Mini display port to HDMI problem

Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Macbook pro 2011

Thrid party mini display port to HDMI cable, worked for a few months with Panasonic 42", used on a samsung 60" TV ok, now not working with Panasonic 42" anymore, tried restarting laptop, TV, plugging in, out, nothing.

I get the blue fade screen, with no change on the TV and the Detect Displays icon at top of screen shows only one display.

Hey everyone,

Here is my problem; not much unlike many of you, I am having problems with my Display Port on my Mac. I am using a MacBook Pro mid-2010 model, fully upgraded RAM, well taken care. I noticed the problems after I upgraded to OSX Mavericks (10.9.1). Everything worked 100% before that, but ever since installing I started noticing the display port issue. At first it would just take a moment after plugging in the DisplayPort to HDMI (moshi brand) adaptor. Then it strated flickering the Mac screen, but the TV would not detect the display until I unplugged & plugged back in the adaptor to the Mac. Then it started just not connecting to the TV, even thoughthe Mac screen would flicker everytime I replugged the displayport adaptor, but a restart always fixed the problem. Then it just stopped working all together. I still get the flicker on my Mac every time the display adaptor is plugged in or unplugged, but still the TV does not see the Mac or vice versa... not even rebooting helps.

At this point I scoured the internet and tried every possibility I could find, except for replacing with display port adaptor which is just not an option at this point (mostly cost, as well as availability). Still I could find nothing wrong, and I am **** sure it is not my HDMI or display port adaptor. Finally I decided to reboot into my Bootcamp partition of WindowsXP. I plug in the display port adaptor and guess what happens... WORKS PERFECTLY! Full resolution, full sound, full awesome (except I am stuck in XP). I reboot back to the Mac OS right away to try out the display port and... FAIL!!! Still does not work.

My end discovery; my cable works fine - PROVEN. my display port adaptor works fine - PROVEN. even my MacBook Pro works fine, including the display port - PROVEN... however the bloody Mac OS (Mavericks) will not engage the display port... therefore it is 100% an OS issue, which we all clearly need a sufficient fix for. So stop wasting your money on more adaptors and cables... try a different OS, even if it is off a USB stick or whatever, just give it another shot NOT in OSX 10.9 and I am telling you that it will most likely work.

All in all... I still need a fix!

I have been very vocal here so I'll chime in and say that I've been using the mDP to HDMI cable from monoprice.com for almost two weeks without fail. Some of the adapters I have purchased have failed on the first day, but this cable seems to be doing the trick so far. Monoprice also offers an mDP to DVI cable, which I ordered a couple of as well, but haven't had the time to test them out.

My MDP to HDMI cable worked perfectly for a few months then just stopped. My Panasonic TV is only a few months old so I assumed it was the cable, which I replaced, which didn't work either. That's when I started looking into forums to see if anyone else was having this problem. Turns out pretty much anyone who's used the MDP on their Macbook Pro for any amount of time has suffered this issue.

I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION! I bought a MDP to DVI converter, then a DVI to HDMI cable. Bang on. Works a charm.

Sort it out, Apple.

Have you tried playing any HDContentProtected media?

I worry that the HDCP link would be disrupted after converting it to DVI, then back to HDMI... though I could be wrong.

I have purchased movies in itunes and it will only play on external displays if they are HDCP compatible (including adapters & cables).

I have used a mDP to HDMI adaptor for a few years on my early '09 iMac. suddenly in the last few weeks, i have the same sitch as everyone else here; blue screen on turn on/off but no detection of any external TV anymore.

i just ordered the mDP to HDMI cable from monoprice, but i am not too optimistic, considering everyone on here has different solutions to the problem.

I'm happy so far with both my mDP to HDMI and mDP to DVI cables from Monoprice. There seems to be some inherent flaw to the adapters that shortens their life expectancy. Like I've said in some of my posts, I've had the adapters seemingly go bad right out of their retail packaging as soon as I plug them into my MacBook Pro. I've actually got 5 of them set aside in case anyone from Apple contacts me and wants to take a look at them.

Actually, I had an email during the summertime from one of their AppleCare reps wanting to collect info from me as soon as I started posting. We were trying to set a time to talk over the phone, but I had thrown away the burnt adapters so they said "nevermind." I sent this particular rep an email about two weeks ago saying I now had multiple dead adapters set aside, but got no response.

Hi All,

Just writing because I think a lot of helpful info has gotten lost in older posts and I wanted to add this experience in case Apple can use it.

I struggled with the same issue of not being able to see my Macbook Pro on my Samsung LED TV (using the HDMI to mini display port adaptor) until I changed the display preference, for instance 800 x 600. (I can't remember which setting I chose but there was only ONE that would work of all of them.)

