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[ssp3]

I can confirm that it works and I can select the 1920x1200x76Ghz resolution without any screen corruption.

1920x1200@76Hz ? This is very interesting!

Please confirm that you have:

* Real Mac Mini 1.5GHz (10,2), not overclocked 1.42GHz (10,1). Check with System Profiler, to be sure.
* Working with Dell (?) display that has 1920x1200 @60Hz (?) native resolution. Or should have, I'd say.
* And it is possible to set it to 76Hz and picture displays correctly?

A screenshot would be helpful too.

Thanks.

[fergycool]

I can confirm that it works and I can select the 1920x1200x76Ghz resolution without any screen corruption.

1920x1200@76Hz ? This is very interesting!

Sorry but it looks like I was wrong. But what happened is a little bizarre (at least to me!).
When I clicked on the 1920x1200x76Hz resolution the screen flashed then when it came back the Control Strip had moved up. I assumed (wrongly) 120pixels had been added below it (difference between 1080 and 1200!).
However, when I rebooted (after I had posted) and checked the resolution on the monitor it still says 1920x1080. I checked the Monitor and it seems that no matter which resolution I choose it stays on 1920x1080x60hz (see screenshots). I can select 640x480 and the screen flashes and goes to 1920x1080! I guess something about DVI>HDMI>DVI is the cause.

Anyway I think I'm done with messing with getting to 1920x1200 now and I'lll stick with 1920x1080.
Thanks!

[ssp3]

This is also very interesting.
Are you saying that your 1920x1200 Dell display, when set to 1920x1080, istead of stretching 1080 pixels to 1200, adds 120 pixels at the bottom and as a result of this displays all icons etc. correctly?

Dell U2412M (1920x1200), for example, stretches everything and is unusable.

[fergycool]

This is also very interesting.
Are you saying that your 1920x1200 Dell display, when set to 1920x1080, istead of stretching 1080 pixels to 1200, adds 120 pixels at the bottom and as a result of this displays all icons etc. correctly?

Dell U2412M (1920x1200), for example, stretches everything and is unusable.

I'd not thought about it before, but everything certainly looks fine and not stretched. You can see in the screenshot in my previous post.

[ssp3]

Tested another nice looking display today with both kind of Minis.

Fujitsu 22" B22W-6 LED

Native display resolution - 1680 x 1050 @60Hz (16:10)
TN type panel.
LED backlight.
VGA + DVI + Display Port inputs.
v8 ROM

1. DVI to VGA, ATI RockHopper2 Driver, both models - black screen.

2. DVI to VGA, ATI Via Driver, both models - max resolution, acceleration works.
Display is recognized correctly as B22W-6 LED





3. DVI to DVI, ATI Via Driver, both models. This is very strange!
Native resolution is displayed in Monitors control panel, but you either can not select it (I forgot which model it was), or, if you select it, you get garbled display.
If you select some other resolution, the display gets stretched.






4. DVI to DVI, ATI RockHopper2 Driver, 10,2 model - native resolution is not listed!
If you select any other resolution you get either garbled or stretched display.
(The screenshot looks ok because it is a screenshot. One has to photograph the screen to see the effect).




5. DVI to DVI, ATI RockHopper2 Driver, 10,1 model - black screen.


It's worth noting that this display has the same resolution as 20" Apple Cinema Display, but it seems that, as soon as we approach 22" and larger displays, all sorts of problems start to pop up.

In OSX Leopard both Mini models work fine with this display on any port.

[Slimes]

I have done expensive experimentation with many monitors and adapters and so forth.
I'll keep it simple:

WHAT WORKS
DVI-I Adapter -> VGA -> VGA Monitor port
DVI-I Adapter -> VGA -> VGA to HDMI -> HDMI Monitor port or KVM port

WHAT DOESN'T WORK
DVI-D direct cable
DVI-D any adapter

NOTES
DVI-I direct cable may work.
It appears the digital pins on the DVI port on the mini are not active hence the above methods working while DVI-D does not.

HDMI Solution
BENFEI VGA to HDMI Adapter, 1080P Converter with Audio from Computer/Laptop VGA Source to HDMI TV/Monitor
www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K14NR8P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This works great with modern monitors, even works with my 4K monitor from several G4 towers and mini. No lag.

[ssp3]

Samsung 20" SyncMaster 203B

Native display resolution - 1400 x 1050 @60Hz
TN type panel.
CCFL backlight.
VGA + DVI inputs.

v8 ROM, 10,1 and 10,2 Minis.

1. DVI to VGA, ATI Via Driver, both models - max resolution, acceleration works.

2. DVI to DVI, ATI Via Driver, both models - max resolution, acceleration works.

3. DVI to VGA, ATI RockHopper2 Driver, both models - black screen.

4. DVI to DVI, ATI RockHopper2 Driver, 10,1 model - black screen.

5. DVI to DVI, ATI RockHopper2 Driver, 10,2 model - native resolution is not listed!
If you select any other resolution you get either garbled display or the display complains that the signal is "not optimum" and switches itself off.
Picture below taken shortly before that moment.




6. OSX Leopard - both Mini models work fine with this display on any port.

[davecom]

The garbled display you're seeing is what I have also been seeing on my Dell 4K. When you install the RockHopper driver which extensions on the base v9 image are you disabling (i.e. replacing)?

