I just installed Lion on my Mac mini and my TV no longer receives a signal over HDMI. I've tried a bunch of different cobinations of restarting the TV and computer without any luck. Without a display, I can't use Screen Sharing to try chaning any of the prefrences. Does anyone have a solution to this problem? Thanks.
For everyone who is having HDTV display and digital audio output problems take the advice of a few of the other posters here and go out and purchase Gefen HDMI Detective Plus. It retails for $129 but Amazon has it for sale for around $80. It will fix your Mac HDMI out video and audio problems period. Yeah it ***** you have to buy it but if you have the HDMI problems it was designed to fix you already have spent several thousand dollars on computer and home theater equipment so what is another $80 to keep everything working right.
By way of background, I have a late 2010 Quadcore I7 Imac, which also doubles as a HTPC for a 7.1 speaker set up in my loft with my Denon 4308CI amp and Panasonic HDTV (via a long 100 ft HDMI run). I use the Imac bluetooth keyboard and trackpad in the living room to control the Imac when viewing on my HDTV. The set up worked great with Snow Leopard until the 10.6.8 update killed my digital audio. I reverted to 10.6.7 to fix the issue until Lion 10.7.1 was released and I read on another Apple thread that the HDMI out issues had been solved. When I upgraded I lost both HDMI video and audio and I was hoping that 10.7.2 would solve the issues but it did not.
Anyhow, I was getting ready to go back to 10.6.7 again but read this whole thread for solutions and stumbled on the Gefen hardware solution. After doing some research it seems that many HTPCs have HDMI out problems with software updates and AV receivers and not just Apple. I bought the product, spoke to Gefen tech support before the set up as their instrucitons are a little unclear but after that I set up the product in no time and now everything is working perfectly once again. Best of all, I don't have to worry now about future software updates killing my HDMI out video and audio again.
BTW, if you use a AV receiver with your Imac just use one of the preset Gefen generic codes at set up as storing your HDTV's EDID in the Gefen may not allow you to push multi channel digital audio as well as video from your Imac.
I have the same issue with my brand new Mac Mini and my Philips screen. Everything works well with a Samsung screen. Upgrading to 10.7.1 didn't solve the issue. Just called Apple Support and they told me their engineers are working on it and there will be a 10.7.2 patch planned to be released still this week that will fix the issue. Fingers crossed guys.
I am so glad I found this thread! I found it quite by accident, searching for something else. But knowing all of this before a Mac Mini upgrade sure saved me a headache.
I just upgraded my MacPro to Lion and I love it! I have four fast cores and 16gb of ram so it is blazingly fast, I have not seen a slow down at all. So I was ready to upgrade our MacMini (early 2010 machine) that is attached to a Sony HDMI TV (we bought a couple of years ago) I just happened on this thread before I did it so I knew there were issues.
I did a Time Machine backup first of course. Then I proceeded with the Lion upgrade using Screen Sharing from my MacPro. It upgraded and I then lost the connection to the Pro. Just to check I turned on the TV and to confirm, there was no signal the TV couldn't connect to the Mini. It was taking a very long time for the Mini to show up on the network again, I did wait as I knew the Pro took a while to start up after the upgrade. But it really seemed like it wasn't going to show up again, I was just about to force shut down the Mini and just connect it to my Cinema screen (a total hassle to disconnect it from the Pro to do that), but then I noticed the lights on the back up drive were flashing so I waited, then I saw the Mini on the network again! So I started up the Screen Sharing on the Pro and ran software update on the Mini.
It restarted and the TV found it (or the Mini found the TV) and connected, beautiful!!! So the update fixed the issue for me. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have the Pro (and or an external monitor) It would be impossible to get to the update without seeing the screen so I sympathize with the folks with a Mini and TV only. Apple should release a combined update so it isn't a two part process.
But thanks everyone for all of the info, it has saved me a lot of troubleshooting time, I would not have known why the Mini wasn't connecting to the TV! However Lion is so fantastic it is worth the process to get it working.
i reverted back to SL with time machine and although it works, something is definitely up.
i now have to use underscan, before it was set to off.
the resolution appears lower, too, even when set on 1080P (HDMI to LG 1080P).
switchresx didn't work. i was already past the trial when i tried, though. shouldn't have to use it in the first place.
fyi, when reverting back to any time machine backups, the lion recovery partition remains. handy with my non-optical drive mid 2010 server.
Sounds like in your case it's just not detecting your TV properly. Try setting it to a 1080P resoltuion via an external monitor prior to hooking it up to the TV, or just remove into it using the VNC method I posted above and change the resolution while it's connected (i.e. 1920 x 1080).
If only it were that simple. If you google around non Apple forums, you'll find endless people with differing hardware with the same issues, or slight variations. avsforum is a good site as one of the HDMI gururs is there, check out the HDMI forum there as ask him questions. Here's a sample for you to read:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-1286409.html
In here, you'll note how common the issue is (just one of hundreds of thousands of posts). Many problems are the EDID info, which the Gefen mentioned previously would likely solve. I know it SEEMS like change one variable, the system breaks, therefore it MUST be the one variable, but, not the case with HDMI. You can find people with the same TV and Mac on the same os that works, you can find ones that do not work, etc. The problem MAY be Apple, it may also not be, perhaps the TV has a slightly out of spec HDMI implementation and while it may work with other hardware, in reality, it's not supposed to, etc. Adding intermediate HDMI devices such as AVRs, repeaters, etc only compllicate it more. And then you have HDCP issues on top of that. Plus, possible cable issues, length issues, etc.
