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Etherel90 · Jun 8, 2011, 03:26 AM

Hello everyone,
I'm sorry if this question has been posted before, I'm brand new to the forums and didn't see it.

I'm going to be buying a 15" MacBook Pro with the 2.2GHz i7 because it has the graphics card and not just the chipset.

My question is, the only thing I am deliberating is whether to get the Hi-Res display or not.

I have a 55" Vizio HDTV, bought last year with 4 HDMI ports. I want to get the mini display to HDMI adapter to connect the notebook to the TV.

Will getting the Hi-Res display affect this at all? I'm concerned that by stretching the display over 55" it might reduce the image quality without the Hi-Res display. However I don't plan to solely use the notebook on the TV, so I am also concerned that by getting the Hi-Res display, it might become cumbersome to perform simple tasks on the notebook due to the higher resolution making text smaller and such.

I would greatly appreciate any advice on this issue. Mostly the reason I would attach the notebook to the TV is for gaming purposes and some general internet surfing.

Waragainstsleep · Jun 8, 2011, 04:21 AM

The internal display on the MacBook will not affect the picture on your 55" which I assume is 1080p. The graphics card in the MBP is more than capable of driving two displays at higher resolutions than this.

Like any 55" TV, its not going to look great if you sit too close to it.

Etherel90 · Jun 8, 2011, 02:15 PM

Thanks for the quick reply!
Yeah, the TV is a 1080p display. So once it is plugged in via the HDMI to Mini Display, the current resolution of the laptop does not have anything to do with what will be displayed on the TV?

That's good news. And I'm planning to eventually get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse so I will be seated about 10 feet back from the TV.

olePigeon · Jun 8, 2011, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Etherel90

Thanks for the quick reply!
Yeah, the TV is a 1080p display. So once it is plugged in via the HDMI to Mini Display, the current resolution of the laptop does not have anything to do with what will be displayed on the TV?

The resolution on your laptop only matters if you mirror the display (what you see you on your laptop you see on the screen simultaneously.) Keep in mind that even the high resolution display is only 1050 pixels high, so it's not 1080 either. If you use the HDTV as a second monitor or as your primary monitor instead of the laptop screen, then, no, the resolution of the MacBook Pro doesn't matter.

Etherel90 · Jun 8, 2011, 06:17 PM

Okay, gotcha. If I'm using the macbook conjoined with the TV then I would only use the TV as the primary display. I don't see a reason to have both displays up and running, especially since having it connected to the TV would make it sort of inaccessible.

I guess that leads me to another question. Is the Hi-Res display worth getting for use on the macbook itself? If I were to be playing games for example, would the Hi-Res provide better visual quality?
I hear that most people's complaints about the Hi Res display is that, with any higher resolution, the text and icons become smaller. But in my experience, it's possible to keep it at a lower resolution when viewing internet sites and general things of that nature, and to increase the resolution when playing games or other things like that.
This is correct, right?

Now that I know it won't affect the display on the TV, the only reason I would get the Hi Res display is for games or media. But if it doesn't help for that either, I think I will save my money.

olePigeon · Jun 8, 2011, 07:45 PM

I suppose games may look better on it because the pixel density is greater. The other thing the high resolution display gives you access to is the matte screen.

My work moved me from an older 15" MacBook Pro with a matte screen to a newer 13" MacBook Pro with the glossy screen. I hate it. I hate it to no end. I can't stand the damn glossy screen. It is unbelievably annoying. My eyes are constantly switching focus between the screen and any reflections on it. It's giving me eye strain. I may beg them for the 15" back. I don't care if it's slower.

I also hate the single trackpad/button thing. The cursor always moves at the most inopportune time when I try to click something. It's 10x worse under Windows.

OK, done with the griping.

SierraDragon · Jun 8, 2011, 08:21 PM

What olePigeon said. The high rez matte display rocks. The glossy displays gag me.

Where it really matters is for still and video images.

YMMV. Some folks say they like the glare displays. Check them out at a store.

-Allen

Etherel90 · Jun 9, 2011, 02:06 AM

I appreciate all the help here guys. This is going to be my very first Mac. I've always been a PC user and have finally gotten fed up with all the BS that comes with it.

I think in the interest of the video quality I will end up going with the Hi-Res display.

As to the Glossy vs. Matte display, I have 2 different monitors in my home, both 23in widescreen displays. One is on my family computer and the other was on my old PC.
I notice every time I use the glossy display that the colors appear brighter and more vivid. Though I have sometimes noticed the glare/reflection, I have not used this monitor for extended amounts of time.

My old monitor was a matte display and I never had problems with it. So my question is: Does the irritation from the glare/reflections outweigh the more vivid display and better color quality?

I don't plan to use this macbook outside very often, but it is portable and I may find myself in places with a lot of light which could very well cause the glare and reflection if I went with the standard glossy display.

Waragainstsleep · Jun 9, 2011, 05:03 AM

Where do you people use your MacBooks? I never even notice reflections on mine.

You should all learn to live in the dark like proper computer geeks.

angelmb · Jun 9, 2011, 03:00 PM

I would go with the Hi-Res Antiglare display.

SierraDragon · Jun 9, 2011, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Etherel90

So my question is: Does the irritation from the glare/reflections outweigh the more vivid display and better color quality?

Color quality is the same. The glossy indeed is more "vivid" which some folks like while many image pros do not want their images to appear artificially vivid.

Glare can sometimes be avoided by carefully setting up a controlled workspace environment like War suggests.

However with daytime mobile usage one seldom has a controlled workspace environment, and glare often results. Some folks' brains don't seem to really even perceive the glare (maybe they concentrate right past it) while glare drives other folks (like me) absolutely bonkers.

The good news is your box you decide.

-Allen Wicks