External display horrible to look at on 1080p monitor connected via HDMI to Mac Mini M2

[barp_m]

Hi everyone,
I've just bought an M2 Mac Mini and it's brilliant!
I had, before, a 12 year old 27" iMac so needed a monitor for my Mac Mini.
I purchased a FHD 1080p 27" VA monitor and it's horrendous to look at - the text is really hard to read, very grainy and pixelated and it gives me a headache!
I've tried a friend's 1080p 23.5" IPS monitor and, while slightly better, still looks horrid.
I use Logic a lot so really need the resolution to be bigger, to give me more real estate, so as to fit all the different columns and windows in while having space to work on the main arrangement.
I'm assuming I need more than the 1920 x 1080 resolution, but is it the case that the Mac Mini hasn't been built to reasonably provide for a 1080p resolution. Do I need a 2k (2560 x 1440) or even a 4K monitor - will that sort it?
Dell won't let me return my monitor (that's a whole other story!) so I'm reluctant to buy something else I can't return only to try it and have the same problem.
Help please!
Thanks in advance

 

[SpeedThree5500]

I am no pro, but may I offer these two URLs which you may find helpful.

Don't Buy an Apple Monitor for Your Mac (Buy This Instead)

If you're thinking about buying a Studio Display, consider Samsung's offerings.

lifehacker.com

Both offer help when selecting an external monitor for a Mac.

 

[SpeedThree5500]

On a Mac forum to which I belong, I recently saw this:


I bought this one 2 months ago. It is 28” but it seemed a reasonable choice and it comes with a 4 year warranty. I am a photographer and while I’m not hyper-critical, I am kinda particular about color and I have not been disappointed with this monitor. It has lots of adjustments and it took me a little while to “get it right”.

The height adjustment is not all that helpful as the highest position seems about right for me. The only complaint I have is that it takes 6-8 seconds to wake up after sleep. Philips was quick to respond but had no solutions. Even Apple tech could not or would not confirm or deny that third party monitors should have instant on capabilities. All considered, I can put up with the short delay.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TF58RR4/?tag=macforums0e4-20
HTH

 

[Groovetube]

Hmmm. 1920x1080 va monitor should be just fine for logic. I use it and pro tools and find 4k to be too tiny for plugins etc.

How is the monitor connected? Check the hdmi cable make sure it’s decent, check the display settings in system prefs, set the refresh to 60hz (newer monitors and a good hdmi cable should handle that on an m2) and make sure the resolution is set correctly. About all I can think of for now.

 

[RavingMac]

I use a 4K HDTV with my 2019 Mac Mini (most recently a 48in LG OLED) and it works great, just have to play with the resolution to find one that balances well for your usage

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...
I purchased a FHD 1080p 27" VA monitor and it's horrendous to look at - the text is really hard to read, very grainy and pixelated and it gives me a headache!

It would help if you gave us a screenshot so that we can determine if what you are seeing is normal for your setup, or if you are experiencing something that needs troubleshooting.

VA LCD panels, in general, aren't best for clarity. IPS panels are. A cheap VA panel can look especially bad.

27-inch and bigger monitors really do benefit from 4K resolution. 1080p is going to be noticeably disappointing, especially after seeing a more expensive monitor.

I can't speak for anyplace outside of the U.S., but in the U.S. Amazon's return policies are supreme. You can just bring the opened product to any Kohl's store and have them re-package and ship it back for free, no questions asked. Also, always make sure to purchase with a really good credit card that will help you with returns if there are any snags. American Express is amazing for this. It is especially important to have a good return policy when purchasing a monitor. Too much can be a problem.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Here are the best deals that I know of currently for a 27-inch class, 4K, IPS panel monitor:

YEYIAN ODRAZ 27” IPS Panel HDR 4K UHD Slim Bezel PC Gaming Monitor 3840x2160, 1 Billion Colors, Low Blue, 300cd/m2, 1000:1, 60Hz, 5ms, 16:9, 178°, G-Sync, FreeSync, DP/HDMI/USB, Speakers, VESA, Tilt
$220
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HN6XSYS/

PHILIPS 288E2E 28" Frameless Monitor, 4K UHD 3840x2160 IPS, 120% sRGB, FreeSync, Height Adjustable, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement
$250
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TF58RR4

ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q1A 28” Monitor, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS, Adaptive-Sync/ FreeSync, Eye Care, DisplayPort HDMI, DCI-P3 HDR 10, Shadow Boost, Black
$289
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VG289Q1...3Z2RPB9/dp/B083Z2RPB9/ref=dp_ob_title_ce?th=1

 

[barp_m]

Hi, thank you for all the replies.
I’m not based in the US but thanks for the links.
I’ve attached a photo of as close up as could get a decent photo of the problem. It is a cheap VA and I think 27” is just too big. I found a good deal before I posted this for a 2K screen that’s obviously at 2560 x 1440… hopefully it’s better. I had read that 4K might be too much and overkill… plus I read somewhere that people have had problems with Mac minis at 4K after upgrading to Ventura.
Thanks again!

 

[Groovetube]

27s are great, bigger is always better when it comes to audio apps, so many are resorting to hdtv now for audio. I found tvs a bit fuzzy on text personally and I sprung for an LG 43” IPS monitor that was on sale for 650 Canadian on Amazon and it just rules for logic and pro tools. I think you’ll find panels less than 27 a drag for logic. 32 to me is the perfect size. (I LOVE the 43 however!) I’d get a 4k and just back up the resolution. Perhaps a 27 at 1080p isn’t so great.

For VA panels, I can’t speak for really cheap ones, but there’s zero wrong with VA panels really, most of my audio pals use them because they’re cheaper than IPS. IPS will give you wider viewing angle and better color gamut for graphic/video work (which is why I got IPS) Besides my LG I also have a 32” Samsung VA panel that was a few hundred bucks that I use as a mirrored monitor by the drums to control the pro tools rig so I can engineer myself, and it’s about as sharp as the IPS, it’s great (and I’m very picky). Both panels are 4k but as I mentioned I back off the resolution a few because like most audio guys, I find 4k makes things way too small (especially the mixer and many plugins…) and it works very well. At some point when the audio world adapts to 4k I’ll have it.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I’ve attached a photo of as close up as could get a decent photo of the problem.

That IS exceptionally bad. It does make me wonder if the problem is more than just that you have an inexpensive monitor.

 

[manzanillo]

IMHO this is pretty simple. I've done a similar job shopping for a monitor for my daughter in her first year in Uni, she's spending a lot of time watching lectures on her macbook pro. I wanted to provide more workspace and better posture working from her desk, and easy on the eyes. A laptop riser, Monitor, and external KBD and Mouse was the solution.

Looking at your challenge, I'm sourcing my info from the Mactracker app (a godsend for macheads IMHO).

• Your 12 year old iMac (I've assumed is a mid-2011 27 inch)
  Built-in Display resolution: 2560 by 1440 pixels (LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT LCD) - let's call that approx 2k
  External resolution Up: to 2560 by 1600 pixels
• Your M2 Mac Mini:
  External Resolution: Up to 4096 by 2160 pixels at 60Hz (HDMI with M2) Up to 7680 by 4320 pixels at 60Hz (HDMI with M2 Pro) Up to 6016 by 3384 pixels at 60 Hz (Thunderbolt)
• Your new 27" FHD Monitor
  Built-in Display resolution: 1920x1080p.

We're ignoring brightness (nits), glossy, or response time. You're used to looking at something like 2k resolution with your 27" iMac; your MacMini is capable of 4k resolution and you're hamstringing it with lower resultion than you'd get on most laptops (particularly Apple laptops!). The "FHD" monitor is your issue, IMHO.

In our case, we did a proof of concept. We tried my Daughter's M1 13" Macbook Pro connected to my Wife's work-from-home setup, an HP USB-C hub connected via HDMI to a standard Samsung 24" FHD monitor, the LS24F350. Although it gave her more screen real-estate, and improved her neck position, it would strain my daughter's eyes long-term as the text isn't particularly crisp with the MacBook Pro downscaling to work the FHD 24" panel. Her MacBook Pro has the following specs:

• MacBook Pro 2020 M1 13"
  Built-in Display resolution: Native is 2560-by-1600 (Retina). Scaled resolutions: 1680 by 1050, 1440 by 900, and 1024 by 640 pixels
  External resolution: One external 6K display with 6016 by 3384 resolution at 60 Hz, or Dual display extended, video mirroring, AirPlay Mirroring, and Sidecar; Up to 6016 by 3384 resolution at 60 Hz.
  Samsung LS24F350 resolution: Resolution 1920 x 1080, 250 cd/m² brightness

To repeat - the standard 24" HD 1920x1080p monitor was passable but yechhh when compared with her native MBP screen.