We all wish HDMI were that simple (and really, it SHOULD be). Sounds so promising - one cable, how ideal. The reality is not so simple. And it's not limited to the Mini, to a specific TV, to Apple, to a certain video card, to a certain driver, etc. At times, on any platform or combincation of devices, an intermediate defvice is needed to just make it work as it should have in the first place. Sometimes, even though the only difference is the Mini, the problem actually lies elsewhere.
For the Yamaha RX-V467 - I see a number of messages on avsforum with differing HTPC issues and even green flickering (and one with blue). One guy says he got the Yamaha replaced and it solved his problem. Again, it does not matter if it works with another PC, that is the nature of how this all works.
Best suggestions is to ask on avsforum, in the HDMI forum specifically so the HDMI implementor can provide some specific info for your specific setups.
I am sure it has been said he before, posting "Apple, please fix" in these forums is 100% useless. You have to report them in the Apple bugtracker system. But, with HDMI, you'll do much better asking on avsforum. Unless you can find that 100% of the time for all owners on a certain tv, a certain tv does not work.
We all wish HDMI were that simple (and really, it SHOULD be).
Welcome to the wonderful world of copy protection.
Your display may not be on the "approved" list, or was removed from it.
Apple's newer Mac lines includes a form of digital copy protection that will prevent protected media, such as DRM-infused iTunes movies, from playing back on devices that aren't compliant with the new priority protection measures.
The Intel-developed technology is called High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) and aims to prevent copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across a variety of display connectors, even if such copying is not in violation of fair use laws.
Among the connectors supported by the technology are the Mini DisplayPort found on Apple's latest MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air, in addition to others such as Digital Visual Interface (DVI), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Gigabit Video Interface (GVIF), and Unified Display Interface (UDI).
Apple has apparently acquired a license for the technology and is now using it across its lines to to prevent transmission of purchased iTunes content (and some DVDs) to devices that don't include support for HDCP.
The problem can often be solved by using an HDMI to Component Video adapter. Many believe that Component Video will give you a better HD picture than HDMI without any of the hassles of HDCP.
I get that too. It seems to work when I have the mini port / analogue display plugged in too, but it work work with HDMI only.
Same problem with my 2010 Mac mini. I tried the option command p r truck and it worked but when I changed the resolution to 720 from 1080 I got the same problem. "unsupported video format"
Buy this device to solve the handshaking connection issues when switching inputs or turning on Av receiver after mac startup ..... Gefen HDMI Detective!!
Thank me later!
Which TV's and/or displays are you all having problems with?
Are the TV's/Displays connected directly to the Mini or
perhaps through a receiver?
If you attempt to start up from the OSX install disk that came
with the Mini, does the display work?
Did you back up your system (clone or Time Machine) and
do a restore to return to Snow Leopard? Does it work then?
Leave the tv and AV receiver on and shutdown the mini. Then start the mini and see if it still works. I ran into issues starting the mini while my tv was plugged in and turned on.
I still cannot get it to work at all with my Denon receiver.
Well, maybe my fix isn't as permanent as I thought.
Fired things up last night and got the black no signal
screen. Had to do ther hard shutdown and
"option+command+p+r" routine again. And once
again saw the "big" apple instead of the small one
indicating that it was somehow seeing a different
resolution.
I did however realize that I had powered things up differently.
Turned my receiver on first then the TV. Previous times
bringing up the system, I would turn on TV then receiver.
Perhaps there's an issue there. In general, it just plain
seems that Lion just totally screws up the HDMI handshaking.
Also, I have noticed that when this happens, it also messes
with the "option" boot choice, which brings up the screen
to select the different boot volumes is also broken. It seems that
Lion just breaks initial video setup with HDMI if any alteration
occurs at all!!! Basically, display auto detect on boot gets
borked!!!!!!!
Before Lion, I could boot with just the TV on (receiver has passthrough
when turned off) and in this state could turn receiver on and have
no problem. Or, I could turn receiver off and still have video.
Or, I could leave Mini on and turn both receiver and TV off and
later turn on any combination ot TV and receiver and still get video.
With Lion, any alteration whatsoever from a "working boot procedure"
results in a borked system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Same issue here! Just bought the new mac mini and receive no video output with my Philips TV... Just got off the phone with Customer Support and they told me that at the moment Lion does not work with Philips TVs and that they have escalated to the engineers looking for a solution. This will of course, be fixed in the next software update but no idea of when will it happen!
So, at the moment, Philips and Lion customers are in the dark... :-/
Don't Panic! I did a little when it wouldn't reboot after Lion and I did force restarts twice and then no picture so I unplugged HDMI and restarted and waited for a minute and replugged HDMI and Bingo! Then my Hawking HWDN1A couldn't be detected and I found SL installer and followed those steps remembering to reinstall while adapter is unpugged and Bingo. Now my iTunes won't work but I'll work it out and pray I haven't lost 10,000 songs and movies etc etc etc. Every new OS or update brings some grief, like a new lover, you need to get to know each other and it will get better. How anyone can get so angry as to suggest ending your Apple relationship??? Are you high or just so self absorbed in your entitled gravity that you need to see a manager cause no ones kissing your tookas enough? Apple still the best and the history of Apple shows they worked hard to be the best so be proud of your Apple and take a bite :)
Updated my late 2010 MBP 15" and also my new mini (the last version to have an optical drive) and both had HDMI issues. They worked but not correctly as with Snow Leopard. Also my NAS would not be recognised as a volume. I then "upgraded" back to the last known OPsys that worked 10.6.8 and all is well yet again.
WIth Lion too many unresolved issues.
No Signal on HDMI TV After Lion Upgrade
