Screen Sharing/VNC screen corruption

Question

Level 1

77 points

Screen Sharing/VNC screen corruption

Just bought another iMac and freed up a 1.8Ghz Intel Mac Mini all running 10.5.5.

Trying to get Mini to be a Home Theater machine...

Whenever the projector is turned off and I try to access the Mini the screen is horribly corrupted or just black. Turning on the project results in a blank screen 😟 , this will not make it past the 'Wife Test' for usable system 😟

Mac Mini is attached to Infocus Projector at 1024x768 via an Onkyo TX-SR606 (which does the switching)

The video is DVI out to HDMI into the Onkyo.
The only way out is to login under ssh and shutdown -h now

Anyone got any ideas on how to fix this.

Problem occurs under Screen Sharing and VNC of a Chicken.

Mini correctly identifies the Onkyo 606 as it's screen.

It makes no difference if I keep the Onkyo on or off the same problem occurs.

It is consistent and repeatable.

I did a search through the forum but could not find this problem reported elsewhere.

Any suggestions welcome

Thanks

iMac 2Ghz and 2.66GHz * Mac Mini HT * Ipod Video * Nano * iPhone 2&3G * TC 1TB, Mac OS X (10.5.5), Thecus NASLite XP FreeNAS 'LiteOn Netplayers' Sounbridge

Posted on Nov 1, 2008 5:13 PM

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Answer 1

Emmerac

Level 1

135 points

Nov 1, 2008 7:28 PM in response to Busta999

So is the actual display showing up blank or corrupted or is the view in Chicken showing up incorrectly (or both)?

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Answer 2

Busta999 Author

Level 1

77 points

Nov 2, 2008 12:29 AM in response to Emmerac

VNC and screen sharing are both either corrupt or black blank. Both are the same, sometimes both are black, sometimes both are corrupt.

The projector is always a blue blank.

Any ideas?

Thanks

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Answer 3

Busta999 Author

Level 1

77 points

Nov 2, 2008 1:57 AM in response to Busta999

OK I have done a bit more research...

If the mini is booted with both the projector and the Onkyo turned off then

A. Both VNC and Screen Sharing shows as a Black Screen with no information at all on it.

B. If the Onkyo and the Projector are turned on, the projector remains on it's boot screen as if it is not getting a signal at all.

C. If you put the Mini to sleep by quick pressing the power button then waking it up the same way, all you get is a black screen with no response to keyboard, mouse or Apple Remote.

If the mini is booted with the Onkyo and the projector turned on then

A. You see the Mini booting on the projector and when it has finished booting you can connect using both Screen Sharing and VNC OK.

B. If the Projector is turned off, a couple of minutes later the Screen Sharing/VNC screen turns to a corrupted mush which you cannot use at all.

Once you are in Screen Corruption or Black screen the only way out is to login in over ssh and force a shutdown. This is not a very practical way to manage this.

Obviously I do not want to have to keep the projector turned on 7x24 so I can use the mini, and I really would like to use the Mini when the projector is off by VNC/SS or at the very least have it being a music server for the house.

Anyone got any ideas?

Regards

Mike

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Answer 4

Busta999 Author

Level 1

77 points

Nov 2, 2008 1:54 AM in response to Busta999

I may have found a workaround.... I will check it out later this afternoon.

Using the special VGA - DVI + USB lead from Infocus I may have found a way to do this and up the resolution from 1024x768 to 720p.

Initial reboot without Projector turned on and turning off projector seemed to work.

I guess DVI is just too clever for this kind of scenario? ie the Mac Mini needs constant reassurance from the projector that it is still there. If the projector is turned off it seems the mini quits too 🙂

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