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

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. 

Today I bought the thunderbolt->DVI adapter and now is much better

I'll use this one instead of the HDMI

I just sent an email off to Moshi technical support, and will update you guys when I get a response!

Hi,

 

I am having color and contrast problems with the Moshi Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter. I have a 2012 macbook air and have the problems with both my external monitors (HP 2310m and HP 2311m).

I have Mac OSX 10.7.4 and purchased the moshi adapter at the apple retail store.

 

I am not the only one with these problems as dozens have the exact same problems as discussed here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4080525?start=15&tstart=0

 

 

How can I fix this problem?

I'm sorry... I didn't see your post. Correct is the answer!

Hey all... has anyone tried to see if the MBA will work on Apple's display? Not that it's a solution, but it might shed some light on trobleshooting. Here are my next steps (since I had the chance to return my AOC monitor):

1. Try MBA on my work monitor, a work projector and finally a work monitor with cinema display ratio.
2. If any of them fail, I'm going to the Apple Store to investigate
3. If they all work, I'm going to bring my MBA to Best Buy and try out a higher quality (like Dell) monitor and see if I'm ok.
4. If I find a monitor that works, I'm buying it.
5. If any of the tests fail, I'm going to the Apple Store (I've started a case). Not sure if they'll have a monitor to test.

I'll report back my findings.

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.

Oh, forgot to add an interesting data point that points to this being a software issue within OSX: when installing Windows on the MBA and booting into that the problem does not not occur.

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?

i mean with the mini displayport --> VGA it is better.

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.

i will try DVI, but it is a must-have option since the HDMI doesn't work well. I would use HDMI for the audio too.

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.