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1080p on the Retina Macbook Pros

T

taxidriver1138

Junior Member
Can someone explain how 1080p works on the retina macbook pros? On the 15 inch Retina MBP the native resolution is 2880x1800, so on the "best for display" setting in the system preferences it's scaled to look like 1440x900. How does this effect 1080p video playback. Is it actual 1080p or is it equivalent to watching a 1080p video on a standard 1440x900 screen?
 
As long as the app you are using to watch videos supports retina displays (most if not all of them do), the interface is scaled to an effective resolution of 1440x900, but the video itself is shown upscaled to 2800x1800.
 
Tyranicus said:
As long as the app you are using to watch videos supports retina displays (most if not all of them do), the interface is scaled to an effective resolution of 1440x900, but the video itself is shown upscaled to 2800x1800.
Click to expand...

This, and if it doesn't support retina then the viewing window will be larger than the screen at 1440x900. You can always download RDM and set the resolution yourself if you don't like it.


At first when I bought this rMBP I was kinda frustrated with the 1440x900 pixel doubling. It seemed like a really low resolution... now after having it for a few months I think it's great.
 
Personally, I prefer the "more space" (1920x1200) setting on my 15" rMBP.

Frankly, the "Best Retina" setting just looks silly to me on this screen, even a little blurry in comparison. That's probably because I've just gotten used to the extra sharpness and better use of the real estate at 1920x1200, but I could never use the so-called "Best" setting.

And video looks spectacular on this display.
 
Zaap said:
Personally, I prefer the "more space" (1920x1200) setting on my 15" rMBP.

Frankly, the "Best Retina" setting just looks silly to me on this screen, even a little blurry in comparison. That's probably because I've just gotten used to the extra sharpness and better use of the real estate at 1920x1200, but I could never use the so-called "Best" setting.

And video looks spectacular on this display.
Click to expand...

Which 15" do you have? How is performance?
 
Zaap said:
Personally, I prefer the "more space" (1920x1200) setting on my 15" rMBP.

Frankly, the "Best Retina" setting just looks silly to me on this screen, even a little blurry in comparison. That's probably because I've just gotten used to the extra sharpness and better use of the real estate at 1920x1200, but I could never use the so-called "Best" setting.

And video looks spectacular on this display.
Click to expand...

More sharpness? The display is waaaay blurrier at 'like 1920' which is what makes the non-best modes useless to me. It actually causes me less eyestrain to run the panel at native res than looking at the 1920 blurryomatic.
 
vbuggy said:
More sharpness? The display is waaaay blurrier at 'like 1920' which is what makes the non-best modes useless to me. It actually causes me less eyestrain to run the panel at native res than looking at the 1920 blurryomatic.
Click to expand...

I run mine at "like 1680x1050" and don't notice any blur.
 
vbuggy said:
More sharpness? The display is waaaay blurrier at 'like 1920' which is what makes the non-best modes useless to me. It actually causes me less eyestrain to run the panel at native res than looking at the 1920 blurryomatic.
Click to expand...
No it isn't.
 
Tyranicus said:
I run mine at "like 1680x1050" and don't notice any blur.
Click to expand...

It's less noticeable in 1680 for sure. The text is smooth pixel wise but there's a 'wavering' in 1920 that's particularly egregious for me. Doesn't happen in scaled Windows 8.1 for example (as well as competing notebooks offering more productive virtual resolutions even at 200%).
 
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vbuggy said:
It's less noticeable in 1680 for sure. The text is smooth pixel wise but there's a 'wavering' in 1920 that's particularly egregious for me. Doesn't happen in scaled Windows 8.1 for example (as well as competing notebooks offering more productive virtual resolutions even at 200%).
Click to expand...
This is either:
1. You're using some app that's not been updated for a Retina display.

2. Some problem unique your 15" rMBP (I'm assuming you have one).

Otherwise, please point out a single other person anywhere reporting this "issue".

Your comment about running the panel at native res makes me think this is some "issue" all your own, because the native res has nothing to do with anything that'd cause you eyestrain (like blurred fonts) other than the size of everything is going to appear smaller.
 
I run my 13" at 1440, rather than the ridiculous retina recommended. Looks fantastic, I don't notice any degradation at all. 1440 is the best size for 13" imo.
 
Zaap said:
This is either:
1. You're using some app that's not been updated for a Retina display.

2. Some problem unique your 15" rMBP (I'm assuming you have one).

Otherwise, please point out a single other person anywhere reporting this "issue".

