Best Monitor Resolution Settings

[AlSevcik]

I am struggling to find a monitor setting that will properly scale my images. For example, a 10x8 image should be shown with a height to width ratio of 1.25. A 5x7 image should show with a ratio of 1.4. However, any of the settings I select (such as 1280 x 1224) distorts the images. My computer gives me a choice of 1920 x 1080, or 1280 x 1024, or 800 x 600. None of these show images in the correct proportion. Am I missing something?

[D Fosse]

Well, what is your monitor's native resolution? How many pixels w x h in the panel itself? That's what it should be set to.

[AlSevcik]

Thanks, you are, of course, correct. Unfortunately the MackBook Pro OS (High Sierra) won't permit that selection (1920 x 1200). Guess I'll have to buy a new monitor. Appreciate your advice.

[Conrad_C]

AlSevcik  wrote

Thanks, you are, of course, correct. Unfortunately the MackBook Pro OS (High Sierra) won't permit that selection (1920 x 1200).

Before you give up on your display...have you tried the Option key trick?

In the macOS Displays preference, I assume you clicked on Scaled to get the numeric resolution options. Try Option-clicking the Scaled button; that often adds more to the list. For example, on my display, Scaled normally doesn't show 1920 x 1200, it only shows 1920 x 1280. But if I Option-click the Scaled button, now the list offers 1920 x 1440, 1920 x 1200, and 1920 x 1280 along with the rest.

[AlSevcik]

I understand and thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately, my Mac does not offer 1920 x 1200, even with the option key.

I went to the monitor manufacturer’s site for an updated driver, but there was no help there.

Have decided to part with $200 for a new monitor.

[PECourtejoie]

Hello, could you please check the name and model of your screen, an online search will gie you its native resolution...

[AlSevcik]

Your suggestion is a good one, and I did that. Unfortunately the native resolution of the monitor (1920 x 1200) is not one of the choices allowed by the current MacBook OS (High Sierra). The monitor dates from 2009, so I guess I'll have to buy a new one that is compatible with the Mac. Appreciate your help.

[Aenigmaticus]

All monitors have a fixed ratio and maximum resolution. If you have a 1920x1080 as its maximum resolution, that means its ratio is 16:9. You can accurately use any resolution that follows the ratio of 16:9 and is at or below the width of 1920 pixels and height of 1080 pixels, but not, say, 640x480 / 4:3.

If you chose a non-16:9 ratio, it will [most likely] be stretched to fit the monitor space... so you will have 'pixels' that are not square shaped, but instead shaped as rectangles. That is the stretching/squeezing you see.

If your screen supports Box-Within-Box, it can essentially crop physical pixel space. Think VHS video on a widescreen monitor as an analogy.

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Edit 1:

You will need to crop or add padding to fit a non-native resolution image properly.

[AlSevcik]

Yes, I agree. See my responses to the previous comments. I think it will be best for me to look around for an appropriate monitor.

[Aenigmaticus]

Look for drivers for your monitors brand, make, and model.

For example: for my monitor and OS, I would search something like: 'Samsung SyncMaster P2350 win10 drivers' and use a verified website that provides it.

In your case, it would be 'Samsung SyncMaster P2350 mac drivers' or 'Samsung SyncMaster P2350 OSx drivers' (substitute sample monitor with your actual one).

[D Fosse]

This is not a problem with the monitor.

A display resolution of 1920 x 1200 is very common and very widespread. A standard 24 inch monitor is almost always 1920 x 1200. Any video card should support this - if it doesn't something's very wrong somewhere.

With Apple, video card driver updates are integrated with OS updates, and can't be updated separately. But that's where the problem is.

There's no driver for a monitor. A monitor is a so-called plug'n'play device - plug it in, and it works. What the manufacturers call a driver package is just a monitor profile, and an .inf file that displays the model name in your OS's device managers. No driver, none is required.

[PECourtejoie]

Hello, I fail to understand why you want to fit your images to screen?

ANY monitor, if properly setup, like the default resolutions in your mac will not distort the images,

Can you explain what you are trying to achieve?

[D Fosse]

The problem is that he can't set the video driver to the native 1920 x 1200 resolution for the display. All he gets is 1920 x 1080, which will distort everything.

Al, again, this is not a monitor problem. Buying a new one will likely not solve anything. You need to solve this on video driver/operating system level.

[PECourtejoie]

Ok, are you clicking on the secondary screen to set the resolution? (there is a collect all screen button that is often useful)