Horrible colors on external monitor using macbook air(2012) with mini dp to hdmi

+1

Laptop: MacBook Air 11", Mid 2012 128Gb/8Gb (latest OS X Lion with all updates)

External Monitor: LG Flatron E2441v (HDMI input)

Mini-DP to HDMI cable: KanaaN http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M1PI6E

same Monitor and Laptop with Mini-DP to DVI Adapter: perfect picture

same Monitor with 2010 MBP 13" (also on Lion) and KanaaN Mini-DP to HDMI cable: perfect picture

can confirm that its not the color profile, as the MBP selects the same profile as the MBA does when connected via HDMI.

picture quality doesnt change with the Universal Access contrast-trick as mentioned by someone in the thread.

Even I got the exact same problem. I bought an MDP to DVI and it works great!

Macbook Air 13" 128Gb and 4 gb with Lion

Monitor: BenQ XL2410T

And Moshi MDP to HDMI.

I hope there would be a fix to this soon ! 🙂

Well since it is a Macbook Air post I thought you had one and thought it had a Retina display... 😝

I am suprised to hear that tho... first time I hear this issue on a MBP Retina. I really hope it is software related.

I have a Macbook Pro 7,1 and experiencing exactly the same thing.

1. I connect the Samsung syncmaster S24B350 with mini Displayport - HDMI => Colors, contrast and fonts looks crappy (calibrating makes it slightly better, rebooting makes no differnece)

2. I change to mini Displayport - VGA (D-sub) => Still crappy colors and contrast

3. Rebooting and now it's suddenly much better colors and contrast

4. Use commandline to force font smoothing => Works!

HDMI works perfect on my Samsung LCD-TV

I guess macbook pro has the same problem. =(

I will call AppleCare Sweden tomorrow.

Ironically I spent HOURS trying to find the best new external monitor (for less than $600) while my brand new maxed out MBA "13 was being configured in China. Only to have the exact same problem that everyone is mentioning here. I've tried multiple monitors (different brands), VGA, DVI, HDMI - nothing. Until of course I take it to the Apple store and they hook it up to one of their older cinema displays and it works fine. Back to the office again and total white wash.

I did notice a couple of reboot times that occasionally there'd be a SPLIT second when the greys looked normal and then right back to washed out again.

I use this for work and I work 10 hours a day. If this doesn't get fixed soon I'm going to go nuts.

How would you test this on an Apple display? I don't know of one which has an HDMI input, which is the common factor with this issue.

To summaries the conditions that cause this issue:

- MBA 2012 (and one case of a retina MBP) but not on older generation MBAs, so it would seem that the new Intel HD 4000 is to blame.

- HDMI adaptor (make does not matter, and same adapters causing issue with 2012 hardware work fine with older models). Switching to a DVI adaptor always improves the display, but this isn't a real solution to the problem.

- monitors seem not to matter, and no-one seems to have reported a case of a 2012 MBA working with one monitor but not another. (LT Mac User, point 4 above, let us know if you find a working monitor).

- problem exists in OSX Lion and Mountain Lion.

We are all still within the 90 day window of included AppleCare telephonic support, so we should be calling Apple up and logging the issue.

Same Here:

- MBA 13" 2012

- Mountain Lion 10.8 GM

- Mini DisplayPort --> HDMI

- LG IPS235P

this is the output (look at the google search buttons grey background)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/14/mbavsips235p.jpg/

with a Mini DisplayPort --> HDMI they are better (not as much as the mba display, btw). Do you think that trying with a DVI adapter can help the situation?

DVI shouldn't have the issue and it is better than VGA because its digital and supports HD resolutions. Only difference between DVI and HDMI is that HDMI can include an audio stream on a single cable. So if DVI is an option for you get that adaptor and you'll be fine.

The thing is, we shouldn't have to buy other stuff to find a solution. When you pay 1700$+, you expect everything to work without having to find solutions buying more stuff.

I know it can be a temporary solution for some, but i'm not spending a penny because they failed to deliver a finished product.

I hope they are now aware of the issue since the number of people reporting the problem is growing..!

What I meant was, let's see if the Apple Cinema display shows the same problem. If that's the case, than an Apple store who has one can test my MBA and if it doesn't even work on their monitor, I wouldn't think they could give up much of an argument.

I took my MBA to a Genius Bar hours after unboxing it. It worked on their Cinema Display. I wouldn't say it was perfect but it was far better than then whitewashing I was getting. She rebooted the PRAM and also mentioned something about 'natural joseling of the MBA could make things work again'. I just looked at her like, 'what kind of BS are you trying to sell me'?

Got it back to the office and of course I had to same results as previously on the brand new 27" Samsung I bought since I was screensizing down to a 13" MBA. My 2007 15" MBP looks pretty good on it though.

For a brief minute I was hoping the software update specifically for the latest MBP and MBAs would fix it. It didn't.

Hydrofire... I'm not sure that the HDMI is the only problem here, Many posters (including myself) are having the same problem with VGA as I am. I have tried both HDMI and VGA with the same results. As I use other monitors and projectors where VGA is the only option, this is unacceptable. As I recall, the original poster was having trouble with VGA/adapter as well.

I am unclear about DVI at this point.

Quite right @LTMacUser. The MBA 2012 is not working with MANY VGA projectors and screens I have tried. It's not the awful colours issue, it's a disasterous sync issue. Utterly unusable. Extremely bad for professionals who expect to go to clients and present - ie surely the target market for such a light portable. I have tried 6 2012 airs, across 7 different screens, admitedly all using mini displayport to VGA adapters. Not ONE works. Yet every screen works with every MBP and MBA prior to 2012.

Another +1 here. Thank you for starting this thread, because I was losing my mind! :-)

Brand new MBA - special ordered - and it looks *horrible* on an external monitor. Since the closest Apple store is 70+ miles away, I think I'm going to try a DVI cable. I'll eventually make it to the store, and I will show up with my monitor. :-D

-Tim

I'm having the same problem. Bought my new 13" MBA about 3 weeks ago in Germany. I suppose it's a 2012 model.

I recently bought two displays (Asus VS228 and some LG 22"). I'm using a pretty cheap Kanaan HDMI-to-Display-Port adapter (http://www.amazon.de/KanaaN-mini-Displayport-Adapter-Audio-%C3%9Cbertragung/dp/B 003ORJOX0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1342955989&sr=8-9). Both monitors give a horrible picture. Fonts are unsharp, dark colours and black are way too dark, bright colors are too bright. Tried only HDMI so far, but will go to the apple store to get a DVI adapter.

This ***** and i find it ridiculous that i have to waste more money on this diva of a laptop!