We were value-shopping, so a business monitor with two HDMI inputs was what we sought, 4k was the answer to providing a decent user experience, and taking advantage of the available video output from the MBP. Running an extended dsesktop from the MBP, we wanted a display that would stack up visually.

Perhaps a USB-C connection would be better - I didn't dig deep enough into Thunderbolt to determine if this should be a priority,

We bought a USB-C hub to take the thunderbolt USB-C output to HDMI monitor, and got a deal on a Dell 4K 27" monitor (S2721QS) that'll work nicely for 'business' type apps, the occasional bit of photo-editing, and streaming TV from an AppleTV 4k.

• MacBook Pro 2020 M1 13"
  Built-in Display resolution: Native is 2560-by-1600 (Retina). Scaled resolutions: 1680 by 1050, 1440 by 900, and 1024 by 640 pixels
  External resolution: One external 6K display with 6016 by 3384 resolution at 60 Hz, or Dual display extended, video mirroring, AirPlay Mirroring, and Sidecar; Up to 6016 by 3384 resolution at 60 Hz.
  Dell S2721QS: 4K 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz. 350 cd/m² brightness

You may have greater demands (video or photo editing) - shop carefully.

There are Dell monitors with USB-C hub, and the Ultrasharp range, and some are calibratable. There's also the question of what compromise the USB-C hub we're using for connectivity brings to the video, rather than a native monitor - these are considerations that may be of primary importance to you. Of course there are other monitor options than Dell, plenty out there and you can lose yourself for a couple of days readimg tests etc. I found RTINGS pretty useful.

Hope that helps.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

1080P on a 27" monitor is dumb. You should be at at least 2K resolution for that size monitor. At 1080P everything will look too huge not clear. You need to match the resolution to the size of the monitor.

Inversely, if you go 4K on a 21" monitor, everything will be way too small to see.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

I don't think that it is at all important to have an external monitor that has a USB-C input. If you have a Mac that doesn't include an HDMI output, you DO need an excellent Thunderbolt 3/4 to HDMI adapter (one that is good for 4K @ 60hz) and an HDMI cable that is certified for HDMI 2.1. I can give you recommendations for those if you need them.

 

[Groovetube]

I think it depends on your own situation and personal needs. It made sense in my case, as I use my MacBook Pro both in my studio, and mobile. Having a usb c monitor allows me to keep my charger wrapped in my laptop bag for when I record mobile, saving me having to buy another charger. Also saving me having to buy a tb4>hdmi apple adapter and a 2.1 hdmi cable. I like the convenience of my mbp being charged from the monitor and additional usb c port, and, I have had some issues with flaky hdmi cables but never a problem with usb c.

lf you have an hdmi port and you can get a deal on an hdmi monitor, I say do that just make sure the hdmi cable is good because man there’s a lot of crap cables out there labeled as certified. I think apparently there’s an app for it.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

... I like the convenience .

Yes, it may be convenient. But I wanted folks to know that it doesn't confer any added performance over HDMI. And, yes, it may keep you from having to purchase an extra cable and adapter, but since monitors with USB-C inputs tend to be stupidly expensive, I'm not sure how often that would lead to a savings.

lf you have an hdmi port and you can get a deal on an hdmi monitor, I say do that just make sure the hdmi cable is good because man there’s a lot of crap cables out there labeled as certified.

It's true. It is extremely important to get a good HDMI cable (and a good Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter if one needs one), and there as some really bad ones out there. On the other hand, most monitors these days seem to be including a high quality HDMI cable. Which is very helpful in avoiding a problem.

 

[Groovetube]

Maybe I have access to cheaper monitors. I can get an lg ultrafine IPS panel 32” 4k for 495 Canadian, which is about 366 US dollars. There’s a number of options, and I suspect it will grow from here. Things have come down in price quickly these days. I got a 43” IPS 4k for 650 Canadian (481 US) and that’s more monitor than anyone could need!

the price in my screenshot is Canadian dollars.