Mac mini HDMI picture not detected by TV after hours of user inactivity

I like to keep my Mac on 24/7 for certain reasons. I have it connected to my TV via HDMI 2.0. Before going to bed I turn the TV off.

Usually when I turn my TV on in the morning, it says that the computer isn't detected. So I have to restart it to fix the problem. (Sometimes it even requires another restart). There are occasions where I can try to put it to sleep via my Remote Desktop app and that returns the picture, but there are times when that isn't enough.

I don't experience picture issues when using the computer so I don't think it's a signal problem. Cable is 5m (16ft) long but its a high end one.

I also tried an app called "Amphetamine" that prevents system sleep and user inactivity in different manners, it can even move the cursor periodically. The app is incredible but it doesn't work for this.

I've read about other people experiencing such problems and never found a real solution.

🍎

Posted on Jul 24, 2023 6:54 AM

Top-ranking reply

BigDak Author

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Nov 13, 2023 6:01 AM

[SOLVED]

I fixed the problem by going to macOS settings and setting “Turn display off on power adapter when inactive” to “30 minutes”. This way the computer loses signal intentionally, however it correctly recovers it when you press a key.

I also have “Require password after screen saver begins or

display is turned off” set to “4 hours”, just in case, and also for security purposes.

“Start Screen Saver when inactive For 10 minutes”

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Mac mini HDMI picture not detected by TV after hours of user inactivity

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