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Level 1

0 points

Lion Upgrade: No audio via miniDisplayport to HDMI (iMac)

Using the mid 2011 iMac and a (Denon1912) A/V-Receiver. iMac connected via miniDisplayport-to-HDMI-adapter to the receiver.

With Snow Leopard it worked. Video and Audio were always detected by the receiver and sent to the monitors/speakers.

With Lion the video-output of the iMac only gets activated when i put the computer to sleep and wake it up. The audio-output via miniDisplayport/HDMI does not work. The audio-options do not list my receiver - only the internal speakers.

Cables are connected on startup, A/V-Receiver is turned on and set to the correct channels before booting the iMac.

How can I fix this? Downgrade and wait for bugfixes?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 2:40 AM

Best reply

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,976 points

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 6:49 AM

If you left all the peripherals connected while performing the Lion upgrade that may have confused the SMC. Do a SMC reset (it may take 2-3 attempts) and see if that helps. Please follow the instructions carefully.

SMC RESET

Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord and all peripherals.
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Release the power button.
Attach the computers power cable.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.

PRAM RESET

Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.

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94 replies

c0rre

Level 1

0 points

Jan 7, 2012 10:14 AM in response to Joxenfe

Sounds like a doable work around, but I think I remember tinkering with the Audio/MIDI settings myself, with no result. Ultimately, I caved in and decided to try that (Monoprice) converter everyone was talking about. Worked like a charm, no further (re)settings required...

About ten bucks vs countless hours of cursing... everybody decide for themselves :-)

-Jens-

Level 1

8 points

Jan 7, 2012 10:14 AM in response to Joxenfe

Well, the problem is that the tv doesnt show up in audio preferences....

Jan 7, 2012 10:19 AM in response to Joxenfe

Joxenfe,

Does that workaround work for older MacBook Pro's? I have a 2009 MBP and I was under the impression that the mini-display to HDMI would not support audio for these models (although it works like a charm with my 2011 MB Air). Does this workaround or the Monoprice Minidisplay > HDMI allow these older computers to transmit sound to a TV via a single cord?! That'd be awesome!

Joxenfe

Level 1

10 points

Jan 7, 2012 11:30 AM in response to ilearn.jr

@c0rre... I got this cable for $4.75 - after midi work around it works great! http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10428&cs_id=1042802 &p_id=5311&seq=1&format=2

@c014... how old is your computer? Only Mid-2010 macs or later will work. It's a hardware/firmware thing that you can't work around.

Jan 7, 2012 11:44 AM in response to audioguy61

MONOPRICE FTW! Click Like if you love Monoprice!

-Jens-

Level 1

8 points

Jan 7, 2012 12:01 PM in response to Joxenfe

Joxenfe: My mac is a mbp early 2011. Worked like a charm with Snow leopard, but after lion the sound wont work.

Tried every "workaround" out there. Guess I have to buy a new hdmi-cable.

AgaKotek

Level 1

0 points

Jan 29, 2012 10:56 PM in response to Kahlzopf

Seems to be that these problems are kind of bug in Lion software. All cabels work if you clean PRAM before you switch you mac to dvi - hdmi cable. Unfortunately you have to do it each time so is very annoying. In software below Lion was working very well. So maybe Apple Corp. should do something about it, especially that is so many posts about it in internet and no clear solution!

Maybe we should ask for money back for not PROPER working expensive computers then somebody on top will react proper on issue???!!!

Feb 17, 2012 12:37 AM in response to Kahlzopf

Slightly different symptoms but same problem. I can see my Sharp HDMI as an output option, but Sound Preferences will not let me select it, it just goes straight back to headphones every time within a fraction of a second.

Has anyone seen this variation of the issue?

Feb 17, 2012 6:54 AM in response to Kahlzopf

I've posted before about my issue; connecting HDMI cable from year old iMac to Panasonic plasma. I can get it working most of the time though a combination of turning off/on the TV or restarting the Mac. One thing I noticed by accident is sending the Mac to sleep (wait long enough, over 10 seconds or so) often helps it to recognise the output device and restores the sound to TV option (I don't bother selecting it though as it usually just starts working). After it, usually, delivers sound and will correctly mirror the iMac with the menu bar and dock at the top and bottom rather than off the edge or stretched. Also, running/quitting software like VLC helps to disable/enable the sound going through to the TV. I help that helps, someone... Good luck all, i know how frustrating this is when you've sat down to watch a movie with a friend or partner and it doesn't work!

Eirolav

Level 1

0 points

Feb 20, 2012 4:13 PM in response to JasonHitherGreen

The audio on my Macbook Pro (2010) continues to have the problem of no sound, sometimes. I did the SMC and Pram resets at the direction of an Apple Technician and the problem remains. I've never used audio or video cables or headsets with this computer.

I never had the problem until I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Lion in Feb. 2011.

tmatti

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2012 8:53 PM in response to Eirolav

I have the same problem with no HDMI showing up and no audio playing through it. The only reason I actually noticed was because I bootcamped with Windows 7 and audio was playing through it then, so Apple's Windows drivers for their hardware works, but Lion doesn't... seems a bit odd. Didn't even know there was an issue before, now it won't stop bothering me.

Joxenfe

Level 1

10 points

Mar 29, 2012 5:15 AM in response to tmatti

Tmatti - Did you check the Midi settings as mentioned before>

tmatti

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2012 3:11 PM in response to Joxenfe

Joxenfe - I went to the Midi settings and audio in System prefs and HDMI wasn't shown in either. My Midi settings were already set to the lowest frequency (which I thought was odd since I had never changed them before) but I played around with them and nothing worked. I tried messing around with the handshake as well, but was too lazy to restart my computer too many times so plugged in and turned on TV in different orders with a couple logouts and nothing worked. Now I'm just resorting to bootcamp if I want to use audio through my HDMI which is frustrating. Waiting on an Apple update I guess?

placek

Level 1

0 points

Apr 15, 2012 5:47 PM in response to David Greenhalgh

I have been frustrated with precisely this issue (setting slips off HDMI).

After repeated discussions with Apple, I was told that the engineers are aware of this issue, and it is normal behavior.

In my opinion, this is not the behavior I expect from a mature operating system.

My only workaround is to unplug my headphone jack, which operation will sooner or later break the motherboard.

Apr 16, 2012 11:15 PM in response to Kahlzopf

Shame on Apple to have this basic fundimental flaw and not address it for a long time.

I just discovered it.

The results of searching for a solution is very disappointing and disheartening.

What / why would Apple continue to offer such shotty service to a big issue?

Blows me away ..

Lion Upgrade: No audio via miniDisplayport to HDMI (iMac)