Using a Vizio HDTV as an external monitor

I've bought the right connector and cable to connect my MacBook to an external monitor, and with two of our HDTVs, it works great. The problem is, it doesn't work with the TV I want it to.
We have a Vizio 27", a Phillips 47", and a Sony Bravia 52". On the Phillips and Sony, the picture quality is 1080p and amazing quality, and everything fits on the screen perfectly (as in the menu bar and dock).
But with the Vizio, which I'm wanting to use as a main monitor with external mouse and keyboard also, the picture quality is awful. It looks decent at 1280x764, which it tries setting it to by default, but when I change that to 1080i, the picture quality becomes really fuzzy and unreadable, and the dock and menu bar aren't even on the screen (you can barely see the top of the dock at the bottom though, so I know it's there.)
My question is: Does anyone know a way to fix this? So the Vizio can show the image in good quality? I've searched all through the MacBook's settings and my TVs settings, but I couldn't find anything. Any ideas?

I have a Samsung HDTV with HDMI Sockets etc etc
What cable will I need to connect my MacBook to my HDTV to watch movies direct from my MacBook on my HDTV?

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Is it possible to use an i mac as an external monitor connected to a pc

is it possible to use an i mac as an external monitor connected to a pc?

No unless we are talkign about a late 2009 or 2010 27" iMac. Otherwise PC's don't have the correct outputs. Please look over Apple's FAQ on that subject (Target Display Mode) and you will see what I mean:
Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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I will soon be getting a new MacBook Pro with Retina display. It has an HDMI port.
My current iMac 21.5" late 2009 model seems to have a port with what looks like a little monitor symbol, next to the firewire port. And the specs say:
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On the one hand it feels like a waste to use a perfectly good iMac as a monitor. But the MacBook Pro actually has better specs, and so I was wondering if it is possible anyway.
Thanks,
doug

Thanks for your reply. After reading the article though, I'm still not really sure what the answer is. For example, you mention something that can be done, with some hurdles to go through, for 27" iMacs. Mine is a 21.5" iMac, but seems to have the same port you mentioned in the article. Or maybe it isn't. Anyway, I'm still not sure if it is possible after reading that. Interesting information though.
doug

Is it possible to use the iMac display as en external monitor?

I want to connect my powerbook up to an iMac using the display as an external monitor for the laptop. Is this even possible? Any feedback would be appreciated.

Hello,
I've seen this post at least a hundred times. Has
anyone actually had the gusto to try this idea?
I don't remember where the page was. But, I posted it's link several months ago in the forums during another discussion.
But, the guy who had done it to his iMac G3 had very poorly documented his conversion.
Basically, he took and wired signal to same signal on the monitor, and adapted his power supply and other items to work properly in the modified setup.
So, it is possible. You just need to sit down with the schematics and wire signal to same signal, and make sure you account for all the variables. It may take some resistors, etc. to get the adaptation just right.
I don't have any reason to do it myself, so I'm not going to tinker with it.
If I remembered the link, I'd post it. But, it wouldn't do much good anyway since his HTML formatting was severely messed-up. The end-result was accurate information that was scrambled around on the screen in such a way that you couldn't decipher it anyway. If he had done the HTML work properly, it would be in a formatted table. But, instead the information was scattered all over the screen in an illogical format. So, it wasn't of much real use.

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I'm considering getting an iMac or Mac Mini so I can run Xcode.
My budget is low, so I'm considering just getting a Mini and using it with an old VGA/DVI monitor.
However, as the iMac includes a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, it's actually the same price as a Mini with a mouse, keyboard, and monitor.
Plus, the iMacs are more powerful.
I don't intend to do much on it, just Xcode and maybe some gaming. Gaming is not the deciding factor here.
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Are 8GB of RAM really necessary for Xcode, and is the quad-core CPU of the iMac needed?
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I currently use a Windows gaming desktop, and have lots of extra monitors lying around.
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I've read in different forums that "it has to be Thunderbolt". "It has to be a 27" not a 21". "It has to be 2010 or older".
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Can I use an iMac as an external display for my Windows desktop, and can it be the 21" model?
I'm not getting a Mac very soon, so please take your time.
-Thanks a lot,
Nick
BTW: This is my first post, so it's probably horrible.

Hello Nick, A a warm welcome.. great 1st post too!
I'm afraid using the iMac for a PC Monitor is out, unless it might be a newer PC that has a thunderbolt prt & can output Video through TB port. 2009/2010 iMacs can use MDP. But 21.5" iMacs work as well as the 27" ones for either method.
Not sure DVI or even DisplayPort converters work though.
Here's how it's supposed to work...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924
Mid 2011s & up need Thunderbolt!
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3775
Are 8GB of RAM really necessary for Xcode, and is the quad-core CPU of the iMac needed?
Well, problem is twofold, 4 GB is barely enough for the OS & one App, & you can't really upgrade the RAM yourself later.
I'd go for the Quad core, computers always get slower over time!
Might be some 209/2010 options here...
http://www.powermax.com/parts/code/PM_CU_IM_I1
http://www.powermax.com/parts/code/PM_CU_IM_I8

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translate.google.com.
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Using a Vizio HDTV as an external monitor

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