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I just bought a 1080p 22" Samsung Syncmaster 2333HD (connected via HDMI) and the picture and video quality is great but the text quality is absolutely horrible. This monitor has a built in HD TV tuner.

Even as I type now all the text in this text box as well as in the browser toolbar and start menu, etc looks weird - like it all has a white outline around it that makes it jagged and hard to read. It hurts my eyes just to look at it.

I am running my PC in the suggested native resolution of 1920x1080, so what's the problem?

Is this one of the unavoidable downsides of using a HD monitor? Is there a solution to the problem?

5
  • Is this an HDTV you're using as a monitor? If so, what model is it? May 30, 2010 at 3:35
  • 4
    To follow up on Michael's comment, if they are HDTVs they you need to turn off deblocking and disabling the "sharp" filter on your TV. My Sony had a sharpening filter that destroyed the font smoothing effect applied to text and made it look bad. May 30, 2010 at 5:07
  • 4
    Samsung? Throw it out. >.> | Try calibrating Win 7's Cleartype. | Also if there is a HDMI on the Display, use THAT. If not, use DVI. But please do NOT use VGA(d-sub).
    – Apache
    May 30, 2010 at 7:15
  • @Shiki I am using HDMI though I don't think I am rich enough to through away the monitor just yet.
    – Laura
    May 30, 2010 at 14:20
  • A screenshot would help, I think. Dec 20, 2010 at 4:58

10 Answers 10

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I'm using Samsung P2370HD on HDMI connection. The text was really bad when I first started using the HDMI connection (R6850HD), Even lowering the sharpness doesn't make it as it should be. After one day of googling, I found the solution is very simple and that is you just need to rename the HDMI connection name to PC from your Monitor Setup. You can do it from your Samsung remote controller as following:

  1. Press the "Source" button.
  2. Highlight the HDMI input.
  3. Press "Tools" -> Edit Name -> And then simply using the scrolling (up & down keys on ur remote), select "PC" or "DVI PC" for your HDMI. And voila you have crystal clear text just as on DVI.

But remember that if you select DVI PC, you will not get sound through HDMI cable. Select "PC" and you will have both sound & video, and clear text.

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  • 2
    The same helped for the Samsung B2330HD, with slightly different menu options: MENU -> SETUP&RESET -> PC/AV Mode -> PC.
    – Ralf
    Oct 24, 2013 at 7:23
  • 2
    So glad I found this, I've got a Samsung UE32F5000, I'd forgot about HDMI issues like this so it was annoying. I set it to DVI PC and it looks great now, talk about hiding a setting. I use separate speakers so the audio part is not an issue for me so I didn't test that. This also meant that I didn't need to use 'Smart Fit' for the picture size, it got 16:9 and didn't cause the overscan problem. Thanks.
    – Kioshiki
    Feb 17, 2014 at 20:21
  • 1
    Oh my god. I've had this monitor for three or so years now and was just dealing with the horribly washed-out colors of the DisplayPort->VGA connection. I had no idea I could fix everything with this. A thousand thanks.
    – Chris
    Oct 20, 2014 at 23:12
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    This works for a Samsung Syncmaster HDTV. Amazing that just changing the name fixes everything. You sir are a gentleman and a scholar.
    – Deses
    Apr 4, 2016 at 20:26
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    Thank you so much for this. I've had my Samsung TV for maybe 8 years and I just thought the issue was unfixable. Decided to try and Google it again now that I've built a new Pc and am using it as a monitor. Works like a charm, all the internet points.
    – s1h4d0w
    Jun 30, 2016 at 20:58
20

Just set up a Samsung B2330HD on a HP DV7 laptop with an HDMI out. Text looked bad until I went in and LOWERED the sharpness from 55 to 10. Text looks much better now.

4
  • 1
    Thank you! My new Samsung TV that I use for my game pc when from horrible to awesome with lowered sharpness!
    – alkemann
    Aug 5, 2012 at 15:54
  • 2
    Sharpness and other 'enhancement' features should be shut off entirely so the screen only shows what the graphics card is sending it, and no extra data it invents. Oct 2, 2012 at 3:08
  • Making the sharpness too low makes all the text blurred. I suggest changing the PC/AV Mode first.
    – Ralf
    Oct 24, 2013 at 7:26
  • if lowering sharpness helps - I would guess you aren't displaying at the proper resolution. Zero sharpness should look best at the correct res.
    – niico
    Oct 31, 2016 at 17:32
8

Is your PC running Windows XP? If so, do you have ClearType turned on? Does it look fine on a normal monitor?

