Why is the image quality on an external monitor different on a Mac?⁠

Question

The owner of a MacBook Pro 14 (2021). I recently decided to buy an external monitor for work.

I decided on a Xtreon 27 (https://nemo.kz/product/УТ-00001172 ) 1920x1080

The problem is that when I connect to a Macbook, the image quality is very low. The text on the Mac seems to be bolder. It is very unpleasant for the eyes. After 15 minutes of work, my eyes hurt. The contrast is very low. The main problem with the text is like sand, it's hard to read.

But there is no such problem when connecting to a WINDOWS laptop. The picture is clear, the text is readable. It's a pleasure to work. The colors are very vibrant.

I've read all the public posts about it. Many people have this problem.

1. Used HDMI and Display Port, all possible cables.

2. Set up the display through utilities and system settings. I turned off Smoothing via the terminal and tried BetterDisplay.

3. Changed the resolutions on the main and on the external monitor. I tried to change the settings on the local monitor.

I foresee the answers: I need a 2k monitor and more for a clear picture.

I basically don't need a 4k monitor with a super picture. I just want to get a picture the same as on Windows. Clear and pleasing to the eye for work.

Maybe someone has faced such a problem and knows the way to solve it. I will be very grateful!

Below are the pictures of the differences between Mac and Windows.

Answer 1

Your display has a pixel density of 82 pixels per inch. That's very low-res. By comparison, your MBP's internal screen is 254 ppi.

MacOS is designed for use with hi-dpi displays, and -- yes, it doesn't look good on low-res screens.

Windows uses a technology called sub-pixel rendering to create smoother-looking lines and curves by blurring colours together. MacOS used to do the same, but removed it a few years ago because it requires a lot of work on the GPU; and because it had to licence the technology from MS.

(I've heard it said that Windows will look worse than macOS on OLED displays, because the layout of the pixels is different, and the sub-px rendering requires a particular arrangement.)

A 2K 27" screen will give you a ppi of c. 110, and that's about the minimum to use with macOS. Ideally, you either need more pixels, or a smaller physical display.

Some people have reported getting better results using software such as Better Display. I don't know if it's possible to use something like Freetype to improve this.