I had a Macbook air 2013 which I changed for a Macbook air 2017 recently. I had a connection to a Toshiba Regza TV with a HDMI cable and an adapter to my Minidisplay port with no problem. When I now try to connect my 2017 Macbook it just says "no video signal". I have tried to plug and unplug everything and tried all the HDMI ports on the TV. Any suggestions?
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.7
The Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt 2 port on the 2017 Air is "pickier" about adapters and HDMI handshakes than the earlier models. The fact that the TV reports “no video signal” usually means the Mac isn’t successfully negotiating the display mode with the TV.
First, the most likely cause is the adapter itself. Many Mini DisplayPort → HDMI adapters are passive and rely on older signaling that worked fine on earlier Air models. The 2017 often requires an active Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, especially with TVs. If the adapter is unbranded or older, try a different one, preferably one that explicitly states compatibility with macOS Sierra or later.
Next, try forcing the display output manually. Connect everything, then go to System Preferences → Displays and hold the Option key while clicking Detect Displays. (Sorry, I don't have a Mac running Monterey available to confirm the exact menu items.) If the TV appears, set the resolution manually to 1920×1080 at 60 Hz. Toshiba Regza TVs are known to reject non-standard refresh rates or higher resolutions during HDMI negotiation, which can result in a blank screen even though the cable is connected.
If that still doesn’t work, shut down the MacBook completely, connect the HDMI cable to the TV first, then power on the TV, and finally boot the MacBook Air. This forces the Mac to detect the external display during startup. Also try resetting the SMC and NVRAM, as display output settings are stored there and can occasionally break when moving between machines.
The Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt 2 port on the 2017 Air is "pickier" about adapters and HDMI handshakes than the earlier models. The fact that the TV reports “no video signal” usually means the Mac isn’t successfully negotiating the display mode with the TV.
First, the most likely cause is the adapter itself. Many Mini DisplayPort → HDMI adapters are passive and rely on older signaling that worked fine on earlier Air models. The 2017 often requires an active Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, especially with TVs. If the adapter is unbranded or older, try a different one, preferably one that explicitly states compatibility with macOS Sierra or later.
Next, try forcing the display output manually. Connect everything, then go to System Preferences → Displays and hold the Option key while clicking Detect Displays. (Sorry, I don't have a Mac running Monterey available to confirm the exact menu items.) If the TV appears, set the resolution manually to 1920×1080 at 60 Hz. Toshiba Regza TVs are known to reject non-standard refresh rates or higher resolutions during HDMI negotiation, which can result in a blank screen even though the cable is connected.
If that still doesn’t work, shut down the MacBook completely, connect the HDMI cable to the TV first, then power on the TV, and finally boot the MacBook Air. This forces the Mac to detect the external display during startup. Also try resetting the SMC and NVRAM, as display output settings are stored there and can occasionally break when moving between machines.
urbannilmander wrote:
Regarding trying to force display output manually, I am probably not technical enough, but when I go to System Preferences/Displays, when do I hold the Option key to Detect Displays? I cannot find Detect Displays on my Macbook. The resolution I find are 1440 x 900 or 1280 x 800.
Sounds like you are looking at the resolution choices for the built-in screen. According to MacTracker, it has a native resolution of 1440 x 900, and you can run it at several other scaled settings, including 1280 x 800.
Are you trying to mirror the internal screen to the TV? Or running the two in extended display mode? If you're mirroring, that might force the use of a compromise resolution that the TV might not like.
Hi there and big thanks for long answer. I have tried 5 different Minidisplay adapters, last was a Belkin adapter that was supposed to be compatible with my Macbook air, but nothing happened. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Regarding trying to force display output manually, I am probably not technical enough, but when I go to System Preferences/Displays, when do I hold the Option key to Detect Displays? I cannot find Detect Displays on my Macbook. The resolution I find are 1440 x 900 or 1280 x 800.
One thing that is strange is that when I connect the HDMI cable with the adapter to the TV, everything looks fine on the Displays with a connection to Toshiba TV. But when I put on the TV that connection disappears and my Macbook goes back to only Macbook air screen, and the TV says "No video signal".
MacBook Air 2017 no video on Toshiba TV via Mini DisplayPort