On Windows XP, ClearType is off by default.

On Windows 7 and Vista, ClearType is turned on by default.

You can also try the Microsoft ClearType Tuner

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  • I checked and cleartype is enabled.
    – Laura
    May 30, 2010 at 6:30
  • @Laura - Have you tried to turn ClearType off to see if that's an improvement?
    – Nifle
    May 30, 2010 at 9:24
  • @Nifle Yes but it makes it worse.
    – Laura
    May 30, 2010 at 14:19
  • Try out the VGA or DVI outputs on another regular monitor, see if the problem is still there. That way you can rule out the PC and video card, and it will narrow the issue down to the monitor and it's setting.
    – spong
    May 30, 2010 at 14:57
6

I also experienced jagged text with a Samsung B2230HD. I was able to get decent video as follows:

  • With remote, hit Menu
  • Picture > (hit the right arrow)
  • Backlight 12
  • Brightness 50
  • Sharpness 0 (* important)
  • Color 50
  • Advanced > (a submenu of Picture)
  • Black tone off
  • Color Space auto
  • Edge Ehancement off
  • < to Picture menu
  • Picture Options > (a submenu of Picture)
  • Color tone cool
  • Size Screen Fit (* important; fixes loss of pixels on right edge due to overscan)
  • < to Picture menu
  • return

This is with an HP laptop running ubuntu 11.10, but I expect similar results for other hardware/OSes.

4

I have a Samsung SyncMaster B2330 connected via HDMI. The font issue had been driving me nuts. After fiddling with the controls, I achieved the most impact by changing the "PC/AV Mode" from "AV" to "PC".

Menu > Setup & Reset > PC/AV Mode > PC

1
  • This sounds like it should be the accepted answer.
    – Nemo
    May 26, 2021 at 7:04
1

Try setting the MagicBright setting to Internet or Text.

Also, turn ClearType back on if you left it off and tune it with the online tuner (or the powertoy).

Finally, from the manual for your monitor:

Q: Image is not clear. Picture is blurred.
A: Run Frequency Coarse and Fine tuning.
A: Turn on again after removing all accessories(video extension cable, etc.)
A: Set resolution and frequency to the recommended ranges.
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Had the same problem - I had used the monitor over DVI for a year or so when I got a new video card and wanted to switch to HDMI. Suddenly text looked like garbage.

The solution - go into "setup" and turn on power-saving. You'll notice the image gets darker, several of the HDMI options will be greyed out, but the text is crystal clear again. Then go in picture settings and adjust the brightness/backlight/contract levels and you'll be set.

1

For my widescreen 23" LG monitor, the solution was to disable the «Super Resolution+» feature in monitor's settings.

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Here is a solution which solved the problem on my Samsung Full HD TV, when using it as a monitor for the laptop:

https://www.samsung.com/au/support/tv-audio-video/hdmi-pc-connection-text-is-fuzzy-image-isn-t-clear

Now I quote:

Why is the picture unclear or text fuzzy when connection PC to my Smart TV?

Last Update date : Oct 20. 2020

Common complaints when connecting a computer to the TV are either the text on the screen is fuzzy or that images seem grainy. This is because the TV's scaling is set for standard HDMI input. To resolve these image issues, you simply need to rename the input to PC or PC DVI. Once renamed, the TV will adjust the scaling of the input. Naming your TV's input can help you remember what is connected to each source.

Please note: Naming an input PC or DVI PC (or PC DVI) will change the scaling of the source and improve the picture quality.

Follow the instructions below to to name your TV source:

  1. Turn on your TV and press the Source button on your remote control.
  2. Use the navigation keys on your remote control select the source you would like to rename. enter image description here
  3. Once selected press the Tools button.
  4. Scroll and select Edit name and then press Enter.
  5. Select the name for the input from the available list and press Enter.

Please note: You cannot enter any name but you may only choose from the available list.

enter image description here

  1. Exit the menu and your input will now be renamed. enter image description here

Important: Use HDMI port with DVI port for PC connection, this is the input intended for PC connections.

0

One of solution quoted here worked for me: I had to go in my LCD srcreen menu (Samsung SyncMaster 2333HD), select HDMI source, and use "tool" to rename the source as something else (PC in my case) so that the LCD does not think the source is a HDTV. Then it adjusted very properly without more issues. Note that this operation would be impossible without the remote controlto browse through the menu.

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  • 1
    Can you provide the source?
    – Excellll
    Oct 6, 2014 at 19:16

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