buengel

Q: So frustrating: No HDMI-Output with MacMini after Lion-Upgrade

I use a MacMini as Medie-Center. Since i upgraded to lion (one week ago) the screen on TV remains BLACK. I have already been to the Genius-Bar - but there it works. So they send me home again. But it is still the same. No screensignal - everything is black.

 

 

Google told me, that many many HDMI-Users have the same problem - but Apple seem to know nothing about and against it. VERY VERY FRUSTRATING.

 

P.S.: I already tried all the resets (PRAM, ...)

 

What can i do?

Posted on Jul 31, 2011 4:33 AM

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Q: So frustrating: No HDMI-Output with MacMini after Lion-Upgrade

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  • by capaho,

    capaho capaho Jul 31, 2011 7:07 AM in response to buengel
    Level 4 (3,655 points)
    Jul 31, 2011 7:07 AM in response to buengel

    I had the same problem with my Mac mini, which is connected to my A/V amp via its HDMI port.  If I switched away to another device and then switched back to the mini later, there would be no video and I would have to do a hard shutdown and reset the SMC before it would restart.

     

    The problem stopped after I turned off the screen saver and all of the Energy Saver settings.  It appears that if the screen saver comes on or any of the Energy Saver functions kick in while there is effectively no monitor connected, the mini simply crashes.

  • by woodmeister50,

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Aug 1, 2011 2:32 AM in response to buengel
    Level 5 (5,510 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 1, 2011 2:32 AM in response to buengel

    For most people, the only solution is to reinstall Snow Leopard.

     

    I have a similar setup to capaho.  I have to power TV (and wait

    for it to start seaching for signal), turn on my receiver(wait a few more

    seconds), then turn on the Mini.  If I deviate from this sequence

    in any way, it borks my video and have to go through the

    SMC and PRAM reset.

  • by buengel,

    buengel buengel Aug 1, 2011 8:19 AM in response to buengel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2011 8:19 AM in response to buengel

    That sounds still frustrating. No better idea? I think we need a Lion-Update.

     

    Unfortunately the help-Care-Hotline doesn't know the problem...

  • by woodmeister50,

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Aug 1, 2011 8:56 AM in response to buengel
    Level 5 (5,510 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 1, 2011 8:56 AM in response to buengel

    I'm suprised that they don't know there is a problem, as several

    people who have posted on other forums have said that they

    submitted bug reports, and have received acknowlegement.

     

    On the Mini Forum, a person said they had contacted Apple

    Care for assistance and they had said they are aware of the

    problem.

     

    Also, this is a user to user forum.  Apple may monitor it in some

    ways, but it is not the place to post issues and expect an official

    Apple response.

     

    If your system is under warranty or you have AppleCare, call them.

    If the person you get can't help you to yoyr satisfaction, you could call

    again and you will get someone else (not everyone  knows everything),

    or you may try to ask to bump you to someone at a higher technical

    level.

     

    If you want Apple to be aware of your issues, you can post to:

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/

     

    Or you can post a bug report.  You will be required to list as much information

    as you can about your system, problem, repeatabilty, any workarounds etc.

    for it to be accepted.  This can be done here:

     

    https://bugreport.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/RadarWeb.woa/wa/signIn

     

    For this one, completeness and clarity of the issue is important and you may

    get contacted for additional info.

  • by Samoel,

    Samoel Samoel Aug 2, 2011 4:27 AM in response to buengel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 2, 2011 4:27 AM in response to buengel
  • by Venturas,

    Venturas Venturas Aug 11, 2011 8:50 AM in response to buengel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 11, 2011 8:50 AM in response to buengel

    I just got off the phone with Apple support, they gave me these terminal commands. Works so far for my Philips 37PFL9603

     

     

    cd /System/Library/Displays/Overrides/DisplayVendorID-410c/

     

    sudo mv DisplayProductID-0  DisplayProductID-0.old

     

    Reboot after entering the commands

     

    Good luck and enjoy!

     

    Message was edited by: Venturas

  • by woodmeister50,

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Aug 12, 2011 3:26 AM in response to Venturas
    Level 5 (5,510 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 12, 2011 3:26 AM in response to Venturas

    Venturas, I just looked in the directory Overrides

    and found all these listed:

     

    DisplayVendorID-4dd9

    DisplayVendorID-11a9

    DisplayVendorID-5a63

    DisplayVendorID-2283

    DisplayVendorID-5b4

    DisplayVendorID-38a3

    DisplayVendorID-610

    DisplayVendorID-410c

    DisplayVendorID-756e6b6e

    DisplayVendorID-4c2d

    DisplayVendorID-daf

     

    I have only ever had my Mini attached to one display,

    so, is this just a standard list of displays?  Do you have

    this many listed? 

