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Mini display port to HDMI problem

I have my aluminum Macbook perfectly wired up to my 32 inch RCA HDTV. Nothing will come up on the screen, I've tried detect display, I've tried restarting the computer, unplugging and plugging back in then detect display, turned the tv of and on, but nothing is working. I am currently running Snow Leopard, but when I was on Leopard this process of attaching the TV to the computer just took about 10 minutes of doing desultory processes that I've already described. Any suggestions on how to make it work the first time?

Early 2009 Aluminum Macbook, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Sep 28, 2009 1:36 PM

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1,012 replies

Feb 5, 2011 10:46 AM in response to Ponponhead

I am having the same problem. It first appeared with my Macbook. When I upgraded from OS X 10.6.2 to 10.6.3, I could no longer get an image on my Viewsonic monitor. I get a solid blue screen and that's it. Once I rolled it back to OSX 10.6.2, my minidisplayport to DVI worked again and has worked ever since. I have just not updated the opsys as 10.6.3, 4, 5 and 6 have the same problem.

I have the same problem with my 2010 Macbook Pro. It came with 10.6.3 preinstalled and i have never been able to use the Viewsonic monitor with this machine.

This problem clearly started when Apple upgraded from OS X 10.6.2 to OS X 10.6.3 and beyond. For the life of me I cannot understand why they do not address this obvious video driver issue.

I gotta say, I NEVER had this type of an issue with my Windows machines and am seriously considering giving my Macs away and going back to Windows.

Feb 7, 2011 1:41 PM in response to Ponponhead

The problem isnt the adaptors/cables USUALLY. Its the OS. Apple released an update to solve this problem for the mini display port to VGA, they obviously need to do that for the HDMI as well.

Im having the same issues. I plug it in, my screen flashes blue twice, then doesnt work. I usually play with the display/plugging in and out of HDMI cable/Mini displayport and turning the LG Tv on and off for about a half hour before it magically works...
comeon apple, help us out.

Feb 12, 2011 12:01 AM in response to Ponponhead

Hi All,

Just adding my problem the mix. Same as above. I bought a Samsung 23" LED LCD monitor at the same time as my 13" MBP (May 2010). Using a third-party mini displayport to DVI adapter and a DVI-HDMI adapter I plugged in the monitor and presto - beautiful dual-monitor system worked out of the box.

It has worked flawlessly ever since. Then last Sat. (Feb. 5) I unplugged the cable and took it to my dad's to show him a video for his 70th birthday on his TV. It worked fine, but I had to change the resolution. When I brought it back home and plugged back into the Samsung monitor I had crazy red static dots. I tried to play with the resolution and if I went low enough I could get rid of the dots but with useless screen distortion.

I unplugged everything, plugged it back in and now it won't even recognize the monitor. Restart. Reset permissions. Played with the order that I plugged it in. Took off HDMI adapter and went mini displayport -> DVI cable -> DVI port. Nothing works, the MBP screen will flash blue/desktop until I unplug machine.

Before someone tells me its the cable, I then took it to my TV and plugged it in (mini -> DVI -> HDMI adapter -> HDMI in) and it worked fine, not screen adjustments necessary. It's not the cable.

If you're thinking maybe the monitor pooched, I tried it already. I have an old PC hooked up with a VGA -> DVI cable and it works fine.

I don't know what happened but it had been fine since day one and now nothing, but only on the monitor. After 30 minutes with Apple Care they suggest I take it to an Authorized Service Provider as it might be the port, but that doesn't make sense since the port outputs to both my dad's and my TV just fine. It's got to be a driver issue.

Apple, you have to fix this for us please.

Feb 25, 2011 2:01 PM in response to claven23

Well, I'll add my comments to the list. I bought an adapter before I really needed one and it sat around for months. I tried to use it with my Macbook Pro and a Sanyo LCD TV, and nothing happened. The laptop blinks then nothing. TV not seeing connection either. I tried another MacBook and same thing...nothing. I tried 2 other TVs (Sony and Samsung) and neither worked. I am thankful that I was issued a refund. Up until reading this thread, I thought the problem was the adapter. I hope they fix this soon.

Feb 27, 2011 6:30 AM in response to Ponponhead

same problem here with the cablesson HDMI-adaptor: blue blink when connected - but nothing else.

Does the new Thunderbolt connector solves this issue? (on early 2011 macbook pro's -offtopic: or was the development of this maybe the cause of it all-)?
Does this problem still exists with the developer preview of OS X Lion?
Does anyone has tried to use Bootcamp > Windows 7?

Mar 2, 2011 10:57 AM in response to centralpath

I too am now experiencing this problem. I purchased a macbook air in december, and shortly after picked up the mini display>HDMI Adapter. For about 3 months it seemlessly worked in terms of connecting and displaying a mirrored desktop to my 50" Panasonic. Just this month, I believe after the recent update to 10.6.6, all of a sudden i can't get the macbook air to display to my tv at all! Nothing works, I've tried unplugging it numerous times, rebooting it while plugged into the TV, everything mentioned in this post...Nope, nothing. I called and it was suggested to reset the System Resource Controller, and try again...We'll see. The rep. said he wasn't aware of any known issues, but judging by these posts - something's up...Stay tuned.

Mar 3, 2011 8:33 AM in response to Ponponhead

Oh! I wish I'd read this forum first...

I have a silver Macbook 2.4 running OSX 10.6.6. I had my Macbook connected to my SEG TV using a miniport to VGA but I wanted to be able to use the TV's speakers, which won't work with the VGA connection. Also, the display on the TV is very dark.

So, I hoped that by upgrading to HDMI it might fix both these issues. Instead, with the HDMI connection, it doesn't work at all!

So, I've wasted time and money paying to have an expensive Apple miniport to HDMI adapter mailed from the UK and bought a useless HDMI cable! Come on Apple!

I am getting so fed up with Apple. I had a similar issue with my iPad, which I bought to use for teaching but then I discovered after I bought the expensive cable to connect it to a projector that it won't project everything on the screen but will only project from a few applications and not the one I use as a whiteboard, Pages!

I guess there's hope on the HDMI issue. From these discussions it seems that this is an OS issue, so I guess I will keep the cables in the hope that one day someone from Apple might actually read this forum and fix this problem. However, I notice that this discussion has been running since October 2009 User uploaded file

Mar 5, 2011 10:50 PM in response to Ponponhead

I just got my "http://bit.ly/glBvHx" Kanex v2 adapter and it worked flawlessly. The Moshi Mini display port to hdmi adapter that I had been using with my mid 2010 macbook pro didn't work with my new Macbook pro with the thunder port. I got the "http://bit.ly/glBvHx" Kanex v2 adapter from Amazon and it fixed everything. I have my MBP hooked up to a 24" Dell monitor. I now have it hooked up to my 52" Sony LED TV watching a movie while I'm posting this.

Mar 12, 2011 7:32 PM in response to izzo1701

For those of you wondering about whether boot camp makes it happen - yes, it works on the Windows side. I currently have a Moshi adaptor to HDMI, and the Mac side will recognize it for about five seconds, then begin flashing continuously on the external monitor. However, the Windows side operates it perfectly.

Technically, the Mac side should be able to do anything the Windows side can, right? So I'm thinking that replacing adaptors and cords will serve no purpose, since I know that every component in this set up works except for the Mac OS.

Mini display port to HDMI problem

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