Mac Mini (2012) HDMI losing sync (blank screen/snow)

Same for me. I have a late 2012 Mac Mini using HDMI only on a 1080p LED monitor. Text is fuzzy, screen blinks in and out, goes fuzzy. I'll try the HDMI to Thunderbolt converter, but I'm annoyed that I should have to.

Contact Apple....I did & they are sending me a Belkin thunderbolt to hdmi adapter @ no cost to me.

I contacted Apple and they told me to take the mini into a store so they can run diagnostics. Definitely no mention of using an adaptor, let alone getting a free one.

OldEyes wrote:

Occasionaly I have Green flash on the screen and then it is ok until it blanks out. Sometimes it blanks continuiosly until I unplug the HDMI and replug.

The green flash is a HDMI handshake issue. I wouldn't recommend hot swamping the HDMI plug like that while the computer is running. Could inadvertently do damage to the chips. Your best bet is to simply put the mini to sleep, and then immediately wake it up again. That will safely reconnect the HDMI handshake issue.

Contacted Apple. After being instructed to zap the PRAM (which didn't fix anything), the dude came back and told me that this is an issue that they're working on with Intel, and that I should occasionally check for a software update to fix the problem. He suggested that I buy a Thunderbold adapter. I confirmed with him that I need to buy additional equipment to fix their hardware problem. He said yes. Obviously they don't have a standard answer for this issue yet. I'm typically a blind Apple follower but found their "support" to be pretty lame in this case.

moonmich wrote:

He suggested that I buy a Thunderbold adapter. I confirmed with him that I need to buy additional equipment to fix their hardware problem. He said yes.

That is incorrect. You do not need to buy anything. Most Apple stores will supply the adapter to you at no charge to get around this issue.

I don't have a new or recent Mini but I had been thinking about it. To say the obvious, it doesn't seem like a good time to buy one.

But I wanted to mention that, while wandering through the W 14th Street Apple Store (NYC) looking at the tables each set up with a particular product (you know, 13" MacBook Pro, 15" Mac Book Pro, 2 tables for the Airs, another for new iMacs) there was no table for the Mini. I had to look hard to find one Mini in the store, sitting on a side shelf with some monitors.

The online store has no such reluctance.

I'm sure that I will buy a Mini within the next 6-12 months but I share the pessimism that there is an easy fix about to roll out.

dick glendon

W. Richard Glendon wrote:

I don't have a new or recent Mini but I had been thinking about it. To say the obvious, it doesn't seem like a good time to buy one.

I would get a new mini today if I could afford one. This is not a big issue for me and not the first time a piece of electronics has ever had a bug. These things get sorted out and life goes on.

Dear All this is a repost of my comment from Re: Mac Mini 2012 video blinking out,

News, of a sort....

On Friday evening I dropped a line to Ms Lindberg, politely worded but making it clear that Apple's current performance in this issue leaves a lot to be desired.

At lunchtime in the UK today (so no doubt she was at her desk early in the USA) I received a call from Kashif Jamil of Executive Relations EMEIA in Cork, Republic of Ireland.

Basically Apple still doesn't understand the problem with the Mini but Engineering is on the case. He gave absolutely no indication of the ETA of any solution so I think that we must assume that 10.8.3 will not solve the problem and be pleasantly surprised if it does.

We talked around the issue of Apple's lack of communication and selling machines known to be potentially faulty but it was clear that we were starting to exceed his pay grade.

Sorry it's not good news but I thought you would wish to know. 😟

BobH47 wrote:

Basically Apple still doesn't understand the problem with the Mini but Engineering is on the case.

Is this you paraphrasing, or is this precisly what Apple said? 😕

If this is precisly what Apple said then it looks like Intel lied about sending a fix to Apple.

BobH47 wrote:

I think that we must assume that 10.8.3 will not solve the problem and be pleasantly surprised if it does.

Yes, as it was mentioned last week 10.8.3 shows little hope of being a fix. Most likely they are working on a new firmware update. However. 10.8.3 might get rid of some of the symptoms for some, so that would still be good.

