Mini display port to HDMI problem

I've actually got an appointment scheduled at the Apple Store in Raleigh, NC for this evening to have them take a look at my MacBook Pro. I've got a mixture of 11 adapters and cables that I'm bringing with me that have all been rendered useless since the Thunderbolt 1.2 firmware update. Just hoping they don't ask to send my MacBook away and leave me stranded without my work PC.

If anyone else sees this, please let me know if you hear the buzz from inside the MacBook when you plug in your dead adapters. You will need to be in a quiet room and get your ear close to the keyboard, but I would be interested in knowing if any of you hear it too.

Thanks!

I needed to plug my external HDMI monitor (LG L246WP) into my Macbook Pro 17" (Thunderbolt to HDMI Cable) so I could use Color. Whereas it worked fine before, of course now it doesn't. I went through most of the posts here and nothing worked for me.

Then I found that if I set the resolution in DIsplay Preferences to 1080i for the external monitor I can get Mirroring to work, but when I go to the expaned desktop, the 1080i resolution isn't there and the external monitor stops working. The 1080i setting is not the correct solution either - this monitor does 1920x1200 when connected to my MacPro 1,1 using a DVI to HDMI adaptor.

I think there is an bug/mistake in Mavericks that doesn't reconize the proper options for HDMI TVs and Monitors.

COME ON APPLE TELL ICON TO TAKE A LEAP AND SPEND SOME OF THAT $PARE CHANGE ON FIXING THESE PROBLEMS!!!

Well, I went to the Apple Store this evening and the answer I got at the Genius Bar was pretty much what I expected going in - "Replace the logic board for $561." While the gentleman that helped me was very nice, he technically had no evidence that the logic board was actually bad, and even admitted that he would expect to see other problems manifesting if that was actually the case. And despite that fact that I brought along 7 dead adapters, they actually had no equipment in the store with either an HDMI or DVI plug with which to test them. So, I've come up empty-handed yet again with my issue.

wcs0816 wrote:

Well, I went to the Apple Store this evening and the answer I got at the Genius Bar was pretty much what I expected going in - "Replace the logic board for $561." While the gentleman that helped me was very nice, he technically had no evidence that the logic board was actually bad, and even admitted that he would expect to see other problems manifesting if that was actually the case. And despite that fact that I brought along 7 dead adapters, they actually had no equipment in the store with either an HDMI or DVI plug with which to test them. So, I've come up empty-handed yet again with my issue.

You haven't come up empty handed at all.

You've been presented with a choice. If a new logic board solves the problem then we all know there's something on the logic board that's causing the problem.

If that's the case, we can your case as an example to have our logic boards replaced too.

It wouldn't worry you at all that there is no actual test to perform to determine if it is, in fact, the logic board? Not even a little? You'd be comfortable with "Eh, let's roll the dice and see if this does it! That'll be $561!"

Hi folks. Me again. I stopped off at Radio Shack on my way to work and purchased Apple's mDP to VGA display adapter to see what kind of performance I could get by moving away from the HDMI and DVI adapters I had been using. It seems to be working for now, but the screen looks so blurry compared to the HDMI and DVI signals from the other adapters 😟.

ive been following this discussion for months now, and apple still hasn't figured their **** out. the thing thats super weird is that my apple brand mDP to DVI adapter works from my MBP to lenovo monitor, but does not work from the same computer to my vizio TV.

definitely a flawed apple adapter.

I swear it has to be more than the adapter. For example, I started the process of looking around for an IPS monitor with either a DisplayPort or mini DisplayPort connection so that I could try my MacBook without an adapter in-line. I'd heard a lot recently about the IPS monitors from Monoprice, so I checked there and they had terrible reviews from Mac owners, but glowing reviews from Windows owners (go figure). Most noted that when connected to the MacBook, they had trouble getting it to wake after sleep, sometimes to the point where the monitor would be exchanged two and three times only to run into the same issue. One of the reviews state:

"After a little bit of research and digging I found out that the reason the monitor won't work with the basic Mini DisplayPort adapters is because they don't have enough power to manage the video conversion necessary for the higher resolution. From there I found out that apple makes (a very expensive) Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter that is powered additionally by USB. I had to pick this up at my closest apple store an hour drive away since none of the local stores carried the more expensive adapter. After I got back home and hooked everything up, it worked. I was so excited to have full resolution support."

I have been following this thread for some while now and as some people have stated before it does sound like the mac doesn't put enugh power through the mDP. I have now tried many different adapters and HDMI cable lengths and combined with this thread the trend indicates a power issue.