It was a permanent fix, although over time I ran into issues with grainy quality in the picture and sometimes scratchy feedback which I attributed to the HDMI cable going bad.

However!!! I just got an Apple TV and the same HDMI cable works seemlessly with it and the picture quality is perfect. The Apple TV is a great option but was similarly hard for me to set up until I discovered how to change the channel setting.... All the channels were black, black, black... then I got two channels which were scratchy and grainy the same as before... then the next channel was perfect. I think it was 1024 x 768, but don't quote me on that.

All of this is to say I think it's a problem with the screen formatting.

Good luck!

My MDP-HDMI adapter works perfectly, as does my HDMI cable, so does my MBP! I tested by booting into my WindowsXP partition and I was able to enable my TV as extended desktop, full 1080p resolution and quality, via my Mac's miniDisplayPort, my Moshi mDP-HDMI adapter, a 15' HDMI cable, and a Samsung HDLED TV. The exact same setup that worked for months on my OSX 10.9 installation... until recently. About two or three weeks ago my OSX partition stopped seeing the TV whenever I plug in the mDP adapter (normall it just switches right over, no problems). I have tried every solution and isolated the problem down to an OS issue. At this point in time, nothing has worked and I still cannot use my TV as an external monitor in Mac OSX 10.9.1... but WindowsXP works just fine (at least that's where all my Steam games are installed).

In my opinion apple are doing it purposely to make mac users invest in apple tv products. As mentioned many people are able to boot into windows and get the adapters working. Its a software issue that they decline to resolve.

Aaaaaand my Monoprice mDP to HDMI cable just died. I opened the App Store to updated Pages, iMovie, and Keynote. I restarted the computer afterwards and now have no video output through this cable. I'm not pointing the finger at those apps because this has been going on so long, mind you. Multiple shutdowns and restarts, PRAM resets, openings and closings of the lid...no response. Open Display Preferences, Detect Monitors, nothing. But hey, at least the thread made it past 1,000,000 views!

I grabbed the spare mDP to HDMI adapter and HDMI cable I keep in my office desk drawer and I'm up and running again. One thing I noticed when unplugging and reconnecting the now-dead mDP to HDMI cable is that I get a pretty pronounced buzz emanating from somewhere inside the MacBook for about 1-2 seconds when the mDP side of the cable is plugged back in. I get this buzz whether or not the HDMI cable is plugged into my monitor. So strange.

Well, I also got this problem, kind of. One day I woke up and it just stopped working - "No Signal" on the display, and on the setings of displays in Mac OS there is no external display detected, also when pressing alt/option key.

I was trying to isolate the problem, but for now I'm nowhere. I will list what I did, maybe someone with enough brain will find a solution.

Initial stuff:

1) MacBook Pro 15 Mid 2012

2) Rocketfish MDP to HDMI adapter

3) Samsung UE40C6500EU TV

4) Mac OS X Maverics

Facts:

1) Tried different cables - no effect

2) Tried resetting PRAM and SMC - no effect

3) Connected other devices (Dell lapop, DVD player, Hi-Fi) VIA the same cable (no adapter) and port on TV - works

4) Connected my MBP to other TV via the same cable and Rocketfish adapter - WORKS

5) Connected my MBP to THE SAME MODEL of Samsung TV BUT a different TV (my father's TV) - WORKS

6) Reflashed my Samsung TV with all available firmwares (requires hacking a TV to get root access) - no effect

7) moved com.apple.windowserver.plist and com.apple.windowserver.some_numbers.plist from local and global Library - no effect

8) booted into safe mode - no effect

I'm not a person who knows Mac inside and out, so maybe I missed something important. Anyway with this my little research I am frustrated I cannot get this working. For me it seems my Mac stores somwehere some magical data about MY TV that just says - I WON"T WORK WITH IT.

I've read almost all posts in this thread and in many other places as well and just cannot understand WHY Apple just does nothing with that. Sure we can tell it's all about money, but this is a MASSIVE problem.

Cheers 🙂

I've had the same problem ever since the Jan 13th 10.9.1 OS upgrade and the Thunderbolt firware update on the same day. I have tried multiple MacBooks, multiple TVs (LG, two Samsungs and a Sony) and multiple converter cables. Any MacBook with the upgrade fails to properly connect and display the screen on the TVs. When I try any Windows based device or a Macbook running windows it works just fine.

Whatever Apple has done in the firmware upgrade and/or the OS upgade has crippled the Thuderbolt to HDMI connection. Not sure if it has anything to do with selling more AppleTV devices, but they need to fix this issue. The thurderbolt port is there for a reason and it just hasn't worked since Jan 13th. Very frustrating.