Albert

The Snow Leopard operating system has a deficiency when using an external monitor.  The external display appears dark, as compared to the image on the LCD.  To correct this problem on your MacBook Pro, two possible solutions are outlined below:

1.     Connect MacBook to projector and begin projecting

2.     Open System Preferences > Displays > Color

3.     Click on “Gather Windows”

4.     Click on “Calibrate”

5.     Check “Expert Mode”

6.     Follow all 5 calibration steps to determine native gamma setting

7.     Having completed this, set Target Gamma at 1.8 instead of 2.2

8.     Save profile

Assistant Professor Matt Borden indicates that he tried the above procedure and said, "I was not too successful. However, I found another method":

1.     Connect MacBook to projector and begin projecting

2.     Open System Preferences > Displays

[FYI, at this point my Mac opens two Displays: one titled "Color LCD" and one titled "VGA Display"]

3.     Select the "VGA Display" window (ignore the "Color LCD" window)

4.     Select "Color"

5.     You should see a list titled "Display Profile". From this list, select whichever option suits you best. A number of options from this list produce a significantly brighter image then the VGA Display naturally provides. For example, you may select "Generic RGB Profile" or "Color LCD" or "ColorMatch RGB" or whatever floats your boat. As soon as you click one, the screen changes to the new brightness, so pick whichever one works best for you.


Reviewed/Approved 5/3/12