I bought a mDP to HDMI cable ( not adapter ) from NEET, it's 3 meters long and I havn't had any problems with it so far. Although, it has only been a month since I started using it ( too soon to celebrate ) my belief is that by using shorter cables reduces power drawing stress on adapters and cables and increases their life time. HDMI cables are known to be very power hungry and if you are using cables over 4 meters you might need an additional HDMI power supply, this might vary between outputs ( mDP probably gives less power than a high grade desktop video card ) and the cable quality might also have something to say.

TL;DR

Buy short ( < 3m ) mDP to HDMI(or other) high quality cables not adapters.

I have been using 3m mDP to HDMI cable from NEET for 1 month without problem.

Vic-zx has been using the same cable without problems for 15+ months.

Hi CyborgPatrick and thanks again for your participation. I think we all wish Apple would just own up to the fact that this first-generation port isn't anywhere near as flexible as they say that it is, and that their suggestion to purchase third-party adapters simply isn't a good solution for those of us witnessing this issue.

As I mentioned in one of my last posts, I grabbed the Apple-branded mDP to VGA adapter from a local retailer and while the screen lacks the clarity that I had when I had a functioning HDMI or DVI adapter, it's amazingly responsive. As an example, when I used to connect the HDMI and DVI adapters, the screen would blink 5 or 6 times before settling down and allowing me to get some work done. I put together this video the other morning which shows this happening with a brand new mDP to HDMI adapter and a 1-meter HDMI cable. This adapter lasted for all of one day. The VGA adapter, on the other hand, shows me my desktop almost instantly, and wakes from sleep as soon as I move my mouse.

I took Vic-zx's advice and purchased both the mDP to HDMI and DVI cables, but they failed on me within two weeks.

I'd ask the Apple Store if they would refund the charges if a new logic board doesn't fix the problem. That's fair.

On a related note, I just replace my old 2002 HDTV with an LG LED (47LN5200) model - I plugged my MacBook Pro into the HDMI2 input and it worked perfectly. Whle my 24" LG HDMI monitor that I use with my MacPro 1,1 will not work with the laptop (except using 1080i setting on the laptop which produces a bad image). The LG Monitor use to work great with the laptop. I have Maverick on both machines, the MacPro uses a DVI to HDMI cable attached to ATI 5550. I rarely use the laptop and LG Monitor together so Mavericks is what has been changed since I used them together.

I'm leaning toward a driver issue or bug that prevents the HDMI signal from going out. When I plug the LG Monitor into the laptop the screen blinks and the computer knows there is another monitor connected - it even show the correct model number of the monitor. I blame the HDMI copy protection scheme. Only pure speculation on my part...

This has a problem to do with default settings, you see (this is just from my experience from using mac) apple did change something with the default settings with displays this was for the new mac btw (which means the new macs where setup to fix this problem) but the old macs you have to do it manually. The way to fix this is by connecting the adapter like you would usually would, then you would follow my tutorial. This is only after completing the regular setup.

Tutorial:

Complete the regular setup

Then in system preferences select displays

Now in the top three choices select arrangement (this will only be there if you connect the computer to the tv)

Select in the bottom right corner mirror display

And it should fix all of your problems.

I had this problem with a MacBook Pro 15" (Late 2011) running Mavericks, an LG TV, and a Belkin Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter.

The MacBook sees the LG TV (it says "LG TV" in the Displays preference pane) but the LG TV says "No signal".

Toggling the "Optimize for:" pop-up menu in the Displays preference pane (or "Match Desktop Size To:" in the Displays menu extra from) did the trick for me.

I have a MBP 2010 and was using mdp to HDMI ever since I bought my MBP. It was a great experience to have the display to my Samsung 40" TV until after I updated to Mavericks 10.9.1.

As soon as I updated from 10.9 to 10.9.1, boom I can't use my HDMI output anymore. Initially I thought it was a problem with my adapter, so I bought a new adapter as well and tried and problem still exist.

Now I'm beginning to think, Mavericks update was the culprit. Though I can still use my mdp to DVI for my external monitor but no luck with HDMI output. I'm not going to waste anymore $ to buy and try this.

mdo to DVI - Works

mdp to HDMI - No Lucks (After updating to 10.9.1)

So now you people can add me in to the problem list. Apple should do something to fix it.

After trying almost everything above, the following solved the problem for me:

1. Shut down macbook

2. hold down apple button + R

3. reinstall OSX

This will not delete your customized settings or files.

I got this tip by calling the apple support. I hope it will help you too!

Good luck!