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MacBook suddenly won't detect my TV anymore - already tried anything

Hello everyone,

I hope I can find help here... I couldn't find any in Apple Stores...

_+*If you don't want to read the long text, there are some cliff notes below*+_

I have a problem with my 42" Toshiba LCD TV.

Here's my setup:

MacBook 13" Unibody with 4GB RAM, Snow Leopard 10.6.4 and all the latest updates.

I used to use it as my movie display, only plugging it in when watching a movie etc... For work I am using a Dell 2209WA, which is still working perfectly with exactly the same cable configuration.

My connection should be standard and looks like this:

1. Mini-Display Port to DVI
2. DVI-to-HDMI-cable
3. Plugged in into my TV

Some day, I decided to watch a movie, plugged of the Dell and plugged in the Toshiba TV. No signal, my MacBook didn't even detect any external display.

I searched up the internet, and found that there were problems with the update 10.6.2, and after 10.6.3 seemed to work for most of the persons concerned, 10.6.4 seemed to mess it up once more.

Fortunately I am running time machine, so I started to restore older OS X versions, starting with 10.5.8 and going the way all up to 10.6.4 again. It just wouldn't work. So I formatted my MacBook and made a fresh install of Mac OS Snow Leopard, again starting with every single update step. But nothing worked, so I restored my latest 10.6.4 backup.

I went to a friend's house and connected my MacBook with the same cables to his TV, and it worked perfectly. I then visited an Apple Store, describing my problem and connecting it to their TV - it worked. I was like... come on!!!

Nevertheless I bought a new MiniDisplay-Port-to-DVI-Adapter I could bring back any time, just to test it. I even bought new cables. Nothing helped.

I then started to reset PRAM, and CMS. I moved stored display profiles to trash, restarting and hoping it would work, but nothing...

Any time I connect the DisplayPort, my MacBook screen blinks, as it should, but does not recognize any display. I tried SwitchResX, nothing as well.

_+*Here are the Cliffnotes of what I've done and what's going on:*+_

MacBook won't recognize/detect Toshiba TV
MacBook recognizes/detects Dell TFT with same cable configuration
MacBook works fine with other TVs
I changed cables
I changed HDMI ports
I tried another adapter (DisplayPort)
PRAM and SCM reset without success
Deleting display profiles without success
I tried every Snow Leopard Release from 10.5.8 to 10.6.4
SwitchResX did not work
I restored my TV's standard configuration, and turned any auto image adjustion off
checked whether MacBook is concerned by nvidia callback - negative
It seems that there is either a problem with my television or with my driver's/software's configuration on the MacBook. Maybe it is sending a signal/resolution that cannot be displayed, but why should it?

If it does, it would have to detect the TV first I guess... A fact that brings me to the point that it might be the TV and not the MacBook is that it didn't even work with a fresh installed SL, so there were definately no wrong display profiles saved and applied.
I don't know what to do, is there anyone who can help me? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Regards from Germany

dohdoh

MacBook 13", Mac OS X (10.6.4), 4GB RAM - 250GB HDD - mid 09

Posted on Jul 24, 2010 5:57 AM

Reply
37 replies

Aug 26, 2010 3:55 PM in response to dohdoh1985

Hey..

What to look for, it probably isn't your Mac at all. Some TVs have two settings for the HDMI port. Some manufactures treat one of the HDMI ports as a DVI interface which is usually accompanied with another plug for audio. Check TV menu settings for the HDMI/DVI port. You might be surprised to see some setting regarding that specific port. Sometimes when you have that port selected you get additional features in the menu.

Later

Sep 14, 2010 12:51 AM in response to dohdoh1985

dohdoh1985, I have the exact same problem also! I recently bought a 42" RCA LCD TV. I connected my MacBook Pro to my TV using a Dynex Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter that I got from BestBuy. It worked great until I upgraded to Mac OS 10.6.4 and then it suddenly stopped working. Same TV, same settings, same cables, same adapter. Nothing changed since the last time it worked except that my OS was upgraded to 10.6.4, so i am assuming that is the culprit. The symptoms are EXACTLY the same as what dohdoh1985 described; when I plug in the TV, the laptop display flashes (3 times) as though it is detecting an external display and the picture on the TV briefly goes from blue to black for about 1 second then back to blue. The TV does not appear in the display menu / control panel and there is no sign that the MacBook detected it. I went through the usual troubleshooting steps (reset PRAM, checked connections, tv settings, etc) but nothing worked. Other HDMI sources (i.e. Blu-ray player) work fine on the TV using the same HDMI cable on the same port so there is nothing wrong with the cable, the TV or the TV's input settings.
Meanwhile, I can still connect my MacBook to my external ViewSonic monitor at work without any problems. It's just the TV that's not working.
I cancelled my cable subscription a while ago since I only watch shows online nowadays and this was my only way of watching TV shows, so I'm quite upset.
Apple, please help!

Dec 14, 2010 1:09 AM in response to dohdoh1985

I have just had exactly the same problem...tried to connect my MBP into my Samsung LCD TV and it is not detecting anything. I am using a Griffin Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter and it has been working flawlessly for months.

I have recently been using my MBP in my bar for powerpoint displays on the big screens and have used a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter to do this...this must be connected as everything was working fine before.

Any ideas on this would be massively appreciated...was looking forward to a film on the big screen before heading in for another day at the "office"

Cheers

Feb 4, 2011 4:01 AM in response to dohdoh1985

I have the same hardware and same problem as dohdoh with the exception that I have the mini display port to VGA adapter.

Everything else you describe is happening to me and I've tried the same solutions but rebooting with the adapter connected usually allows the mac to see the TV.

Mine was also working perfectly before a software update but I dont know which update did it. I suspect it was the same update

Feb 21, 2011 8:17 AM in response to spenc1975

I had a similar problem after I installed 10.6.6 where my external display was no longer being detected. My solution was to shutdown my MBP, then reset the PROM with the Command-Option-P-R when starting up my MBP again. Then I navigated to the Display on System Preferences and selected "Detect Displays". My Apple display came back to life!

Feb 21, 2011 2:01 PM in response to scottmil

HI. Yes Resetting the PRAN or PROM worked but not at first for me. Just want to share this in case it can help anyone else out there. so I reset the PROM as scottmill indicated. Then trid in on my 37 Sharp. Didnt work. Went downstairs tried it on my 46 Samsung and it Worked So then I go back upstairs try it on the 37 sharp. Works perfectly. So could of been a combination of things. Could of been the reset and then the new tv that made it click back in..... who knows but in the end I am sooo grateful to scottmil.

Cheers mate,

M

MacBook suddenly won't detect my TV anymore - already tried anything

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