OSX Upgrade Causing 2nd Monitor Color Issues

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Level 1

4 points

OSX Upgrade Causing 2nd Monitor Color Issues

Hi, I work on an Intel-based 2011 27" iMac that we use regularly for visual presentations at our church. It was purchased new in April 2011 with Snow Leopard, which is how we used it until today. I made the upgrade to Lion and thought I had no issues to speak of, until I linked it back up with the chain of visual projection equipment - a Kramer video switcher that splits out to 2 Sanyo HD projectors mounted to the ceiling. We regularly use Pro Presenter 4 with this setup.

After the upgrade and reconnecting this machine to the signal chain, the differnce is obvious...and bad. Black screens show up as purple, and the color as a whole in general is washed, faded, & seriously degraded in quality. These were the steps I took to ensure the problem originates on the iMac & with Lion OSX:

1. Restart the iMac; no change.

2. Unplug the iMac from the signal chain at the miniDisplay port, replug; no change.

3. Check all of the connections to from iMac to video switcher to splitters to projectors; all are good.

4. Replace miniDisplay connector with a spare; no change.

5. Replace cable from miniDisplay connector to the Kramer switcher with a spare; no change.

6. Power Kramer video switcher up and down several times; no change.

7. Check all of the input selections on the Kramer switcher - VGA, HDMI, etc. All other channels work fine, but color returns to being faded & washed out when the iMac's channel is selected.

8. Plug in my MacBook Pro running Lion + Pro Presenter 4 into the signal chain; EVERYTHING IS GOOD. Color returns to normal & high quality video is being enjoyed by all again.

9. Plug the iMac back into the signal chain; color goes bad again.

After running thru this list 2-3 times and checking all of the connectors & cables, I can come to no other conclusion that something is not right with the secondary monitor color profile after upgrading to Lion this morning. I spent some time this evening working with the ColorSync Utility, but was unable to restore any of the color settings (nor did I change them). I also spent time in the Display properties working in the Color section of secondary display to no avail.

And so I'm here. Any ideas & places I might start? Thanks in advance for you help.

Message was edited by: andybarlow

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Jan 26, 2012 7:13 PM

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Answer 1

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,472 points

Jan 26, 2012 7:36 PM in response to andybarlow

Repair Disk Permissions using Disk Utility and report back please.

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Answer 2

andybarlow Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 26, 2012 7:40 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Ok thanks. It will be tomorrow before I can try it, though, because the problem machine is at my office. I'll try it 1st thing in the morning.

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Answer 3

andybarlow Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 27, 2012 6:37 AM in response to rkaufmann87

rkaufmann87: I ran the Disk Utility this morning and everything checked out fine. Since it checked out, is there a need to try to run "Repaid Disk Permissions" for something that doesn't need repair?

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Answer 4

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,472 points

Jan 27, 2012 7:04 AM in response to andybarlow

It doesn't hurt and normally takes less than 15 minutes to do.

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Answer 5

andybarlow Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 27, 2012 8:05 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Just finished running "Repair Disk Permissions" with no change. After running RDP, I restarted and reconnected the iMac to my visual chain and the same problem - screen washed out with blacks showing as purple - still persists.

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Answer 6

andybarlow Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 27, 2012 8:07 AM in response to rkaufmann87

I've also been in and calibrated the color profile for the miniDisplay port while it was plugged into the visual chain, with no change.

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Answer 7

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,472 points

Jan 27, 2012 8:18 AM in response to andybarlow

Have you connected other displays and used other cables to eliminate cables & displays? If that isn't it then you will need to contact Apple, hopefully it's covered by AppleCare. If it is then call AppleCare and they can run through some troubleshooting. If it isn't covered by AppleCare then you can still get it while the machine is under the original 1 year warranty.

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Answer 8

andybarlow Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 27, 2012 8:26 AM in response to rkaufmann87

I haven't connected it to other displays as of yet, but I have tested other cables & connectors & the same issue persists even with new cables & connectors. I ruled out the displays being the problem by putting my 2010 15" MacBook Pro running Lion 10.7.2 in the visual chain. When I used my machine the color is perfect, thus alluding to the problem being on the iMac.

Before I upgraded the iMac to Lion 10.7.2 yesterday, I had no issues with our setup. I don't see how the problem can be anywhere else except in Lion because nothing else has changed in this scenario.

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Answer 9

andybarlow Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 27, 2012 8:27 AM in response to rkaufmann87

But...in case I haven't said it recently, thank you rkaufmann87 for your ideas & help. 🙂

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Answer 10

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,472 points

Jan 27, 2012 9:08 AM in response to andybarlow

Your welcome, I wish I had some ideas. Look into contacting AppleCare, if you aren't sure if it's covered you can use the Apple Online Service Assistant to find out.

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