New 2012 Mac mini having screen resolution problem when I connect to either 27" LG or 22" Hannspree monitor. Tried mini display port to VGA/HDMI and HDMI to DVI-D cables... all same isse

Question

New 2012 Mac mini having issues in connecting to third party Monitors. Connected my mac mini to a 27" LG monitor. Text looks blurred. Tried connecting to the monitor using 3 options. 1) mini port to HDMI, then HDMI cable to LG monitor. 2) Mini port to VGA, then VGA cable to monitor 3) HDMI port on mini mac to DVI-D cable then DVI to DVI cable... In all cases text is not clear. Anyone has similar issues with latest mini mac. The monitor works fine when I connect to a windows 7 Samsung laptop. Any input is highly appreciated. Thanks in Advance

Answer 1

Why do you use always 2 cables? There's a lot that can go wrong.
1.) Hardware:
- Use only one cable, best an HDMI->HDMI cable. It doesn't need to be an expensive one, they've proven to be no worse than those "esoteric", expensive ones.
- Set the monitor to the HDMI input.
- The modes you are listing are only "picture modes" changing color/brightness/contrast settings, not resolution or the likes, so pick the one you like best later, or enter your own settings under Custom.
2.) OS X:
- Usually the Mac detects the screen itself and chooses the best settings, so by default you need to do nothing than make a proper hardware connection to get a decent image.
- However, there have been issues with new Mac Minis and particularly their HDMI ports. But reportedly they have been fixed with a software update. So, launch the App Store and check under Updates if there is one for you to install. If so, do it; otherwise you should be good to go.
- If you require, go to System Preferences -> Displays. In the Dispaly tab, by default, "Best for display" should be selected, and that is typically true. If you want, select "Scaled" and 1920x1080, plus a frequency from the list (where higher is usually better, but just pick the one that works best for you). If you can't see a change to the better, you best go back to "Best for display".
- If you are not happy with the colors on your screen, you'll find eventually more than one choice in the Color tab, though your particular screen should be in the list and its Display Profile should get you the best result. (Double-check picture modes on your display: if you're far off there, you won't make it much better with the Mac's settings).