No, I'm not completely paraphrasing but "Apple still doesn't understand the problem" came within the first minute of the conversation and the "Engineering is on the case" is my interpretation of his later remarks. Apparently they may ask me for data from my Mini, surely they wouldn't ask for that if they understood the problem.

The bottom line is: They don't understand the problem, let alone have a fix but are working on it...."

Lied is a strong word. Remembering that our contract is with Apple, although I was interested to learn that you don't own a Mini, we should be listening to Apple and not third parties. An exception would be the media reporting a direct quote from Apple.

I repeat my pleas for everyone who has a problem to report it to Apple Care or return the Mini. One of the things that Kashif said was that not everybody is reporting a problem. Posting something on here doesn't get counted. I also reminded him that there will be many Mini users who haven't even tried the HDMI port and may be oblivious of any problem.

At times you come over as a spokesperson for Apple, and whilst I am sure that you are trying to reassure users of the ethics of the Apple of old, what we are dealing with is the Apple of now and the future. We don't yet know what that looks like.........😉

Same thing here, the support guy said to wait for the patch.

BobH47 wrote:

...Remembering that our contract is with Apple, although I was interested to learn that you don't own a Mini, we should be listening to Apple and not third parties...

At times you come over as a spokesperson for Apple, and whilst I am sure that you are trying to reassure users of the ethics of the Apple of old, what we are dealing with is the Apple of now and the future.....

Exactly. Why would anyone who neither owned and recently returned nor currently owns nor has been planning to own post here so frequently, I wonder?

In an effort to help. 🙂

BobH47 wrote:

Apparently they may ask me for data from my Mini, surely they wouldn't ask for that if they understood the problem.

It may be how you worded it but I think you meant to say that Apple is not sure what is the best road to take to solve this issue. Of course they understand this issue. You have no technical background and yet you understand the issue. Everyone here understands the issue. HDMI flickers or goes black. What's not to understand? What's the best method of fixing the issue that will solve everyone's symptoms is another matter, and that takes time to chart.

Hi Bob, here’s the deal, at this time no one here knows how, or even IF this issue will ever be resolved. While it’s true that a firmware update could easily resolve this problem, again, for better or worse no one knows what Apples intentions are at THIS time. For all you know this issue may drag out to 6 or 7 months or longer. I have seen this happen before as have others. If that happens (and that’s a big if) then I don't see how this won't become a legal issue, and so now is the time when posters need to be sticking to facts. I asked for your clarification for that reason, that’s all. I assure you that posting in a unbiased factual nature is in everyone's best interest. I am also making copies of this and other threads, just in case they magically ‘disappear’. Sometimes with issues like this you need to look long term. I learned this the hard way with Apple and I’m just making sure every bodies options are kept open. Thank you for the clarification.

To answer your other question, while I do not have a 2012 mini, I DO have a 2011 mini with a similar HDMI issue. I also recommended to several friends that they buy a new mini just before this issue popped up, and since they are not technically minded and are close friends, I find it my responsibility to seek a solution and address this issue for them. You and your friend have only been a member of this forum for several weeks. BDAqua, myself, and several others have been coming here for almost a decade for the sole purpose to HELP others. As a reminder, this is a public forum and no membership is needed to be here. Insinuating that someone is here for ‘this’ or ‘that’ reason doesn't help anyone, and is in bad form and only makes the person doing the insinuation look foolish (not referring to your post but someone else's). It’s sad to see that others have started to blow this Mac mini issue out of proportion, and that’s not going to help anyone either. This thread needs to be as unbiased and factual as possible. Everyone posting here needs to also contact Apple directly. The more people that report this directly to Apple, the quicker this issue will get resolved. Not because it puts pressure on Apple, but because it gives Apple a larger pool of information to diagnose this issue and work from. I am still confident that Apple will address this issue in a timely and professional manner, but I am also preparing for the worst just in case. Hopefully that clears this matter up Bob. Have a nice night 🙂