[Slartibartfast]

Is the garbled display you're referring to by any chance missing every other vertical line?
I have a 1.5GHz 64MB VRAM G4 Mac Mini with the v9 image installed on it connected via a DVI converter (passive) to HDMI to a 1440p Philips 246B1. If put to 1920x1080p60, I only see every other vertical line, which makes it difficult but not impossible to open the Display settings. When set to 1280x960p60 (if I recall correctly), all is absolutely fine and dandy.
I'm betting on the adapter to HDMI not playing ball, but I don't have any DVI displays around... (Why did I sell my DVI to ADC adapter???) Is it wise to look for VGA to HDMI (active) or maybe look for a compatible DVI adapter? I'm hoping to keep a dual boot with Tiger or Leopard working.

[ssp3]

No.
Example of garbled can be seen in attachment to this post:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=7048.msg55340#msg55340

[Slartibartfast]

No.
Example of garbled can be seen in attachment to this post:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=7048.msg55340#msg55340

Apologies, for some reason that hadn't registered with me. I have looked at the images, and it seems to me to be the same here. The horizontal lines all seem present for what I can see, it's an issue with the vertical ones. Maybe not every other vertical line, but sets of them.

What I've noticed now is that if I use two adapters (Mac Mini DVI > DVI/VGA Splitter > DVI/HDMI Converter) I get the garbled display. Just the converter, I get no display. Must be some part in that splitter then which the converter likes. I'll see if I can find some different adapters (passive and/or active) to test.

[SimVU]

Greetings, I just joined the forums. I have a 1.5ghz mini running MacOS 9.2.2. I only just saw this thread. My method of dealing with the finnicky display resolution compatibility is to use a cheap HDMI scaler I got from Amazon. They list them as SCART to HDMI scalers, but they also can do HDMI to HDMI just fine too. I'm not using it as a scaler so much as I'm using it to force signal compatibility, so MacOS can output to the display properly. Before using it the screen fonts looked a jumbled mess at 1920x1080. Putting the scaler in-between the display and mini, now MacOS 9.2.2 will see 1920 x 1080, 25Hz in the Monitor control panel and I can successfully use it. The scaler is set to "Source: HDMI", "Input: 1080i@50Hz" and "Output: 1920x1080@50Hz". I'm assuming the MacOS 9 sees  the scaler 1080i@50Hz setting as 1920x1080@25Hz, as that is what shows in the Display control panel.

Search "Scart Hdmi to Hdmi Video Converter Box 1080p Scaler" on Amazon and you'll see a few different options around $30. This is a box I had sitting around, because I used it with my IIgs previously, which classically had the issue with finnicky 15Hz compatibility issues, so I knew the box could see weird Hz settings and translate them to something most displays can see. Posting this because I thought the information would be useful. Enjoy.

[DieHard]

Dear SimVU,

This is an awesome post ! 

I am embarrassed to say that I did not know this box even existed...

This will help many that are using old tech, thanks for explaining the details.

[SimVU]

Dear SimVU,

This is an awesome post ! 

I am embarrassed to say that I did not know this box even existed...

This will help many that are using old tech, thanks for explaining the details.

Happy to be of help. I'm a bit odd in that I like to try troubleshooting things from a few different angles and don't always take the well traveled path in the process. Wasn't sure how my input was going to be received, because it deviates a bit off rails from what the original post's intent is.

Anyways, it's good to be using MacOS 9 again. It's literally been 20 years for me since I touched it, but the nostalgia is very much there for me. Back then I was a production artist that did prepress and design in the Adobe suite -- Illustrator and Photoshop with some Quark XPress. Also, using forums like this is also nostalgia because I used to forum mod for EVGA forums and my own software product forums too. It's just been awhile on all of this for me. The exploration of getting MacOS 9 running in a modern era has been intriguing so far for me. 

[Guspaz]

I have done expensive experimentation with many monitors and adapters and so forth.
I'll keep it simple:

WHAT WORKS
DVI-I Adapter -> VGA -> VGA Monitor port
DVI-I Adapter -> VGA -> VGA to HDMI -> HDMI Monitor port or KVM port

WHAT DOESN'T WORK
DVI-D direct cable
DVI-D any adapter

NOTES
DVI-I direct cable may work.
It appears the digital pins on the DVI port on the mini are not active hence the above methods working while DVI-D does not.

HDMI Solution
BENFEI VGA to HDMI Adapter, 1080P Converter with Audio from Computer/Laptop VGA Source to HDMI TV/Monitor
www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K14NR8P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This works great with modern monitors, even works with my 4K monitor from several G4 towers and mini. No lag.

I haven't had any problems using my mac mini G4 on a variety of modern displays using both a passive DVI-D-to-HDMI adapter and a passive DVI-D to HDMI cable. The digital pins on the DVI port work fine, I'm pretty sure that your mac is just broken or misconfigured.

Beyond that, if you use a modern retro video scaler like a RetroTINK 4K, you can use the mac mini on any modern display at any resolution (well, up to 1920x1200 at 60 Hz or any other resolution with similar bandwidth requirements) with very sharp or even integer scaling. You may need to tweak the EDID file on the RT4K to get certain resolutions working. The RT4K's VGA input works fine for this too, but there's no reason to use it instead of DVI/HDMI from the mac mini into the RT4K's HDMI input, avoid the vagaries of analog video sampling.

A 4K monitor gets you the most flexibility since common classic mac resolutions will be very sharp with bilinear sharp scaling (nearest neightbour scale to closest integer scaled resolution, then bilinear scale the rest of the way), but even with a 1440p display you can integer scale 480p and 720p and still get decently sharp results for 800x600 and acceptable results for 1024x768.