button... is that my tv's fault?

OK,

I think I've wrapped my head around this one. You'll need to turn off mirroring and allow the TV and MBP screens to show separate images. Then, when you open the Display system pref, you will have an adjustment window on each screen. The MBP window will be called Color LCD or something and will not have that Options tab. The Westy's screen will say something like Westy HDMI and should have the Options tab.

You need to mess around with the Arrangement tab to locate where the 2 screens are in relation to each other. On my wife's MB, we locate the MB screen to the left, and the Sharp HDTV to the right. We set the Sharp to be the Primary screen and the dock is on the right.

When the MB is connected and open, the mouse will move off of the Sharp and travel "left" to the MB screen. I'm not sure what happens when the MB is closed as I do not have a USB mouse to control the cursor when the lid is closed. As said above, I use the remote to wake the MB from sleep and get into Front Row that way.

BTW, I think I may have been mistaken in one of my previous emails. For the record, the overscan box is checked off in my set-up and the TV is set for "dot-by-dot". It produces a full 1920x1080 screen that fills up the entire TV (except for the very bottom row of pixels - I've read that it's a bug on the Sharp TV, but I don't even notice one line of pixels, so it doesn't matter).

After you get that set up, you'll have to fun of trying to get the MBP to send out a 1080p signal instead of a 1080i signal. But save that for after you get this other issue solved.

ft

 

[poppe]

OK,

I think I've wrapped my head around this one. You'll need to turn off mirroring and allow the TV and MBP screens to show separate images. Then, when you open the Display system pref, you will have an adjustment window on each screen. The MBP window will be called Color LCD or something and will not have that Options tab. The Westy's screen will say something like Westy HDMI and should have the Options tab.

You need to mess around with the Arrangement tab to locate where the 2 screens are in relation to each other. On my wife's MB, we locate the MB screen to the left, and the Sharp HDTV to the right. We set the Sharp to be the Primary screen and the dock is on the right.

When the MB is connected and open, the mouse will move off of the Sharp and travel "left" to the MB screen. I'm not sure what happens when the MB is closed as I do not have a USB mouse to control the cursor when the lid is closed. As said above, I use the remote to wake the MB from sleep and get into Front Row that way.

BTW, I think I may have been mistaken in one of my previous emails. For the record, the overscan box is checked off in my set-up and the TV is set for "dot-by-dot". It produces a full 1920x1080 screen that fills up the entire TV (except for the very bottom row of pixels - I've read that it's a bug on the Sharp TV, but I don't even notice one line of pixels, so it doesn't matter).

After you get that set up, you'll have to fun of trying to get the MBP to send out a 1080p signal instead of a 1080i signal. But save that for after you get this other issue solved.

ft

Oh man... my ignorance shows.. Well thank you much for clearing that up... I'll check it out when I get back home!

Do you have any info for the 1080p output and how I go about doing that?

 

[ftaok]

Oh man... my ignorance shows.. Well thank you much for clearing that up... I'll check it out when I get back home!

Do you have any info for the 1080p output and how I go about doing that?

As far as the 1080i and 1080p thing goes, I can only comment regarding my TV, the Sharp LC46D62U. However, I think I got the information from someone with a Sony, so it may work with your Westy.

Anyways, when you have the Westy connected and the displays set for extending (meaning that both screens are differrent), there will be a display system preference window on both screens. On the Westy, you'll see a bunch of supported resolutions and 1920x1080 (interlaced) is one of them. There doesn't seem to be a resolution for 1920x1080 (progressive) which is what we all want.

So with my TV, when setting the Mac resolution to 1920x1080i, I would get a display on my Sharp that looked funny. The entire desktop would show on the screen, however, the text looked wrong. Hard to describe, but kinda like every other horizontal pixel was shifted. Makes sense if it's displaying 1080i. The TV would report a 1080i signal.

So what I did was change the Input setting on the TV from HDMI to VCR or DVD and then back to HDMI. Sometimes it would clear up the text, sometimes not. Eventually, I would get a 1920x1080 screen that looked fine, but the TV still reported 1080i.

Then I read somewhere that if you look up at the top right where the display "widget" is on the menu bar, you can see the last few resolutions that had been used. There were 2 separate entries for 1920x1080 (60hz). Selecting the first one gave me the funky 1080i screen. The second one gave me the 1920x1080 screen with the perfect text. However, at this point, the TV reported 1080p.

The Display System Preferences still showed that the Mac was outputting 1920x1080 (interlaced), but the TV (and my eyes) say differently.

I would guess that the Westy would be the same or even easier.

Good Luck.

 

[poppe]

As far as the 1080i and 1080p thing goes, I can only comment regarding my TV, the Sharp LC46D62U. However, I think I got the information from someone with a Sony, so it may work with your Westy.

Anyways, when you have the Westy connected and the displays set for extending (meaning that both screens are differrent), there will be a display system preference window on both screens. On the Westy, you'll see a bunch of supported resolutions and 1920x1080 (interlaced) is one of them. There doesn't seem to be a resolution for 1920x1080 (progressive) which is what we all want.

So with my TV, when setting the Mac resolution to 1920x1080i, I would get a display on my Sharp that looked funny. The entire desktop would show on the screen, however, the text looked wrong. Hard to describe, but kinda like every other horizontal pixel was shifted. Makes sense if it's displaying 1080i. The TV would report a 1080i signal.

So what I did was change the Input setting on the TV from HDMI to VCR or DVD and then back to HDMI. Sometimes it would clear up the text, sometimes not. Eventually, I would get a 1920x1080 screen that looked fine, but the TV still reported 1080i.

Then I read somewhere that if you look up at the top right where the display "widget" is on the menu bar, you can see the last few resolutions that had been used. There were 2 separate entries for 1920x1080 (60hz). Selecting the first one gave me the funky 1080i screen. The second one gave me the 1920x1080 screen with the perfect text. However, at this point, the TV reported 1080p.

The Display System Preferences still showed that the Mac was outputting 1920x1080 (interlaced), but the TV (and my eyes) say differently.

I would guess that the Westy would be the same or even easier.

Good Luck.

Oh weird... well thanks for the all the info I'll check that all out!