Dual monitors using HDMI [Precision M6600 NVIDIA Quadro FX 3000M]

Hi,

I have a Precision M6600 with the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3000M card.

I'm trying to connect a second monitor SAMSUNG P2770HD using HDMI.

I can see both displays, but the external  looks awful, as if the GPU isn't capable of driving the display or something. Basically it's blurry, has an overall pixelated appearance, text can be read but I wouldn't want to spend much time working or reading websites with it this way, and the desktop extends beyond the edges of the display.

NOTES:

- When I first connect the external, and open the nVidia settings, both monitors show up in the 'set up multiple displays' area, however as soon as I touch anything in the settings, the laptop display disappears from the list, and only the Samsung display is listed.

- I can (sometimes) disconnect/reconnect the HDMI cable and get the laptop display to show again in settings but it quickly goes away.

- VGA works and loos fine.- have not tried DVI (didn't have a cable on hand )

- The P2770HD has an HD tuner

Is my Samsung incompatible with this GPU? Could it be the tuner? The HDMI cable? The on-board Intel HD Graphics?

Any help would be much appreciated.