     

    Nevermind, just looked at my iMac and see the same list.

    Just answered my own question.

     

    Message was edited by: woodmeister50

  • by Venturas,

    Venturas Venturas Aug 12, 2011 4:40 AM in response to woodmeister50
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 12, 2011 4:40 AM in response to woodmeister50

    Woodmeister,

     

    I have the same list indeed

  • by garenda,

    garenda garenda Aug 13, 2011 7:14 AM in response to Venturas
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 13, 2011 7:14 AM in response to Venturas

    i have a phillips 42 plasma, an older one.  I saw the terminal commnads but to be honest never have entered any...Venturas can you tel me exactly how to enter that prompt.  I did it exactly with what you had on your post, but nothing happened...said invalid comand

  • by rahsaanmoore,

    rahsaanmoore rahsaanmoore Aug 13, 2011 7:22 AM in response to garenda
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 13, 2011 7:22 AM in response to garenda

    the terminal commands doe indeed work.  i havent not reset my mac mini to test but I am finally using my 42" 2007 era Phillips with no issues whatsoever.  I copied the commands from this post and pasted them into terminal, i was prompted to enter my password and it reset and it worked.  I obviously had to enter the commands using a second display.  good luck

  • by txnmom,

    txnmom txnmom Sep 1, 2011 4:44 AM in response to buengel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 1, 2011 4:44 AM in response to buengel

    I did not have the VendorID-410c listed in my list of displays for the terminal commands to work but the SwitchRes X solution did work for my 2010 Mac Mini to connect to my 32" Philips LCD TV. Thank you so much for posting the solution and for those who took the effort to find the work arounds. It is much appreciated

  • by txnmom,

    txnmom txnmom Sep 1, 2011 4:48 AM in response to woodmeister50
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 1, 2011 4:48 AM in response to woodmeister50

    I am one such person who has submitted this to AppleCare phone support and in store. THey had absolutely no solutions for me other than to say this was a TV problem and not a computer problem. But as this has now been fixed I can say without a doubt it is a software problem. When the technical support teams are uninformed it leaves the consumers frustrated and unhappy with the product provided. There have been multiple times in recent history where I am 100% better informed and knowledgeable than the geniuses ate the store and it was a waste of my time to go.

  • by ImRMS,

    ImRMS ImRMS Sep 18, 2011 9:29 AM in response to garenda
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 18, 2011 9:29 AM in response to garenda

    When I first pasted the commands into Terminal, it added a space that caused an invalid error, but after I fixed that, it worked.

     

    FYI--here are the nitty gritty steps I used (credit to Venturas):

     

    Terminal commands (pasted here for your convenience--but watch the spacing):

     

    cd /System/Library/Displays/Overrides/DisplayVendorID-410c/

     

    sudo mv DisplayProductID-0 DisplayProductID-0.old

     

    SMC reset steps I used next (works for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve):

     

    1. Shut down the computer.
    2. Unplug the computer's power cord.
    3. Wait fifteen seconds.
    4. Attach the computer's power cord.
    5. Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

    After the SMC reset, the HDTV came up set to its native 720p resolution, and I just moved the Underscan slider toward More until the edges of the display fit within the physical screen perfectly.

     

    Details:

     

    My secondary display that was giving me fits is the following which I have connected directly to the HDMI out via HDMI cable on a Mid 2010 Mac Mini Server:

     

    Philips 32" TV model # 32PFL3505D/F7 (It showed as Philips FTV in Display Preferences prior to the terminal fix--now it just says Philips)

     

    I also have a 17" Dell E170S connected via Minidisplay port to VGA.

  • by ImRMS,

    ImRMS ImRMS Sep 18, 2011 9:33 AM in response to txnmom
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 18, 2011 9:33 AM in response to txnmom

    I wonder if you have another brand TV and find the correct VendorID for the first command if that is the key. Calls to Apple might be in order to find what to insert there if the commands do not work as is.  I say calls (plural) because I have found with every company that who you talk to makes all the difference.  I hope the info Venturas was able to get helps some others!

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