Your comment about running the panel at native res makes me think this is some "issue" all your own, because the native res has nothing to do with anything that'd cause you eyestrain (like blurred fonts) other than the size of everything is going to appear smaller.
Click to expand...

Given that the majority of Apple buyers don't know what they're buying, and the rest are intent on defending their purchases to the last breath I doubt I'll see anything which is this detail orientated.

1. No, this is even in Textedit & Safari. (I actually use Safari - the real glue-eater of the browser world these days - more often on OS X for some reason. Maybe it suits the tone of the OS better)

2. I have both 13 and 15. Same issue in both machines once I stray off Retina. As I said above - tolerable in the scaling next to Retina, can't deal with the next step.
 
So in other words, like I said, just your "issue".

Hint: things getting smaller as resolution increases isn't things getting blurry, it's how screens work. 🙂
 
1920 is fine for me. Have you considered a trip to the opticians?

Usually run at 1920 most of the time but when I have lot of reports to write I tend to switch down to 1680 just to ease up on the eyes.
 
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I don't really sit at one resolution, I change it for what im doing. 1440x900 for lazy reading, 1920x1200 usually, 2800x1800 for vnc stuff and other work.

Its like having a CRT again!
 
sadffffff said:
I don't really sit at one resolution, I change it for what im doing. 1440x900 for lazy reading, 1920x1200 usually, 2800x1800 for vnc stuff and other work.

Its like having a CRT again!
Click to expand...

Pretty much, except there is a lot of overhead for the scaling operations, so no advantage from choosing 1680 over 2880 in games in mac os x, or get same shitty blurring in Windows. I wish that nvidia would enable nearest-neighbor scaling modes for perfect scaling at half-res and other whole number steps.
 
Zaap said:
This is either:
1. You're using some app that's not been updated for a Retina display.

2. Some problem unique your 15" rMBP (I'm assuming you have one).

Otherwise, please point out a single other person anywhere reporting this "issue".

Your comment about running the panel at native res makes me think this is some "issue" all your own, because the native res has nothing to do with anything that'd cause you eyestrain (like blurred fonts) other than the size of everything is going to appear smaller.
Click to expand...

OS X dithers text and UI when scaled to non-integer values to look 'better'. Windows does not. I can tell the difference because my eyes work.

Fanboi less.
 
So your optometrist still can't schedule an appointment for you?

I love it when the only person to have an "issue" with something insists its the entire rest of the world that has the issue not them. 😀
 
vbuggy said:
OS X dithers text and UI when scaled to non-integer values to look 'better'. Windows does not. I can tell the difference because my eyes work.

Fanboi less.
Click to expand...

I see no difference, if anything, the text shown on my display at 1920*1200 looks clearer and crisper than on any corresponding 15" laptop with a 1080p display. Have near perfect vision according to my optometrist when tested last year.

Maybe just buy a windows laptop and you wouldn't have to suffer these apparent problems.
 
Zaap said:
So your optometrist still can't schedule an appointment for you?

I love it when the only person to have an "issue" with something insists its the entire rest of the world that has the issue not them. 😀
Click to expand...

The vision isn't a problem. The representation is - while it's not an issue in Windows. As I said, fanboi less.

secretanchitman said:
Just wanted to chime in here about the blurriness. I turned of LCD smoothing in System Preferences - General and the text is extremely better, especially when using scaled resolutions (I personally use 1680x1050, 1440x900 on a 15" display can suck it).

http://etherealmind.com/mac-os-x-disable-lcd-font-smoothing-on-mac-os-x/ - That is where I originally read why to turn it off if you have a retina display.
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Again, it doesn't actually remove the dithering issues. I have noticed a lot of people prefer the look of the smoothed fonts as opposed to the 'sharper' look, while designer types will probably prefer the unsmoothed option.

joshhedge said:
I see no difference, if anything, the text shown on my display at 1920*1200 looks clearer and crisper than on any corresponding 15" laptop with a 1080p display. Have near perfect vision according to my optometrist when tested last year.

Maybe just buy a windows laptop and you wouldn't have to suffer these apparent problems.
Click to expand...

Oh absolutely, I have more useful Windows machines which I run in some cases at higher virtual or actual resolutions - I only use the Retinas when I have to walk around with an OS X machine.
 
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I run my 15 at "best for retina display" most of the time, where the text is nice and sharp and large and easily readable. For those times when I need extra desktop space (working, lots of terminal and text edit windows open), I switch to the option for max space. Works great, no blurriness either way that I've noticed, though max space works best for me if I put on reading glasses, but that's because I'm an old fart these days.
 
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