Hope someone can help or share specific experience in this area!

Our new BV8-40 is working like a dream, including its built-in DVB module, which produces a beautiful picture quality. It is a wonderful set and we’re extremely pleased with it. There’s just one thing not 100% that keeps bugging me in the back of my mind:

I have recently connected the BV8-40 to a new Apple Mini, using the Kanex mini-DVI to HDMI converter, and an HDMI cable, plugged into the BV8.

Digital sound from the Mac Mini is added in by connecting it by mini-jack/optical (S/PDIF) into the same Kanex convertor.

Kanex link: http://kanexlive.com/products/item.aspx?id=3495

Setup:

-       On the BV8-40, (Connection 3) I selected HDMI as the input, configuring it as ‘unknown PC’. I tried both the HDMI a and HDMI b connectors.

-       On the Mac Mini, I selected the 1080P (1920 * 1080) resolution to make full use of the TV set’s screen size and detail.

Result:

Sound comes through fine. With respect to the picture however, while it is very usable, it somehow looks like it is not totally sharp, as if it is being up- or downscaled, and not as razor-sharp as I would expect for a PC display being used at its native resolution.  It is certainly less sharp and clean than what I get on my 17” iMac screen. For instance, small character text seems to look a little bit ‘wiggly’.

Has anyone else made this comparison? Am I expecting too much, by comparing it with the picture quality of a fully integrated iMac? Or am I doing something wrong with the connections, or with the settings, either on the BV8-40, or on the Mini?

Thanks for any insights anyone may have!

Have you tried to move the "size" cursor on the BV8 settings?

It should be in the middle of the scale for no overscanning...

Thanks for the suggestion... I don't remember having changed this setting and will take a look at it tonight. Will report back with any result!

just tried this yesterday evening, but unfortunately it didn't solve it. Thanks for your suggestion though!

Interestingly, I could increase the size of the picture by moving the cursor either to the left or to the right! The best setting is indeed the one in the middle.

Nevertheless, my concern about just-not-optimal sharpness remains. I wonder if it has to do with the mini-DVI to HDMI conversion? Could there be a better cabling option to connect the BV8 screen to the Mac Mini?

I had tha KANEX adapter but never had it working. I experienced multiple dropouts, sound issues, picture issues etc.etc.

I have now experienced, that the best way to connect a mini, is by using DVI and seperate S/P diff or analog for audio.

Try getting a HDMI to mini DVI or HDMI to mini display adapter (depends on your mini version). Connect your BV 8 and mini with your HDMI+ adapter This way you will see that it probably is the KANEX product that does not work as intended. 

Furthermore, KANEX does not support 24hz in 1080p only 50 or 60 which makes Bluray rips bounce... The mini DVI or Displayport does however, and is another thing to consider when hooking the mini up (At least if you rip your DVD´s and Blurays).

/Ehlerz 

Thanks for your suggestion, will give it a try. I have indeed experienced sound issues with the Kanex too, where I had to disconnect and reconnect the adaptor in order to get my sound back. It looked like a nice idea but somehow the actual performace is not what I expected.

Just a quick update, I have now tried connecting using an Apple mini-display-port to HDMI adaptor, but the pixel sharpness has not visibly improved.

Just browsing through the BV8-40 user guide which states on page 16 (titled "Use your television as a computer monitor") that it supports the following screen resolutions: "60 HZ; 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 720."  To my surprise, the ideal screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 seems to be missing from the listed supported screen resolutions here.

Does anyone know why the display's native screen resolution would not be supported by the BV8-40 when connecting it with a PC? Or is it?

Sorry for asking these basic questions, but I am still a bit puzzled! Hope someone can share his or her insights in this area.

Thank you!

I know exactly what you're talking about.  You watch a movie or use Plex or whatever and it looks fine but if you're browsing or doing anythin that involves text the writing looks all fuzzy and the closer you get the worse it is, right?

Well, the good news is, your TV isn't broken.  The bad news is the same thing has happened to me with any combination of any Mac and any TV I've tried.  Which is actually three Macs and three TVs.

Maybe it's a DVI thing and when the Mini has an HDMI out then it'll be better.  Or something.

waterlander2004:

Just browsing through the BV8-40 user guide which states on page 16 (titled "Use your television as a computer monitor") that it supports the following screen resolutions: "60 HZ; 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 720."  To my surprise, the ideal screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 seems to be missing from the listed supported screen resolutions here.

Does anyone know why the display's native screen resolution would not be supported by the BV8-40 when connecting it with a PC? Or is it?

I think that's just because the BV8 40 user guide was simply (and wrongly) copy-pasted from the BV8 32 user guide ;-)

Concerning the picture sharpness : you can normally get an almost perfect picture with the VGA connector (and audio via S/PDIF using an optical to coax adapter). That's not a perfect solution but as a temporary fix it's ok... I think the issue comes from Apple video drivers, hopefully 10.6.3 will solve that.

Thank you mbee...

That gives me hope that there may indeed be a solution. I will see what I can find in my spare cable box to test out a VGA connection next week!

Kind regards, Eric

mbee:

waterlander2004:

Just browsing through the BV8-40 user guide which states on page 16 (titled "Use your television as a computer monitor") that it supports the following screen resolutions: "60 HZ; 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 720."  To my surprise, the ideal screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 seems to be missing from the listed supported screen resolutions here.

Does anyone know why the display's native screen resolution would not be supported by the BV8-40 when connecting it with a PC? Or is it?

I think that's just because the BV8 40 user guide was simply (and wrongly) copy-pasted from the BV8 32 user guide ;-)

I get more options than that from my MacBook and BV8-32.

I get sharp computer text on options like 1280x720, but I also have a 1080i option which does not yield a good "pc" monitor picture, but is good for playing movies via the MacBook ....

Have you checked that your Mac recognises the BV8? Mine does .....

i have my mac pro running into a sony bravia and it's pin sharp

snow leopard seems a lot more tv friendly than  earlier mac os's

go to detect displays in displays and the resolution with a tiny tv logo next to it should appear

one of those resolutions should work fine

use 1080p instead of 1080i that makes a MASSIVE difference

The resolutions that you have seen in the user guide are the resolutions supported when connected trough VGA, which B&O call PC. Now days PCs/Mac can be connected trough HDMI/DVI etc.