DannyHly

Q: My HannsG monitor will not display when I connect it to a mac-mini.

My HannsG 223 monitor will not display when I connect it to a mac-mini via a thunderbolt to DVI cable. It will display when I connect it to a macbook pro via a DVI to DVI cable. Is the cable at fault or the combination of hardware?

Mac mini

Posted on May 29, 2014 3:56 AM

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Q: My HannsG monitor will not display when I connect it to a mac-mini.

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  • by lllaass,Helpful

    lllaass lllaass May 29, 2014 4:13 AM in response to DannyHly
    Level 10 (189,795 points)
    Desktops
    May 29, 2014 4:13 AM in response to DannyHly

    Are you using the same DVI cable for both computers?

    Does the Mini Display port to DVI adopter work for other monitors?

    Try resetting the NVRAM and SMC

    Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

    About NVRAM and PRAM

  • by DannyHly,

    DannyHly DannyHly May 30, 2014 12:37 AM in response to lllaass
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2014 12:37 AM in response to lllaass

    Thanks for the reply. The HannsG is used as an extra monitor and it is the only one I have. The mac-mini is normally connected to a Samsung TV via an HDMI to HDMI cable. I sometimes connect the HannsG to my macbook pro as a mirror monitor via a DVI to DVI cable. In both cases the monitor works well.

    When I try to connect the monitor to the mac-mini via an HDMI to DVI cable or a Thunderbolt to DVI cable no image is shown and the monitor goes to sleep.

    The same goes for the HDMI to DVI adapter using the same DVI to DVI cable for the macbook pro.

    If I connect the monitor to the mac-mini via a Thunderbolt to VGA cable then the monitor works. So it was suggested that it is the DVI socket that does not work. But the DVI socket does work when connected to the mac-book pro.

    I will look into links you have suggested. Thanks again.

  • by den.thed,

    den.thed den.thed May 30, 2014 4:44 PM in response to DannyHly
    Level 7 (27,661 points)
    May 30, 2014 4:44 PM in response to DannyHly

    What year model is your Mac Mini...?

     

    see > How to identify Mac mini models

     

    If it is a 2010, then you need use a > Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter because it does not support Thunderbolt.

     

    The Thunderbolt to DVI cable will only work on the later 2011 or 2012 Mac Mini models. 

     

     

  • by DannyHly,

    DannyHly DannyHly Jun 1, 2014 5:55 AM in response to den.thed
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 1, 2014 5:55 AM in response to den.thed

    It's a 2014 2.6GHz Quad Core i7. The HannsG I bought 5 or 6 years ago so maybe there is a generation gap between them so they won't work together?

  • by den.thed,Helpful

    den.thed den.thed Jun 1, 2014 8:36 AM in response to DannyHly
    Level 7 (27,661 points)
    Jun 1, 2014 8:36 AM in response to DannyHly

    The latest model Mac Mini is a 2012 and the Thunderbolt port only supports true Digital output.

     

    I'm not an expert in this area, but it looks like that monitor might have a DVI-I input (which supports both Analog and Digital) instead of DVI-D (which supports only Digital).

     

    see > DVI-D vs. DVI-I: Is the digital video quality any different? - Super User

     

    I'm wondering if the monitor is actuallly using the Analog siginal in the DVI-I cable when it is connected to your MacBook Pro..?

     

    I would look at the monitor menu and see if there is a way to switch the input from Analog to Digital, when it is connected to the Mac Mini.

     

    If not, then you may need to test the Mac Mini with a different DVI monitor as IIIaass suggest's or take it to your local AASP for testing.

  • by DannyHly,

    DannyHly DannyHly Jun 2, 2014 2:46 AM in response to den.thed
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 2, 2014 2:46 AM in response to den.thed

    You're completely correct. 2014 is when I bought the mac-mini.

    This makes perfect sense. I will look at the monitor menu. Many thanks.

  • by DannyHly,

    DannyHly DannyHly Jun 2, 2014 3:45 AM in response to den.thed
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 2, 2014 3:45 AM in response to den.thed

    den.thed. I've just connected my mac-book pro to the monitor via a DVI-D cable rather than the DVI-I cable I normally use and you are correct, the monitor is using the analogue signal only. Thank you. That casts a completely different light on things as I've been working to an incorrect assumption. Will now re-look into the monitor rather than the mac-mini as I doubt very much there's anything wrong with the mac-mini.

  • by den.thed,

    den.thed den.thed Jun 2, 2014 4:13 PM in response to DannyHly
    Level 7 (27,661 points)
    Jun 2, 2014 4:13 PM in response to DannyHly

    You are welcome!

     

    My Samsung's automatically detect and switch from Analog to Digital, but there is also a way to switch them using Menu buttons on the front of the monitor.

     

    Screen Shot 2014-06-02 at 4.09.08 PM.jpg

     

    Your monitor should have pretty much the same options

  • by Paul McG.,

    Paul McG. Paul McG. Aug 3, 2014 3:23 PM in response to den.thed
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Aug 3, 2014 3:23 PM in response to den.thed

    Very helpful. I have the Hanns-G HL269DPB. I don't see anything in the menus about switching the way the DVI port reads input. I am using with a Belkin Flip and have a Dell laptop connected via VGA. I was hoping the Hanns' input auto-detect would switch the monitor input (that only works when switching from the Dell, because the DVI signal is "always on"). Anyway, looks like I'll have to connect the Mini via VGA.

     

    Well wait... the specs say this monitor is DVI-D, and that's what the Mini's HDMI --> DVI adapter converts to. I'm confused.

  • by ConorjW,

    ConorjW ConorjW Feb 25, 2016 6:26 AM in response to DannyHly
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Apple Music
    Feb 25, 2016 6:26 AM in response to DannyHly

    I have the HANNS-G Hi221D monitor. I have a display port to VGA cable, and a HDMI to DVI cable. The HANNS has vie and dvi support but I need the vga for another monitor so I use the DVI. The only issue is that when turning on the monitor its display goes static (like tube tv) for a few minutes before switching to the actual computer screen! VGA does not do this. I cant find settings on how to make it auto go to Digital, i can switch from analogue to digital in settings but it resets every time the monitor sleeps! If I unplug the hdmi from macbook and plug it back in it quickly the picture is displayed fine. Anybody know how to reset this monitor? or any way to force it to digital all the time? My macbook that I'm using is pro retina late 2013, and as I understand hdmi is always digital?

    many thanks