No CEC or keyboard control for HDMI monitors/sound on new Mac mini

The new Mac mini with M1 silicon doesn't allow external HDMI monitors to have keyboard sound control. My understanding is that this is because Apple doesn't have CEC to control external monitors so the apple keyboard volume controls do not work. Apple, please help with a solution as this is all over the internet with concerns! Is there anyway to resolve this so users can have keyboard volume control work? I also tried to hook the headphone out to my device and that also disable keyboard volume control keys. No fun...


iMac, OS X 10.10

Posted on Jan 1, 2021 1:08 PM

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Posted on Feb 25, 2021 10:47 AM

Hi, I can confirm that with Mac mini M1, the eqMac is working, I can use my keyboard to change the monitor's volume. Many thanks!

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15 replies

Jan 20, 2021 11:44 AM in response to psappleguy

With HDMI, you must send sound also to HDMI.


Connect the USB cable from the monitor to the non-Thunderbolt regular USB-A of your mini using the cable LG sells separately (you can also get such a cable from Amazon or eBay).

When you do so, you won’t have any Thunderbolt options for sound or video.


As for the display, check and set (1) Turn monitor off after <your selected time> and check “Prevent...from sleeping”.

Jan 19, 2021 10:54 PM in response to hcsitas

yes, monitor is connected to the mini via single cable between the thunderbolt/usb-c ports on both.


Also, mini won't send signal to the display after display wakes from sleep, or when i manually turn the monitor off and back on. I have to unplug the thunderbolt cable from the mini and replug each time to get a signal.


Also, mini crashes sometimes when monitor goes to sleep.


Lots of bugs here. Mini m1 worked fine with old hp 2511 monitor for two weeks before i got the LG ultrawide (though HP monitor didn't have speakers so first issue was moot).

Jan 20, 2021 11:26 AM in response to hcsitas

Unfortunately neither of those steps solves either problem. With both cables connected if I choose thunderbolt as sound output (which mini sound output panel lists as displayport even though it is not plugged into displayport) and tell monitor to use HDMI for display I get no sound at all. If i choose HDMI as sound output and as display i get sound, but still no ability to control the sound via the mini/keyboard. Basically, the monitor asks which input i want to use for display, and i have to choose the same for sound output to get any sound at all. Regardless of cable combination i have no sound control from keyboard/mini (sound panel always shows 'The selected device has no output controls").


Selecting to never let the mini go to sleep prevents crashing during the day, of course, but if I manually turn off the monitor at night (so the monitor doesn't illuminate the whole room) the mini still can't reestablish a signal when i turn the monitor back on (i have to unplug and replug the monitor cable). All very frustrating.

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No CEC or keyboard control for HDMI monitors/sound on new Mac mini

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