Can Pismo do 1366x768 on a widescreen TV?

Question

I am about to get a widescreen TV, one of the many models that does 1366x768.
Currently I have a PowerBook G3 FireWire (Pismo) connected to an old CRT TV via composite video (simple RCA cable), purely for slide shows and web video. Of course, the Pismo can feed it 512x384, 640x480, and 1024x768 over that cable. But when I get the new TV, it will want 1366x768. The Pismo predates widescreen TVs, so does anyone know for certain whether the Pismo will be able to feed the TV that resolution through the Pismo's VGA port? If not natively, can the Pismo do it through SwitchResX?
If not, I'll probably have to wait until I get my MacBook Pro, so that I can move my current PowerBook G4 into the home entertainment center, replacing the Pismo. I assume the PowerBook G4 can do 1366x768 through DVI>HDMI.

Answer 1

network,
I have little help to offer, but these are the resolutions the Pismo supports:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58344
Below is a thread I archived in 2006 with some helpful information regarding this subject.
Kenichi Watanabe
The connector in the back is a VGA connector, so you cannot use any displays that are digital only (like Apple's). But VGA analog input LCD displays are plentiful and actually cheaper. You can get displays that are both analog and digital.
I'm not sure about the widescreen format. That format did not exist when Pismo's were designed. I have a 21-inch CRT that is sometimes attached to my Pismo, and I can get it up to 1600x1200. If you get a standard 17-inch or 19-inch (not widescreen) LCD, they are normally 1280x960 (a very common resolution), and that resolution works on the external video port. You can use it as a desktop extension (display spanning) or as the only display.
Hopefully, if the widescreen format works, someone here can confirm it. It would be unfortunate if you paid the extra cost to get one and you had "black bars" along the sides. Maybe you can take your Pismo to CompUSA (or your local mega store) and ask to try it with the on-display model.
Kenichi Watanabe
The connector in the back is regular VGA. Most VGA monitors come with a cable. If you try one at a store, the monitor you are trying should have a cable. So, I don't think you need to buy one, and it doesn't need to be a "dual" anything, at least for using with a Pismo.
I just checked with my Pismo connected to my 21-inch CRT. If you make the external display the only display, it will go up to 1600x1200 at millions of colors. In fact, it goes up to 1792x1344, but at thousands of colors (but I don't think you'll find any LCDs at that resolution. This is with Mac OS X 10.9.
Looking at some 19-inch (and 17-inch) displays on Amazon, they are at 1280x1024. A 21-inch non-widescreen LCD is at 1600x1200. Now that would be like having a widescreen with some extra top and bottom space.
Kenichi Watanabe
Yes. I was just using the System Preferences Displays panel. I put the Pismo to sleep and closed the "lid" and woke it up to disable the built-in LCD. This allows the external to be at 1600x1200 and millions of colors. I believe the refresh rate was 75 Hz. It can get to 1600x1200 with monitor spanning (built-in display on), but the external display goes to thousands of colors.
Perhaps under Mac OS 9, 1280 x 1024 is the max. Hope the widescreen works, because all the resolutions listed in that document (except the 640 x 870 portrait mode) are the standard "TV" aspect ratio.
Please post back with your findings.
Steve Farber
Well, good news and bad news...
Good news is, the monitor is beautiful and glowing brightly. In fact I'm using it to type this right now.
The bad news is, it's hooked up to my wife's G4 iBook. I'm using the mini dvi adapter with the vga cable that came with the monitor.
When I hook up the monitor to the pismo, the pismo's screen becomes a scrambled jumble of lines while the monitor shows the desktop, with the dialogue window frozen with no cursor movement. Desktop icons are absent as well. The only way to get out of this is a restart. If I close the lid, the pismo goes to sleep but won't wake up when the lid is opened, or even when keys are tapped.
Can't find any info on the apple site on what to do here. Any ideas?!
Steve Farber
It works!
I re-read you r post Kenichi about putting the pismo to sleep, and pulled up this article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58614
and realized I needed to use a usb keyboard. I unearthed our old usb keyboard from our B/W and plugged the dell monitor in as well as the usb -
and the monitor sparng to life!
Aspect ratio is correct - while the screen itself maintains its widescreen form - the text and images are not squeezed (as they were moments ago on the iBook).
I'm elated.
We have an apple pro bluetooth keyboard which I'll try out tomorrow (as well as the bluetooth dongle) to see if that works just as well, just getting late now and too tired to try it out. Also have to try the RF BenQ laser mouse, because I've got the b/w Puck out and I don't want to go back to that!
For the record, according to System Preferences, the pimso and monitor have set themselves at 1360x768 at millions of colors and 60 hZ refresh rate, I didn't have to do a thing.
Kenichi Watanabe
That's good news. I looked up that monitor on the 'net, and one review said that the "native" (optimum) resolution for that model was 1680x1050. That makes sense since that's the same resolution for Apple's 20" display.
So try going to the Display preference to see if 1680x1050 is available as an option. Since it can do millions of colors on my big CRT at 1600x1200 (1920000 pixels), I hope it can do millions at 1680x1050 (1764000 pixels).
Steve Farber
Dell 2007WFP widescreen LCD external display works perfectly at 1680x1050 resolution on a G3 400 pismo with 768 ram, bluetooth keyboard via dongle and rf mouse via rf dongle. Love the future proof pismo!